THE ROUTE UP TO CASTLE EWEN, THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE GLEN

This week I would like to take you on a short tour of a very special place on the Isle of Skye. I will try to resist calling it magical, since I believe that designation has led to both over-tourism of a pretty spectacular site while at the same time creating a “back story” that obscures its real value as a unique geographical feature on Skye. I believe that the Fairy Glen is much more than its mythological associations would imply. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but the less said about this particular piece of tourist hype the better.

               A TYPICAL(!) PART OF THE LANDSCAPE IN THE GLEN - THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF WIND AND RAIN HAVE FORMED THESE HILLOCKS.

The Fairy Glen is simply an almost perfect miniature of the surrounding larger and forbidding landscape of the Quiraing landslip. Almost anyone can maneuver around the one-mile circuit that encompasses very weird hills, gnarled trees distorted by the ever-present winds, and a surplus of sheep that are peacefully grazing about without any thoughts of fairies in their midst. Even in my weakened condition following my bout of ill-health I could go anywhere on the site that a reasonable person might want to go without risking life and limb. My hiking poles ensured a very safe transit of the area, which is crisscrossed by a multitude of paths that for the  most part avoid the Scottish tendency of seemingly making life as difficult as possible for the visitor.

               GROVES OF ROWAN TREES PROVIDE SHADE FOR THE SHEEP

The Fairy Glen is the result of small post-glacier landslip that geologists place around 100,000 years ago. It is similar to the larger Quiraing ridge that forms a barrier across a large portion of the Isle of Skye. As opposed to the hikes around the Quiraing, which range from spirited hill walks to downright mountain climbing, you can walk the whole Fairy Glen in a one-mile circuit. As usual, while the tour guides suggest it might take you one hour, that time suggests that you do not make any stops. Why would anyone go to such a place to take a brisk walk without even looking around? Fran and I spent around 2 1/2 hours at the Fairy Glen, and with a picnic lunch could have easily stretched that to a nice four hours. Of course there are no port-a-potties, since this is Scotland.

                A CLOSER VIEW REVEALS THE INCREDIBLE FOLDS IN THE LAND THAT DEFY EXPLANATION.

The car park is the most dangerous part of the site, since it is too small and soon leads to even more dangerous parking on the very tight roads surrounding the site. The best strategy for the parking situation is to deliberately go to the Fairy Glen when you think nobody else will ever be there because of the time or the weather. The route to the Fairy Glen is one of the small turn-offs after you negotiate the very difficult switch-back turn that is required for any trip North of the village of Uig. Of course there is no sign for one of the biggest tourist stops on the whole island. Once again, my trusty Ordinance Survey map provided the only clear explanation of the route. I wondered how anyone else managed to get there at all

                                       ISOLATED ROWAN TREES CAN PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE DETAILED PORTRAITS.

The Fairy Glen provides for a lot of photo opportunities. The undulating landscape promises another surprise around every corner. The gnarly Rowan trees are delightful either as individual specimens or as quite extensive groves in the landscape. The sheep just add to the fun.

                SINCE IT'S SCOTLAND, YOU MIGHT AS WELL THROW IN A BOG OR TWO.

The highpoint of the glen is the very steep rock outcropping that has been labeled Castle Ewen. While the views from its small flat summit are probably wonderful, the path is very steep and even requires some scrambling near the top. The images of the rock require careful timing so that you can avoid any tourists hanging around the summit. Not that I’m against including figures for a “sense of scale”, but the inevitable Titanic “I’m the King of the World” stance is not only repetitive but pretty stupid considering the drop. No photo is worth dying over, and no photo is worth the possibility that you might catch an idiot’s last moments right in your frame.

                                                       EVEN MORE DETAIL AS A RESULT OF A FOUR-IMAGE VERTICAL STITCHED PANORAMA.

                                                           YOUR WORD OF THE DAY IS LOCHLAN, A SCOTTISH TERM FOR A SMALL POND. FRAN CAPTURED THIS REFLECTION WITH HER iPHONE. IT IS NOT ABOUT THE GEAR, BUT THE VISION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER, WITH A MODICUM OF POST-PROCESSING.

I hope you have enjoyed these images from the Fairy Glen. Its magic is such that it transcends the tourist board’s over-enthusiastic myth-making. And once you leave to make your way home, you get to see other magical views en route. Skye is an island, after all.

                A VIEW OF THE SEA ON OUR WAY HOME FROM THE FAIRY GLEN. IN THE DISTANCE IS ANOTHER PENINSULA ON THE ISLE OF SKYE.