The bus was fairly empty, and we took itall in; the scenery as the bus trundled along and the excited chatter about theafternoon ahead. None of us mentioned anything about father. I saw Caroline andJames’ moods noticeably lift as a result of getting away for the day. Carolinein particular was giddy with excitement, eager for us to see Neist Point and atthe same time hoping we wouldn’t be disappointed since it was her idea to gothere.
As we get off the bus the cold hits us.It’s a biting cold which penetrates through your skin to your bones, and I’mrelieved we ate on the bus because I shiver at the thought of removing mygloves to eat. Neist Point, like many of the other tourist attractions on Skye,is normally overrun with tourists but at this time of year there are only asmall handful and the odd dog-walker. Only the hardy would venture out in thesetemperatures! The cold however does nothing to dampen our spirits and we takeoff along the path with wild abandon at breakneck speed, slowing up only whenwe hit a particularly icy patch. The aim was to get to the lighthouse and theend of the cliffside as soon as possible to make the most of our time there.
We make it to the lighthouse in no timeand sadly the grounds are all locked up, so we are unable to explore but thisdoesn’t stop our imaginations running wild. James happily regales us with ghoststories and it’s very apt. In the cold dusky winter afternoon, the last of thelight beginning to disappear over the headland, and with hardly anyone else insight, the whole place has an eerie quality. Until recently, the Lighthousecottages were let out to tourists and James asks us to look at the window ofone of the cottages where the face of a little girl can be seen. We look overand of course there’s nothing there but he’s an excellent storyteller and weimagine seeing her peering out anyway. It’s enough for us to pick up the pace;not wanting us to stay a minute longer; fearful she might just come to life.
We head all the way to the tip of NeistPoint and pause to take it all in. The view is panoramic and jaw-droppinglyspectacular. You look out over Moonen Bay to Waterstein Head and out over theMinch to the Western Isles. The point is often regarded as the best place onSkye to see whales, dolphins, porpoises, and basking sharks. It is normallyteeming with various species of sea birds but not at this time of year. Likethe rest of Neist Point, it is eerily quiet at the tip because all the nestingbirds will have migrated when the cold weather hit. The only noise to be heardis the wind as it whistles and cuts past us, causing the waves below to crashup against the cliff edge. It is a warning sign, and we take a step back.
James suggests we geta closer look at the waves below, so we take to the ground and lie flat peeringout over the edge. It is captivating. This is mother nature in all her glory.The wind picks up and causes a swell in the waters below. As a result, theensuing waves crash with such a force when they make impact, we can no longerhear ourselves speak. We are left to our own thoughts and a horrific image comesto me.
Father is stood at this very spot holdingmother by the neck in front of him in a vice-like grip. He gives her analmighty shove and her fragile body tumbles to the depths, making contact withfragments of rock on the way down, bouncing limply from each like a broken ragdoll. The waves suck her under, but I see her glassy lifeless eyes staring upat me before she’s gone.
“Thomas, THOMAS; getup – QUICK!” Juliet’s shrill voice penetrates the noise of the wind and waves.It takes several moments for me to process what all the commotion is about. Thewind speed and force has picked up again and it’s now very dangerous. We can’tstay a minute longer. I push myself up and realise to my horror mother naturehas other ideas, she pushes me back down again. There is a large boulder to myleft, so I motion to everyone to grab a hold. We crawl over, hunker down, grabon tightly, and hope for the best.
Thankfully, itdoesn’t take too long for things to die down and we don’t hang about, runningtowards safety away from the cliff-face. “Whoa; what a ride!” James is clearlyenjoying himself; not one to shy away from danger; this was right up hisstreet. “Is everyone OK?” a concerned Juliet pipes up. Caroline is noticeablyquiet, and I probe her.
She breaks down instantly;“I’m so sorry. I know how much it meant for us to get away for the day and Inearly got us all killed in the process. It was a stupid idea to come out hereat this time of year.”
“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Ireply. “You weren’t to know it was going to get so wild; you’re not responsiblefor the weather.”
“I guess, but we shouldn’t have been soclose to the edge! We were lucky to get out of there in one piece.”
“Well, we’ve lived to tell the tale and Ican see why you brought us here, it’s beautiful.” She calms down somewhat. Withthe lull in conversation, my mind drifts to the scene at the cliff face and Iam angry with myself for conjuring this up. We were supposed to be enjoyingtime away from him! However,
