Day Three: Isle Of Skye
the Fairy glen
Just up the road from The Cowshed Hostel is the Fairy Glen. There is no fairy legend, rhyme or tale that explains the name of this place, it is simply the best way to describe this landscape: small round grassy-topped hills with lochans (ponds) scattered in between.
One hill top (bottom left) has a formation on the top that I really thought were castle ruins, it is also called Castle Ewan which is misleading, for it is not a man made structure but a basalt formation. You can climb to the top where it offers lovely views of the lush green below.
I also just read that the rock spiral (below right) is completely inauthentic to the Fairy Glen, and has been created by tourist, thought to be encouraged by their bus tours. Apparently locals often remove the stones to restore the glen to its natural state. That seems kinda crazy to me, leave no trace fellow travelers, though cairns are a grey area.
Back to UIG
two very posh ladies in a white sports car
a hitch hiking story:
After visiting the Fairy Glen I walked back the way I had come and along the way two women in a very cute, white sports car stopped to ask me just how far up the road the Fairy Glen was. I assured them they just had to go around the bend, they thanked me and I went on my way.
I ran back into The Cowshed where I had left my pack, said some good byes, and then headed to the bus stop, conveniently just outside the hostel. A bus heading south back to Portree would show up in a minute or so.
As I stood at the stop, the women in the little white car came down from the Fairy Glen. I waved to them, they waved back and then instead of driving off down the main road as I thought they would, they pulled over in front of the bus stop. In an Australian accent, the women driving asked me if I would like a ride. Before I could properly accept their kindness they were out of the car figuring out how my pack would fit in the back. Just like that, together we three headed to Portree, chatting and laughing the whole way.
I tell this story to share a few of my favorite things:
Not just while traveling, but especially when traveling, you just never know how your day is going to go and something about me really loves that.
I have also often seen that being kind to others brings kindness back around, a cycle similar to karma, and this interaction really sums that up: I had a quick but very lovely interaction with these women when I helped direct them to the Fairy Glen and then they kindly offered me a lift.
In short, my travels have continued to prove that people are generous and kind.
Disclaimer:
I would only ever encourage someone to stick out their thumb where there is a culture of hitch hiking. I have hitch hiked in Chile, Argentina and Isle of Skye. The vast majority of places I would never get in a car with a stranger. I would always recommend to hitch in a pair, don’t get excited and jump in a car: assess the person/people first, and prepare a script that politely but sternly declines a ride from anyone suspect. When it comes to hitch hiking trust your gut always and prioritize your safety over all else.