Fairy Pools

The Fairy Pools are a chain of vivid aqua-blue pools and waterfalls set in Glen Brittle on the Isle of Skye. They lie in Coire na Creiche at the foot of the Cuillin mountains, fed by the Allt Coir’ a’ Mhadaidh burn. The pools sit in a rocky landscape with patches of bog, and their waters stay cold year-round. Wild swimmers brave the chill to reach the pools, drawn by the striking colour. The name comes from a 1931 guidebook, though no fairy tales are linked to the site. The pools sit beside a battlefield where the Battle of Coire Na Creiche was fought in 1601. Red deer, rabbits and sheep graze nearby, while crows, ravens and gulls wheel overhead. Smaller birds such as meadow pipits, turnstones and grey herons also live in the area. Visitor numbers rose from 13,000 in 2006 to 180,000 by 2019 as walkers made the twenty-minute trek from Glen Brittle car park. A path leads from the car park past rocky slopes to the first pool, where water tumbles over cascades into deeper basins. Beyond the pools the land rises toward the Cuillin peaks, offering wide views of the glen. The vivid blue water contrasts with the grey rock and green bog, creating a striking scene. No purple flora grows here, despite an internet hoax from 2013. The walk itself passes through open moorland before dropping into the corrie where the pools lie.