Fairies, Myths, and Mountains on the Isle of Skye
Scotland | Nov 2021
Venturing through the beautiful, rugged Highlands of Scotland's Misty Isle on a 3-day tour.
The Farthest North I've Ever Been
Our UK itinerary was packed with the standard tourist attractions—meat pies and elevated Indian cuisine, inter-country train rides, underground ossuaries, world-famous museums, and much more. What I was excited about the most? The quiet, sparsely populated Scottish Highlands. In the second week of our UK trip, we departed Edinburgh in the early morning to head northwest towards the Isle of Skye.
Gateway to the Highlands: Callander.
We stopped in Callander, a quaint little town sitting between the Lowlands and the Highlands, and also where our tour guide calls home. The town is referred to as the "Gateway to the Highlands". It's a popular pit stop with small bakeries and cafes serving tourists who journey to the isle.
Feeding time at the pond.
Within a few hours of driving, the Highland scenery started coming into view. Clouds hung low and the sun brought out the gold tones of the mountains, grass, rocks, and water.
Golden hour in the afternoon.
Like a Bob Ross painting.
We came to another rest break, but this time, with greener grounds and greyer skies. Right in front of us were huge hills, with streams of water trickling down. They appeared menacing at first, but it soon felt as if they were watching over and shielding me from the winds and unknowns of the other side. We enjoyed a few more scenic detours before making our way to Portree that evening, where we'd be spending the next two nights.
Portree: the Capital of the Isle of Skye
Portree is the largest town on the Isle of Skye. It's a port town (they have amazing scallops) with a famous row of pastel-colored buildings (if you're familiar with San Francisco, this should remind you of something). The next morning, we bundled up in our thickest layers to prepare for a full day of drizzle, cloudy skies, and sightseeing.
Portree in the morning.
Our first attraction of the day was the enchanted Fairy Glen, a fabled hillside known for its unusual geological features and supposed home of the fairies. These whimsical, grassy mounds were formed by a landslide. The winds were strong at the top of these hills—almost like the fairies were telling us to leave.
Frodo Baggins?
The Quiraing
Next up was the magnificent Quiraing, another natural wonder that came to be after a series of landslides. The scene was dramatic—jagged bits of land and cliffs jutting out and vanishing into the fog. The sun made a short appearance, creating contrast between the shadows casted by ridges and lightened patches of land. The earth was mushy and slippery in some parts. The Quiraing was easily my favorite part of the tour.
The Quiraing landslip.
A winding road between the cliffs at the Quiraing.
People aren't the only residents of the Highlands; we saw sheep grazing in a few areas, totally unbothered. I kept my eyes out for some shaggy haired Highland Cattle, but no luck.
Where do sheep go to get their wool trimmed? At the baabaa shop. Heh.
We made it to Neist Point where we were buffeted by harsh, cold winds walking all the way up to the lighthouse. The views were amazing though. Despite the treacherous winds ready to blow me off the cliffs at any second, it was peaceful staring into the rocky headlands.
The Neist Lighthouse.
Majestic cliffs and more mist.
On the last day, we traced our route back to the Eilean Donan Castle, an iconic Scottish fortress that sits on an island and is connected to the mainland by a footbridge (we saw it on the first day but I didn't take many photos). This castle that once stood to protect its lands from vikings now serves as a preservation site, enlightening visitors with its history, architecture, and vantage points. It was also featured in a James Bond movie.
Our tour guide took us to a secluded spot for the best viewing angle of the castle.
We made a few stops to soak in the last splendors of the Highlands. One of those was the Five Sisters of Kintail, a mountain ridge with five distinguished peaks overlooking a loch. Legend has it that these were once five human sisters who were instructed by a wizard to stand at the head of the loch so that they could remain attractive and admired forever. It was alluring, breathtaking, and honestly the best way to close out our adventure in the Highlands.
Layers upon layers of ridges.
A Place of Magic
For 3 days, I was whisked away to what felt like a child's fantasy storybook. It's easy to understand why this region is so inspirational—it's endowed with lands that ooze otherworldliness, but holds a deep respect for its history and the natural world. Not only did I get my fill of folklore, mountains, fauna and flora of Scotland, but I also got to enjoy having our visit thoughtfully planned out by a lovely local (who happens to be into photography as well). Big shout out to our tour guide Ross.