Neist Point and the Red Roof Cafe

As I said in my last post about our holiday on Skye, we visited Neist Point and the Red Roof Cafe on several occasions. As well as some other places too, of course!

Well, first of all, Neist Point. Although we've been going to Skye regularly, it was only last May that we first went to Neist Point, the most westerly point on the Isle of Skye. There's an old lighthouse which is now unmanned since it was automated in 1990. The first afternoon we walked right down, past the lighthouse and out to the rocks. We just sat there watching and enjoying the total peace and calm. The husband did a bit of photography and I had brought a few things to keep me occupied too. The scenery is spectacular so just have a browse through the pictures I took, with a little bit of description along the way.

You park at the end of the road; there's nowhere else to go. At this stage you can't see the lighthouse nor the path down to it.

There are great views from the road across Moonen Bay.

You can see the way down here; first steep steps leading to that path right across - though there's still farther to go.

 

Finally the lighthouse is in sight.

 

We carried on past the lighthouse to the rocks below; the reason for the lighthouse being situated here.

Previous visitors had built these strange stacks from the loose stones lying about.

We made ourselves comfortable on the rocks. If sitting on rocks can ever be comfortable!

It struck me how alike the rock formations are to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Apparently, it is said the the causeway extends under the sea from Northern Ireland to the Isle of Skye.

This is the place to be for seeing all manner of sea-birds and is regarded as the best place on Skye for spotting whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking shark. When we were here last May we saw dolphins and a minke whale! I couldn't believe my eyes!! Alas, we didn't see anything like that this year.

The husband did his thing.....

.... and I did mine.

This is the start of my 'heather basket' that I'll tell you about later. I'm not sure why my hair is in such a state in this picture as it wasn't windy!

It was so relaxing there.

But then it was time to head back to our house. Back past the lighthouse ...

... back along the path ...

... back past the sheep (this is common grazing land) ...

... and back up all the steps.

We re-visited Neist Point on several evenings after that though we stayed up on the head rather than walking down to the lighthouse again. The views were just amazing as we listened to all the sea-birds coming in to roost.

The Western Isles in the distance.

Now the multi award-winning Red Roof Cafe Gallery. This is a real gem of a place just a short distance from where we were staying. We enjoyed going almost every day we were on Skye. They offer fairly traded, freshly ground coffees and luxury loose leaf teas. Most days I took heather tea and the husband stuck to chai made with milk. They do great cheese scones and delicious lunches. We treated ourselves to the Laird's lunch on our last day. Basically a bit of everything; cheeses, smoked beef and salmon, patés, salad, home baked bread, caramelised red onion marmalade and oat cakes. Delicious! And all eaten before I thought to take a picture! The cafe is small, being a restored blackhouse. The original house had a red roof so the restored one also has. It serves as a gallery too because one of the owners is a painter and her artwork is displayed in the cafe. We have bought a couple of the prints as souvenirs. I'd better let you see the place, I suppose!

 

Heather tea

Milky chai

There's still more to tell you about Skye!! I'll leave it until my next post though. Thanks for all your comments and it's nice to have a few more followers.

All the best for now.