Cancelled Due to High Winds 8th Feb

Today was supposed to be an outing to Dunvegan Castle Gardens for the 'Snowdrops Festival" with free tours of the gardens and morning and afternoon tea by donation for charity. It was due to start at 10.00am until 2.00pm, and we wanted to avoid the "Rush" so were headed out well ahead of time.

It was very cold out, but dry and the sun came out now and again, until we reached Skeabost, when it started to darken up and we could see rain falling in the distance near Dunvegan. As we came into the town of Dunvegan we stopped off at the public toilet and as I was leaving it was pelting down hail!

Ah well, we though, wait 10 minutes and it'll change that what they say ... and as we drove to the Castle it did start to wear off - a bit. But sitting in the car with the hail pelting the windscreen, in the Castle car park at 10.00am sharp, we did wonder where all the other people must be - we were the only car there! Unusual we thought - but Vince put on his coat and braved the weather to read the sign - Cancelled due to High Winds! Obviously we had missed the Skye “Tom Tom” Drums or “Smokesignals” that everyone else knew about!

So it was off to Skeabost, to drop of a metal pie dish that our new friend, Ian, had put fresh eggs from his chickens in for us last time we visited. Vince dropped me off and went to turn the car around but it didn't look like they were home so I left it on the door step. As I came out of their garden gate to get back in the car Vince was pulling over - so I was confused! But it turned out he had passed Gill and Rum, their Springer Spaniel walking up the road and she had said go in the fires on and the doors unlocked. So we did. She joined us shortly after and we had a great catch up and a cup of tea. She gave us some info about how to find the Staffin dinosaur prints as we shared out failed attempt and story of the vandalism we saw. We also had a talk about why people fall in love with Skye and end up moving here - she tempted us with a vacant block next door to them overlooking Loch Snizort - LOL!

Vince and I have fallen in love with Skye and could see ourselves living here. We have felt at home since we arrived and are already starting to feel like locals now - but for the kids and grandkids it would be so easy to just stay here on this beautiful, tranquil place.

Instead of returning the pie dish, Gill refilled it for us - saying it's another excuse to pop in to return it again! People here are so generous and kind, it's a lovely community feeling.

I was admiring the bird feeders at the homes of some of our new friends, but as we are just leasing Willie McLeod's I couldn't put in a proper pole and handing bird feeders, but I notices some plastic trays with suction caps on her windows, so I asked about them. Go to "Jan's" was the reply - its a do it yourself kind of place with a cafe in the industrial part of Portree.

We were going to the Butcher in the Portacabin and the CoOp in Portree anyway, so we stopped in an Jan's. It was a bit like an Australian Bunnings Store, but on a smaller scale, with a much better cafe! We had lunch there and it was very nice - it really did make us feel like locals. Vince bought a torch and I got two bird feeders.

Whilst Vince went to get fuel, I walked to the Butcher and sorted out a small beef roast for tomorrow - or crofter friend Alan is coming for Sunday Lunch.

Then we went to the Coop (where apparently Boxers drive Defenders!) to pick up some other supplies, and I checked out the price of Gin - but didn't buy any as we have our Gin Making Class next week. However, I was impressed with this label....

Taking the shopping to the car was a challenge in the pelting rain, and on the road back home we saw a dusting of snow on the Storr - it looked like a sprinkling of caster sugar - which got me thinking about Scones! So when I got home I made some and they were better than the last lot - at least they looked more like scones!

We never got the cameras out of the backpacks today - but took the odd snap with our iPhones. I'm about to go and make a Beef Stir Fry for dinner and then settle in for the evening in front of the fire as the wind and rain hotel outside!