In the western part of Scotland, there is an archipelago called the Inner Hebrides. Among the islands of the archipelago, perhaps the most interesting is the Isle of Skye, which has been inhabited since the Mesolithic times. It was once owned by the Macleod and MacDonald families. Now a little more than ten thousand people live here. The island itself is described in many art books, mentioned in numerous folk songs. And some of its most important attractions are the magical Fairy Pools.
Many travelers consider the Isle of Skye in Scotland one of the most picturesque places and even call it the "Pearl of Scotland". And the Pools of the Fairies, in turn, can rightfully be called the "Pearl" of the Isle of Skye. They are located in the southern part of the island southeast of the Glen Brittle Forest and just a few kilometers from the beach.
Strange as it may seem, the name of the attraction is not at all because fairies could once live here. It's just that the phrase Fairy Pools appeared in Scottish folklore a long time ago, and in translation Fairy means something fabulous, magical and even mythical. And there are simply no legends or myths about the fairies, gnomes and elves living here.
But there are fabulously beautiful views of this Scottish place, which more than compensate for the lack of legends about their name. The Fairy Pools are a whole natural complex of waterfalls, pools and natural water channels, which are interconnected into a single whole. All these bodies of water have been formed over millions of years thanks to the mountain streams of the Cullin River.
Tourists who decide to go to the Fairy Pools in Scotland are pleasantly surprised by the beautiful views of both the reservoirs themselves and the mountains and plains surrounding them. The water that flows in the Pools is crystal clear and even, as travelers note, has a pleasant and unusual taste. And some locals and visitors are sure that this water is also magical. People truly believe that swimming in the waters of the Fairy Pools will rejuvenate their bodies. Therefore, quite often here you can see those who want to swim in the water even during the still closed swimming season.
Another unusual tourist feature is associated with this place. Some pictures from the internet show the forests surrounding the Pools in some incredible purple color. Naturally, many tourists want to see trees with such an unusual color of leaves with their own eyes. However, there is nothing like this in Scotland: the purple color of the trees is just the result of photo processing using Photoshop. Local residents can only laugh and shrug.
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Not far from the Pools of the Fairies there is the Magic Bridge - there is a fairy tale about this building. According to her, representatives of the Macleod clan lived on these lands. One of the rulers' wife was a real fairy. They even had a son - an earthly child. But one day the fairy had to say goodbye to her family in order to return to her magical land. As she flew over the bridge, she dropped a piece of thin silk cloth. She ordered to keep this silk as a flag, and promised that with the help of this piece of cloth the people would be saved from troubles three times.
Until today, the flag saved people twice: from a severe disease that somehow attacked all livestock, and during the battle in 1578. By the way, the Magic Flag can be seen - it is located in Dunvegan Castle. which is located close to the Magic Bridge and the Pools of the Fairies.
By the way, the castle is also highly recommended to visit: it contains not only interesting historical relics. There is a beautiful garden with a pond, waterfalls, lots of flowers, bushes and trees. And yet - the history of this castle is closely intertwined with one of the most famous families not only in Scotland, but throughout the world - the Macleod clan.