Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye was one of my bucket list destinations. It was everything I wanted it to be. Mossy and magical. Skye is so green and lush. There's water cascading down everywhere you turn.

The Fairy Glen and the Fairy Pools are such fitting names for their attraction. The whole island feels like a fairy place. I'm a big fan.

After visiting Eilean Donan Castle, my dad and I stopped in Kyle of Lochalsh, for lunch, before driving over the Skye Bridge. The drive across the bridge is a quick 1.5 miles. We arrived at our hotel in Broadford, about 15 minutes later.

After researching every hotel on the island, I chose the Broadford Hotel, for it's ease of access and parking. We were not disappointed. It ended up being one of the best places we stayed during our week-long road trip. The rooms were super spacious almost like having a mini apartment. The restaurant was great and had a lovely bay view.

I just could not stay in Portree, the main town on Skye. Reading about it gave me anxiety. It's too congested and there's nowhere to park. I'd stay here again in a heartbeat. It was very peaceful and the hospitality was outstanding.

View from the Broadford Hotel

The next day, we saw almost the entirety of Skye. First we headed to Portree, to begin our drive around the Trotternish Peninsula. It's a bit like Maui's Road to Hana. It's a scenic narrow road with a bunch of stops along the 50 mile route.

It was peak season, so we left super early. Early enough to get a parking spot in Portree. We stopped to take a photo of the iconic row of colored houses. This and the Old Man of Storr are probably the most recognizable images from Skye.

Portree Harbor

Our next stop, was Bride's Veil Falls. This was an easy stop along the road. There was a small pullout, or layby, as they call them in the UK. You can take pictures from here, or go through the gate, and walk up to the top. Its super damp and marshy.

This was the last we'd see of the sun along our drive.

The next stop, was the Old Man of Storr, a protruding group of rocky hills. This is the stop where people generally spend the most time, if they plan to hike. 

We pulled over at the first pull out, which was too early. There's a big proper parking lot just a bit further around the bend. We ended up hiking up the hill from the pullout, only to get to the base of the parking lot. 

The hike up to Storr is intermediate to advanced. It's steep. The weather is often iffy. It started getting very dark and cloudy when we arrived. We took some pics from the base, then left. It started pouring rain.

The next stop was Lealt Falls. It was pelting rain and windy. I ran out of the car to take a picture but it didn't turn out. The falls were muddy brown.

Due to the weather, we skipped around 4 or 5 stops. It was a beautiful drive once the rain let up. Green and wet and full of sheep!

We didn't stop again until we reached the Skye Museum of Island Life. It had stopped raining but it was super windy.

Skye Museum

Generally, people spend all day exploring the Trotternish Peninsula. We got around it very quickly because we didn't make that many stops. The weather cleared up just as we were finished. 

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We went on to Dunvegan Castle, which has been occupied by the Mcleods for 800 years. The parking lot was packed.

The castle and gardens were impressive.

I don't get why at half the castles you can't take pictures inside and half you can - but at Dunvegan you can!

There are many fairy legends on the Isle of Skye. The most famous is the Fairy Flag legend of Dunvegan Castle. The chieftain of Clan Macleod, fell in love with a fairy princess. 

The King of the Fairies, forbade them from marrying. Eventually, he conceded, but they were only permitted a year of Handfasting, a trial marriage. They had a son.

After the year was up, the Fairy Princess was ordered to return to her kind. They parted at the Fairy Bridge, not far from the castle.

One version of the story says she presented him with the Fairy Flag here. Another says, she returned one night and wrapped her baby in it.

Its powerful magic is believed to have protected the clan for centuries.

It was a great talisman for the clan, should they ever find themselves in mortal danger, they could wave the flag and the fairy legions would come to their aid. However, they could only use the flag 3 times.

The flag is still kept safe and has been used twice.

What's left of the The Fairy Flag

The next stop was the Fairy Pools. Wow! What a gorgeous place. Thankfully, it had stopped raining and the sun kept popping out revealing multiple shades of green. Giant green mountains with cascading crystal blue waterfalls everywhere. This is a bucket list worthy place. 

Just be aware that it's a steep incline down from the parking lot to get to the first foot bridge. It's a million times steeper walking back up. I'm so out of shape, it's a miracle I made it out. It didn't take me nearly as long as I thought it would, but my face was bright red by the time I got back to the car. I wish I could have jumped into the icy cold pools after the climb out!

It wouldn't be such a bad place to be stuck though. 

Skye legend has it that the Fairy Pools attract Selkies. Selkies are shapeshifting seals, they shed their fur skins and turn into humans. Selkies are said to bathe here under the full moon.

I'm sure they do! It's such a magical place.

Fairy Pools

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The next morning, before catching the ferry in Uig, we stopped at the Fairy Glen.

OMG. Fairy Glen is right. It felt like a fairy place. It was so green in a different way than every other place we'd been is green. The land formations were different too. The scenery could have been used to film the Shire.

It's yet another very cool and magical place on Skye, and a bucket list worthy destination. I'd love to go back in the off season, as it was a bit crowded, but I loved it. There are small ponds, green hills galore, a castle tower (sort-of), rowan trees, and a view of waterfalls.

I grew up in the desert where everything is brown, barren, and seems void of life. This place is so lush, green, and alive.

Both the Fairy Glen and the Fairy Pools are places you just have to experience yourself to understand. They make all the fairytales seem true! If I were a fairy, I'd live here.

As with most places we visited, you have to take a very narrow single-track road to get there. We could have stopped here the previous day, as it's at the end of the Trotternish Peninsula, but I missed it. Luckily, we had time.

The rock formation protruding ahead, is called Castle Ewan, otherwise known as the Fairy Castle, which you can climb on top of. 

Fairy Glen 

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On to the Isle of Lewis & Harris>>

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