October 2019 marks three years since Mark and I visited the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Without a doubt, it’s the most magical, ethereal place I have ever visited, and I can’t wait to go back.
Three years ago, I had to go on a work trip to Germany. I’d never been, and I was excited to visit, but at the same time my head was swimming with the possibility of visiting other countries in Europe I hadn’t yet seen. I had studied abroad in London, but that was 1995, and things change. Mark had done the backpack through Europe thing in college, but again, that was back in the 90s.
We had always talked about going to Italy or France together, and definitely wanted to see Ireland. So many options! We were still puzzling over the places to visit when I recalled a picture I had seen a long while ago. It was before everyone was on Facebook and Instagram. I want to say it was on Flickr. Regardless, it was years ago, through the various random social media connections available (Friendster or MySpace anyone?) coupled with my love of all things fairy and mystical, that photos from a place called “Skye” kept popping up on my feed or watchlist or whatever it used to be called.
I began looking up all sorts of photos on Fairy Pools, and I thought that one day I would love to go to Skye. But it was one of those wishes that you have that you don’t really believe will come true because life gets in the way. Fast forward to 2016, and I tell Mark, “I’ve got it! I want to go to the Isle of Skye and see the Fairy Pools!”
Mark had never heard of the Fairy Pools or Skye, so he does what he’s good at: opens up about three dozen tabs in his browser and does research. He agrees that it looks amazing, but it’s such a small, remote island, and it will be October! Then, he reads that at certain times, you can see the Northern Lights from Skye. He’s in. Neither of us has seen the Aurora Borealis, so the possibility of seeing it, however slim, is good enough for him.
Spoiler alert: we never did get to see the aurora.
But we had the most amazing time. If ever there was a place on earth where the veil between here and other worlds exists, it is Scotland. Every time I think about it or talk about it, I get caught up in how there are not enough words—not enough of the most perfect words—to describe the place. Even what I just said is so flustered and makes no sense.
After my work trip was done, I flew from Frankfurt, Germany (by the way, Germany is wonderful, and I want to go back) to Edinburgh (ed-in-bruh), Scotland where I met Mark who flew in by way of Paris (Pair-iss). We rented a car, and Mark was full immersion “backwards” driving (opposite side of the road, opposite side of the car). We didn’t even make it out of Edinburgh before he thumped the side of a bus with the passenger side mirror.
We stayed at The Witchery. Oh. My. Gosh. If you go to Edinburgh, stay there. It’s decadent and a little creepy and romantic. I accidentally cut my toe on something, and a cute old man who worked there came to the room to “hoover” the carpets and patch me up.
This is only a small part of the suite.
In Edinburgh, we explored the “Harry Potter-esque” streets, drank in many a haunted pub (I refused to go to the bathroom because I was scared), ate haggis galore, roamed around Castle Rock, and shopped.
Then, we drove to the Isle of Skye. We could not get enough of the scenery. Everything was so raw and rugged and beautiful and otherworldly.
You’re so beautiful, Scotland.
We visited cafes and whisky distilleries. On the way to Skye, we stopped at Dalwhinnie where we were offered a scotch and chocolate pairing, and being new to scotch at the time it was intimidating and delicious.
Scotch and chocolate? Don’t mind if I do…
We got a flat tire when Mark got too close to the curb on the passenger side.
Pro tip: purchase the tire insurance. Apparently this happens to Americans ALL THE TIME.
But as we waited for someone to come fix our tire, we wandered into a restaurant sitting on a loch Lochy. We had a beautiful view with our lunch.
Unexpected lunch on Loch Lochy
We drove through dark and rain to finally arrive in Skye. Naturally, we visited the Talisker distillery and bought some scotch. We stayed in the charming little town of Portree. We walked all around the town, ate fish in cozy little restaurants with the locals, and drank. We watched men in formal kilt-wear walking around.
Portree at sunrise
The next morning, we were up at sunrise and watched the light rise over the little harbor and expose the beautiful colors of the buildings lining the street. We made our way to the Fairy Pools. The earth was soft and peaty. The air was nippy and slightly damp, but it wasn’t raining. We hiked all day, visiting pool after pool after pool, staring in wonder at waterfalls. I took off my boots and socks and plunged my feet into a pool. It was freezing, and I loved every second of it.
We hiked part of the Old Man of Storr later that day. I couldn’t make it that far. My lungs and my knees failed me. But even then, we were high enough that we could see the ocean. The hike quite literally took my breath away.
October in the Highlands
The trip went by too quickly. We visited Kilt Rock, Eileen Donan Castle, and Loch Ness, but there was so much more we didn’t get to see!
Scotland is rugged land, mysterious lochs, and castles. Pictured here is Eileen Donan Castle.
Three years later, I think of all the places I haven’t yet been, and all the places I still want to see. Yet Skye still calls me, reminding me that I haven’t yet stood in the fairy glen, visited the puffins and highland cows (coos!), or walked the beaches. There are more castles and distilleries to visit, more magic to play with. And there’s still the promise of catching the aurora…