May 10, 2022 - Day 41 - The Isle of Raasay

 One of the things we didn't get to do when we were on the Isle of Skye in 2019 is take the ferry to the Isle of Raasay where there is a distillery that makes whisky and gin, and Calum's Road, a 1 3/4 mile road build by one man, Calum Macleod, over a period of 10 years from 1964 - 1974. Since the weather was looking to cooperate and not rain all day we set off to Broadford to catch another ferry.

Looking back at Skye

The Isle of Raasay is about the size of Manhattan in landmass but the population is only about 163 people.

All single track roads

A little bit of rain but nothing too bad.

Brochel castle was probably built in the late 15th or early 16th century and was occupied until c. 1671

After decades of unsuccessful campaigning by the inhabitants of the north end of Raasay for a road, and several failed grant applications, Calum Macleod decided to build the road himself. Purchasing Thomas Aitken's manual "Road Making & Maintenance: A Practical Treatise for Engineers, Surveyors and Others" (London, 1900), for half a crown, he started work, replacing the old narrow footpath (which footpath Calum and his brother, Charles, constructed over three winters from 1949 to 1952. For this they were each paid 35 pounds a year by the local council).

Over a period of 10 years (1964 - 1974), he constructed 1 3/4 miles of road between Brochel Castle and Arnish, using little more than a shovel, a pick, and a wheelbarrow.

Initial blasting work was carried out and funded, to the sum of 1900 pounds, by the Department of Agriculture's Engineering Department, who supplied a compressor, explosives, driller, blaster, and men.

Several years after its completion, the road was finally adopted and surfaced by the local council. By then, Calum and his wife, Lexie, were the last inhabitants of Arnish.

The end of Calum's road.

There are walking paths around the village of Arnish and while we were deciding if we were going on a small hike it started to rain so we sat in the car for awhile and then drove back the way we came and to the Raasay Distillery.

We went on the distillery tour (not very long as it's a very small distillery employing 30 people) and had a whisky and gin tasting afterward. I bought the Special Release whisky to take back to Minnesota. Don bought a very small bottle of gin.

The young man who gave us the tour and the tasting also helped design the bottle. He collected shells and sea wrack from the shore and it was used in the mold for the bottle.

Since I was driving I only drank my first sample of whisky, let Don drink the gin sample, and brought the Special Release sample with me in a "driver's dram" bottle. Don had opted for the chocolate tasting to go along with the whisky/gin which he shared, so I had that also.

The view from the distillery.

The return ferry.

Selfie on the ferry.

Back on Skye. Once we got back to Ian and Jacqui's home I gave the "driver's dram" of Raasay whisky to Ian, I think he liked it.