May 19, 2021 • 24 mins
The Isle of Skye is Scotland's top bucket list destination. One thing about Skye that will leave a lasting impression on you is the scenery. Just driving around, you can see many of Skye’s most majestic geological features, such as the Quiraing and Cuillin. But be sure to take your sturdiest of boots and explore these unique sights on foot for real rewards.
[01:13] Isle of Skye Overview-Where is it and what is there to see
- Hebrides
- Cuillin Hills
- Cairngorms National Park
[06:47] What's so important about the Isle of Skye
[08:52] The Must Sees
- Quiraing
- Dunvegan Castle
- Black Cuillins
- Fairy Pools
- Eilean Donan Castle
[14:42] Historical & Cultural Aspects
- Picts and Caledonians
- Clans
- Use of Mac
- Bonnie Prince Charlie
- Skye Boat Song
- Kilt
[21:51] Pop Culture Connection
- Jessica Brockmole’s ‘Letters from Skye'
- Virginia Woolf’s ‘To the Lighthouse'
- Outlander Television Program
- Highlander Movie
Dream. Learn. Plan. Prepare. Go to Guidester/Virtual-Vacation
#travel #europe #vacation #traveleurope #travelguide #tourguide #hebrides #Isleofskye #Highlander #VirginiaWoolf #Bonnieprincecharlie #Skyeboatsong #Cuillin Hills #CairngormsNationalPark #Quiraing #DunveganCastle #BlackCuillins #FairyPools #EileanDonanCastle
Season 1: Episode 11
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Arnold (00:02):
The Isle of Skye, a place in Scotland where the ancient collides with
the modern; stunning scenery castlesmuseum, cozy pubs and restaurants.
Oh, did I tell you about the wild swimmingthat can take place in the fairy pools
if you're brave enough to enter the coldwater?, What's the history of Skye and
is there a connection to pop culture?
(00:24):
Travel to Europe is off limits forthe time being, but we can still keep
the flame of wanderlust alive throughthe Virtual Vacation with Guidester,
the weekly podcast where host JackBaumann, founder of Guidester and travel
enthusiast Arnold Stricker, dive intonew destinations, exploring their unique
history, culture and special vibe.
You'll also get insider tipsabout these destinations.
You won't get from other sources.
Let's join our hosts, theGuidester himself, Jack Baumann.
(00:48):
When I saw we were doing thisparticular podcast on the Isle of
Skye, and I saw Hebrides, I immediatelythought of Felix Mendelssohn.
He wrote a composition calledthe Hebrides and he wrote it
after he had visited this veryarea that you're talking about.
But to be specific, let's outlinethe Hebrides and the Isle of Skye.
Jack (01:13):
Absolutely.
The Isle of Skye I think reallyScotland's top bucket-list destination.
If you're going to go to Scotland,you got to see the Isle of Skye.
You're going to see Edinburgh and there'sso many other things to see which we'll
do in another podcast, but the Isleof Skye is Scotland's natural wonder.
The landscape's beautiful, somuch so that it inspired a
song and many songs actually.
(01:34):
We'll get into the pop culture of that;but the Isle of Skye, it's located in
Western Highlands of Scotland abouta five-hour drive from Edinburgh.
It takes its name from the oldNorse Skyah meaning cloud island.
So you've got inner Hebrides and outerHebrides, island chains off the coast
of Western Scotland, and Skyah isa Viking reference to the often mist
(01:55):
enshrouded vast hills; the Cuillin Hills.
So Skye is the largest of the innerHebrides islands in Northwest Ireland.
It's a patchwork of velvet moors,jagged mountains, sparkling
lochs and towering sea cliffs.
It's absolutely spectacular.
Arnold (02:11):
So you've got hills and peaks and valleys, what else
do you have as a topography?
Jack (02:16):
As I mentioned Isle of Skye, it's dominated by the Cuillin Hills.
It's full of strange peaks, peculiarrock formations, vast green, rich green,
the richest green landscapes you'llever see and fairytale waterfalls.
The climate is mild, wet,and often very windy.
But with an abundant wildlifethat includes Golden Eagle,
(02:39):
red deer and Atlantic salmon.
Arnold (02:40):
A couple of things really stuck out in my mind, as you were talking.
The reference to Highland.
Here in the states, you think of a highland or a low land, things that are in
a valley, highlands up on a mountain.
This isn't more mountainousthan Britain or England.
So do they call it the Highlandbecause it's farther north?
Jack (02:58):
It's a great question.
There is no exact demarcation ofthe Highlands, but you're right.
The Highlands is a region of Scotland.
You might talk to someone thatsays anything north of the
Cairngorms is the Highlands.
The Cairngorms is a mountainousregion north of Edinburgh and
anything north like Invernesswould be considered the Highlands.
In fact, Inverness is consideredthe capital of the Highlands,
(03:20):
but Inverness is at sea-level.
As you said, that's not very Highlands.
So the Highland region of Scotlandis really just a loose term that
describes the region, I wouldsay north and west of Sterling.
There's three regions in Scotland: you've got the Highlands, the (03:35):
undefined
lowlands and the central belt.
The Highlands are what we just described.
They are geographically higher andthat's where the most mountainous
region of Scotland lies but it'snot all Highlands like Aberdeen,
Inverness, or cities in these regions...
Arnold (03:51):
Are they north of the mountains?
Jack (03:53):
Yes
Arnold (03:53):
So maybe they used the mountains as the demarcation point to say
everything north of that's the Highlands.
Jack (03:58):
But I've seen maps of Scotland that demarcate the Highlands north of Sterling.
Sterling's not that far fromEdinburgh and I've seen maps
going as far south as Sterling.
And then I've seen other maps that gofurther north to the Cairngorms, which
is a very popular ski and hiking; theCairngorms National Park in Scotland,
and I've seen ones going up there.
I've even seen maps of Scotlandthat demarcated at the loch.
(04:22):
So there's four great lochs.
Inverness in this very Northernregion, and then south I think eight
miles from the city of Inverness isLoch Ness and Loch Ness is like a
long, skinny, almost like a pencil.
Very long and skinny.
West of that is definitely 100%Highlands; it goes at a diagonal
south by southwest to north, bynortheast, it goes at a diagonal.
