Every spring, the ice cold snow melt from the Red Coullin tumbles down these slopes on the Isle of Skye. The pure mountain water dissolves a little of the limestone each year, creating beautiful curves and shapes all along the river gorge. This water, viewed as sacred, tumbling as it does from one of the mountain mothers of Skye, also swirls stone eggs around in the hollow basins of the river bed. Made of marble, they shimmer golden and white, and their smooth bowls hold water which can cleanse and bless all who approach. Known as Fairy Pools, there are water formed basins like these scattered across Skye, and these ones are less frequented than the famous pools in Glen Brittle. The atmosphere is all the more magical for their peace and quiet, and it’s easy to feel time slipping back as you sit at the murmuring tumbling edge of this ancient water.
Our ancestors came here to divine the future, and to seek blessings. The water itself could energise even the most fragile soul. Even now, set in the shadow of the Coullin, with wild flying Rowan and Holly trees springing from its rocky edges, magic feels close to the surface among these watery rocks. Smooth marble pools carved by the mountain stream to soothe the soul and calm the mind. Dip your toes if you dare in the magical waters, and dream. After all, we have all the time we need….
breathofgreenair 
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Always love seeing your dreamy worlds! 🙂 Makes me feel quite young actually ~
Well that’s a job well done then 🙂
Pools of eternal youth perhaps….
Our ancestors also went there to knock lumps out of each other. It wasn’t always such a tranquil location! http://sonofskye.wordpress.com/2013/11/01/skyes-blood-soaked-locations-the-macdonald-macleod-feud/
I would love to dip my toes. 🙂
And you would have the most wonderful dreams I’m certain 🙂
Bliss!
SO tempting to dip my toes in, Seonaid! Ice water? Ooh, maybe not just yet 🙂
Beautiful though.
It’s very refreshing on the toes, makes them tingle and sparkle in the most surprising ways 🙂
Pure magic again, Seonaid! I’m longing now…
Not long now….which day would you like to meet up? Thursday afternoon into evening would work well for me. Perhaps you would like to eat with us at home?
We’d love to! Thank you! Don’t take too much trouble now, but it would just be wonderful to meet you and yours! We will walk around in Edinburgh that Thursday, 17, and if you send instructions on the mail how to find your home – or if we could meet up. in E and you direct us there? Late afternoon, evening sounds perfect.
What lovely pure water and great shots.
The water is fresh from the mountains with nothing but heather and peat between here and it’s source, and it tastes delightful.
Everything about Skye sounds so magical, Seonaid. Your descriptive narration transports me there in an instant, and I can feel that pure, icy water on my feet. Lovely. 🙂
Skye is a wonderful place, and so full of natures moods. Catch her on a quiet serene day like this and it’s paradise, just a day later though and she can be throwing a tantrum with lashing wind and rain 🙂
Gosh – so wonderful. You make me want to visit Skye. Thank you for such a magical and uplifting post.
My pleasure Suzanne, it’s lovely to share such magical sights. Skye and Wester Ross are full of them, especially when the sun shines……then I can think of nowhere on earth I would rather be 🙂
Amazingly beautiful–could spend hours looking and meditating. Peace and thanks, John
Thanks so much John, and that’s exactly what I did, before taking these shots. I wandered upstream and found the perfect sheltered spot to sit and be, at the edge of the water 🙂
Magical indeed. You’ve summed up Skye so well, with just a few beautiful words and images. x
Thanks Kellie, all these comments got lost somewhere in the magical ether, so when they reappeared I thought I would reply to them anyway. I’m now back up in Plockton so perhaps that’s why they’ve reappeared!!
Lovely. As you often do, you transport me to that magical and pure space. I breathe deeply. thank you for sharing. x
Always my pleasure to share the magic Rachael, delighted you feel the benefits of nature through these posts 🙂
Beautiful. Your photos and words took me back to trips to Tasmania and the crystal clear tarns you find there – so untouched and also evoking timelessness. Thank you!
Now that sounds stunning and very inviting. I’m watching a series at the moment called Coast Australia, and it’s turning all my preconceived ideas about Australia on their head. It made Tasmania look like paradise, and you’ve added to that feeling now 🙂
I’ve said it before … I’ll say it again … yours is a most magical world. Thanks for bringing us all along this morning. D
Many thanks David, magical us a great description of the way I see the world 🙂
Yet another reason for me to visit Skye. These pools sound great and look beautiful – what colour! Thanks 🙂
There are so many beautiful spots, and if you veer off the beaten track you can have the place to yourself 🙂
The colours were stunning that day under the blue almost cloud free day
So clear and fresh, icy cold I expect. Is the water sweet or hard to drink?
The water is sparkling and sweet, fresh from the mountain Gilly 🙂
Wow Do you know what the flowers are called in your header? I saw them in the Nederlands and they are so cool !
Those flowers are catkins, on a hazel tree, they are so pretty aren’t they. I did a whole post on them back in March 🙂
I will look for it : )
You have such a wondrous area and your words sparkle with life. I’m SO jealous! However, here in Washington State we do have our share of beauty. I just don’t go out and capture it like you do. I do so LOVE your beautiful posts. Thank you for sharing!
Another lovely comment Gwynn, thank you. I know that Washington State is a beautiful part of the world, and the emigrants from Scotland, Wales and Ireland must have felt at home, as though they had landed somewhere familiar and green.
Taking photos for the blog has really encouraged me to get out and explore and record the beautiful world around me. Until I started the blog a year and a half ago, I didn’t really take photos!
Hmmm, I guess I’m going to have to get busy to see what I can capture. Oh, I didn’t take the pictures, but take a look at my “W” for Walking. I have pulled a couple of internet pictures of Poulsbo, where I live into my post. You may like them. http://gwynnsgritandgrin.com
I had a look…love that post it’s so funny…but can’t see any pictures….I’ll look again tomorrow Gwynn 🙂
Into the mystic. Beautiful.
Mystical, magical Skye….there’s nowhere else quite like it 🙂
rustic nature….. nice
A soothing spot to rest a while 🙂
it reminded of Ruskin bond’s stories
I can almost taste its sweetness! A true source of beauty, beautifully captured 🙂
The water is so fresh and clear, and the colours of the water and the land are vivid and bright. It’s a very magical spot to rest a while, full of inspiration Sarah….and Fairies of course 🙂
Naiads aplenty by those crystal springs 🙂
superb.
Thanks Debra, it’s a beautiful spot 🙂
Wish I could see it in real life, but your words and images really made me appreciate the wonder and beauty! Thank you so much for sharing.