Introduction

Today I am reporting on the popular Fairy Pools on Scotland’s Isle of Skye (“Skye”).

Skye is large island which lies off the N.W. coast of the Scottish mainland. It is well endowed with places connected with fairies or ‘small people’ . These include Fairy Bridge, Fairy Glen, Fairy Knoll, the Fairy Flag in Dunvegan Castle and the Fairy Pools.

The Fairy Pools are a series of blue and green clear pools fed by the River Brittle which drains the Black Cuillins to the east.

Reaching the Fairy Pools

Use Carbost on the southern end of Loch Harport as start point. This is close to Talisker Distillery which is also a popular visitor attraction.

Drive south from Carbost and after a short distance turn off right at Merkadale along a slow-going, single track road. This leads into Glen Brittle. After a few miles (10 minutes) pull into the official car park which has recently been extended.

Carbost is about 17 miles S.W. of Portree and 24 miles N.W. of Broadford, the two principal towns on Skye.

A trip to the pools entails navigating a gravel path and streams with stepping stones. Total return trip distance is about 1.5 miles ( 2.4km), with the average time to complete the walk being 40 minutes. Time spent can be flexed depending on interest and objectives upon reaching the pools. Some visitors indulge in ‘wild swimming’ for which extreme care is required.

Video clip

Although relatively short in length (by Scottish hiking standards) the walk has been assigned a ‘medium’ rating for difficulty.

Weather

Always check the weather conditions in advance. Heavy rain and/or snow melt can present challenges to persons at the various river crossings. Always wear robust footwear.

More information

For more information on the Isle of Skye and other aspects of Scotland and its islands please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4