Following from my last post, where we visited the epic operatic stage where James Bond & Mr. White meet in Quantum of Solace, let’s continue to chase 007 in and around Austria.  This next location brings us to Sölden – located in the Otzal Valley of the Austrian state of Tirol, high in the Austrian Alps. It apperas that James Bond loves Austria. We must share that in common.

During the winter months, Sölden is known for it’s skiing – and in the summer, mountain biking and hiking trails.  Everyone walking around town in the summer is carrying a bike or hiking sticks, and I presume ski poles replace those when it turns cold.

For the duration of this post, although Sölden is spelled with an umlaut over the o, I will refer to it as either Soelden or Solden.  All three are commonly used.  I am doing it because my keyboard does not have such a key and constantly copying and pasting one ö is silly…  Thank you for understanding!

1. James Bond filming location: 007 Elements in Spectre

Now.  Back to James. James Bond. 

In 2015’s Spectre, James travels to a health clinic in the Austrian Alps, to look for Mr. White’s daughter – Dr. Madeleine Swann.  She gets kidnapped and Bond pursues them in a prop plane that bursts through a farmhouse.

It is there that Q analyzes Mr. White’s ring, and they first realize the existence of Spectre.

The location of Dr. Swann’s clinic is actually ice Q, a restaurant located around 3,000 meters up in the Alps.

Gaislachkogl, the peak where ice Q and 007 Elements is located, is reachable by cable car or on foot from Solden.  ice Q’s modular, modernist design stands out from the alpine peaks surrounding it.

2. Visit 007 Elements

In July 2018, 007 Elements was unveiled in the building adjacent to ice Q, as a “cinematic installation” dedicated to the James Bond films.  I visited 007 Elements in the first few days after it opened. Being in July, you’d probably forget that it is actually really cold that high up. Most of the 007 Elements staff were wearing large winter parkas inside the exhibition.

Honestly, I would have appreciated if someone offered or warned me about how cold it would be inside the exhibit.  But, besides that, it was a fun exhibit, moving through various aspects of the films or the character.

Admission to 007 Elements is 22 EUR | $24 USD for adults, which does not include the cable car / gondola ticket.  With the round-trip gondola included, that increases to 49 EUR | $54 USD.  Of course, you can always hike from town up to Gaislachkogl – I know that people definitely do.  From my calculations, it should be about a 1,700 meter ascent…. So, either way, it will take money or effort to get to the top.

However, I think the price tag is a little steep for what it actually was.  For example, in the early movies, there was a ski pole gun that James used while skiing away from bad guys.  The ski pole gun is in the exhibit, but it’s not like you can play with it.  So looking at it from afar, while watching a clip of the scene where he uses the gun, is not super exciting.  It’s not 007 Elements’ fault – it’s just not that exciting to see it up close.

While you’re at the top, and since you’re spending boatloads of money anyway, you might as well stop in ice Q for a coffee and an apple strudel, with a view.

3. Parting Thoughts on this James Bond filming location

Part of what makes the James Bond movies so fun is the exotic filming locations. Imagining James Bond in the Alps and other far flung places gives your trip an exciting flair.

Visit 007 Elements if you’re a die hard James Bond fan.  For mediocre fans, it was fun, but was it worth chasing James Bond to the Alps? The scenery was stunning and makes it worthwhile!

If you’re thinking to visit Solden, you absolutely should! Solden is beautiful, and there’s lots to do in the vicinity besides 007 Elements. 

If you’re in the area, which I was, it’s worth it to stop by 007 Elements. However, it’s definitely not the main attraction of your stay in and around Otztal Valley.

For another James Bond filming location in Austria, check out my post on the Bregenz Festival!

4. Information to Visit 007 Elements

007 ELEMENTS | map
Otzal Valley, Austria
Daily 9:00 am to 3:30 pm

Phone: +43 (0) 5254 508 0
Email: 007elements@soelden.com

Online Tickets
Adult admission 22 EUR | $24 USD
Adult admission + gondola 49 EUR | $54 USD
Prices updated 22 December 2019

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

There are many tours that will take you there or renting a car is certainly an option.  But going from Zagreb to Plitvice by bus for a day trip is completely doable, quite easy to do, and incredibly cost effective! So, if you’re up for an adventure, read on! I’ll give step-by-step instructions on how to go from Zagreb to Plitvice by bus.

1. Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes by Bus

Buying bus tickets from Zagreb to Plitvice is easy enough.  A roundtrip ticket on Arriva, was 112 kuna | < $18 USD  | 15 EUR.  My 5:45 am departure (which arrived shortly after 8 am) meant that I’d have to leave my Airbnb around 5 am, in order to arrive early enough to figure things out…just in case.  My ticket was emailed to me as a PDF and included the platform number (#405), and sure enough, there it was.  Large luggage will cost you 10 kuna to put underneath the bus. My large 50 L backpack was fine as a “carry on.”  And then we were off! From Zagreb to Plitvice by bus!

There are 2-3 ten minute stops along the way, but I never left the bus fearing a) losing my seat, and b) the bus leaving without me.

