The Isle of Skye is a stunning little island in the Scottish Highlands, off the west coast of Scotland.

My best guy friend and I rented a car and drove 5 and a 1/2 hours, from Edinburgh to Portree, which is a small town in the heart of Skye. It was my first time driving in the UK and I was warned about the excessive round abouts. I had to rewire my brain and continuously remind myself that everything was the opposite of what I was used to.

We drove 20 minutes and hiked Old Man Storr. Make sure to bring layers and prepare for rain! The trail is roughly 2.8 miles, which took us around 1.5 hours to hike. We stopped at the top to eat our PB&J sammies.

Our second hike was to the Fairy Pools, which was about an hour drive from Old Man Storr. These pools are at the foot of the Cuillin mountains. The name comes from a local myth that claims there was once a Clan MacLeod chief who married a fairy princess. We made a wish to the fairies.

Our plans took a slight detour the second day. We had planned to hike the Quiraing, before driving 5 and 1/2 hours back to Edinburgh. Before embarking on our journey, we stopped to get gas. My friend accidentally filled the car up with diesel. I can’t fault him, because the colors are the opposite in the UK. For future reference, petroleum is green over here! We made it 3 minutes from the gas station, before the car completely shut off. We had to call roadside service and get the car towed. We were told it would take 5 hours to drain the fuel tank…

We didn’t let this little tiff ruin our day. We walked into the city to grab some coffee from our favorite cafe, called The Highland Cow Shop. Afterwards, we hiked Scorrybreac Trail, which was right in the town of Portree. At the end of our hike, I received a phone call that our car was ready to be picked up!

During our road trip back to Edinburgh, we passed a field of highland cows. I had to pull over and feed these beautiful creatures. These cows are known for their high-quality beef.

We drove past this stunning medieval fortress, known as the Eilean Donan Castle.

The drive was my favorite part of this trip. The countryside is to die for.