Rounding out our little group were Rory’s friend Tristan MacDougall, son of the beloved Mrs. Mac, who was the first mate on a schooner that did semester-at-sea programs in the States. His girlfriend Ari was with us, too, a sweet redhead who had just graduated from the University of Miami with a marine science degree. They were taking the summer off to explore Scotland before she started her new job in the fall. I’d met them last year, and was looking forward to spending more time with them.
The Skye Trail had brought me so much joy, and I was so thrilled that this group of people that had become so dear to me were here to share it. Rory took my hand and smiled down at me, his gray-green eyes the color of the sea on a rainy day. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
“Lead on, then.”
“Okay, gang, let’s move out.”
I led the group out of the car park and onto the path. A year ago, I’d taken that first step full of fear, trepidation, worry, and doubt about walking eighty miles across the imposing, rugged, remote, and intimidating Isle of Skye for the friend I loved.
Today, I took that first step full of excitement and joy, this time eager to walk for eighty miles across the mountainous, wild, and utterly spectacular Isle of Skye with the people I loved.
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Author’s Note
The Isle of Skye is one of the most stunning places I’ve ever seen, with its dramatic mountains, spectacular sea views, and alien-looking formations like the Quiraing. I tried to stay as faithful to the Skye Trail wherever I could, but I did take a liberty or two here and there. I can only hope I did justice to this magnificent place, and that I’ve inspired you to put it on your bucket list of places to visit. And if you do get there, you should make a point of taking a wee ramble up Glen Sligachan, from the hotel toward Marsco, or walking the path through the Quiraing (but watch out for that wind!), even if the rest of it is too intimidating. But don’t try to hike without the proper gear and safety precautions!
If you decide to do the Skye Trail—or want to experience other parts of Scotland on foot—check out Thistle Trekking, the company that inspired the fictional Scotland By Foot. When I got it into my head a few years ago that I wanted to walk Scotland’s ninety-six-mile West Highland Way, I knew I had to do it with a guide. My search led me to Thistle Trekking, which offers guided walks and scrambles all over Scotland, as well as in England and Wales. The director, Scarlet Trevett, is fabulous. She patiently answered the many questions I had prior to my booking, and advised me on which trail I should attempt next, given the difficulties I’d had on the WHW.
Thistle Trekking attends to every detail (including baggage schlepping) so that you can just show up and walk. You have a highly-qualified Mountain Leader as your guide, and you’ll have a small group of people to walk with. I went by myself, and the people in my group, whether they were married couples, singles, or family groups, were wonderful and welcoming, and I made friends that I reunited with on the East Highland Way trail the following year, and with whom I hope to walk again next year as well.
If you’re looking for an amazing experience walking over Scotland’s hills (big and small), through her glens and bogs, and along her sparkling lochs, you can do no better than Thistle Trekking: www.thistletrekking.co.uk.
And if Wales is on your bucket list, Alex Kendall, the guide and Mountain Leader who helped me get through the West Highland Way (including lingering at the back with me as I struggled up the damn hills), has written a guidebook to walking the Snowdonia Way, a long-distance trail in Wales’s Snowdonia National Park. You can check it out here: https://www.cicerone.co.uk/the-snowdonia-way.
Pronunciation Guide
Bealach Uige: BEE-lach (with the -ch as in loch) OO-ig
Beinn Edra: Bayn Edra
Ben Tianavaig: Bayn CHEE-a-na-vaig
Biodha Buidhe: Beeta BOO-yeh
Bla Bheinn: BLA-ven
Boreraig: BAH-re-raig
Buachaille Etive Mor: BOOK-all ET-iv More
Eilean Donan: EE-lin Do-nan
Rubha Hunish: Roo-ah Hunish
Sgurr a’Mhadaidh Ruaidh: Skurr a VAT-ee RU-ay
Slàinte mhath: SLAN-jeh vah
Sligachan: Sli-GA-chan
Suisnish: SEESH-nish
Mar sin leat, a ghaoil: Mahr shin layt, a geyl
Soraidh leat, mo bhràthar: SO-rai layt, mo BRA-her
Acknowledgments
To my parents, Lois & Sam Miller, for…well, everything, really, but specifically for instilling the travel bug in me from an early age.
To my brother, Rob Miller, for making me cry on the train when I got my final paperwork for the West Highland Way and saw what you did. You’re my favorite brother.
