Fairy Pools

The Fairy Pools: Skye's famous river pools

Tucked into the foothills of the Black Cuillin, the Fairy Pools are a chain of crystal-clear pools and waterfalls on the River Brittle, glowing blue and green on a bright day and moodily dramatic on every other kind of day. They are one of the most visited natural attractions on Skye, and with a little planning they more than live up to the photographs.

Opening times and entry

The Fairy Pools are a natural site with open access: free to visit, open 24 hours a day, year-round, with no gates or tickets. The only cost is the car park, which is staffed through the day. Arrive early or late in summer and you will have the best of the light and the fewest people.

Parking and facilities

• Cars: £8

• Campervans and motorhomes: £10 (maximum vehicle length 8 metres; not suitable for towed caravans)

• Motorbikes: £4

• Toilets: free to use at the car park, including an accessible toilet

The car park has 177 spaces, runs a one-way system and takes contactless, Apple Pay or cash. It was built to stop the verge parking that used to line the glen, so there is no overflow: if it is full, and it is busiest between 11am and 1pm in summer, the practical answer is to come back early or late rather than improvise. There is no overnight parking or camping at the car park; the nearest campsite is down the glen at Glenbrittle.

The walk to the pools

It is 2.4km there and back to the first and largest waterfall, about 20 minutes each way on a wide gravel path with two footbridges. Most people take between 40 minutes and an hour and a half in total, because the pools carry on up the river and nobody turns round at the first one. Above that fall the path narrows, loses its gravel and goes boggy after rain, and crossings can flood, so proper footwear makes the difference between a stroll and a slither.

Swimming at the Fairy Pools

Wild swimming is allowed and genuinely popular, with one warning repeated by everyone who has tried it: the water is breathtakingly cold all year round, so a wetsuit is a good idea rather than a soft option. There are no lifeguards, and after heavy rain the river rises quickly, so save the dip for a settled day.

Getting there

From Portree it is about 20 miles and 35 to 40 minutes: A87 south to Sligachan, A863 towards Dunvegan, then the B8009 through Carbost and the single-track Glen Brittle road for the final five miles, which is not suitable for buses. There is no practical public transport to the pools themselves, so it is a drive, a tour, or a long walk from Carbost. The path starts through a pedestrian gate on the opposite side of the road from the car park entrance.

Good to know

• Dogs: welcome on leads; the glen has livestock.

• Midges: fierce on still summer days; bring repellent between June and August.

• Weather: the Cuillin makes its own; pack a layer more than the forecast suggests, and expect the road to ice in winter.

• Photography: early morning and evening light beats midday, and the crowds are thinner at both ends of the day.

The Fairy Pools earn the fuss: a genuinely beautiful, easily reached corner of the Cuillin that repays a little planning. Arrive at the quiet end of the day, wear real shoes, and let the glen do the rest.

Making a full Skye trip of it? Our Isle of Skye overview covers the rest of the island, with places to stay including budget options.

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