The Isle of Skye has a rich, deep history of its connection with Fairies (or the Fae), and none more so than at this bizarre, quirky place where the realms of reality fade away and you’re only a hop, skip and jump from the word of fairy tales.
Situated on the Trotternish Peninsula at Balnacnoc (which means the village in the hills), this is a place of round-topped grassy hills and ponds (lochans), whose topper most summit of basalt looks like a ruin and has the (unexplained) name of Castle Ewan.
You can walk around the whole site, even up to Castle Ewan which has beautiful views. Underneath there’s a small cave where you can spot coins pressed into the cracks for good luck (this is actively discouraged however).
The rock spirals are a more recent phenomenon and certainly not fairy-made – again, people walk these for good luck. The gnarled grove of trees is much more in keeping with its magical connections with mossy lumps and bumps. It’s not hard to imagine the little folk flitting from branch to branch.
Get here early if you want to enjoy the Fairy Glen all to yourself and at its otherworldly best. There is no charge to visit, and there is very limited parking so it’s best to park at the nearest town – Uig – and walk from there. It takes about 30 minutes.
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