(04:44):
Anything to the left of that to thenorth and the west is the Highlands.
Anything to the south is, it's not reallylowlands, but it's not the deep Highlands.
The deep Highlands are whenyou get past Inverness.
So Skye is deep Highlands.
I was frustrated for a longtime, where are the Highlands?
There is no hard and fast answer, butgenerally speaking, north of Sterling, but
(05:06):
getting into the Cairngorms is Highlands.
Then you've got the central belt; the twobiggest cities at Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Then you've got the lowlands, which isthe border between England and Scotland.
Arnold (05:16):
I noticed the temperature range, maybe 75 for the high and maybe
32 for the low, which seems very nice.
And I can see why it would be lushand green being on the coast there
and having a lot of fog and cloudykind of areas and the richness that
you see of that area in pictures.
Jack (05:34):
But the 70 or 60 or any temperature is misleading because
it doesn't tell you the wind factor.
It'll be there in the meteorologicalreport, but you're probably
not paying attention to it.
The wind adds a bite.
Let me tell you, and it's anywherein Scotland, Scotland is just a windy
country, but particularly on the Islesand the Western parts of Scotland.
(05:57):
Sometimes the wind is sostrong it could keep you up.
You're on like a little hillsideand you just lean back and
the wind will keep you up.
Yes.
Now that's somewhat of anexaggeration, but I've actually
seen wind gusts that powerful.
It's not gonna always be that windy andyou will get less windy days and more
windy days, but generally speaking, ifit's 70, it's going to feel like 60.
Arnold (06:19):
Well, that's good to know because the wind chill factor is going to kick in.
Jack (06:22):
Huge, it gets into your bones.
The Scottish wind just has thisbite to it that really gets through
your clothes and into your bones.
So definitely, dress warm when you goout hiking, but also keep in mind your
body's going to get warmer as you move.
Really one of the best things iswind jackets, windbreakers; just
something to just cut that wind.
But never, ever underestimate thewind of Scotland, especially in
(06:45):
the islands and the Isle of Skye.
Arnold (06:47):
Now you got this on the bucket list, what's so important about it?
Jack (06:50):
The scenery like I said is stunning.
That's the main attraction.
So the lush green, the Hills, the crags,the moors it's a beautiful, I would say
fairytale landscape and actually oneof the attractions is the fairy pools.
So the landscape, the scenery is themain attraction, but there's also
castles old ancient castles, museums,cozy pubs, great restaurants to enjoy.
(07:15):
The Isle of Skye to me is a place wherethe ancient collides with the modern.
It's a place where after a longday of hiking wild terrain, you
can stop in and taste seared pigeonat a Michelin starred restaurant.
Skye has become a microcosm of abroader cultural shift taking place
across Scotland at this very moment.
The ancient and modern learning to livetogether, moving into an unknown future.
(07:38):
You didn't ask this, but I thinkthe best time to visit Skye for
the best all around experiencewill be late spring , early fall.
So late spring, early fall, it'san exceptional time to visit due
to lower crowds and decent weather.
I say decent because again,
Arnold (07:52):
The wind.
Jack (07:53):
And the rain; and don't forget the rain and you can never
underestimate the rain in Scotland.
They don't get a holdof torrential downpours.
You and I are from Missouri so we'reno stranger to giant thunderstorms.
Britain, the island of Britain ingeneral, England, Scotland, Wales;
they don't get as many frequent giantthunderstorms the way we do, but they
get a lot of frequent misty days.
(08:14):
You'll have days where it's just mist.
It's not raining, buteverything around you is misty.
But it adds to the charmand the character of Skye.
You've got these lush green landscapes,which are so lush because you mentioned
they get a lot of moisture, a lotof rain, but it's not down pouring.
They're going to get your downpoursoccasionally, but more often than not,
you're going to get some mist, somesun, some more mist, a little bit of
(08:38):
sun, some cloud cover, some more mist.
So it's very good to bring a windjacket but then also like maybe
a little plastic throw over likea poncho that you can throw over.
So it really is worth seeing,probably one of the top bucket-list
things in Scotland to see.
Arnold (08:52):
So what are the must sees in Skye?
Jack (08:54):
I would say the must sees starting with the landscapes the
Quiraing is what it's called.
It's a dramatic landslip onthe Northern most summit of
Skye's Trotternish peninsula.
It's this little slip of land onthe one of the peninsulas there.
It just blew me away.
The landscape of thisarea just blew me away.
I did one of the half-day walkswith a local tour . Luckily
it was a semi clear day.
(09:14):
I just couldn't believe my eyes.
It's one of the most stunningnatural beauties you'll ever see in
the world, but definitely in Europe.
Top five in my book.
You can do a loop, an easy loop returningthe same point covers about a distance of
four miles taking an average two to threehours to do so if you want to do a walk.
The Quiraing is one of the mostfamous landscape features of Skye.
(09:35):
When you Google Skye, when you look atthe books of Skye, the Quiraing is going
to be what you're going to see first
Arnold (09:40):
That's probably what I was looking at.
Jack (09:41):
Almost certainly, like this vast landscape with some really nice
ponds and hills off in the distance.
It just looks like somethingout of a Viking fairy tale.
Arnold (09:49):
Okay.
Jack (09:49):
Moving on to Dunvegan Castle.
It's the oldest continuouslyinhabited castle in Scotland serving
as the ancestral home of the Chiefsof Clan MacLeod for 800 years.
It's an extraordinary castle andHighland estate just steeped in
really rich history and clan legend.
Scotland, probably more than anycountry in Europe is steeped in
(10:10):
history and legend and mythology.
History and mythology, inScotland is one in the same.
You cannot separate mythology,folklore and real history in Scotland.
It's almost impossible.
And literally, probably than any othercountry in Europe, the mythology and
the folklore intertwine into the historythat actually happens so much so that
(10:32):
you don't know if mermaids exist or not.
Or Selkies which is half seal, halfperson, that's a Scottish thing.
The Isle of Skye really puts aspotlight on this fusion, well
intertwining, if you will, ofmythology, folklore and in history.
Arnold (10:46):
You think that's because of the Norse or the Viking influence there?
Or is it something that's acombination of all those things, or?
Jack (10:56):
Scotland is a very ancient land.
It's been inhabitedfor thousands of years.
