'My Journey Through Scotland' - Part Four: The Fairy Pools

I have just received my dose of vitality in Plockton, giving me the motivation to wake up and go search for another beautiful sight that was on the agenda. 'The Fairy Pools' are a series of stunning, crystal-clear natural pools and waterfalls located on the Isle of Skye. Nestled at the base of the Black Cuillin mountains, these enchanting pools are renowned for their vivid turquoise water and magnificent surroundings. Unfortunately, the area is too popular with tourists and photographers, who work hard to make this place appear fictional on the internet. The Fairy Pools photos are heavily edited and retouched, 'enhanced' and 'improved' so much that you can go there with some expectations that are not going to be met. Luckily, we had a friend, our hostess for the journey, who lowered our expectations for the site long before we saw it in person. By doing us this favor, she provided us with a day full of incredibly mesmerizing, realistic views—not heavily edited by 'Final Cut' or touched by 'Adobe'—stretched across our path to the Fairy Pools and back.

                                                                                   View of the Red Cuillins  

My motivation was partly driven by the excitement of seeing the beauty that the pools hold, another part by the views from the day before, but mainly by coffee. We drank some and went to catch the bus to Sligachan. 'Is the bus still running?' I asked someone jokingly at the bus stop, but the joke flew right over their head. I should pick my audience more carefully; Kyleakin is a tough crowd. The bus came, and in approximately 40 minutes, we were at Sligachan, where there is one of the most famous beer and whiskey bars on the island. It was a bit too early for a whiskey, but we asked the barman for directions and soon went on our way trying to locate the pools.

                                                                                   View of the Red Cuillins and the Sligachan waterfalls  

It was weird and comforting to see so many people taking pictures at the Sligachan old bridge, but in actuality, almost no hikers on the path we took. Our friend Eli knows us pretty well and suggested this hike to avoid being overwhelmed by the crowd traveling by car to see the monument. So, we began our steady climb, full of astonishing views of the Cuillin mountains. During this adventure, we were able to capture the Red and Black Cuillins, the Sligachan waterfalls, and the pools at the end. Those views are some of the most beautiful we encountered in Scotland. The hike is super easy; it takes around 2-3 hours if you slow down to chill or make videos and photos, as we did. I hope no one pollutes the path with their presence because walking around the Highlands that day was pure magic.

                                                                                   View of the Black Cuillins  

Of course, it rained. It rained around 12 times that day, but we were ready. What we weren’t ready for was Scotland's 'waterworld' mountains. And here we learned how you can get wet from under your raincoats. I can't believe how soft and waterlogged those hills are. Some of them are like water beds—good in theory but not in practice. Due to the climate, the ocean, and the rain, the mountains are often drowned and drenched, leaving endless rivers flowing into the most beautiful waterfalls you can imagine, cascading down into the sea and then back into the ocean. Our raincoats, shoes, or anything we tried weren’t a match for the amount of water we faced in Scotland. Someone should tell them that their mountains are leaking. Something must be done. Are you a tough crowd also?

                                                                                   View of the Red and Black Culilins, The Sligachan waterfalls

After almost 3 hours of incredible views, we saw 'Bidean Druim nan Ramh' and, shortly afterward, a small unnamed lake before reaching 'the Fairy Pools'. Like I said, I went there with very low expectations, but the number of people who arrived by car kind of shocked me after having seen only 3 couples in the past 3 hours. We were somewhat pressured by time and began to descend. The path to here was fun and chill, but this descent slightly scared me, not only because of the small amount of time we had to go down, walk around the pools, up, and back to Sligachan, but also because I lacked practice for a good hike over the past few months. This was not a heavy hike in any sense for someone active with time, but for those wondering if the bus is still running—it kind of was.

                                                                                   View of the Fairy Pools and the Black Cuillins  

We saw many of the natural Fairy Pools falling in the opposite direction while we were slightly climbing back to the base of 'Bidean Druim nan Ramh.' The name refers to a mountain peak that translates to "Peak of the Ridge of the Oars" in English. This name evoked nothing in my mind. What the hell do oars mean? I checked ChatGPT and now I am even more confused. 

Nevertheless, everything during this hike was worth seeing and recording. 'The Fairy Pools' didn’t look at all like the pictures you can find on the internet, but still, the realism wasn’t bad at all. We went up right next to the mountain and decided to walk through the base, up to where our descent started. The amount of water here under our feet was a bit bothersome, but we managed to find the right path and catch the bus back to Kyleakin.

                                                                                   Us, here and there  

Iliya Badev

#myjourneythroughscotland