To my editors Stacy Cantor Abrams and Alexa May for their excellent edits and insights.
To Eden Plantz for her wonderful copyedits, Greta Gunselman for proofreading, and to Fiona Jayde, Heather Howland, and Liz Pelletier for the beautiful cover.
To Curtis Svehlak, Holly Bryant-Simpson, Riki Cleveland, and the rest of the Entangled Team for the wonderful work they do.
To my agent Josh Getzler for his support and enthusiasm.
The following people were instrumental in helping me write a book set on the Skye Trail. Any mistakes are mine.
To Scarlet Trevett, director and founder of Thistle Trekking, for all her advice, suggestions, and input; for answering my many questions on logistics and pronunciation, for her support and enthusiasm, and for letting me use her name in the book!
To Alex Kendall, my guide on the West Highland Way, for patiently answering all my many and varied questions about the Skye Trail and being a guide, and for keeping me going on the West Highland Way when I thought Conic Hill would kill me, and then when I thought the Devil’s Staircase would kill me. There’s always another damn hill.
To Ed Terry, my guide on the East Highland Way, for answering my questions about being a guide, and to Ollie Mentz and Chris Withers for their input regarding the Bla Beinn section.
To the Skye Trail Map, by Harvey Maps, The Skye Trail guide book, by Helen and Paul Webster, and Walkhighlands.co.uk: all excellent resources regarding the geography and logistics of the Skye Trail.
To Juliet Chadwin at Harvey Maps, Lesley Flood and Linda Prentice at Ordnance Survey, and Laura at Cicerone Press, for their help with the maps and appropriate credits and licenses for their use.
To Greg MacThomais for his Gaelic translations. Any mistakes are mine.
To Dr. Lisa Bartoli for her medical advice on knee injuries. Any mistakes are mine.
To Alec Shane, Heather Evans, and Mike Evans, for their input regarding knee injuries. “So, exactly how much did that hurt?”
To Jen “Jescott” Wills, for her advice and input and support and enthusiasm.
To Meredith Giordan, for being my books buddy, TV buddy, and movie buddy, and for the daily conversations and Gchats, as well as the late-night grammar help.
To Monica McCarty, for the fabulous endorsement.
To Megan Westfield, for reading the first draft and providing excellent editorial suggestions (I even took some of them!), and for your friendship and the wonderful endorsement.
To Kelly Siskind, for the lovely endorsement, support, and friendship.
To Joe Volpe and Al Araneo for their legal advice regarding the use of Tolkien quotes in the book, i.e. “Don’t.”
To Jacquie Holland, for help with Scottish slang and for hanging out with me for two awesome days on Skye (and for doing all the driving!). I still have nightmares about that ridiculous wind out on Neist Point.
To Jamesie Johnston, for help with Scottish slang and suggesting the walk through Glen Sligachan to Marsco. We didn’t get as far as I’d wanted, but it was a stunning walk that I’ll just have to go back and do again one day.
To Ali Newman, for brainstorming this book with m
e, and for your love and support my whole life.
To Jill Jazwinski, Robin Mendez, Robin Ruinsky, Raakhee Shirsat, Genevieve Gagne-Hawes, Robin Rue, Michael Mejias, Stacy Testa, Samantha Wekstein, Katie Stuart, Abby Barce, Addison Fox, Joanna Volpe, Helen Lowe, and Jamie Snider for your support and friendship.
To Iris Beiss, Rob & Alison Tollafield, Christine Palin, and Vikki Grimes, for being fabulous hiking companions on two Scottish treks—here’s looking ahead to the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in 2019!
The Skye Mountain Rescue Team, for the invaluable work they do for people getting lost and injured on the Isle of Skye.
About the Author
Beth Anne Miller has a fascination for all things Scottish (including, but not limited to, men in kilts), which has influenced all her writing to date. Her first novel is a time travel called Into the Scottish Mist; her second, A Star to Steer Her By, has a Scottish hero; and her newest book, Under a Storm-Swept Sky, is set on the Isle of Skye, and was inspired by her own long-distance treks in Scotland. A native New Yorker, Beth Anne lives on Long Island and works in the publishing industry. She’s looking forward to her next trip to Scotland.
Also by Beth Anne Miller…
A Star to Steer Her By
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Under a Storm-Swept Sky Page 31