Euope09: Day 18 - Exploring the Isle of Skye

November 30, 2009 | Leave your thoughts

       
A day when I didn’t have to go anywhere if I didn’t want to…

Just enjoying being on the Isle of Skye – a day when I was planning to try to take it easy, but ended up doing more and driving more than I should have. Still it was a great day and the last solo day of my trip – from this point onward I would be surrounded by dear friends!

First thing was going to a wee folk museum, a quick wander a quick sketch and then a ruined castle. Both of which I had been to before in 2000. Must be time for a cuppa next?


Taking the advice of some locals I went to a café with a view and a good scone and tried to really slow down and take it easy for a while….


And then to slow down even more I then progressed to a nice place for lunch – pity that clouds prevented me from seeing much of the Cullins! I could quite make this sketch do what I want it to do – far more at home with buildings than I am with landscapes so it was good to try something different.


Then I slowed down even more (for me!) and had a cup of tea and drew the tartan rug.

Ok enough of this lazing around – lets go and find a building to sketch – and a castle would really hit the spot even more.

I had not been to Dunvegan Castle before (though had driven past it) as it was late in the day, I got a garden ticket only – for me a exterior sketch was worth more than tiring myself out going through room after room.


The front façade of the building was great and I set myself up for a decent sketch. After all that relaxing I was rearing to go… but disaster struck – I was attacked by MIDGES!!

There was no way that I could continue so I left it in this state – adding the colour when I got back to my B&B.


After wandering around the garden and taking a few photos, I sat down at the wharf and tried a sketch from the other side. Thankfully midge free. Lovely and peaceful and it was lovely to have had no rain after the terrible weather the day (weeks) before.


To finish off my ‘quiet’ day with my 8th double spread I sketched the view out of the window of my B&B room. I love the subtle colours in the Scottish landscape – the heather was in its last stages and the typical scatter of white houses completes the scene for me!

BTW I was staying in the most wonderful B&B


I was too tired to go out for dinner so instead I stayed in and survived on cream cheese and oatcakes for dinner and worked hard on catching up of pages in my sketchbook.

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