This post is a brief tour of the southern part of the Isle of Skye. I don’t have any stories to tell about the area, so I’ll just show you some pretty “drive-by” pictures. We’ll first make a quick visit to the Sleat Peninsula, then drive to Elgol (at the end of the Straithaird Peninsula) to view the Cuillin Hills from the other (east) side.  Previously we had visited these hills from the west (Isle of Skye II – Fairy Glen, Dunvegan, and the Cuillin Hills).

Sleat is mostly flat, but it has great views across the water to the mainland (picture on the left). The series of pictures below capture Sleat nicely. They were taken from a single location, although the first picture was taken on a different day than the rest.

The pictures below are of the Cuillin Hills again, but this time from the eastern side.

On our way back we come across “Cill Chriosd” (Christ’s Church), a ruined parish church.

It’s small and simple, but the ruins are old.  Written records announcing the replacement of a chaplain for the church date back to 1505.  It’s interesting to compare these simple rural structures with the overwhelming, grand cathedrals of the cities, many of them built even before this parish church.  The impressive cathedrals are a testament to what humankind can achieve, given a purpose; these parish churches, like the beautiful Gallarus Oratory in Ireland (Southwest Ireland Tour III – Ancient Christianity), to me question what that purpose was.  Really, they’re both beautiful in their own way.

Have I mentioned that it rains a lot in Scotland? But there is an upside, as you’ll see in the pictures below, taken on this rainy day – the hills come alive with waterfalls!

Below are two final pictures as we leave the Isle of Skye.  I hope you enjoyed this beautiful island as much as we did!

Next post – the Isle of Harris (and Harris Tweed).