The top left photograph shows the pretty and quiet island. Crofting (working on the land) are some of the traditional working activities that still go on as well as time honoured drinking.

Beware of the winged devils called midges which irritate you like mad.

The 2nd photograph is Kyle with the now untolled Skye road bridge in the distance, the toll tax being removed in early 2005. At least the £400 million spent on MSPs offices has had some benefit to Scotland although I am sure the economics were such that the taxpayer overpaid and the island suffered.

The 3rd photograph is taken from the opposite direction to the 1st. Here you can see the haystacks to the left, our house in the centre and the steep road taking you out of the village.

The sea is just over to the right and even in this day and age of televisions BBC1 is still the living room window looking out to the post box and public phone.

And finally an interesting road sign which is either way too low down or is there to help the sheep find their way.

And we all know how stupid the sheep are at crossing the road.

And if you can't understand the foreign language then you are not alone, hardly anybody in Glasgow or Edinburgh can either!

Below are some of the things you must do whilst on Skye. Remember that whilst distances may seem near allow double your time, especially on single track roads.

A minimum of 2 days are needed to soak up the unique atmosphere. Or a week in the sun would be just bliss to relax and take in the very late nights (this far north you can sometimes see the Northern lights).

The top ten (plus one) things to do include:

1. Collect periwinkles from the shore - cook them that evening, mmm, delicious
   
2. Drive over the bridge - and have some sympathy to know that locals and visitors once had to pay the equivalent of £9
   
3. Visit the most populated town, Portree - and try and find a crowd of people
   
4. Go for a swim in the sea - and spend the rest of the afternoon recovering from the cold
   
5. Head to the south of the island and tour the Sleat region - stay in a B&B and take in the fresh air. But avoid the rip of hotels charging £100-£120 per single room - wow.
   
6. Bypass any discussion on gaelic - unless you are a celebrity chef when you can tell the locals about the great flavours of garlic
   
7. Expect to make your own entertainment - BBC1 was the living room window, BBC2 the side bedroom and ITV was the rear kitchen window when I holidayed there as a kid. No channel 4 or 5 existed then.
   
8. If you go for a stroll in the warm summer evenings take a torch - this is not a city and street lights don't exist.
   
9. Check your mobile phone coverage areas before you go - and don't expect high speed data
   
10. Let faster vehicles behind you pass if you are travelling at 20mph on a single track road - and steer clear of Hamish MacDonald, he's a maddie.
    
11. If the midgies are out - get the hell in!