It has very beautiful landscapesthat engage the imagination.
It also has a lot of sea; the Loch Ness.
There very well could have been ancientsea creatures lurking in these locks.
We don't know.
Think about dinosaurs and thesebeings that have been around
(11:18):
before that are extinct now.
There is a reality that these, they werecalled Picts and Caledonians before Scots
became on the scene; but these peoplethat didn't have modern understandings
and sciences and a paleontology,they would have seen these creatures
and created this folklore around it.
So I do think part of it's likeyou said, the Viking influence
(11:40):
certainly played a role.
This hodgepodge of rich culturalhistory there's no history stops
here and mythology folklore begin here.
It just blends into the reality.
So adding into all of that,just the general nature of the
Scotsmen and the Scotswoman.
Arnold (11:56):
And maybe stories passed down orally?
Jack (11:57):
Absolutely that oral history is a big part of Scottish culture,
just like it is in Welsh and Irish.
Scotland definitely has a veryrich Celtic past and Gaelic past
just like Wales and Ireland does.
There used to be a Celtic, I'm goingto use the word nation, but really it
was a culture for thousands of years.
The Celtic nations, the Celticcultures spread from France.
(12:21):
Gaul Julius Caesar conquered it was aCeltic nation, a Celtic land, and pretty
much from France all the way over fromEngland, Scotland, Wales, Ireland,
it was all a larger Celtic community.
Very distinct per region, but there wasan overlap and a blend and we're learning
(12:41):
as we discover more and more historythat there was a real, tangible Celtic
culture that perpetuated for thousandsof years and Scotland was part of that.
Arnold (12:49):
Wow.
Jack (12:50):
Okay.
So we were talkingabout main sites, right?
We did Dunvegan Castle the BlackCuillins at the foot of the Black
Cuillin Hills are crystal clearblue pools called the fairy pools.
The famous pools, entice visitorsfrom all over the world for
great photos or "wild swimming".
Arnold (13:05):
You go swimming in them?
Jack (13:06):
You can it's...
Arnold (13:07):
Must be very cold.
Jack (13:08):
...very cold.
I haven't swam in these, but I swam inLochness and I swam in the North Sea.
Swimming in the waters of Scotland isone of the coolest things you'll do.
Arnold (13:16):
Is it a must do?
Jack (13:17):
I think so, but you gotta be brave and you gotta just go for it.
You can't dip your toe inand think you're going get
used to it and then jump in.
No, just take off the clothes or puton the swimsuit and just jump right in.
Oh man.
It is so invigorating.
And then you have that invigoratingfeeling this wave going through your
body of this shock to your system.
(13:37):
When you get out, it's fresh air andit's beautiful hills and rolling, lush,
green countryside and then the wildlife.
So it's that sort of shock to thesystem and then you emerge from
the water and you've got thisreally beautiful scene at your...
Arnold (13:51):
And you forget that you're cold.
Jack (13:52):
And you forget that you're cold.
Hey, if you're going to be cold youmight as well be cold in Scotland.
Arnold (13:56):
And have a great view.
Jack (13:57):
And have a great view.
One last thing I'll mentionon Skye is Eilean Donan.
Eilean Donan Castle is actually noton the Isle of Skye, it's on the
entryway in the Kyle of Lochalsh.
So Kyle's just a bay if you will.
So the Eilean Donan Castle, it'sprobably the most photographed
castle scene in Scotland.
It's a little castle on a tidalisland at the entryway of three
(14:18):
lochs of three little areas.
It is beautiful and it's on yourway over to the Isle of Skye.
So definitely take time to stopand visit Eilean Donan Castle.
Arnold (14:27):
Is that one that's used in a lot of movies?
Jack (14:29):
Absolutely, it's in Outlander.
Or I was going to sayHighlander with Sean Connery.
So it's in that movie.
It's been in tons of films.
It's been immortalized in folkloreand song and yes it's been
used in a lot of pop culture.
Arnold (14:42):
Let's go back.
We haven't talked about the history,we've talked a lot of the cultural
kinds of things and how maybe theVikings moved in and the Celtic
culture, Celtic nation, but Skyespecifically, what is the history?
Jack (14:55):
Yeah, it's a good question.
The history of Skye is rich so I'll justdo a quick thumbnail sketch of Skye.
The early inhabitants wereknown as Picts or Caledonians.
They were stone age farmers thoughtto have built these round stone
fortifications called Brochswhich can still be seen today.
You'll see these here andelsewhere throughout Scotland.
Around 500 A.D.
settlers arrived from Irelandand brought Christianity to Skye.
(15:18):
Then came the Viking invasion of theeighth century, late seven hundreds.
The Vikings stayed for about 400 yearsand actually many of the villages
and hills have Viking origins.
The name Skyah is a Vikingname means cloud island.
The defeat of the Vikings at theBattle of Largs in 1263 ended the
Norwegian rule and Skye became partof Scotland . That's medieval history.
(15:40):
The Vikings had a foothold in Scotlandfor well into the medieval period, but
this ended the Norwegian rule . Skyealso has strong links to clan battles.
The Jacobite uprising, the subsequentHighland clearances, providing inspiration
for poetry, songs, novels, and movies.
Arnold (15:58):
And clans you're talking about families.
Jack (16:00):
Yeah.
So a clan is a community run by aclan chief, a chieftain and a clan
is just like a big extended family,but you don't have to be related.
It usually started out thatway, but these clans could be
thousands and thousands of people.
The Clan McKinsey is one of thebiggest clans of Scotland and
that's a huge swath of population.
The clan culture is a veryintegral part of Scottish history,
(16:25):
Scottish culture even to this day.
And Skye really playsa big part into that.
Arnold (16:31):
Somebody who would defend and represent a group of people.
Jack (16:35):
Think of an extended family run by a patriarch, if you will.
And it was going to be, it was goingto be a man and his family and actually
the Mac MAC, like MacDonald, MacLeod,,the clan MacLeod, right on the island
Skye , the Mac just means son of.
So what it meant was if I wereas part of clan MacLeod, or clan
MacKinsey, I was the son of Leod.
(17:00):
I was the son of Kinsey.
Arnold (17:01):
Son of Donald
Jack (17:02):
Son of Donald that's right MacDonald.
