caol loch ailse

[raven]

Hello, internet. I am in Kyle of Lochalsh. This is the most remote point on the British rail network - three trains a day come in from Inverness, and three return, and that is all. Air BnB supplied a disused signalbox by the trackside, converted into a tiny little living space; from the window I can see through to the curve of the station, beyond which nothing follows. Kyle of Lochalsh was the port for the ferry to Skye, before they built the Skye bridge; now it's a nowhere place, somewhere on the way to somewhere. Though the local cafes make a lot of calling it rathad nan eilean, the road to the isles, which I suppose it is because everywhere's on the way to somewhere, there is something rather enormous and strange about seeing the railway end, the buffers, and then the land slipping away into the water. This is it. Nowhere else to go.

So far, I have woken briefly at the train passing through; bought a prawn roll from a seafood stall ("Can you wait a minute? We've just had the delivery and we're peeling as fast as we can!"); eavesdropped on three boys discussing in Bengali the merits of the mixed-seafood option; drunk coffee in the rain on the platform, waiting for A. to appear off a train, watching the clouds gathering over the Cuillin. And then the train came and for five minutes Kyle of Lochalsh station was the centre of the universe, and then slowly the people disappeared, and the gulls were screeching above the harbour, and apart from that everything was quiet.

I am going to visit Sabhal Mor Ostaig while I'm here. (I was scared to email them. They turned out to be completely charming people. "Madainn mhath Iona", they write, as though that were quite a normal thing.) Other than that, I am going to write, and watch six trains a day come past the window - three from Inverness, and three returning.

Comments

[isis]

Not so remote, if you have internet. :-) Enjoy your trains, and your writing.

[raven]

Well, it's the most remote point on the rail network. I feel like having internet is not a major step up from having a functioning railway station with six trains a day!

[isagel]

That sounds so lovely and peaceful!

Let's change this comment! I misunderstood your trip plans, you are not actually in the Shetlands. Carry on! :)

[raven]

I am in the Hebrides rather than Shetland (and to be accurate, I'm on the mainland, opposite Kyleakin on Skye), but while I was there a few years back, there were many sheep! I believe there are even Shetland-specific breeds of sheep. The detective show is wonderful, isn't it? Scenery porn qua excellence. :)

[isagel]

Yes, that is a show with marvellous scenery. I hope I'll manage to go to Scotland one day - it does all seem so beautiful.

My mum will be so relieved about the sheep! *g*

[ignipes]

That sounds so lovely and peaceful!

[raven]

It's so nice, I can't even tell you. :)

[glinda]

It's a strange and wonderful little place, isn't it? I went to visit it for the first time last month and was utterly charmed. (I came and went by train on the same day but if I'd known you could stay in a signal box I would absolutely have done that, I've very jealous it sounds wonderful.) I'd recommend visiting Eilean Donan castle while you're there, as its only 10 minutes by bus along the coast and looks like something out of a fairytale. Also it did a grand job of dispersing my writers block so happy writing!

You've also reminded me that I never made a photo post of my pictures...I should get on that! The people at SMO are lovely, I hope you enjoy your visit.

[raven]

It's on Air BnB! I do recommend it unreservedly. So I waited to reply to this until after I'd been to SMO, and you know, you were right, they really were lovely. I think I'm more or less committed to doing one of their short courses in the spring. :)

[glinda]

That is exciting, I forsee a wee adventure there - though perhaps not until the spring...

Oh yay, I'm glad you had fun at SMO. I've never been on one of their short courses but I have done weekend courses as part of their distance learning programme and they've always been excellent. I hope you get to go! :D

[longwhitecoats]

Oh my gosh, this sounds like my dream vacation! Have an absolutely wonderful time. What does "Madainn mhath" mean?

[raven]

Thank you! It means "good morning", and they use it to begin their emails, except the ones they send in the afternoon, which begin "feasgar math". :)

[fyrdrakken]

It was on a visit to Orkney some years ago that I saw a small B&B made of free-standing cottages and thought to myself that were I ever a writer needing somewhere to stow myself away and get something written, that would be the place. Sounds like you found somewhere even more private. I hope you enjoy the quiet and get good things accomplished.

[raven]

Thank you - I did, very much! :)

[philomytha]

That sounds like a wonderful peaceful place. Enjoy!

[raven]

I really did, thank you!

[carthaginians]

that sounds so lovely and peaceful — if you haven't been to Skye yet I strongly suggest you go, there's nothing quite like it in the world.

[raven]

We spent a couple of days on Skye in the end, and it was delightful. :)

[brightlywoven]

It sounds utterly gorgeous and necessary.

[raven]

Oh, it really was. <33

[soupytwist]

That sounds perfect and so very well deserved.

[raven]

<3 <3

[riverlight]

God, I love the way you write about landscape.

ETA: Also, yay Sabhail Mor Ostaig!

[raven]

Thank you. <3 Did you make it to SMO on your recent trip?

[riverlight]

I wish I had, but no—next time!

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

I drove through Kyle of Lochalsh in May. I don't remember the town at all, just stopping to take pictures of the Skye Bridge. We actually took the tiny ferry across Kyle Rhea because my aunt thought it would be more exciting - and it was!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

The Kyle Rhea ferry has closed for the year, as a little bit too exciting for September. :)

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

I can imagine! Though the ferry itself was less exciting than the road to it. My aunt had regrets about insisting my uncle go that way.

[khalinche.livejournal.com]

This post makes me happy. And mhadainn mhath Iona is a perfectly normal thing to say! Have a lovely stay.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

<3 tapadh leat agus oidche mhath!

[khalinche.livejournal.com]

Cuir pog air nam beinn agus nan caolais for me please.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I did! It was no great hardship. <3

[littlered2.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a lovely place to be. I hope it's restful and conducive to writing.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

You know, it really was - thank you.

[mirabile-dictu.livejournal.com]

Oh, how wonderful! I'm so envious of you. I hope you'll write more about your time there.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

If I'm ever awake and sprightly again, I will do this thing. <3

[troyswann.livejournal.com]

Have I mentioned (more than 1000 times) that I would read a travel book by you? I would read the heck out of that. You could just gather up all your LJ entries and I would read them on a train to somewhere.

So. Just sayin'

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Hiiii you. You have mentioned it and I am no less delighted by it. <333