Do you believe in magic?
I certainly do! I feel like magic is always around us in one form or another.
Spotting a sunset, waking up to a misty morning, reading a good book, visiting a new destination?
Magic is absolutely in the everyday.
The Fairy Glen on the Isle of Skye is one of those places full of magic.
Suprisingly, the spot itself has no specific magical background.
There are no known storytelling histories of fairies in this exact area. But it’s called the Fairy Glen because of the unusual landscape formation.
The peculiar formation of the peaks and dips of the hillside landscape was actually caused by a landslip.
No matter the cause, it certainly feels exceptionally magical to me.
Throughout the history of fairy folklore, fairies were thought to live in such places like The Fairy Glen. Near to spots that are near to very small water sources, like pond, streams, or pools, and grassy fields.
In fact, further south on the Isle of Skye, you’ll find the famous Fairy Pools which is exactly that.
Over time, the Fairy Glen on the Isle of Skye has become something more of a tourist destination. But it is still truly so lovely to visit.
However, tourists have taken to placing rocks styled in on the ground… which you’ll famously recognise but is heavily discouraged. I wouldn’t recommend touching or moving anything when you go. It’s totally possible to go to places, observe and enjoy and not disturb nature.
You will also notice that visitors will have left coins in the centre of the spiral circle in the glen for “good luck”.
I am confident that if you’ve found yourself able to visit The Fairy Glen, you’re already super lucky! So if you go, please don’t leave anything behind.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, it’s a gorgeous spot in Scotland and I’d definitely recommend going!
It’s well worth the out of the way drive and visit, but I promise, these views truly are something else.
And visiting The Fairy Glen on the Isle of Skye at sunset is such a magical experience.
Here’s what you need to know ⤵️
How to get to the Fairy Glen
The closest point to the Fairy Glen is the village of Uig which is a 5 minute drive away.
Getting to the Isle of Skye itself might feel like a long journey, but it is incredibly worth it!
My recommendation is to stay in the town of Portree. It is the largest town on the Isle of Skye and only a 25 minute drive to the Fairy Glen.
Staying in Portree is also perfect for visiting other gorgeous famed Isle of Skye spots.
Nearby are places like The Storr, Fairy Pools, and many waterfalls on the east coast side of Skye.
PS. When visiting the Isle of Skye and the west coast of Scotland, you’ll likely also find yourself spending time in Fort William.
It’s a 3 hour drive from The Fairy Glen, but the time goes quickly when you’re excited about what you’re seeing.
I’d recommend staying in Fort William as a base for a few different spots. And of course, taking time to book the real life Hogwarts Express train journey as well the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Can I park when I get there?
You sure can! There is a small car park which is about a 5 minute walk away from the Fairy Glen. It is a pay to park area but only during the daytime.
I’d recommend planning to visit The Fairy Glen during unique hours.
Either first thing in the morning or very late at night to avoid any sort of crowds that may arrive.
If you do visit and parking is full, you can drive back into the town of Uig to park.
From there, you can walk back up, which will take about 30 minutes.
Also, it’s very uphill actually so wear good walking shoes. Even the 5 minute walk from the car park feels like a lot! I was sweating once we got to the Fairy Glen from there.
Best time to visit?
We visited The Fairy Glen at the start of the summertime.
In Scotland, this means exceptionally long days and very short nights.
Would you believe that these evening photos that we took were actually around 11 o’clock at night?
Wild, right?
And because of this unique time of day, there was only one other couple there for about 15 minutes. We had the place to ourselves as we watched the sky grow darker.
When we used to live in Edinburgh, the summers were simply the best.
You could be out super late without even realising, it made for a pretty magical experience.
Revisiting Scotland in the summertime meant that we felt all of those old memories rushing back.
So my recommendations for times would be sunset or sunrise to avoid crowds.
However, we know that’s not always possible.
We also visited during lunchtime the next day.
Which was a little more crowded but we did get a nice photo together.
Remember to be considerate of people getting their photos around you and offer to take a few snaps of other people if they take yours too.
TL:DR for visiting the Fairy Glen ⤵️
🚙 There’s a carpark a five minute walk away. You do have to pay to park, but only during certain hours.
⏰ Visit during off-peak times if you want peace and quiet. We drove here at 11pm. I’d also recommend a sunrise visit.
🧚♀️ There actually aren’t any legends of folklore related to this particular spot. The rock formations (caused way back when by a landslide) however look magical, so thus the name.
🪨 Tourists are the ones who actually place the rocks in the circular area. It’s frowned upon to move rocks. If you’re visiting, keep your hands to yourselves and the rocks on the ground.
📸 It’s a friendly spot! Be considerate of people getting their photos around you and offer to take a few snaps of others too. We visited during lunchtime the next day which was much more crowded but we did get a nice photo together!
And most of all, have the best time! Scotland is one of my favourite places in the world and I can truly visit time and time again.
Kelly xoxo
