Hello from Fort William - haven't noticed a fort anywhere though, so don't know what the go is.

Sat got a lift with Ruari, the owner of Am Bothan hostel, to Tarbert and across on the ferry to the Isle of Skye. He dropped me at the main town of Portree. And it was raining surprise, surprise. Also I got to the tourist office at 4:02pm, it was already shut and lights out. The staff came out 30seconds later. After giving the lovely older woman a karate chop to the neck and shoulder I asked about buses the next day (the dreaded Sunday). She said 'no, you heathen'... Well something like that. So I decided to high-tail it out of that place and focus on the attractions of the mainland. I was walking along the main road asking god to be nice about the wind and rain when 2 lovely blokes in a red Vauxhall pulled over to give me a lift. They were going on a big drive so could drop me at Kyle of Lochalsh - just on the mainland (over the controversial bridge connecting the Isle of Skye to the mainland). I found the 'hostel' -- read crappy place -- paid my £12.50 and ate my dinner and went to bed.

This morning I got up bright and early at 7am. Which I later learned was the new 6am because they'd turned the clocks back overnight. So I was out on the main road again around 8am I believe... Just caught sunrise too. Wondering at the lack of church traffic - it picked up and then I did too! Got a lift down to FAMOUS Eileen Donan castle with a Macbackpackers tour group!! That was good (could see what I was missing out on by travelling all on my lonesome). Got a lift to an intersection where some cool brochs hang out about 11 mile down the road.

Me embarking my walk in super-quiet Kyle of Lochalsh

View of the Loch along the way (& a handy caravan sleeping point)

Stunning Eileen Donan castle - apparently in a scene from Highlander and can be hired out for weddings.

Me and Eileen

In 1 minute (I think that was a record) I got yet another lift to the tiny village of Glenelg and the brochs were only 1 1/2 mile up the road. So I started walking. Beautiful countryside, gentle rays of sunshine, and a bubbling brook. And only a little bit of cliche :)
Turn-off for the brochs. Ok... steeling myself for 1.5 mile walk with my full pack :)

Got to a broch and hung out there for a while. Then went to another broch just up the road and the local farm kids came out to climb all over the broch. I was eating my vegemite and cheese sandwich by the road and they yelled out 'Hello to the Australian' (wed talked about my cultural background minutes before). I turned around and they were on top of the broch - like 10m up. They said I should climb up too... So with their expert guidance I climbed up through all the gaps and wandered across the walkways within the different levels. It was pretty cool! I now have to email the pics that the boy took of us up the top to Katie (hi Katie, if you're reading this!!).
Inside Broch (Dun) Telve

The outside of Dun Troddan, note slanting walls.

Me, Katie and [check] - my guides.

So after that fun, I left for the main road. Lucky for me, the kids' dads were on their way to another farm further down the road. So I piled into the landrover with dads, 4 kids and 4 dogs. My backpack looks a little worse-for-wear after lying on the muddy fence posts in the trailor :)

They dropped me off on some deserted bit of road and then I got a lift with a guy in his Silver Seat (that's a car by the way). He was going over to his workplace, some game farm, to clean his car (good idea after having a stinky backpacker in his car). So then I was back to the Sheil bridge turn and the road that goes to Fort William (57 miles). Walked for about a mile, then got a lift with a bloke heading off south of FW for work. He was a nice guy, we talked about his grown-up kids and work and Blair and Howard being puppets of Bush... Anyway, got here to FW...

And tomorrow's forecast is for rain!! SURPRISE SURPRISE ;) ;). The rumours are that this place is the wettest in Scotland.