Over many generations that became likea surname, but it originated Donald
was the chief and I, everybody thatis under his banner is a MacDonald
or a MacLeod or MacKinsey or whatever.
Mac just means son of.
Arnold (17:17):
That's why you need to listen to this podcast folks.
Jack (17:20):
There's a lot of good stuff, a lot of rich cultural history and info.
So the clans of Skye overwhelming wereGaelic speaking which is the Celtic
old language of Scotland until theearly 20th century when English or
rather a version of English calledScots came onto the scene and that's
what people still speak today.
The Scots is a really fun language;is technically English, but it's very
(17:42):
diverse and they have their own words.
It's a dreek day; that's aword you'll hear a lot, dreek.
It means rainy.
It's a dreek day.
Why don't you quit havering?
It means like you're talking too much.
So if I were in school, Iwould have gotten that a lot.
Jack you're havering.
The parents might say this to thekids, or you say this to your friend.
They have all these words.
If you said that in England, that wouldn'tmean anything, or it's a dreek day.
(18:05):
So they do speak English and I'mdoing air quotes here, but they have
a vast vocabulary of their own words.
So the main clans on Skye werethe Macleods and the MacDonalds.
Dunvegan Castle, oldest castle in Scotlandhas been the seat of clan McCloud
since the 13th century, as we mentioned.
After the defeat of Bonnie PrinceCharlie; for you Outlander fans out
(18:25):
there, Skye's a place you got to visitcause it's mentioned in Outlander when
Bonnie Prince Charlie is defeated.
He goes to Skye after the Battle ofCulloden, the Battle of Culloden in 1746
was like the end of Highland culture.
After that the Prince retreated to theIsle of Skye pursued by government troops,
and he was helped by Flora MacDonald.
One of the famous clans, powerful clanson Skye took him over the sea disguised
(18:49):
as a maid and this historic event isimmortalized in the Skye Boat Song which
is the intro song in the show Outlander.
So people that watch itwill be like, oh my gosh.
Arnold (18:58):
I'll have to check that out when I get home.
Jack (19:00):
It's a good show.
So following the Jacobite uprisings,the Scottish clan culture underwent
a period of organized sanctioneddestruction by the English government
called the Highland Clearances.
Many lost their lands and werereally reduced to poverty.
The wearing of the plaid kiltwas outlawed, playing of the
bagpipes, carrying of arms, speakingGaelic their native language, and
(19:20):
gatherings for games where allbanned under the Act of Proscription.
Now the act was eventuallyrepealed and the Highland culture
did begin a resurgence underQueen Victoria in the late 1800s.
Queen Victoria did much to encouragea romantic Highland ideal, essentially
reinventing the idea of the clan to fitthe ideas and union of the British Empire.
(19:41):
So it was a very smart move on herpart but there was a very brutal
suppression of the Highland cultureand Skye was a part of that.
Today the Island Skye really owes itswealth and fame, mostly to tourism and
tourists who come from every cornerof the globe to experience Scotland's
majestic natural wonder and a tastefor this rich Highland culture.
So if you're looking to delve deeperinto Skye's history, the island life
(20:04):
museum situated north of Uig keepsit on display the old way of life.
So there's a lot more to learn if you'reinterested in delving into the Highland
culture and the clan culture on Skye.
Arnold (20:15):
So what's the origin of the kilt.
You also mentioned kilts.
Jack (20:18):
Yes.
That goes back to the clan.
I'm not a kilt expert, The kiltswere part of the fabric of the
culture and designated, butit was affiliated to the clan.
So the Clan MacKinsey, theClan MacCloud's, they had
their own style of kilt.
The argyle black and traditionalblack watches like a traditional kilt
(20:39):
used in a lot of the kilt schemes.
So again, I'm no expert, but I'mcertain that the kilt and the
clan colors were tied together.
Arnold (20:48):
Okay.
Jack (20:48):
Just another cultural thing and these things evolve over generations.
One thing to mention the tartan.
The kilts are made of tartan,the tartan is a style of pattern.
The tartans were so powerful that afterthe Highland Clearances, The Act of
Proscription, you couldn't be seen wearingit because it was tied to your clan.
So if you had a tartan, MacKinsey tartan,or argyle or whatever, you had to hide
(21:12):
it away, or you could get arrested.
Arnold (21:15):
I was wondering why they would wear a kilt in that weather anyway,
Jack (21:18):
Well their kilts are much thicker than you would imagine.
I have a kilt of my own and I gotthe cheap man's version cause you
could spend thousands on kilts.
It actually is a very thick wool.
The material that they used fortraditional kilts is actually
very thick and so not onlyis it warm, it's not breezy.
It'll move around a little bit,but a very high quality kilt is
like putting on a really big rug.
It's very thick.
(21:38):
Then you've got high socksthat go up almost to the knee.
So you've got these wool socksand this very thick kilt and then
you've got your over garments, soyou keep warmer than you think.
Arnold (21:47):
Okay.
Okay.
So the pop culture connection.
I know there's.
Several, what are they?
Jack (21:55):
The Isle of Skye has provided inspiration for many, a famous novel,
poetry, feature films, TV series,and it continues to be celebrated
in song like the Skye Boat Song.
Novels like Jessica Brockmole'sLetters from Skye, Virginia
Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
Skye, has a very strong music traditionfamous for Celtic and folk music.
(22:17):
Modern songs, several of Jethro Tull's,if you're a Jethro Tull fan, are written
about Skye, including Dun Ringil,Broadford Bazaar, Acres Wild that contain
the lines, "Come with me to the WingedIsle, Northern father's western child"
in reference to the island itself.
Perhaps the most famous connection is withthe Starz series, the TV series Outlander.
(22:38):
It's a drama love story set in the18th century time travel kind of thing.
It's Highland Scotland covering partsof Bonnie Prince Charlie's rebellion.
But the opening credits rollwith the famous Skye Boat
Song, which we ran through.
The movie Highlander with SeanConnery at Eilean Donan Castle.
So yeah, there is a rich connection toTV, movie, literature, song, and poetry.
Arnold (23:02):
Wow.
So, I didn't know that was goingto be as bucket listy as it was.
Jack (23:07):
You wouldn't think it, it's just an island with some beautiful scenery.
