Plockton - Skye is not the limit

The ongoing COVID pandemic has changed the world. While most of the impact has been severly harmful, there are some silver linings. One of them is the advent of remote work in many companies. I was fortunate enough Level 5 was one of them.

I’ve wanted to visit Scotland since I came to the UK for university in 2008. It always seemed too far for a weekend trip and whenever we did a longer holiday, we wanted to get out of the UK’s rainy misery.

The remote work allowed for something not possible before. I could go to Scotland, spend enough time to enjoy it, and not sacrifice any vacation days. And it was tremendous! There are few places in the world that do nature better than Scotland.

Before I continue further, let me acknowledge that I was fortunate enough to go through the pandemic without much struggle. If you are in a similar situation, consider donating to Shelter or Crisis. Many people cannot afford a home, let alone a staycation.

I want to share some pictures from the trip. Let’s start with the absolute and unexpected highlight of the whole trip. The picturesque sleepy village Plockton became our base for two weeks.

To see the pictures in better resolution when viewing on iOS, head to Flickr while I fix the bug in the template’s gallery.

Plockton has exactly 3 restaurants, 1 takeaway burger place, 1 local shop, a small beach, a nearby local castle. And, most importantly, a fast enough internet to make video meetings possible. It’s home to a few hundred people, lots of seagulls, some hairy highland cows, and seals!

When picking a base for visiting the Isle of Skye, most people pick Portree. By sheer luck we found a picturesque cottage in Plockton and decided to go with that instead. And I most definitely recommend it!

Portree is pretty, but a lot more touristy than Plockton. If you want to run away from a large city, escape the crowds and the concrete jungle, Plockton is a better choice. You have to drive at least an hour each direction to get to most places on Skye, but in my opinion it’s totally worth it for a 2-week work-from-cottage trip. Especially when you come around June, when the days are so long you rarely run out of daylight when driving around.

During our 2 weeks there, we were incredibly lucky with the weather. We only had a couple of rainy days and most of the time we walked around in shorts and t-shirts all day. During work days, we’d work and cook up some quick pasta, or run to the Off the Croft takeaway for a fresh burger.

In the long evenings there was plenty to see. The famous Eilean Donan Castle is just around the corner. And so is the Skye Bridge with some incredible views. Plockton itself offers views for days. Every corner has a different view point, so just walking around and soaking in the countryside keeps you entertained.

On the weekends, we’d drive up to Skye to explore the most popular hikes and viewpoints all around the island. But more on that later.

So if you’re looking for a spring getaway, go to Plockton. You can thank me later. Unlike the summer, the midges are not yet hatched. Those damn insects are unlike anything you can imagine.

For more photos from Skye hikes and midge rants come back in a couple of weeks. And you may learn how to dodge a seagull attack as a bonus…