Isle of Skye, a Land Formed by Fire & Ice

Skye, the largest of the Inner Hebrides islands, covers 650 square miles with 12,000 residents and probably 10 times that many sheep (who cross the road whenever they feel compelled to check out whether the grass is really greener on the other side). David Campbell, our friendly, tartan-clad guide, covered 200 miles in one day, taking us up twisting, one-lane mountain roads to breathtaking viewpoints. Victorian farmhouses—almost uniformly white—are sprinkled like beach rocks among the vibrant emerald pastures. Occasionally we’d see a traditional stone croft with thatched roof weighted down by rocks, along with tall-steepled churches and weather-worn graveyards looking out to the sea.