You've got the history of the castles, thewaterfalls, the natural scenery, the food.
You can get the best parts of Scotlandin this one little island, all wrapped
in one, you can get the full Scottish,immersive experience in this one island.
Arnold (23:24):
That's unbelievable.
So if I take that trip, I should say,when I take that trip to England,
I need to make sure that I go toSkye and catch the rich cultural
heritage that Scotland has to offer.
Jack (23:37):
Oi, go to Skye.
Arnold (23:45):
We hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of
Virtual Vacation with Guidester.
Take time to look at the show noteson the website for everything that
was mentioned on this episode.
Virtual Vacation with Guidesteris produced by Motif Media Group.
For Jack Baumann and Virtual Vacationwith Guidester I'm Arnold Stricker.
The Isle of Skye, a place in Scotland where the ancient collides with
the modern; stunning scenery castlesmuseum, cozy pubs and restaurants.
Oh, did I tell you about the wild swimmingthat can take place in the fairy pools
if you're brave enough to enter the coldwater?, What's the history of Skye and
is there a connection to pop culture?
(00:24):
Travel to Europe is off limits forthe time being, but we can still keep
the flame of wanderlust alive throughthe Virtual Vacation with Guidester,
the weekly podcast where host JackBaumann, founder of Guidester and travel
enthusiast Arnold Stricker, dive intonew destinations, exploring their unique
history, culture and special vibe.
You'll also get insider tipsabout these destinations.
You won't get from other sources.
Let's join our hosts, theGuidester himself, Jack Baumann.
(00:48):
When I saw we were doing thisparticular podcast on the Isle of
Skye, and I saw Hebrides, I immediatelythought of Felix Mendelssohn.
He wrote a composition calledthe Hebrides and he wrote it
after he had visited this veryarea that you're talking about.
But to be specific, let's outlinethe Hebrides and the Isle of Skye.
Jack (01:13):
Absolutely.
The Isle of Skye I think reallyScotland's top bucket-list destination.
If you're going to go to Scotland,you got to see the Isle of Skye.
You're going to see Edinburgh and there'sso many other things to see which we'll
do in another podcast, but the Isleof Skye is Scotland's natural wonder.
The landscape's beautiful, somuch so that it inspired a
song and many songs actually.
(01:34):
We'll get into the pop culture of that;but the Isle of Skye, it's located in
Western Highlands of Scotland abouta five-hour drive from Edinburgh.
It takes its name from the oldNorse Skyah meaning cloud island.
So you've got inner Hebrides and outerHebrides, island chains off the coast
of Western Scotland, and Skyah isa Viking reference to the often mist
(01:55):
enshrouded vast hills; the Cuillin Hills.
So Skye is the largest of the innerHebrides islands in Northwest Ireland.
It's a patchwork of velvet moors,jagged mountains, sparkling
lochs and towering sea cliffs.
It's absolutely spectacular.
Arnold (02:11):
So you've got hills and peaks and valleys, what else
do you have as a topography?
Jack (02:16):
As I mentioned Isle of Skye, it's dominated by the Cuillin Hills.
It's full of strange peaks, peculiarrock formations, vast green, rich green,
the richest green landscapes you'llever see and fairytale waterfalls.
The climate is mild, wet,and often very windy.
But with an abundant wildlifethat includes Golden Eagle,
(02:39):
red deer and Atlantic salmon.
Arnold (02:40):
A couple of things really stuck out in my mind, as you were talking.
The reference to Highland.
Here in the states, you think of a highland or a low land, things that are in
a valley, highlands up on a mountain.
This isn't more mountainousthan Britain or England.
So do they call it the Highlandbecause it's farther north?
Jack (02:58):
It's a great question.
There is no exact demarcation ofthe Highlands, but you're right.
The Highlands is a region of Scotland.
You might talk to someone thatsays anything north of the
Cairngorms is the Highlands.
The Cairngorms is a mountainousregion north of Edinburgh and
anything north like Invernesswould be considered the Highlands.
In fact, Inverness is consideredthe capital of the Highlands,
(03:20):
but Inverness is at sea-level.
As you said, that's not very Highlands.
So the Highland region of Scotlandis really just a loose term that
describes the region, I wouldsay north and west of Sterling.
There's three regions in Scotland: you've got the Highlands, the (03:35):
undefined
lowlands and the central belt.
The Highlands are what we just described.
They are geographically higher andthat's where the most mountainous
region of Scotland lies but it'snot all Highlands like Aberdeen,
Inverness, or cities in these regions...
Arnold (03:51):
Are they north of the mountains?
Jack (03:53):
Yes
Arnold (03:53):
So maybe they used the mountains as the demarcation point to say
everything north of that's the Highlands.
Jack (03:58):
But I've seen maps of Scotland that demarcate the Highlands north of Sterling.
Sterling's not that far fromEdinburgh and I've seen maps
going as far south as Sterling.
And then I've seen other maps that gofurther north to the Cairngorms, which
is a very popular ski and hiking; theCairngorms National Park in Scotland,
and I've seen ones going up there.
I've even seen maps of Scotlandthat demarcated at the loch.
(04:22):
So there's four great lochs.
Inverness in this very Northernregion, and then south I think eight
miles from the city of Inverness isLoch Ness and Loch Ness is like a
long, skinny, almost like a pencil.
Very long and skinny.
West of that is definitely 100%Highlands; it goes at a diagonal
south by southwest to north, bynortheast, it goes at a diagonal.
(04:44):
Anything to the left of that to thenorth and the west is the Highlands.
Anything to the south is, it's not reallylowlands, but it's not the deep Highlands.
The deep Highlands are whenyou get past Inverness.
So Skye is deep Highlands.
I was frustrated for a longtime, where are the Highlands?
There is no hard and fast answer, butgenerally speaking, north of Sterling, but
(05:06):
getting into the Cairngorms is Highlands.
Then you've got the central belt; the twobiggest cities at Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Then you've got the lowlands, which isthe border between England and Scotland.
Arnold (05:16):
I noticed the temperature range, maybe 75 for the high and maybe
32 for the low, which seems very nice.
And I can see why it would be lushand green being on the coast there
and having a lot of fog and cloudykind of areas and the richness that
you see of that area in pictures.
