Are you ever coming home?

On our last full day on Skye we decide ‘to get away from it all’ and catch a car ferry to another Inner Hebrides Island, Rassay. It is nice to be back at sea again, if only for 30 minutes each way.

During a couple of rainy days, we read the fascinating story of Calum McLeod who lived on Rassay from 1911 to 1984. He was one of the last true crofters on the northern end of Raasay. Sadly, when ‘mod cons’ finally came to Rassay in the twentieth century the northern end of the island did not even get a road. The road stopped almost two miles from Calum’s front door. After years of struggling with Inverness Council Calum finally resolved that a road would never be built by the government. So, armed with only a pick, a shovel, a crow bar, a wheelbarrow and a book on road building purchased by mail order, Calum began to build the road himself. He built the road in his spare time, while continuing to run his subsistence croft (without electricity or piped water), delivering the mail and driving the lighthouse keeper’s boat. It took him ten years to complete the two-mile long road, which runs through incredibly rugged coastal terrain.

Today we have the priveledge of driving over ‘Calum’s Road’. We are filled with admiration and respect. It is an incredible testament to one man’s stamina and determination. Once we reach the end of the road we walk several kilometres along an ancient path past an old schoolhouse. The narrow path was used by the children from a neighbouring island as they trudged to school after crossing from their island home when the tide was low. We enjoy views across to the Isle of Skye, the weather is chilly and the ghosts of humble Gaelic working folk, who never needed resilience training, leave us both humbled and inspired.

Calum’s Road is a wonderful place to end this blog. We have had a holiday like no other. It might best be described using the word, bespoke. After four weeks we have only begun to scratch the surface of this amazing island. Our house sitting accommodation has been a perfect place to rest after days out roaming through a part of the world where the layers of time dating back to the Iron Age can be easily seen. Life here has never been easy, but we can begin to appreciate why people have fought to call this remote place home.

Our thanks goes to all who have read our blog and especially to those who have liked, loved and made comments. We write because we enjoy sharing our travels.

There is a Gaelic farewell ‘Cair vie’ which means ‘fair winds’. Anyone who has ever been to sea knows the importance of these words. Anyone who has been to Skye will want to say ‘Amen’.