Skye's Fairy Pools

The Fairy Pools are a series of natural swimming pools and waterfalls on the Glen Brittle River at the foot of the Black Cuillin mountains on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. The pools take their name from the exceptional clarity and vivid turquoise-blue colouring of the water, which is fed by snowmelt and rainfall from the gabbro peaks of the Cuillin ridge rising to nearly 1,000 metres above. The water is exceptionally cold — rarely exceeding 10°C even in midsummer — but this does not deter the brave, and wild swimming in the pools is a popular activity for visitors. The access path begins at a car park in Glen Brittle, approximately 20 minutes' drive from Sligachan on the main Skye road, and follows the river upstream through open moorland with the dramatic black crenellations of the Cuillin filling the sky to the east. The first pool encountered is the largest and deepest — known simply as the Big Pool — where the river drops through a natural arch forming a dramatic waterfall into a clear pool approximately 15 metres wide. Continuing upstream reveals progressively smaller but equally photogenic pools connected by cascades. The full walk upstream to the highest visible pool and return takes approximately 2 hours. The location is one of the most photographed spots on Skye and, by extension, one of the most photographed natural sites in Scotland, drawing significant visitor numbers particularly in July and August. The car park charges a daily fee and fills to capacity by 09:00 on warm summer days. Wild camping in the glen is permitted under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.