Embracing the Quiet of the Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland

​“Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb.” – Pythagoras

The Quiraing

The world is loud.

As humans, we embrace the business of our lives.  The day to day, go, go, go way of living becomes part of the routine.  Sights, sounds, and people come and go creating a routine in our lives we sometimes don't even hear.  Televisions, radios, and the internet fill in any of the empty space left, creating an enviroment that becomes just incredibly loud.

​We may not even hear it.

Traveling creates its own set of noise.  As we move in and out of cities, we hear, and notice sounds that may not be in our everyday lives.  Buses and trains come and go, moving people to and from their daily lives as we visit their homelands.  We meet new people, have new conversations, hear new music, and absorb the noise teaching us about other places.

​It's still pretty loud.

But there are other moments of travel, the ones in which we actively seek, that ask us to step away from the world.  Remote places we travel too, whether in our home state or around the world, that call us to quiet ourselves.  Woodlands, mountains, and oceans all seemingly have this effect.  

And on our trip to Scotland, we found a place that spoke loudly through silence:
​The Quiraing.

Located on the Trotternish Peninsula, just north of Stafin, the Quiraing is a remote hike through the center.  The switchback road to get to the entrance takes a little bit of finesse to drive, and we recommend going early in the morning.

We had arrived just after 8, with only a few other cars in the parking lot.  Geared up with hiking boots and raincoats for the wind and weather, we set off on the trail.

Our first impressions starting off were simple.  It was a casual trail, and the view were nice.  We passed a few people heading on their way out and nodded polite hellos.  We snapped pictures of small creeks and flowers as we continued along.  It hadn't quite stood out to us yet why this hike was so highly recommended.

About a mile in, the landscape began to change.  And while this is not an extremely difficult hike, there are spots that require a little more work and some slight climbing in places.

It was there, after about a mile and a half in, when the Quiraing embraced us into her presence.  The views that spread out before us began to change, and in a sense, made us feel as if we had entered into another time and place. 

DC at one point turned and mentioned he wouldn't be surprised if a tetradactyl flew overhead.

 The Isle of Skye's geography does date back to prehistoric times in some places, so his comment was not far off.   And as we continued to walk along, and the sun continued to rise, the stillness of the past continued to surround us.  Years of erosion had created an incredible landscape of hills and valleys.  There was a vastness in front of us, and yet we said very little.  Being quiet seemed to just come naturally.

 There was wind, and people that passed us, and the sounds of the world around us.  But there was also quiet.  Quiet that asks you to stop and step away from the world.  Quiet that asks you to reflect on the day to day, go, go, go.  Quiet that comes from seeing the world as it really is.  Hills and valleys.  Highs and lows.  Ups and downs.  

The overall picture is incredible. 

Because in the quiet there are reflections that you may not recall from day to day.  You stand on the edge of something so vast and incredible, it gives you pause to wonder...how did I get here?

Not the physical part, like driving or walking, but the overall life part. 

Life itself is it's own path, it's own trail, and there are moments on it when you have to stop yourself, sit in quiet, and just think, this is incredible.

You may not be able to travel to a remote destination like the Quiraing, but take time to find your moments.  In a world that asks you to keep moving, keep going, with noise in every corner, find your quiet.  Find those moments in which you can look around at life, stop in stillness, and see your life is greater than you could ever imagine it to be.

You are incredible.  

Your life is incredible.

Embrace your quiet moments to see it.

Travel Tips and Side Notes:

*Watch for falling rocks!  On our way out we saw a couple run in opposite directions as a rock came barreling down the side.*

You'll want comfortable hiking shoes and a good weather jacket.  Both of ours you can find by clicking below.  The wind can get pretty brutal.

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