Over the bridge to Skye
Way back in November, I abandoned my diary of our summer trip to Dornie in the North West Highlands. Even further back, in October, I wrote about our first, abortive, attempt to visit Skye via the Glenelg ferry. That was scuppered by a puncture. Now it’s time to resume the tale. A few days later, we made it to Skye by simply driving over the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin.
Both Kyle and Kyleakin would have been much busier before the bridge was built in 1995, with ferries shuttling back and forth on the five-minute crossing between their harbours. Now both can be easily be by-passed, although Kyleakin seems still to be a popular stop for coach trips. However, most tourists headed straight for the coffee shops so wandering the village was a peaceful pastime.
First we climbed to the War Memorial where we had good views of Castle Moil.
Then we made our way towards the castle, enjoying the quirky art work, gnome-decorated gardens, and signs that Kyleakin has not given up on the dream of Scottish independence. The sculpture of Teko the Otter is a nod to Gavin Maxwell who wrote Ring of Bright Water and once lived on Eilean Ban, the island which now joins the two parts of the Skye Bridge.
Castle Moil, or Maol, stands on a promontory a few hundred yards from the village’s slipway. There’s not much left of it, especially after it was damaged by lightning a couple of years ago and lost about four metres from one of its towers. The warning signs are there, about both falling masonry and the dangers of being cut off by the tide. Still, it’s a pleasant climb and the views back to the village and bridge are pretty.
Just outside Kyleakin we stopped to climb Cnoc a’Mhadaidh-ruaidh (hill of the fox). As on many walks last summer, we found there had been a lot of logging, which rather detracted from the appeal, but the views back to the bridge were interesting. It looked very odd from this angle. In the wider view you can see Eilean Ban (with the lighthouse) which the road crosses before continuing over the second part of the bridge beyond.
From here, we drove to Broadford, the next village, where we explored a small park and the harbour, then partook of a welcome coffee – next to a bookshop, which I managed to resist.
Beyond Broadford, we found another forestry trail which took us in a loop above the sea, and back past the cemetery.
After our walk, we set off back to the mainland and our base in Dornie. If you think of Skye as a mountainous island, you are right, which means you might be puzzled by this post as it looks quite flat. However, if Skye were a house we would barely have made it into the entrance hall. We’d had a lovely time though, and it wasn’t over yet.
In the next village to Dornie, Ardelve, there is a ‘pizza hut’ which we had promised ourselves we would try before we left. Pizza Jo has to be the quirkiest pizza place ever, and if you visit the area I highly recommend it.
Also on site is Manuela’s Wee Bakery (closed by the time we got there) and the Fairytale Distillery, all run by the same German family. While our pizzas were being made we sampled some gin and, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, we left with a bottle. The pizzas were absolutely delicious too! A lovely end to a lovely day.
The Glasgow Gallivanter 
You avoided a bookstore? How could you!!! 😳🤣
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Bizarre, I know!
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What an interesting place! Thanks for sharing. x
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Thank you, Cheryl!
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Hi Anabel, The Kyleakin gardens are fun, whimsical and likely unique. It is amazing how lightning can cause significant damage. Quirky is a good description of the pizza place. Thank you for taking me along on this fun and interesting visit!
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We saw more quirky gardens later in that week – must be a thing up there! The pizza place was a wonderful find.
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There’s more to see on Skye than I’d realised. (Plus pizza! Plus gin!) I really like the photo of the semi-submerged derelict boat.
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Pizza and gin do swing it!
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Not a combination I would ever have thought of, I confess. Though I do like both. 🙂
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Great trip, Anabel. Now I’m wanting gin and pizza whilst the ‘ Skye Boat’ song is playing in my head. 😅
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That sounds like a fine combination!
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The owners of Pizza Jo and the Fairytale Distillery obviously had some fun with the design and construction. It is utterly charming and unexpected.
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Fortunately, there was a leaflet in our apartment as it wasn’t obvious from the road. We’d have really missed out if we hadn’t found it!
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That pizza “hut” is adorable! I want to eat there and live there, though I’d probably need it transplanted to a city for access to amenities other than pizza. Maybe the books hut with the owl sign could be moved next door?
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That would be a good idea! The whole little market with the bookshop could be moved to the pizza / gin emporium for maximum effect.
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I have yet to visit, I really must rectify this!
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Yes, we need to go back for a proper break there. Our last visit was an ill-fated camping trip in 1989 so I think we have now laid those ghosts to rest.
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and if you do you won’t be camping!
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Definitely not! I’m not sure we ever camped after that, maybe once.
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oh my . . what on earth happened? Have you shared in another post?