Jack (05:34):
But the 70 or 60 or any temperature is misleading because
it doesn't tell you the wind factor.
It'll be there in the meteorologicalreport, but you're probably
not paying attention to it.
The wind adds a bite.
Let me tell you, and it's anywherein Scotland, Scotland is just a windy
country, but particularly on the Islesand the Western parts of Scotland.
(05:57):
Sometimes the wind is sostrong it could keep you up.
You're on like a little hillsideand you just lean back and
the wind will keep you up.
Yes.
Now that's somewhat of anexaggeration, but I've actually
seen wind gusts that powerful.
It's not gonna always be that windy andyou will get less windy days and more
windy days, but generally speaking, ifit's 70, it's going to feel like 60.
Arnold (06:19):
Well, that's good to know because the wind chill factor is going to kick in.
Jack (06:22):
Huge, it gets into your bones.
The Scottish wind just has thisbite to it that really gets through
your clothes and into your bones.
So definitely, dress warm when you goout hiking, but also keep in mind your
body's going to get warmer as you move.
Really one of the best things iswind jackets, windbreakers; just
something to just cut that wind.
But never, ever underestimate thewind of Scotland, especially in
(06:45):
the islands and the Isle of Skye.
Arnold (06:47):
Now you got this on the bucket list, what's so important about it?
Jack (06:50):
The scenery like I said is stunning.
That's the main attraction.
So the lush green, the Hills, the crags,the moors it's a beautiful, I would say
fairytale landscape and actually oneof the attractions is the fairy pools.
So the landscape, the scenery is themain attraction, but there's also
castles old ancient castles, museums,cozy pubs, great restaurants to enjoy.
(07:15):
The Isle of Skye to me is a place wherethe ancient collides with the modern.
It's a place where after a longday of hiking wild terrain, you
can stop in and taste seared pigeonat a Michelin starred restaurant.
Skye has become a microcosm of abroader cultural shift taking place
across Scotland at this very moment.
The ancient and modern learning to livetogether, moving into an unknown future.
(07:38):
You didn't ask this, but I thinkthe best time to visit Skye for
the best all around experiencewill be late spring , early fall.
So late spring, early fall, it'san exceptional time to visit due
to lower crowds and decent weather.
I say decent because again,
Arnold (07:52):
The wind.
Jack (07:53):
And the rain; and don't forget the rain and you can never
underestimate the rain in Scotland.
They don't get a holdof torrential downpours.
You and I are from Missouri so we'reno stranger to giant thunderstorms.
Britain, the island of Britain ingeneral, England, Scotland, Wales;
they don't get as many frequent giantthunderstorms the way we do, but they
get a lot of frequent misty days.
(08:14):
You'll have days where it's just mist.
It's not raining, buteverything around you is misty.
But it adds to the charmand the character of Skye.
You've got these lush green landscapes,which are so lush because you mentioned
they get a lot of moisture, a lotof rain, but it's not down pouring.
They're going to get your downpoursoccasionally, but more often than not,
you're going to get some mist, somesun, some more mist, a little bit of
(08:38):
sun, some cloud cover, some more mist.
So it's very good to bring a windjacket but then also like maybe
a little plastic throw over likea poncho that you can throw over.
So it really is worth seeing,probably one of the top bucket-list
things in Scotland to see.
Arnold (08:52):
So what are the must sees in Skye?
Jack (08:54):
I would say the must sees starting with the landscapes the
Quiraing is what it's called.
It's a dramatic landslip onthe Northern most summit of
Skye's Trotternish peninsula.
It's this little slip of land onthe one of the peninsulas there.
It just blew me away.
The landscape of thisarea just blew me away.
I did one of the half-day walkswith a local tour . Luckily
it was a semi clear day.
(09:14):
I just couldn't believe my eyes.
It's one of the most stunningnatural beauties you'll ever see in
the world, but definitely in Europe.
Top five in my book.
You can do a loop, an easy loop returningthe same point covers about a distance of
four miles taking an average two to threehours to do so if you want to do a walk.
The Quiraing is one of the mostfamous landscape features of Skye.
(09:35):
When you Google Skye, when you look atthe books of Skye, the Quiraing is going
to be what you're going to see first
Arnold (09:40):
That's probably what I was looking at.
Jack (09:41):
Almost certainly, like this vast landscape with some really nice
ponds and hills off in the distance.
It just looks like somethingout of a Viking fairy tale.
Arnold (09:49):
Okay.
Jack (09:49):
Moving on to Dunvegan Castle.
It's the oldest continuouslyinhabited castle in Scotland serving
as the ancestral home of the Chiefsof Clan MacLeod for 800 years.
It's an extraordinary castle andHighland estate just steeped in
really rich history and clan legend.
Scotland, probably more than anycountry in Europe is steeped in
(10:10):
history and legend and mythology.
History and mythology, inScotland is one in the same.
You cannot separate mythology,folklore and real history in Scotland.
It's almost impossible.
And literally, probably than any othercountry in Europe, the mythology and
the folklore intertwine into the historythat actually happens so much so that
(10:32):
you don't know if mermaids exist or not.
Or Selkies which is half seal, halfperson, that's a Scottish thing.
The Isle of Skye really puts aspotlight on this fusion, well
intertwining, if you will, ofmythology, folklore and in history.
Arnold (10:46):
You think that's because of the Norse or the Viking influence there?
Or is it something that's acombination of all those things, or?
Jack (10:56):
Scotland is a very ancient land.
It's been inhabitedfor thousands of years.
It has very beautiful landscapesthat engage the imagination.
It also has a lot of sea; the Loch Ness.
There very well could have been ancientsea creatures lurking in these locks.
We don't know.
Think about dinosaurs and thesebeings that have been around
(11:18):
before that are extinct now.
There is a reality that these, they werecalled Picts and Caledonians before Scots
became on the scene; but these peoplethat didn't have modern understandings
and sciences and a paleontology,they would have seen these creatures
and created this folklore around it.
So I do think part of it's likeyou said, the Viking influence
(11:40):
certainly played a role.
This hodgepodge of rich culturalhistory there's no history stops
here and mythology folklore begin here.
It just blends into the reality.
So adding into all of that,just the general nature of the
Scotsmen and the Scotswoman.
Arnold (11:56):
And maybe stories passed down orally?