Along the way, you drive through small villages and if you look closely, you can see sprays of bullet holes covering the village houses.  Rising ethnic tensions between Croatians and Serbs sparked with the death of a Croatian army commander.  The result was the Croatian War for Independence, which began in Plitvice, late March 1991.  Both sides had only 1 death each, during the “Plitvice Incident” or the “Plitvice Bloody Easter”, with over 20 wounded and 400 tourists evacuated.

2. Arriving at Plitvice Lakes

After a little over two sleepy hours on the bus, we finally made it from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes. So excited!

Plitvice Lakes has been a national park since after WWII, and became a UNESCO world heritage site in 1979.  After the Croatian War for Independence, the parks were swept for mines and all of the remaining mines were removed.  Over 1 million people visit the park annually.

When I went to Plitvice in June, the cost of admission for adults was 150 kuna | < $24 USD | 20 EUR.  In July and August (the country’s high season), that jumps to 250 kuna | $40 USD | 34 EUR if you enter before 16:00.

2.1 Entrances to Plitvice

There are two entrances to Plitvice, smartly named Entrance 1 and Entrance 2.  The bus driver will call out the entrances to the passengers.  Depending on what you want to see in the park, different entrances lead to different attractions. The side of the road where you exit the bus is the same side of the road as the entrance to the NP. 

And remember, that means at the end of the day, when you’re waiting to catch the bus back to Zagreb, the bus stop is on the opposite of the road.

2.2 Hiking Plitvice Lakes – Choose your walking program!

You can go hiking in Plitvice Lakes either for a leisurely walk, or an immense (almost) 20 km hike! The national park has 8 different “lake tour programmes”, with the “K” programme being the longest at 18.3 km, with an estimated completion time of 6-8 hours.  I was able to finish in about 5 hours, with breaks in between.

EXPERT TIP: MAKE SANDWICHES AND BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND WATER.  
There are long stretches with no food or water.

3. The Long Hike – “K programme”

It’s always strange going on a long hike on your own.  Granted, there were other people around, because most of the various lake programmes criss-cross each other and overlap.  But I guess not many people wanted an ambitious “Hiking Plitvice Lakes Day.” There were very few people on the “full K programme.” Most of the trail was on wooden planks along or over the water, and when the K goes off into the green wooded area, there are easy to follow paths.

From P3 (around the middle of the map), I had to take off my shoes and cross over a small section in the water.

And from there towards where it continues well into the green, I met one person and one dog on the K trail.  (The dog did not belong to the person). 

4. Not alone at Plitvice anymore!

At some point, hours later, I met C and K, who were two travelers from Canada and they graciously agreed to let me walk with them.  They were also doing the K programme, but started at Entrance 2. Hiking Plitvice Lakes alone – mmm, ok on the fun level. Hiking Plitvice Lakes with fun people – even better!

5. Thoughts on Hiking Plitvice Lakes

The hike ended with a short 5 minute ferry across the water (gushing towards the finish line!) Ok, maybe not such an exciting finish. But, I will say hiking Plitvice Lakes was an amazing way to see so many of the waterfalls. Plus, being off the beaten path was a great way to avoid the mass of tourists. 

Small warning, though… every time you are about to come across a waterfall, the crowds increase and the pace slows, as everyone tries to pose for a picture.  It can get mildly overwhelming.

I finished the hike around 13:30, and was able to catch an earlier bus back to Zagreb.  In the morning, the bus from Zagreb to Plitvice dropped me off next to the entrance. The bus going back is on the opposite side of the road.

Luckily, I had some time to buy an ice cream before the bus arrived. The bus left around 14:45, and I was able to make it back in Zagreb for a shower and amazing dinner.

So in the end, if you love to walk, enjoy waterfalls and crystal clear waters, PLITVICE IS THE PLACE FOR YOU.  Especially if you’re alread in Zagreb, the bus to Plitvice is easy and a completely manageable day trip!

Add it to the bucket list!

6. Resources on going from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes by Bus

Bus tickets and schedules
Sample Zagreb to Plitvice bus departure/arrival times (weekend schedules differ):

• 5:45 am – 8:08 am
• 6:30 am – 8:40 am
• 7:30 am – 9:45 am
• 8:30 am – 11:07 am
• 9:15 am – 11:30 am

Sample Plitvice back to Zagreb bus departure/arrival times (weekend schedules differ):

• 2:45 pm – 5:05 pm
• 3:45 pm – 5:55 pm
• 5:18 pm – 7:50 pm

Information on Hiking Plitvice Lakes National Park and entrance fees:

• Lake walking programme description and maps
• Price list

REMEMBER BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND WATER

Recap on my Zagreb to Plitvice Day

5:45 am Bus leaves from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes
8:10 am: Arrival at Plitvice, Entrance 1
<< walk walk walk walk walk walk walk >>
1:30 pm: Make it back to Entrance 1
2:45 pm: Bus to Zagreb
3 pm: Rain, and feeling thankful to be on a bus and on the way home.  The man I encountered on the K trail, with the dog that was not his, went back to Zagreb on the same bus.
5:15 pm: Arrive in Zagreb
6:30 pm: Finish shower and eat amazing food at Pri Zvoncu
8:30 pm: Sleep.

