The Isle of Skye in northwest Scotland

Hi again from Scotland. We're in the beautiful Isle of Skye in north west Scotland. I want to say "Hi" to Ella and the 1st grade class in Rochester, Minnesota. I wish you could be here with us to see the amazing sights and learn of the vast history of Scotland. We learned so much today so we'll start with.....

This is the Island life museum. The thatched roof huts are replicas of the houses the Crofters live in some 150 years ago. The Crofters were farmers that were given a small piece of land that was just enough to live from. They spent their days raising potatoes and farming the land. It was a tough life and can you imagine.... no TV, internet or even blogs!

We then drove to Armadale where the Mc Donald castle is located. Here we walked the grounds of the abandoned castle and visited the museum where we learned about the Mc Donald clan and it's place in Scottish history. The Castle was built in the mid 19th century and was destroyed when invaders burned it. The Mc Donalds did not rebuild and the grounds and garden have been donated to the state.

I just love the roads. Here we are on a one lane road and had to stop for a sheep that was using the road as well. Look how narrow the road is. when cars meet one pulls into a little side area and lets the other pass. The encounter always ends with a wave and a smile. Travel on these roads is 15 miles per hour at best and it's good not to be in a hurry. Sheep are one of the main industries on the Isle of Skye. They use the meat as well as the wool to make clothing.

This is a photo of Portree taken from our room window. What a quaint village! The people are great and the scenery fantastic. The best part is that we are learning about this area of Scotland up close and personal. So much history in such a small area!

That's all for tonight. Time to put the feet up and relax. The weather was bad today so Flat Ella stayed in the car all day.... such a wimp! It was about 40 degrees with a 30 mph wind and rain. I wanted to stay in the car as well but Sharleen wouldn't let me.

More tomorrow night from the Isle of skye.