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"I think we’ve seen just about all
of the Hebrides islands, don’t you?" Bonnie said. It looks like we’re
headed inland and I’m ready for that. It’s been cold."
"We’ve got one more stop. I want to
show you the Isle of Skye," Bruce said.
"The Isle of Skye, like in the song
and with Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora McDonald and all that?" Bonnie
smiled.
"Yes, that’s the one. We’re going to
a place called Dunvegan, which is on the west side of the island. Not far
from there, on the moors, grows this flower called the yellow iris. It
only blooms in summer and they say its nectar is to die for," Bruce told
her.
"Sounds good to me. Why don’t you
fill me in on Dunvegan while we’re flying," Bonnie urged.
"All right. Dunvegan has a castle.
It’s the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland. It’s beautiful. It sits on a
rocky peninsula, like an island. Parts of it date from the 9th
century. The Macleod clan owns it and much of the island of Skye."
"We’ve seen so many castles. What
makes this one so unique?" Bonnie asked.
"The fairy flag."
"The fairy flag? What’s that?"
"There’s a legend or two about it.
One is that the fairies gave it to the family long ago and the other is
that it dates from 400-700 A.D. and was brought here from Jerusalem. Now
that’s an old flag," Bruce explained.
"Wow. I can’t wait to see it,"
Bonnie said, excitedly.
"Don’t hold your breath. They don’t
fly it all the time, but we might be lucky."
The butterflies soon found
themselves surrounded by a thick mist. "Bruce, where are you?" Bonnie
shouted, losing sight of him.
"I’m over here. It’s certainly
misty. We must be over Skye. They call it the ‘Misty Isle’ and now I can
see why. Let’s land and see where we are," Bruce suggested.
The two butterflies fluttered to the
ground. "Look at those hills," Bonnie said. "You can’t see much of them
but they look flat-topped."
"Ah, those are Macleod’s Tables.
There are all kinds of odd rock formations, black stone hills and tall,
rugged mountains called the Cuillins, all on this island. Its quite
beautiful."
"We’ll never know unless this mist
disappears," Bonnie sighed. "Oh look, Bruce. There’s a deer over there in
the woods. It’s a magnificent creature. Look at its horns. He must be so
proud of them," Bonnie said, amazed. It was bending over, sipping water
from the stream. "I wonder if there are fish in that stream?"
"You bet. It’s probably filled with
salmon and I’m sure a few otters live under the banks and maybe a beaver
or two," Bruce told her. "Would you like to go into town? It’s a wee
village, but quite interesting."
"Yes, I’d like that," Bonnie said.
They flew towards Dunvegan and soon found themselves flying down the main
street. "Is that a thatched cottage?" she asked.
"It is, but they use it as a museum.
Once there was a giant who lived here," Bruce said.
"Bruce, there are no such things as
giants," Bonnie scoffed.
"Yes there was. His name was the
Giant MacAskill and he was nearly 8 feet tall. He lived from 1825 to1863,
right here in this area. I think there are a few things about him in the
museum."
"Did he go, ‘Fee Fi Fo Fum’?" Bonnie
giggled.
"No, he wasn’t that type of giant,
like you find in a fairy tale. He was just a big man," Bruce said.
"I like it here. It’s pretty, but my
stomach is calling for those yellow irises. Let’s go to the castle and see
if the fairy flag is out and then you can show me the moors," Bonnie
pleaded.
They fluttered away towards Dunvegan
Castle. The fairy flag wasn’t out and they were both disappointed, but
found peace and beauty there. The loch was still and the sunlight danced
on the water. "This is beautiful and so quiet," Bonnie said. "I’m glad we
stopped here, but as I said before, my tummy’s growling, Bruce." They
headed for the peaty moorland. "Look at all the puddles of water and
spongy ground," Bonnie noted.
"Here we are," Bruce said, landing
on a yellow iris. "Have a taste and tell me what you think."
Bonnie stuck her proboscis into it.
"Oh, that’s lovely. It’s very delicious."
"I thought you’d like it. Was it
worth the trip?" he asked.
"Definitely," she sighed with a
smile.
The day passed quickly. "Bonnie, I
think its time we headed to mainland Scotland. It looks like night-time
will bring a storm." Bruce looked up at the clouds.
"Let me have just another few sips
and then we can be on our way," Bonnie said, drinking a little more
nectar. "All right, I’m ready."
Off they went, leaving the Hebrides
behind them and heading towards a new adventure.
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