We previously visited Skye several years ago and to be honest we felt like we had done it wrong. We took our old T4 over by ferry and after a few days, left feeling rather disappointed and unsure what the fuss was all about. Perhaps we had been too hasty and had not afforded Skye the time it needs for exploration and back then, there wasn’t the massive resources on line, pointing to all the things we needed to see. So with that in mind, we headed back this time via the Kyle of Lochalsh (a big bridge).
One thing to note: when you approach the Kyle of Lochalsh, there are signs warning you that you are passing the last fuel before Skye, the last shop etc. Don’t be fooled – it’s the last horribly expensive fuel before Skye (where there’s plenty of fuel options), especially avoid the Gulf fuel station which is eye-wateringly expensive and should be avoided.
That said, sharing the same forecourt is the Experimental Scottish Gin & Whisky Tasting Station, which left my navigator grinning from ear to ear after tasting some samples and buying a few “presents”. I got a lovely Jura Two-One-Two (the population of Jura itself). 😎
After a short drive, we found our first camping spot, thanks to Park4Night, near Torrin and overlooking Loch Slappin. The park up was right on a beach, very quiet and at the end of a long and rough track, far too narrow for motorhomes etc. If you go head to head, one of you is reversing a long way! So apart from a couple of smaller vans and 4x4s, we only saw the occasional dog walker. We stayed two nights.
The beach itself is made up of big pebbles and is pretty hard to walk on, but the views are beautiful. However, there is a walking trail along the cliff tops and we only walked around 5 miles dodging showers – note: always take waterproofs etc. We did notice every shower was telegraphed by beautiful rainbows and they were usually short and sharp.
The path is easy going, not too steep, but littered with sheep poop, which a certain dog loved (nom, nom 🤢)!
After two peaceful nights, we decided to head to Glenbrittle and the “magical” Fairy Pools. The drive is interesting, very twisty and predominately along single track roads.
We did notice that everyone seemed to be in a good mood, waving cheerily when waiting to allow you to pass, even the locals who must be fed up to the back teeth with tourists.
The Fairy Pools weren’t quite as I expected, being extremely busy, but I suppose they would be as they are lovely and promoted in every brochure and blog (now including this one).
That said, the walk is easy, with well maintained paths and there is a pay and display car park (wait – don’t get annoyed; all the money raised pays for the upkeep of the paths and bridges, plus the toilet block). It is possible to park for free a mile up the hill, but given the money (£6) goes to the upkeep, we paid up.
There was a couple of hardy souls swimming in the pools, but it was too public for us to be stripping down. It is hard to get those magical photos everyone has in the blogs as it’s so busy, so if you want those shots and drone footage, get here very early.
The water is very beautiful, with multiple cascades plunging into a myriad of small pools of crystal clear blue water, so worth visit, despite the crowds.
We stopped over for a night at Sligachan Old Bridge, a “rustic“ campsite with all basic facilities and hot showers, for a low price.
“We could put up our prices, but we are doing ok as we are” – we love that thinking.…
The Little Red Bus 