Jack (11:57):
Absolutely that oral history is a big part of Scottish culture,
just like it is in Welsh and Irish.
Scotland definitely has a veryrich Celtic past and Gaelic past
just like Wales and Ireland does.
There used to be a Celtic, I'm goingto use the word nation, but really it
was a culture for thousands of years.
The Celtic nations, the Celticcultures spread from France.
(12:21):
Gaul Julius Caesar conquered it was aCeltic nation, a Celtic land, and pretty
much from France all the way over fromEngland, Scotland, Wales, Ireland,
it was all a larger Celtic community.
Very distinct per region, but there wasan overlap and a blend and we're learning
(12:41):
as we discover more and more historythat there was a real, tangible Celtic
culture that perpetuated for thousandsof years and Scotland was part of that.
Arnold (12:49):
Wow.
Jack (12:50):
Okay.
So we were talkingabout main sites, right?
We did Dunvegan Castle the BlackCuillins at the foot of the Black
Cuillin Hills are crystal clearblue pools called the fairy pools.
The famous pools, entice visitorsfrom all over the world for
great photos or "wild swimming".
Arnold (13:05):
You go swimming in them?
Jack (13:06):
You can it's...
Arnold (13:07):
Must be very cold.
Jack (13:08):
...very cold.
I haven't swam in these, but I swam inLochness and I swam in the North Sea.
Swimming in the waters of Scotland isone of the coolest things you'll do.
Arnold (13:16):
Is it a must do?
Jack (13:17):
I think so, but you gotta be brave and you gotta just go for it.
You can't dip your toe inand think you're going get
used to it and then jump in.
No, just take off the clothes or puton the swimsuit and just jump right in.
Oh man.
It is so invigorating.
And then you have that invigoratingfeeling this wave going through your
body of this shock to your system.
(13:37):
When you get out, it's fresh air andit's beautiful hills and rolling, lush,
green countryside and then the wildlife.
So it's that sort of shock to thesystem and then you emerge from
the water and you've got thisreally beautiful scene at your...
Arnold (13:51):
And you forget that you're cold.
Jack (13:52):
And you forget that you're cold.
Hey, if you're going to be cold youmight as well be cold in Scotland.
Arnold (13:56):
And have a great view.
Jack (13:57):
And have a great view.
One last thing I'll mentionon Skye is Eilean Donan.
Eilean Donan Castle is actually noton the Isle of Skye, it's on the
entryway in the Kyle of Lochalsh.
So Kyle's just a bay if you will.
So the Eilean Donan Castle, it'sprobably the most photographed
castle scene in Scotland.
It's a little castle on a tidalisland at the entryway of three
(14:18):
lochs of three little areas.
It is beautiful and it's on yourway over to the Isle of Skye.
So definitely take time to stopand visit Eilean Donan Castle.
Arnold (14:27):
Is that one that's used in a lot of movies?
Jack (14:29):
Absolutely, it's in Outlander.
Or I was going to sayHighlander with Sean Connery.
So it's in that movie.
It's been in tons of films.
It's been immortalized in folkloreand song and yes it's been
used in a lot of pop culture.
Arnold (14:42):
Let's go back.
We haven't talked about the history,we've talked a lot of the cultural
kinds of things and how maybe theVikings moved in and the Celtic
culture, Celtic nation, but Skyespecifically, what is the history?
Jack (14:55):
Yeah, it's a good question.
The history of Skye is rich so I'll justdo a quick thumbnail sketch of Skye.
The early inhabitants wereknown as Picts or Caledonians.
They were stone age farmers thoughtto have built these round stone
fortifications called Brochswhich can still be seen today.
You'll see these here andelsewhere throughout Scotland.
Around 500 A.D.
settlers arrived from Irelandand brought Christianity to Skye.
(15:18):
Then came the Viking invasion of theeighth century, late seven hundreds.
The Vikings stayed for about 400 yearsand actually many of the villages
and hills have Viking origins.
The name Skyah is a Vikingname means cloud island.
The defeat of the Vikings at theBattle of Largs in 1263 ended the
Norwegian rule and Skye became partof Scotland . That's medieval history.
(15:40):
The Vikings had a foothold in Scotlandfor well into the medieval period, but
this ended the Norwegian rule . Skyealso has strong links to clan battles.
The Jacobite uprising, the subsequentHighland clearances, providing inspiration
for poetry, songs, novels, and movies.
Arnold (15:58):
And clans you're talking about families.
Jack (16:00):
Yeah.
So a clan is a community run by aclan chief, a chieftain and a clan
is just like a big extended family,but you don't have to be related.
It usually started out thatway, but these clans could be
thousands and thousands of people.
The Clan McKinsey is one of thebiggest clans of Scotland and
that's a huge swath of population.
The clan culture is a veryintegral part of Scottish history,
(16:25):
Scottish culture even to this day.
And Skye really playsa big part into that.
Arnold (16:31):
Somebody who would defend and represent a group of people.
Jack (16:35):
Think of an extended family run by a patriarch, if you will.
And it was going to be, it was goingto be a man and his family and actually
the Mac MAC, like MacDonald, MacLeod,,the clan MacLeod, right on the island
Skye , the Mac just means son of.
So what it meant was if I wereas part of clan MacLeod, or clan
MacKinsey, I was the son of Leod.
(17:00):
I was the son of Kinsey.
Arnold (17:01):
Son of Donald
Jack (17:02):
Son of Donald that's right MacDonald.
Over many generations that became likea surname, but it originated Donald
was the chief and I, everybody thatis under his banner is a MacDonald
or a MacLeod or MacKinsey or whatever.
Mac just means son of.
Arnold (17:17):
That's why you need to listen to this podcast folks.
Jack (17:20):
There's a lot of good stuff, a lot of rich cultural history and info.
So the clans of Skye overwhelming wereGaelic speaking which is the Celtic
old language of Scotland until theearly 20th century when English or
rather a version of English calledScots came onto the scene and that's
what people still speak today.
The Scots is a really fun language;is technically English, but it's very
(17:42):
diverse and they have their own words.
It's a dreek day; that's aword you'll hear a lot, dreek.
It means rainy.
It's a dreek day.
Why don't you quit havering?
It means like you're talking too much.
