Fairy Pools in the rain

Tuesday we left the magical land of Skye, but we made a detour see the Fairy Pools first. The weather was wild--a very Scotland send-off, and we had to brave the wind and the driving rain.

Gaelic stories described fairies as small red people with bonnets and baggy clothing riding backward upon horses... can you see it? While they were often believed to be mischievous and wild, they were also said to help the crofters with their crops. Steve's theory is that the prominence of distilleries in the area may indicate an affinity for the drink and thus the visions of fairies in the area.

The Fairy Pools are a series of waterfalls popping up out of nowhere and running down the hill. they go on and on up the foothills of The Cullen though the weather abbreviated our walk. We saw several pools and I imagine on a nice day they are pristine. Legend has it (there's always a legend) selkies came here at night and shifted from seal to human to bathe in the pools. 

A quick change out of wet clothes and then we were on our way--our destination for the night was Fort William, about half-way to Glasgow. This would prove to be our least satisfying day for food and lodging...

We first stopped off in the village of Kyle of Lachalsh, just over the bridge from Skye, in search of lunch. I found a couple of cafes with recent great reviews, so we followed GPS and ended up at the base of apartment stairs behind a building... Then we searched for the other one and the address did not exist. We wandered on down the street and found a diner called Hector's Bothy. The menu looked promising so we ordered panini sandwiches; Steve got ham and tomato, and I chose cheddar with pickle. We received toasted hotdog buns with a tiny bit of filling. Unsatisfied, we popped into Beth's deli where Steve saw some treats--there were a few though the meats and cheeses were all wrapped up. We stood at the counter while Beth worked on on some paperwork with a construction worker. Eventually she said, "you alright then?" We took that as our cue to order a couple of shortbread bars. Not sure when they were made, but not recently. If you ever get to this little village, bring a sandwich. Though I did see a lovely garden. 

We continued on to Fort William where we would be staying at the Highland Hotel. I knew it was primarily a "coaching hotel" meaning bus tours stay there. We arrived at the same time as a bus, so Steve held the door as about a group of 30 or so made their way in, picked up their keys off the counter and headed to their rooms. Meanwhile we waited at an empty reception desk. The maintenance man came and greeted us but had no idea about checking us in... eventually we got our key and entered a time warp: two twin beds with plaid bedspreads and stale cigarette smell. You win some, you lose some.

We did find a good wood-fired pizza spot nearby, and the outside of the hotel was amazing, set up on a hill, so I'll leave you with that.