Wednesday: Despite the huge thick 'blackout' curtain over the window/door, we were still aware of it getting light outside at around 4am. That's one thing about shutters back in Edinburgh - they don't let a peep of light through. As a result, my body clock went a wee bit wonky, seeing the light outside and thinking "ah, we're up!". It got better over the next couple of days, but that first morning felt very odd. Nonetheless, after a few hours of stop-start sleep and a supremely invigorating shower - after which a bog-standard electric shower feels just so feeble - it was breakfast time. And oh! What breakfast! Starting off with knee-tremblingly good freshly baked muffins, the main course is cooked to order. That first morning I had locally sourced smoked haddock with poached egg. Fresh and delicious, it was a fine way to start the day, all the while looking out at the clear blue sky and sea. Suitably stuffed and assured of a nice day out, on came the walking boots and off we went.
Walking along the main street in Broadford is always pleasant, even if there's a convoy of German motorcycles or great lorries laden down with timber roaring through it. Heading past the Co-op that morning, we were supremely tickled to see six mallards sat in the car park, resting in the disabled parking section for some curious reason - a couple of mornings later we saw them resting in the same place again, despite cars being parked on either side of them. A little further on, just over the bridge on the way to the post office, there's the start of the Marble Line footpath that can ultimately take four routes depending on how far you want to go, leading to Beinn Suardal, detailed here. It's well signposted by the Forestry Commission, though don't be surprised when part of the path requires walking on the road (the B8803, I think) - it's a single track road with very little traffic, and it's not long before the path signpost appears to lead you off the road and onto a well-surfaced path that gradually rises and turns, with the mighty Beinn na Caillich rising up majestically on your right.
It's incredibly peaceful out on this walk, the only sounds really coming from the breeze, the trickling of tiny streams running past and the odd mehh from the sheep grazing on the slopes you're walking along. There's not much sign of humans, which is always good, and the few houses you can see help you appreciate the sheer scale of the natural scenery around you. The detail on the nearby peaks is fascinating to look at, marveling at the shadows of clouds rolling over the surface, and made me look forward to the day I do some proper full-on hill-walking/climbing on Skye. We cheerfully wandered along for a couple of hours, turning back after a few kilometres.
Afterwards, we had a functional lunch at the Broadford Hotel bar and the Lass went giddy at her own personal heaven, eventually coming out with a faraway look in her eyes and a bag full of woolly stuff. By now, feet were starting to throb, conditioned as they've been to usually walking no longer than half an hour in one go, so it was back to Tigh an Dochais for a bit of reading and sketching. Soon enough, it was six o'clock - nosh!
Towards the end of our holiday in Broadford last year, we ate at a just-opened cafe/restaurant called the Harbour Restaurant, where they served a fantastic range of meat and veggie-friendly locally-sourced dishes that absolutely blew us away. Ever since we'd been looking forward to going back and hoping they'd still be open - after all, could somewhere so good, so reasonably priced, stay afloat? The answer, thankfully, is a resounding HELL YEAH. Even better, one year on, the Harbour Restaurant is now so popular that you need to book in advance for a table (phone them on 01471 822687) - and with good reason. The Lass has just written an excellent post about the Harbour Restaurant and anyone considering visiting Skye should definitely make sure they have at least one dinner there (we spent three of our four nights there this year, and would have gone for all four if it wasn't closed Mondays and Tuesdays). The service is excellent, the staff very friendly and happy to talk, and the food, well...
I started with the Smokey Roast Salmon, smoked by Isle of Skye Seafoods just down the road (also where the breakfast haddock came from). Fish suppers aside, I don't usually eat much fish, but this was delicious, smoked just right and a real treat on the taste buds. My main course was Highland Lamb cooked Tagine style with apricots, dates and mint, served with couscous and brown rice. The sauce was absolutely delicious, a bit like a good Hoi Sin sauce, hints of fruit and spice - just thinking about it now makes my mouth water! The rice complemented the sauce and lamb, the couscous given a subtle kick with pepper. It was filling without being stodgy and was one of the best meals I've had in ages, followed up with Baked Lemon Cheesecake and cream. It tasted wonderfully fresh, though certainly not sour, a lovely thick texture worth savouring. The icing on this culinary cake was the drinks list, featuring not just the usual Isle of Skye Brewery beers but also a few beers from the excellent Black Isle Brewery, regular visitors to the Edinburgh Farmers Market and responsible for some of the best bottled beer in Scotland. I went with their Heather Honey Beer each night at the Harbour, a refreshing and light beer that didn't overpower any of the flavours and was just the ticket for those hot sunny evenings.
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