So if I were in school, Iwould have gotten that a lot.
Jack you're havering.
The parents might say this to thekids, or you say this to your friend.
They have all these words.
If you said that in England, that wouldn'tmean anything, or it's a dreek day.
(18:05):
So they do speak English and I'mdoing air quotes here, but they have
a vast vocabulary of their own words.
So the main clans on Skye werethe Macleods and the MacDonalds.
Dunvegan Castle, oldest castle in Scotlandhas been the seat of clan McCloud
since the 13th century, as we mentioned.
After the defeat of Bonnie PrinceCharlie; for you Outlander fans out
(18:25):
there, Skye's a place you got to visitcause it's mentioned in Outlander when
Bonnie Prince Charlie is defeated.
He goes to Skye after the Battle ofCulloden, the Battle of Culloden in 1746
was like the end of Highland culture.
After that the Prince retreated to theIsle of Skye pursued by government troops,
and he was helped by Flora MacDonald.
One of the famous clans, powerful clanson Skye took him over the sea disguised
(18:49):
as a maid and this historic event isimmortalized in the Skye Boat Song which
is the intro song in the show Outlander.
So people that watch itwill be like, oh my gosh.
Arnold (18:58):
I'll have to check that out when I get home.
Jack (19:00):
It's a good show.
So following the Jacobite uprisings,the Scottish clan culture underwent
a period of organized sanctioneddestruction by the English government
called the Highland Clearances.
Many lost their lands and werereally reduced to poverty.
The wearing of the plaid kiltwas outlawed, playing of the
bagpipes, carrying of arms, speakingGaelic their native language, and
(19:20):
gatherings for games where allbanned under the Act of Proscription.
Now the act was eventuallyrepealed and the Highland culture
did begin a resurgence underQueen Victoria in the late 1800s.
Queen Victoria did much to encouragea romantic Highland ideal, essentially
reinventing the idea of the clan to fitthe ideas and union of the British Empire.
(19:41):
So it was a very smart move on herpart but there was a very brutal
suppression of the Highland cultureand Skye was a part of that.
Today the Island Skye really owes itswealth and fame, mostly to tourism and
tourists who come from every cornerof the globe to experience Scotland's
majestic natural wonder and a tastefor this rich Highland culture.
So if you're looking to delve deeperinto Skye's history, the island life
(20:04):
museum situated north of Uig keepsit on display the old way of life.
So there's a lot more to learn if you'reinterested in delving into the Highland
culture and the clan culture on Skye.
Arnold (20:15):
So what's the origin of the kilt.
You also mentioned kilts.
Jack (20:18):
Yes.
That goes back to the clan.
I'm not a kilt expert, The kiltswere part of the fabric of the
culture and designated, butit was affiliated to the clan.
So the Clan MacKinsey, theClan MacCloud's, they had
their own style of kilt.
The argyle black and traditionalblack watches like a traditional kilt
(20:39):
used in a lot of the kilt schemes.
So again, I'm no expert, but I'mcertain that the kilt and the
clan colors were tied together.
Arnold (20:48):
Okay.
Jack (20:48):
Just another cultural thing and these things evolve over generations.
One thing to mention the tartan.
The kilts are made of tartan,the tartan is a style of pattern.
The tartans were so powerful that afterthe Highland Clearances, The Act of
Proscription, you couldn't be seen wearingit because it was tied to your clan.
So if you had a tartan, MacKinsey tartan,or argyle or whatever, you had to hide
(21:12):
it away, or you could get arrested.
Arnold (21:15):
I was wondering why they would wear a kilt in that weather anyway,
Jack (21:18):
Well their kilts are much thicker than you would imagine.
I have a kilt of my own and I gotthe cheap man's version cause you
could spend thousands on kilts.
It actually is a very thick wool.
The material that they used fortraditional kilts is actually
very thick and so not onlyis it warm, it's not breezy.
It'll move around a little bit,but a very high quality kilt is
like putting on a really big rug.
It's very thick.
(21:38):
Then you've got high socksthat go up almost to the knee.
So you've got these wool socksand this very thick kilt and then
you've got your over garments, soyou keep warmer than you think.
Arnold (21:47):
Okay.
Okay.
So the pop culture connection.
I know there's.
Several, what are they?
Jack (21:55):
The Isle of Skye has provided inspiration for many, a famous novel,
poetry, feature films, TV series,and it continues to be celebrated
in song like the Skye Boat Song.
Novels like Jessica Brockmole'sLetters from Skye, Virginia
Woolf's To the Lighthouse.
Skye, has a very strong music traditionfamous for Celtic and folk music.
(22:17):
Modern songs, several of Jethro Tull's,if you're a Jethro Tull fan, are written
about Skye, including Dun Ringil,Broadford Bazaar, Acres Wild that contain
the lines, "Come with me to the WingedIsle, Northern father's western child"
in reference to the island itself.
Perhaps the most famous connection is withthe Starz series, the TV series Outlander.
(22:38):
It's a drama love story set in the18th century time travel kind of thing.
It's Highland Scotland covering partsof Bonnie Prince Charlie's rebellion.
But the opening credits rollwith the famous Skye Boat
Song, which we ran through.
The movie Highlander with SeanConnery at Eilean Donan Castle.
So yeah, there is a rich connection toTV, movie, literature, song, and poetry.
Arnold (23:02):
Wow.
So, I didn't know that was goingto be as bucket listy as it was.
Jack (23:07):
You wouldn't think it, it's just an island with some beautiful scenery.
You've got the history of the castles, thewaterfalls, the natural scenery, the food.
You can get the best parts of Scotlandin this one little island, all wrapped
in one, you can get the full Scottish,immersive experience in this one island.
Arnold (23:24):
That's unbelievable.
So if I take that trip, I should say,when I take that trip to England,
I need to make sure that I go toSkye and catch the rich cultural
heritage that Scotland has to offer.
Jack (23:37):
Oi, go to Skye.
Arnold (23:45):
We hope you enjoyed listening to this episode of
Virtual Vacation with Guidester.
Take time to look at the show noteson the website for everything that
was mentioned on this episode.
Virtual Vacation with Guidesteris produced by Motif Media Group.
For Jack Baumann and Virtual Vacationwith Guidester I'm Arnold Stricker.
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