And Now For Something Completely Different

A slight change in plans. 

It turns out that ferries don't run to the Isle of Skye from Mallaig on weekends.  Guess what day I'm traveling on?  Yep.  A weekend.

This leaves me with two options:
1) Take a train from Falkirk to Kyle of Lochalsh, and then spend the night, and catch a bus onto the island via the bridge in the morning.  Total travel time: FOREVER.
2) Screw the Isle of Skye.  Figuratively, not literally.  Take a train from Falkirk to Thurso, spend the night, and catch a ferry to Ornkey in the morning.  That gets me there on a Saturday.  Take a day tour of the main island on a Sunday, and see a bunch of wicked cool archeological things from the stone age.  Yeah, it's not geology, and I probably won't get to hike as much, but...neolithic writings.  Neolithic writings. 

Plus, it seems pretty badass to say I've been to one of the northernmost points in Scotland.  (I realize Orkney isn't the northernmost point in Scotland.  It's ONE of them.  I'm not seriously going to Shetland in the middle of winter, are you kidding?  It's inside the arctic circle.  Sheesh.  I don't even plan on packing warm enough for that.)

Updated Itinerary: 
Feb 12: Forget school exists, forget I'm Canadian, and get the hell out of here. Miss my cats. 
Feb 13/14: Glasgow
Feb 15/16: Edinburgh.  Miss my cats.
Feb 17/18: Falkirk/Bonnybridge/Stirling
Feb 19: Thurso?
Feb 20/21/22: Stromness?
Feb 21: Tour of Orkney (http://www.wildaboutorkney.com/112-t/daily-tours-winter-2009-10.htm)
Feb 23: Travel as far as I can get in one day.  Sleep somewhere.  Miss my cats.
Feb 24/25/26: Finish traveling, stay in London. 
Feb 27: Head back up to Glasgow.  Spend the night.
Feb 28: Go home, and begin to panic about my petrology exam.  Deal with two weeks of my cats ignoring me and peeing everywhere because they're mad.