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No, I haven’t, but maybe I do exaggerate a bit! We were island hopping, a mix of camping and B&B so we hadn’t camped for a few days when we got to Skye. The person who packed the boot at the last campsite (hint: not me) had inexplicably overlooked the camping stove. Two burners and a grill recently purchased – for an amount that mattered to us then. There was a pub nearby where we ate with greasy smoke belching from the kitchen – their only means of “cooking” seemed to be a row of domestic deep-fat fryers. We couldn’t sit outside because the midges were out in force – and remained so for the duration of our stay. We stuck to a B&B on Mull, then treated ourselves to a hotel on Islay which turned out to be related to Fawlty Towers. Good job we can laugh! But I’ve never let him forget that camping stove …
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and even worse by the sounds of it you haven’t used much since!!
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Nope! I think the tent is still in the loft, probably rotting.
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Camping definitely out then, but maybe this summer you could have a picnic in the garden using the stove!!!
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The stove was never seen again! We did phone the campsite on Lewis but they hadn’t got it so some other campers had obviously lifted it.
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oh no!
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PS You really should write a story or poem about it!
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If only I had time!
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PS you might notice some blue squares in this! Your challenge was on, I wasn’t taking part, but it influenced me. The castle paving stone and the book shop. I still have a few blue squares which might get recycled as did some of the times ones.
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hee hee . . . once squares get into our thinking we can’t get them out!
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That bridge would scare my husband (he hates bridges and he hates heights), but I loved the pizza place. And the rest of your photos looked very appealing too!
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It looks as though the cars are about to drive off the end of the world in those pictures! In practice, you barely notice the curve when driving across. That’s my favourite pizza place ever – will be hard to beat.
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Great photographs – interesting photograph of the bridge. However, running through my mind at the end was:
There was a crooked man
Who walked a crooked mile
And found a crooked sixpence]
Beside a crooked style …
You should know the rest…
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I do! I’m sure there is a scientific reason why that perspective on the bridge is so odd, and I’m sure John told me at the time, but don’t ask me what …
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I will say it again: I am so jealous of your exploratory hikes! So much to see and do… and I love that you two make such wonderful hiking partners!
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There is so much still to explore! We are well matched hikers now, more so than we used to be. Since John started having knee trouble I can almost keep up. Not saying that’s a good thing, by the way – in case he reads this!
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Skye looks lovely, I wish I’d taken the trouble to go over from Mallaig when I stayed up that way a few years ago. I love the garden with all the little animals, and the pizza place is really quirky – looks like one of those wonky fun houses you get at a theme park 🙂
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It’s a lovely island – and so easy to get to now with the bridge. Maybe you’ll get there some day! Hope you are doing ok x
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Love your collection of photos and especially the ones which focus on details such as the ceramic tile in the ground, arches, the flowers. So pretty. The photo of the Broadford Trail is gorgeous!
What a unique and quirky pizza restaurant.
Peta
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Thanks Peta – it about sums as up that John’s going round taking the bigger picture and I’m looking at quirky details on the ground!
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I love all the quirky art and the pizza place. It always seemed to put a spring into our step when we used to find fun unexpected things while out exploring.
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Yes, it’s lovely to find something different – especially if it makes you chuckle as this did (and has great food).
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Now that’s one Pizza Hut that I would truly love to visit! Loved this adventure, Annabel.
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It was a great find! Even without the gin …
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We visited Skye with our daughters and some friends in 1999, but only for one day and an overnight stay. Our younger daughter celebrated her 10th birthday there. Ever since I’ve wanted to go back and spend several days exploring. Your photos remind me how very beautiful it is.
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We had a camping trip there even longer ago – 1989. It wasn’t the best of experiences so this has been out first return! I think those ghosts have now been exorcised so I would go back for a few more days too.
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There’s a lot more to see in these highland villages now than there used to be for tourists. I’ve still got my old Kyle of Lochalsh Youth Hostel burning red sunset stamp and had many a drunken pub crawl between the two villages when the ferry was still on. The food has probably improved as well as some of the Skye and Fort William chippies were memorable back then. Mind you, I do miss the plain grub you used to get in pubs like pie and beans, sausage roll and chips or steak pie and spuds- it’s all expensive gastro meals now at £15 quid at time.
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Ha ha, tales of misspent youth? From what I remember of the lunch we had in Kyleakin it was still pretty basic.
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Pizza and Gin. No complaints from me! Fabulous photos from ‘im.
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Doesn’t get much better, does it?!
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😍
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It’s a real regret that I never made it to Skye, Anabel. I always enjoy traveling to the islands with you. 🙂 🙂
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That’s the beauty of it isn’t it? You see Skye and I see the Algarve. We share experiences.
