Three lovely walks on Skye: ttftw 2023w27

Three things from this week.

Still travelling through Scotland this week so you get to see three more things this week that I saw. The Isle of Skye is full of stunning landscapes. I loved hiking the easy part of the Quiraing. I was confused by the Old Man of Storr. I was recharged visiting the rushing waters of the Fairy Pools.

The Quiraing name (or Cuith-Raing in Gaelic) comes from old Norse languages and describes the folded structure of the land. As a casual hiker it was a fantastic experience. We were able to show up kind of early before it got crowded and walk until it felt a bit too challanging. The vistas are breathtaking. You can see out across the lush green valley and out over water. I wish I knew more about every little detail but I’m grateful for having seen it all.

Driving from the Quiraing to the Old Man of Storr (Bodach an Stòir) takes you down some single lane roads so I was glad we’d already learned a little about how that works. The hike up to see these structures was a lot more demanding just because of the incline. We made it up to the top of some stones and took in this stunning view before turning back.

It would have been nice to hike along farther but the rain came down while we were heading back. The wild winds felt like they could knock me over and then we’d pass behind a rocky outcropping and it would be silent and still again. Once the rain started on our return trip it fell in buckets. I tried to get some photos but these things just don’t fit through the lens.

And the last morsel I have time to share today shows the Fairy Pools, which are part of the river called Allt Coir' a' Mhadaidh ¹. This was another site I was unprepared for. The water rushes down the mountain. The path for tourists is paved with crushed stone and it’s quite common to step off onto the boulders that twist the direction of the river flow. Around these boulders the water curls and rushes in rapids and swirls in spirals. Every one could be the cover of a hard rock album, a wedding invitation, or the backdrop to write some inspirational text. This was another easy walk where I was glad to have a layer to keep the mist and rain off.

I loved the time I spent in Skye and I feel like every stop we made could have easily expanded into a day or two. The expansive green fields dotted with purple blooms of foxglove refreshed me and brought me back to life. I appreciate the bits of pavement and the mowed paths that Scotland has put here so I can come sample it with far less effort than it deserves.

• ttftw