| Altitude | 1505 Feet |
| Trail Conditions | Forestry track, boggy uphill section, spongy moss |
| Difficulty | Low |
| Experience | 8/10 |
| Est. Time | 2-3 hours |
| Distance | 5-6 Miles |
| Starting Location | Forestry entrance or Foresty car park before Fairy Pools |
History of the Local Area
The Fairy Pools found to the south east of Beinn na Bhraghad is today an extraordinarily popular tourist destination due to it’s often crystal clear pools surrounded by the dramatic Cuillins as a background, however, in 1601 it was the site of a conflict between the Macleods and Macdonalds which has since been referred to as the “Battle of Coire na Creiche” (translates to “The hollow of the spoil” from gaelic), which was so bloody that it’s said the Fairy pools ran red with blood.
The battle was led on the Macleod side by Alexander Macleod of Minginish, who in the chiefs absence gathered the clan together and led them to the corrie after a raid on the Macdonalds. After a night of rest, the Macdonalds led by Donald Gorm, fell on them and the clans fought through the day and into the night, with the battle only ending once the Macleods were defeated due to their leader and three of the chief clansmen being captured.
Despite the MacDonalds being victorious at the end of the day, the battle was so fierce and the casualties so high on both sides that the Scottish Crown was forced to intervene and forced the clans to declare a truce, this day was the last recorded battle between the clans and likely the last great clan battle seen on Skye.
Gallery
The Walk
Start the walk by parking near the gate leading to the forestry track below Beinn a’ Bhraghad, ensuring that you don’t block access to the gate itself. If no parking is available you can also park further down the road in the forestry car park, however this will add about 10 minutes to your trip both ways.
Proceed through the gate and onto the forestry track, after a short distance take the left fork at the junction and proceed south a short distance until you reach a stream coming down the hill on your right near the end of a break in the forest.
From here, leave the track and proceed up the hill, following the stream on the left-hand side as you start to gain elevation quite quickly. Conditions here can be extremely humid on hot days due to the combination of the stream and the mossy groundcover.
Eventually you’ll break through the forestry area and on to clearer moorland which is often extremely spongy underfoot. Continue up the hill, preferring the southern end of the hill to get some exceptional views of the Fairy Pools and the Cuillins until you reach the summit plateu, at which point the Trig Point should become visible to the west.
Once you’ve spent a little time admiring the views, it’s time to head north onto some of the spongiest ground I’ve experienced on Skye, to the point where you’ll often find yourself bouncing with each step. Proceed in a northerly direction until you come across the streamlet heading in the direction of Uilt na Teanga.
Follow the western edge of the stream as it makesit’s way through forestry on both sides until you join back up with the forestry track, from here take a right and follow the track back to your starting point.
The Skye 56 
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