We woke up this morning about 6:00 to the sounds of the landscaing crew mowing the lawn. Yeah - you think that was too early for workers to begin their day.
they are very efficient at mowing and at the same time they fertilize the turf.
Our first goal of the day was to get to Neist Point and the lighthouse located on the western most point of the Isle of Skye.
The road was a single lane road with passing places located at stragetic places where both directions of traffic can see far enough ahead to move over for oncoming traffic. This is the case not just on this road but many many roads on the isle. The roads are narrow, twisty, and must be driven slowly.
The scenery was beautiful. Wide open spaces, fields of grass and heather, sheep everywhere - we call them meadow maggots because from afar they look like oval white spots on a field of green. The pictures are all dark because it was so cloudy and quite rainy
Beginning of he trail
And the lighthouse.
Nexr we headed for:
No photogaphs were allowed inside...sniff. I was afraid the inside would be like other castles...big, presumptious, etc, but this one is quite homey with docents to answer questions and all kinds of exhibits. The current Clan Chief (the 30th) is Hugh Magnus MacLeod of MacLeod. He was born in 1973, is a film director in London and spends half his time at the castle on the third floor.
I know you are wondering about Clan MacLeod. I'll be brief.
The Chiefs of Clan MacLeod claim descent from Leod, a high-born Norse-Gael who is thought to have lived in the 13th century, but whose ancestors are known from multiple pedigrees at least into the early 12th or late 11th centuries. It is said that the chiefs of the clan have been seated at Dunvegan Castle since the time of Leod, and this on the Isle of Skye where for centuries they were sovereign within their own territories.
In the early twenteth century the immediate male line of chiefs ended - that was Sir Reginald....he died. His daughter took over being the chief, then her son, then her grandson, the current Hugh Magnus MacLeod of MacLeod.
The daughter was Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod who died several years ago at the age of 98. She was quite a leader and did all sorts of good things for the clan. On the wall was a big portrat of her standing on a big patio. Her hat is special because it has three eagle feathers. I tried to do an impersonation
standing in the exact same place along the wall
with the three eagle feathers
Then we headed to the Coral Beach, parked and started walking on the trail It started to rain (again)
Phooey. We stoped and went back to the car. Figured we'd google it. I just did that and showed Dad the pictures. He said, "Dang! If we'd only continued a bit further."
Signs for the day
This one is not politically correct
We're back at Sligachan where we spent our first night on the Isle of Skye.
We're in the car again. Dinner and technology.
I know you're wondering about the names of the MacLeods. MacLeod is the big general family and then there are sub groups. Like I am an Oregonian of the United States. If you are a MacLeod of MacLeod, that means you are more related to the very first chief.
I know you are wondering about first names
John x 8
Norman x 7
Willliam x 4
Roderick x 3
Leod x 1
Flora x 1
Alexander x 1
Mary x 1
Donald x 1
Reginald x 1
Hugh x 1
Malcolm x 1 - my favorite
It's raining again!
Since I don't know to which clan I belong, I am going to adopt the MacLeod clan..........like when I was in China I adopted the Year of the Rabbit as my birth year.
Singing off - Kim Diane Gray of McLeod
like the lawn care service :-)
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