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We do! 🙂 🙂
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That pizza restaurant looks like something straight out of an Enid Blyton storybook.
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Doesn’t it! And we washed down our pizza with lashings of ginger beer. Oh, hang on – no we didn’t …
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Pizza Jo is a weird, charming structure. How is the pizza there?
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The pizza, I have to report, was awesome!
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Hi Anabel – sounds lovely and I love the interesting photos … especially – ‘watch the tides’ … while the Pizza place looks wonderful … looking forward to reading more – cheers Hilary
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Yes, I liked the warnings and signs carved in stone too.
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What a great looking place, fabulous photo’s! Pizza Jo’s certainly is quirky, looks amazing 🙂
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Funniest pizza hut I’ve ever been too! And much better pizzas than the “real” Pizza Hut …
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Another romantic myth gone. I didn’t know there was a bridge to Skye and it’s taken something away from the idea of visiting Skye but I’m sure the inhabitants of the island are thrilled to have easier access to places. Tourists wanting the world of yesterday are a holdup to progress.
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It has certainly made a big difference to getting on and off the island – it’s so easy. There are still ferries at other points where you can go “over the sea to Skye”.
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Looks like a great outing. What a strange pizza place!
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Quite the strangest I’ve seen!
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It all looks beautiful, and you have some extraordinary photos here. Especially the ones of the boats, and the sinking boat. I love the little farm animals and that wall art with the pelican on it. And that Broadford Trail looks magnificent. That Pizza Hut is very cute indeed, and I’m glad the food matched up with its cuteness! Thanks for taking me along to Skye! 🙂
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It’s all very pretty, Cathy. Further onto the island there are some magnificent mountains so the scenery gets even better.
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I can’t wait to see more then. I loved coming along on your visit virtually. 🙂
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Ah well, we didn’t get there this time! It’s back to the mainland for the next post.
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Oh darn. I’ll have to wait patiently then. 🙂
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Lovely, Anabel! Some interesting sites, especially that bridge (I’m used to seeing supports either underneath or upwards) and, of course, the “real” pizza hut. I’d love to have a pizza (and drinks) here one day. Straight from a fairytale. My favorite photo(s) are of your walk, surrounded by flowers, with a lake and mountains in the distance. Nature at its best. 🙂
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It certainly is nature at its best, Liesbet. And it didn’t even rain!
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What a fabulous trip. Unfortunately, I have never made to Skye. It looks amazing.
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We’ve only been twice, but I can see a return visit to put that right in the near future!
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Great post, I enjoyed coming along for the ride. I especially like the moody skies. Good bridge, do you think Boris will build his bridge to Northern Ireland?
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Yes, it was one of those days when it could have rained at any time, but didn’t quite. I suspect the NI bridge might go the same way as the Garden Bridge. Crossing the munitions dump in the Beaufort Dyke would worry me! Also, I don’t know what the terrain on the Irish side is like, but the two possible ports in Scotland are small villages with small roads leading to them so would require massive upgrading first. Not sure he’s done his homework, he just wants us to think he’s doing something for Scotland.
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Boris never does his homework.
We are going on a cruise this year to Iceland stopping off for a day in Lerwick and then another in Invergordon, have you got any tips?
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No he doesn’t! That sounds lovely, Iceland is high on my list but somehow always gets bumped off the top. We will get there some day! I don’t know Invergorden, but we stayed in Lerwick a few years ago. I have several Shetland posts, but here’s the Lerwick one https://glasgowgallivanter.com/2015/08/21/lerwick/ – The post after that is Jarlshof and Sumburgh Head which, if it’s the sort of cruise that takes you on tours inland, is my highest recommendation.
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I love the pizza house but it looks as though the builders might have sampled the gin as well.
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He he, they might have! Though inside it was just a straightforward cabin. Most disappointing.
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Never been to Skye and it always looks fabulous. You had great weather too which a lot of people arent lucky with. Need to try and visit sometime as it looks stunning.
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There are far more stunning bits, but we were happy just to potter and leave them for a time when we’ll stay on the island. We have done once, many years ago but it wasn’t the best of experiences. The midges were out in force and SOMEONE had failed to pack the camping stove after the last campsite. We ate in a pub where the cuisine came out of a row of domestic deep-fat fryers belching smoke. Happy days!
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Aaah, lovely trip!
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Thanks, Sue, it was.
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I went over the bridge to Skye in the late 1990s
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It was our first time over the bridge. The only other time we’ve been to Skye was pre-bridge and we arrived by ferry (from the Outer Hebrides, so that would still be the method for that route). No tolls on the bridge now, they were taken off in the early 2000s.
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