I wish we had two more days on Skye. Between the delay in renting our 9-seater sprinter van, the screw that got jammed into the tire resulting in a flat, and the already tight schedule, there was much we didn’t get to see on Skye. Talisker whiskey distillery, Dunvegan Castle, and the Quiraing mountains, to name a few of our missed opportunities.

But all was not lost and we had a fun adventure, nonetheless. Adventures driving a huge van on single-lane roads, sheep getting in the way, and a few added pitstops to see something beautiful that was not on the itinerary – something that is in endless supply in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Here is a brief breakdown of the hikes we managed to fit in, what I thought of them, and if I recommend them (the answer, by the way, is yes. Yes, you should definitely do all of them).

Fairy Pools

These are located in the Southwest part of the Isle and are a bit of a trek to get to. Mostly single-lane roads with the regularly interspersed pull off places, or passing spaces, and not a lot along the way. Make sure to eat before you go or bring a picnic and definitely make sure you pack a water bottle. I’ll let the Isle of Skye website give more detail on the hike and instead share what we experienced. After the initial decent, the hike is not strenuous. It’s a gradual, rocky slope, surrounded by sheep and endless photo ops. It was fairly “crowded” the day/time we went (a Sunday around 3:00 pm in early July), but the lower parking lot was mostly empty, so it clearly wasn’t as full as it can get. The path seemed to continue on into the mountains, but given the time and jet-lag of our group, we stopped short of the final few pools on the route and headed back to the car. We spent about two hours here, if I remember correctly.

Old Man of Storr

He looks a bit like a ancient curmudgeon who sits at his post, putting up with mist and rain, while watching the landscape he’s seen for millions of years change time after time. The path to reach the old man splits into two options. One is less direct and a bit more gradual while the other is a straight, steeper shot to the remaining single path to the top. In the interest of time, we stopped at the half-way point where the two paths merge and marveled at the land around us: the old man one direction, a coast line the other, and more wild hills from side to side connecting the two. On a Monday around 10:00am there was a respectable sized crowd forming and far fewer parking spaces – although there was a toilet and a small shop with souvenirs, water, and local gin and whiskey for sale. Although I recommend this hike and very much enjoyed it, even if we didn’t make it to the top, I still think the fairy pools are my favourite at this point. We spent about 1.5 – 2 hours here going up, then down, and utilizing the facilities. (For more information, here is the website.)

Fairy Glen

This was the easiest and shortest hike (about 1-1.5 hr, total – including taking pictures and marveling at the landscape), but somehow the most magical for me. I think it was the fairytale look of the glen. It felt and looked otherworldly to me, like the Shire in Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Coaches can’t fit down these roads, so the only way to get there is if you walk, bike, or have a vehicle that is small enough to make it down the roads. Campers (caravans) and our 9-seater van made it down, but there was an amusing traffic jam at one point involving two shuttles, our van, a camper, one car and one maniac who rammed their car into a sign off of a private drive when they realized they didn’t have the ability to drive THROUGH the traffic jam and were still mere mortals made of matter. It’s always fun watching entitled people try to navigate a world that doesn’t recognize their entitlements. Nevertheless, once you arrive, there seemed to be enough parking to accommodate the number of visitors there (a Monday around 3:00pm, I think) and the main path was well maintained. Watch out for sheep on the road and throughout the glen, as they are everywhere, unfenced, and, I’m convinced, unhinged (I don’t like the way they give me the stink eye). (For more information, here is the website.)

Final Thoughts

The thing I learned on this trip is that I need to go back again, and again, and, I don’t know, how does one gain citizenship in Scotland? You could spend a year just in Skye discovering new hikes, never even making it to the rest of Scotland. I hope you all have the opportunity to one day experience it for yourselves. The people are kind, the landscape is magical, and really felt like a place one could go to find peace and introspection. A bit of whiskey doesn’t hurt either. Happy travels!

A final note to credit, once again, my brother, sister-in-law, partner, and myself for the images. Thank you for letting me use your photos!