Beinn Edra and the Fairy Glen | 7 Miles

May 3, 2022 ISLE OF SKYE WALKS, SCOTLAND WALKS

This is a there and back walk from Uig to the summit of Beinn Edra, passing the mystical Fairy Glen on the way. This 7 mile walk takes in some challenging moorland but the views from the summit are over the Trotternish are definitely worth it!

Beinn Edra is the highest point on the northern half of the Trotternish Peninsula at 611m above sea level, and was the inspiration for the name of our holiday cottage (Sealladh Beinn Edra). The summit is topped by a trig point which has amazing views out to sea. We could see Beinn Edra from the garden of the cottage, so it was a definite for us to climb.

We set off from the holiday cottage towards the car park at the Fairy Glen a short distance along Sheader Road. The car park is small and gets busy in peak season. We walked round the edge of the Fairy Glen (but only because we had visited on the first day after we arrived on Skye – it was one of the first things we did!). You could detour and explore the Glen if you wanted to – there are various paths winding through the site.

That’s Joel on top of the tower!

We followed the road round to the farm at the end and walked through the farmyard before picking up a rough track leading over the fields/moors. We crossed the river via the stepping stones, and continued south-west following the course of the stream. The terrain was very reminiscent of boggy walks in the Peak District!

We had to pick our way over some super boggy moorland before starting to climb up the hillside, with one small section of scrambling. We then followed the course of a former wall to reach a col – the left hand path runs up to Beinn Edra, whereas the right hand path would go to Beinn Mheadhonach (579m). The views from here are amazing on a clear day!

The path runs up the ridge to the summit of Beinn Edra where there is a trig point in a stone shelter.

As this is an out and back route, we retraced our steps back to the holiday cottage for a well earned cuppa.

Holiday Cottage Near the Fairy Glen, Isle of Skye

We had a week staying at the lovely Sealladh Beinn Edra, which is on the same road as the Fairy Glen. We had a great time – the cottage was in a great location to explore all the amazing sights of Skye and was really comfortable. I’d definitely recommend if it you’re looking for a holiday cottage on Skye.