If I were to describe my movements through Scotland so far you might think the plan was always to just erratically jump on any old bus and see where it ended up. I've criss-crossed around this beautiful country with some semblance of a plan, but it mostly feels more labour-intensive than necessary.
The ride from Aberdeen here to Uig took about 10 hours all up, including an hour and a half spent charging my phone at the Maccas in Inverness and a last ditch cab ride for the final leg. The bus from Inverness to Skye would have taken me all the way to Uig, but unbeknownst to me the evening bus only gets as far as Portree (Skye's capital). I would have hitched but it was already dark by the time I arrived and the roads looked pretty empty regardless so there was naught to do but to hail a taxi.
Ellis recommended me this lovely hostel that I'm now writing from. The Cowshed honestly looks like it should cost a lot more for a night (20 quid for a dorm bed). It's easily the cleanest and shiniest hostel that I've ever checked into. The beds are comfortable and cozy with individual privacy curtains and no squeaky bed frames/springs. The bathrooms are shared but large, spacious and private with excellent water pressure from the shower heads. Like the rest of rural/northern/country Scotland the wifi isn't great but I'd have been more shocked if it was anywhere near as good as Norway.
So far Skye lives up to the hype. The rain is either bucketing down or threatening to start up at a moment's notice, but the landscape is gorgeous and green - probably thanks to the rain! I went out this morning to the nearby Fairy Glen - a small area dotted with cone-shaped hills, pools and rock formations. I didn't know what I was walking into, so it did feel like stepping into some hidden away fairy habitat when I crossed around that last bend in the road to get to the glen. The hills looked particularly vivid when the sun peeped momentarily through the clouds.
After a bit of wandering, I walked over to the Uig port to find lunch and took a detour on the way back to a forest path that lead to a roaring waterfall. I made it back in time before another downpour started up so I think I've done alright today. Here's hoping the next few days are a bit drier, if possible.