Skye

Day 1 - Birmingham to Glasgow

Written by  -Unknown-

With the rain pouring down and the time to meet at the Guild (9am) ignored by the majority – every criterion for a typical Wayfarers trip seemed to be fulfilled from the start.

The playlist that had been created the previous evening (highlighting the theme of the trip ‘The Skye is the Limit’) received some praise but a voice of criticism was heard only the next day (‘It is just a bit too rocky’). As Fiona MacDonald said on Radio Skye a couple of days later ‘it’s not for everyone’, but it had been a team effort and, in my opinion, turned out pretty well. The exception being ‘Scotland the Brave’, which – by one man’s conscious decision – began to haunt us, from passing the border on Sunday to the end of the week, and – since I am writing this during our drive back to Birmingham – might torment us in the seven hours we have left [edit: I wisely predicted the future – thank you, Ethan!]; it will certainly find its way into my upcoming nightmares.

Anyway, the drive up to Glasgow was otherwise pretty uneventful, and we soon saw the luxury resort that was the Travelodge, Paisley Road. After quickly getting all the backpacks from the minibus – the fear of them being stolen was just too present – and a brief break with a cup of tea in the various (and actually very nice) rooms, we ventured out to explore the city, but most importantly, the Glasgow subway. I have been told it’s quite special – it’s a circular line, and a group of people led by Teller stayed on to do the full circle (20ish minutes). We had a quick stroll through the city centre, and, appalled by the deep-fried Pizza and Mars bar Martin and Ethan more or less ate, decided to have dinner at the local Spoons.

Witnessing the police arresting someone just across the street in a Lidl, we decided to find the other group, which had gone – more sensible perhaps – to an actual local pub. We arrived just when they finished whatever they were having, so we all walked back. I can’t obviously speak for everyone, and I also have no clue what happened in the various other lodgings, but my room went to bed at 10pm and had a solid ten hours of sleep – pretty unusual but very much needed!

Day 2 - Glasgow to Skye, and Beinn na Cro

Written by Carolin Letterer

The next morning started with a bit of confusion and probably too much intimacy for only the beginning of the trip. The bathrooms in each of the rooms couldn’t be locked, and so many Wayfarers were startled just as they were starting their day. Because the night had been so short, everyone immediately went back to sleep, including myself, not before discovering that a group had already done the food shopping (edit: £250 spent in 20mins, with time for Greggs. Up till 1am planning), which saved us from a painful and hourlong wait in an Aldi car park. It wasn’t until we reached the shore of Loch Lomond that heads stopped nodding up and down to many brief power naps. From that point on, eyes were fixed on the absolutely stunning scenery outside.

After a stop at the Morrisons in Fort William, experiencing the joys of the salad bar for the first time on the trip, we drove on with the golden sunshine bringing out the best the Highlands had to offer (that is for looking at them – as we still had a couple of hours of driving ahead of us). Once the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to Skye was visible, the enthusiasm reached a peak, and listening to The Skye Boat Song we arrived on the island.

When we finally stopped the minibus in the car park next to the bunkhouse, probably everybody felt a bit dizzy and sick due to the narrow winding road, even though Harry was driving. At 5 we set off for a short hike up Beinn na Cro, one of the mountains surrounding the bunkhouse. The view at the top was magnificent but the wind was a bit concerning since it meant that the weather forecast had probably been right (promising showers and extreme wind for the whole week at that point). One group stayed behind to watch the sunset, the others walked back and had a lovely shower or a lovely cup of tea (or both).

After dinner (‘Lentil Infused Ragu’), I think we went to bed pretty soon, but to be honest, I can’t really remember what happened on that particular evening, so imagine people playing fun games, having wholesome conversations, and lots of laughter – that’s what I remember most of the whole trip anyway.

Day 3 - Portree and Old Man of Storr

-Missing-

Day 4 - Sligachan

-Missing-

Day 5 - Plockton

-Missing-

Day 6 - Blà Bheinn and Elgol

-Incomplete-

Day 7 - Skye to Birmingham

-Missing-