The Wildlife and Fairies Of Skye
Scottish Island famous for Walking, Wildlife, Whisky and History
Walkers on Skye have the chance to see a wide variety of bird and animal life. With care and luck it is possible to come across adders, grass snakes and the odd fairy
It is much easier to spot more exotic reptiles like the Boa Constrictor. But don’t panic they’re not roaming about wild. They are part of the collection at Skye Serpentarium in Broadford. The Serpentarium has over fifty specimens ranging from White Tree Frogs to Large Green Iguanas not to mention snakes in all sizes and colours. They even offer snake-handling sessions to those who have the nerve
Otters splashing in the water are a common sight on the Isle of Skye, but like all wild animals they do not appear for the convenience of nature lovers. The best chance of getting a peek is to head to the Kylerhea Otter Haven and take the short walk from the car park through the woods to a specially constructed hide. There, on the shoreline below they can often be seen feeding on the rocks, swimming just off the coast or basking in the sunshine. It’s also a great spot for seal watching with the Atlantic Grey often making an appearance. Cormorants, Herons and Oystercatchers are usually about and, although less common, you might get a glimpse of a Sea Eagle, Peregrine Falcon or the magnificent Golden Eagle. From here you can take a short ferry trip across to Glenelg and drive the few miles to Sandaig, where Gavin Maxwell’s Ring of Bright Water was set.
The best place on Skye for seal watching is near Dunvagan Castle, where there are colonies of Grey Atlantic and Common Brown Seals. Regular boat trips leave from Loch Dunvegan between Easter andOctober.
Dunvagan has been a Clan MacLeod stronghold for eight centuries and is still the home of the Clan Chief. Perched high on a rock overlooking Loch Dunvegan, surrounded by the sea on three sides and superb gardens on the other, it is one of the top attractions on the island. It’s an ancient family seat brimming with antiques and heirlooms. But it’s the famous Fairy Flag that most people come to see. It’s a very old piece of cloth, tattered and faded and made of silk that came from the Middle East sometime between the 4th and 7th centuries AD. According to legend an early MacLeod married a fairy woman who had permission to remain with him for twenty years. When she had to return to Fairyland they parted at the Fairy Bridge 3 miles from the castle. McLeod’s wife gave him a flag and told him that it would save the clan in times of danger if it were waved. The MacLeod Chiefs passionately believe that story. Sir Reginald, the 27th chief, when confronted with a rational and scientific explanation of the flag’s origins replied ‘ I know that it was given to my ancestor by the fairies’.
Also attributed to fairies was the gift to the first MacCrimmon enabling him to play the finest music in the world. Hereditary pipers to the Chief of MacLeod they were granted land at Borreraig, across the Loch, where they established their famous piping school. All that now remains are the bagpipes on display. There’s another species of fairy on Skye with connections to music, The Peatbog Fairies. But that’s another story.
