Day 34: Carbost to Fairy Bridge, Isle of Skye

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

7th February 2021: 137.70km walked today taking the total to 3440.19/8854km. 12% of 159 entries submitting 1147.46km.

Today we visit the main town of Portree before heading to the far west of Skye and then on to visit Dunvegan Castle.

Route 10: Isle of Skye

Carbost sits on the shore of Loch Harport on the Minginish Peninsula, an area known for its scarecrow, or tattybogle, festival each year. The Talisker Distillery has made whisky here intermittently since 1832, and is known for its peaty, spicy single malt. We head east on the B8009 over the River Drynoch, turning right to join the A863 before taking a trail over the north of Sligachan. We continue east along the shore of the Loch, in the shadow of Ben Lee (444m) to the north, where we rejoin single track road on the coast at Peinchorran on the Narrows of Raasay. This stretch of water between Skye and Raasay is no wider than a half-mile. We pass through various small settlements, past Ben Tianavaig, which sports a trig point at its peak of 413 metres, to arrive at Portree on the northern edge of Loch Portree.

Portree is the main town on Skye, ’Port Righ’, meaning ‘Kings port’ after a visit from James V in 1540. It sits on a sheltered bay and was a harbour for centuries before being made into a proper village about 200 years ago. During the 1700s and the 1840s, many Scotts left for a new life in America from here; today it is a thriving port and cultural centre. There are many activities to be enjoyed here, along with the view of the colourful houses lining Quay Street. We stop for lunch at the Sea Breezes, a seasonal seafood restaurant, after our visit up The Lump, a narrow but fairly safe path up the hillside behind Portree with fantastic views over the Harbour. The views are even better if you climb Apothecary’s Tower at its peak, built in the 1830s so that passing ships knew they could get medical help in port should they need it. Public hangings also took place here - a bit of a contradiction! The town plays host to the Skye Camanachd, the Skye shinty team, as well as 2 football clubs. ‘Made of Honour’ (2008) also filmed on location here. For Harry Potter Quidditch fans, the ‘Pride of Portree’, known as the ‘Prides’, are a team based in the town playing in the British and Irish Quidditch League!

From Portree, we head out towards the west coast again along the B885. After about 15 kilometres we join the A863 at Loch Beag, near Bracadale, to head northeast.

Following the road for a further 15 kilometres, both inland and along the coast with beautiful views of the mountains and islands, we reach the settlement of Lonmore. A further 20 kilometres takes us along Loch Dunvegan, then inland through settlements, past the well-known Three Chimneys Restaurant, to eventually reach Waterstein Head and Neist Point. This is the most westerly point on Skye looking out over Little Minch, home to Neist Point Lighthouse, one of Scotland’s famous lighthouses. We walk down the steps onto the point to explore, taking care as they are very steep. First lit in1909, it is now automated, and the cottages are privately owned but uninhabited. We enjoy the view out to the Western Isles while trying to spot whale, dolphin, porpoise, and basking shark, as well as seabirds such as gannet and black guillemot. Breaking the Waves (1996) was filmed here, as was ‘47 Ronin’ (2013).

We return to the head of Loch Dunvegan via mostly the same route, then follow the road north along the sea loch through Dunvegan village. We pass the smallest museum possible to the Giant MacAskill from Berneray, Western Isles (more about him when we get there), then stop in for a coffee and amazing home baking at The Dunvegan Deli-Cafe before visiting the unmissable Dunvegan Castle a short walk down the road.

Dunvegan Castle, the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland, dates to the 13th century and is the seat of Clan MacLeod. The current castle sits on the site of earlier structures and has seen some changes itself including the addition of the Fairy Tower in 1500 and a medieval style remodel in the 19th century. Visitors have included Sir Walter Scott and our current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. We wander through the castle and some of the 5-acre formal gardens developed since the 18th century, before continuing along the coast. Before we move on, a little folklore for you.

The Fairy Flag is on exhibition here, rumoured to be a fairy princess’s shawl which she left with her son she had with the Clan Chief. After a period of handfasting, she was forced to return to the fairy realm, which she did from Fairy Bridge, carrying nothing from the human world. In adulthood her son was told it was a talisman, and should the clan be in danger, to wave the flag and fairies would come to their aid. The catch? On the third wave, the flag would return to the fairy realm taking the waver with it. It has been waved twice, once during battle and once during plague…so the story goes! During World War 2 MacLeod servicemen carried photos of the Fairy Flag in their wallets. Research suggests it was made of silk from either Rhodes or Syria during the 4-7th centuries and possibly brought back by a Holy Land Crusader. We’ll never know!

There are several other interesting items in the castle exhibition also. In December 2020, the clan chief received grants from the Scottish Government and the EU to plant over 370,000 native broadleaf trees, such as birch, rowan, and cherry trees, and to repopulate the estate with red squirrel, beaver, and wildcat; a strategy designed to restore the natural biodiversity of Skye’s landscape.

From Dunvegan Castle, we continue north along the shore road to its end where Claigan Coral Beach has lovely views out over the islands and Little Minch. We retrace our steps to just before Dunvegan Castle, taking in the splendid view of the building from this angle. We cut left and take a single-track road to join the A850 to Edinbane, passing the Fairy Bridge en route, so-called as this is believed to be the place where the fairy princess left her clan chief and son to return to the Land of Faerie.