Portree Skye-seeing

Drizzle begins while boarding tour bus, 11 of us, 2 couples, Australian and Canadian, the rest German guys. We go first to the Old Man of Storr, driver Cathleen (native, fluent in Scot Gaelish, former nurse then school bus driver, now tourist guide, sweet old lady) drops us off at 10 and says we have 2 hours. Most of the German guys don't leave the flat ground near road, the Australian couple walks with me uphill for a while, but it gets steep and muddy and they slow down. I go all the way up to windswept gap between the weirdly shaped pinnacles, no real views as mist fills in, then head back  down after less than an hour. Get back at 11:30, the tour group is waiting, but no bus. Apparently Cathleen noticed she had a soft tire, went to have it fixed without telling the group. Some of the Germans seemed to have been drinking to fill the time, the rest just standing around mildly complaining in the drizzle. But back in bus, on to see more misty hills and seaside cliffs, lunch, crofter village museum, the Isle of Skye brewery sales outlet, and a fairy glen before returning after a very full, wet and windy day, happy tourists all.