'I live on popular Scottish island and it's not as picturesque as tourists think'

Daily Record

5 days ago

Scotland is widely recognised for its stunning landscapes with mountains, including the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness. Many tourists like to visit the country for its nature and scenery, as well as attractions like ancient castles.
It is also famous for its cultural elements, including its wide variety of whisky, tartan kilts, bagpipes and the traditional dish haggis. Scotland is thought to offer a peaceful escape from major cities in England but one woman has shared the harsh reality of living on the nation's most popular island, the Isle of Skye. It is 50 miles long and is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides, which stands out for its dramatic scenery and picturesque fishing villages.
Niamh Mackinnon shares what her life is like on the island with videos on TikTok and YouTube.
In a recent Tiktok post the Scottish resident said: 'I live on the most popular island in Scotland and the reason we're so popular is because of specific landscapes, one of them being the Old Man of Storr, so I thought today I would show you what it's like at the height of summer because it might not be the picturesque, tranquil, peaceful dream that you are being sold online sometimes but we'll see, let's go.'
The Old Man of Storr is a towering rock formation on the Trotternish Ridge that is thought to be the most famous walk on the Isle of Skye.
Niamh got ready to drive to the popular attraction, wrapping up warm in multiple layers of clothing, waterproof trousers and walking boots.
As she pulled up, she noticed there were lines of parked cars and 'miserable' weather so she was in need of a coffee before starting the walk up to the Old Man of Storr.
She added: 'I'm not trying to just complain in this vlog but the midges are so bad. I need to get a move on and look how busy it is.'
Niamh began walking up the rocky structure but the weather was very grey, rainy and foggy and she had to walk down a muddy path with grass on either side.
The 22-year-old continued: 'I'm not even that old and there was a time when I was younger where you would come up here and know every single person that you passed. Tragic.
'I'm just sitting here like looking at how busy it is and everything and I don't know, this is when I start to feel a bit like hypocritical or like bad about how much I post Skye online because it also makes me sad seeing this place so busy when I remember a time when it was so quiet and peaceful.
'And of course it's nice for other people in the world to get to experience this and it's on my doorstep so I don't wanna be greedy but yeah, it's a weird feeling to be honest.'
The famous rocky structure can be seen in Niamh's video but it is not very visible because of the fog.
Niamh decided to end the video and walk back down because it was wet, there were a lot of people and she couldn't 'really see the Storr very well.'
She highlighted that this is 'just the reality of Skye sometimes.' Niamh's TikTok clip has amassed an impressive 2.4 million views and thousands of likes and comments.
One gobsmacked user asked: 'This is…the HEIGHT of summer???'
While another shared: 'I know this weird feeling. It's the same here in the Swiss alps. As a kid you knew almost everyone you met on a hike. Now it's packed and most tourists don't even say hello.'