The Isle of Skye is Scotland’s largest, and perhaps most magnificent, island of the Inner Hebrides archipelago. It’s located on the West Coast, a little over 4 hours drive from Glasgow.
The island is known for its fairy pools, indented coastline, and rugged landscapes that enchant both the locals and its visitors. It’s a land of folklore, faeries, and mystical beauty.
The Isle of Skye is exceptional in my book, and is one of my favorite places in Scotland for its gorgeous backdrops, hiking routes, and sense of peace and tranquility. There’s nothing better for me than wandering this isle barefoot, carefree, and in touch with my surroundings.
So, to share more about Scotland’s wonderful isle, here are 6 quirky and interesting facts about the Isle of Skye.
There are more sheep than people.
Fact #1: There are around 100,000 sheep from a variety of breeds. People? About 10,000.
You’ll often cross sheep on the streets, roaming freely. But don’t forget about all the highland cattle a.k.a. hairy coos wandering around Skye, too.
You can stick your face in a river for eternal beauty.
Legend has it if you stick your face in the water under the Old Sligachan Bridge for 7 seconds and let it dry off naturally, you’ll be granted eternal beauty.
The story is that Skye once had a fierce female warrior named Scáthach who was the world’s greatest warrior. Ireland got whiff of her talents — Cú Chulainn, Ireland’s favourite warrior, to be exact.
Cú Chulainn traveled over to Skye to fight Scáthach. Scáthach was fearless, despite his Hercules-like strength. The battle raged on for weeks and weeks, and Scáthach’s daughter grew tired of all the fighting.
She ran down to the Sligachan River with her eyes filled with tears. She begged for the fighting to stop, and she was in luck. What she did not know is that the water is a gateway between the faerie world and ours, and as such the faeries heard her plead. They instructed her to stick her face in the water for 7 seconds and she’ll have her solution.
She then ventured around Skye gathering the loveliest herbs, meats, nuts, and any item of deliciousness that the land produced. She brought them home to prepare the perfect meal.
The smell of the meal was so intensely delicious that it lingered around Skye. Cú Chulainn and Scáthach quickly got a whiff of the meal and were salivating so much that they decided to take a break and enjoy a feast back at Scáthach’s home.
The feast marked the end of the battle, just as her daughter wished. By eating in the home of Scáthach, Cú Chulainn had become a guest, and as a guest you are compelled to do no harm to the host, the guest, or anyone within. You can’t fight someone who was hosted you, ever. So that was the end of the battle and the two made a truce.
Due to the Scáthach’s beauty and her tears of love that she poured into the river, the faeries will grant anyone who sticks their face in Sligachan River eternal beauty.
Skye’s biggest town has a population of just over 2,000.
Another fact about Skye is its tiny capital city. It’s called Portree and it’s also the isle’s capital. It’s known for its colorful buildings and relaxed village mindset.
Its most popular hike is insanely picturesque.
The hike takes you up to the Old Man of Storr. It’s a magnificent pinnacle of rock that stands proud and tall as it looks over the north of the isle.
It gets its name from another legend. The legend has it that Old Man of Storr was a giant who had lived in Trotternish Ridge, an area in the north of Skye, and when he was buried, his thumb was left protruding from the ground, creating the famous jagged landscape that we admire today.
There are dinosaur prints.
Jurassic lover? Skye is home to a handful of dinosaur prints on its softest sedimentary rocks. Dinosaurs once roamed Skye 165 million years ago and anyone can lay witness to that by visiting Staffin among other locations. Though covered at high tides, once the tides are low, the prints are visible on the beaches of Staffin.
The dinosaur prints you’ll see at Staffin are from Ornithopods, herbivorous creatures who walked on two legs.
It used to be one of the heaviest Gaelic-speaking areas in Scotland.
Throughout the 1800 and 1900s when the Gaelic language was heavily decreasing in Scotland, it still remained at over 90 percent in Skye.
Today, people can still study Gaelic on Skye and the isle is working to preserve its endangered language.
It’s home to the mystical fairy pools.
A compilation of beautiful waterfalls surrounded by vivid greenery can be found in the area known as Glenbrittle. Following the path, you’ll pass a number of small waterfalls boasting little pools with clear, inviting water.
Skye is full of unique landscapes, friendly locals, and a peaceful way of life. It’s arguably one of the most beautiful places to witness in Scotland and an excellent retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life.