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

1. How to get to Lake Bohinj from Bled

The buses leave from the Bled bus station at 20 minutes past the hour.  We took the 9:20 bus, on another charter bus, over to the lake which took about 45 min.  The price of the bus depends on where you get dropped off. Our stop was Ukanc (pronounced, I think, like oo-CONCH), which cost us 4,10 EUR | $4.75 USD. Normally during high season, July and August, the bus runs once an hour and drops you off near most of the main sights.  It being not high season, meant that there was more walking involved.  Way more walking. 

There is an extremely complicated, yet accurate bus schedule here, from Bled to Bohinj.  There legend is extremely detailed, so make sure you are looking at the right column, for the right season, and the right day of the week.

2. Ukanc and uphill to Savica Waterfall

We stopped off at Ukanc, which was the closest stop to the Savica Waterfall, in low season.  And by closest stop, it was still a 50-minute uphill trek, along the side of the only road going up there.  If you’re lucky enough to go in high season and take the bus to the closer stop, obviously it would not take this long.  So off we went. 

I’m so thankful that J was a good sport and trekked everywhere, without any real complaining.  I say real complaining, because part of the amusement during our walk was semi-complaining. Semi-complaining that people who passed us by in their cars never offered to give two random women a ride. Even considering we were obviously going in the same direction, to the same place.  But never mind.

After about an hour (considering breaks to catch our breath and stops for photos), we finally arrived at a parking lot, two restaurants, and a sign that said the waterfall was another 20-minute walk.  More uphill, but this time, with stairs. 

3. Savica Waterfalls

Along the way, there is a little hut to pay the entrance fee (shown below), which was 3 EUR for adults.  All things considering, not a bad price, and definitely worth it.

When we finally reached the falls, there was only 5-10 people up there.  I guess since it was still the low season, it was to be expected.  Near the top, there are also viewpoints out across Lake Bohinj, where you can obviously see the valley formed by ancient glaciers.

Quick facts about the Savica Waterfall (from its brochure that I picked up):

• Height above sea level, at base: 894 m | 2,934 ft
• Two-part waterfall in the form of the letter A
• Height of the large waterfall: 78 m | 256 ft
• Height of the small waterfall: 25 m | 82 ft

4. Lunch stop at Koča Pri Savici

After the falls, we stopped by one of the nearby restaurants for some lunch.  Traditional Slovenian sausage and fries, served with the biggest ketchup and mustard containers known to mankind.

The sausages were delicious and the server was so friendly and talkative.

He asked if we had walked up here via the road or the back path. We came by the road. He encouraged us to take the back path on our way back down, which was shorter.  In reality, it may have been shorter, by mere minutes, but we took more photo breaks and of course, this was downhill. J was smart enough to ask the question, “Will we get lost?”  He laughed a little and said

“Not a chance.  Keep following the sound of the river.” 

And it’s true, we definitely did not get lost. But the sound of the river dissipated after time.  But there was really only one way to go, and after another hour, we had arrived back near Ukanc and the banks of the lake.

4.1 Pause and marvel at Lake Bohinj

5. The long meander to Mostnica Gorge

The next destination was the Mostnica Gorge.  Again, we could have taken the bus. However, it only runs once an hour. So we decided to walk, since it would take about an hour get there. 

From the very west bank of Lake Bohinj (where Ukanc is), to the very east bank of the lake, we walked.  We made some stops along the lake, at a beach and then a pier where we sat for a few moments to rest and enjoy the scenery.  We finally arrived at Stara Fuzina, a small village, which is more or less the gateway to the Mostnica Gorge.

5.1 Stara Fuzina

5.2 Onward to Mostnica Gorge

There were some confusing signs at times. If you followed them, I’m not sure where you would have ended up.  Very likely, you would have ended up at the gorge.  However, we decided to follow Google Maps, which had not led me astray thus far.  We were not entirely sure what we were looking fo. The word gorge really only tells me it’s a very big hole in the ground.  We finally arrived at a booth. The entrance fee was 3 EUR, but the booth was unmanned.  So free entrance it was!  At the booth, there was a fork in the road.

After much indecision, we decided to fork right. There were some other travelers following us and they forked left.  Let me tell you, forking right was the right decision.  Because of this, we accessed large rocks and took some amazing photographs, while they painstakingly looked for a way to cross to our side.  They did not do in the end. I would not have recommended anyway, for safety reasons.  Views below, when you fork right.

We kept walking, trying to figure out where this gorge was. When we arrived according to Google Maps, there was nothing.  We walked on another 20 minutes, but then we realized that the path we were on was no longer marked by a yellow circle and was now a red square.  At that point, we decided enough was enough, and we turned around.  In the end, we realized that the gorge was right inside of the unmanned booth, on the bridge when we forked right.  Suffice it to say, the scenery along the way was absolutely gorgeous and well worth the additional trek.

6. The bus back to Bled

The bus that goes back to Bled leaves at the :47 after every hour, except for at 5:47 pm. Obviously, this is right around the time when we arrived at the bus stop.  I think most people were surprised that there was no 5:47 bus. But not me, thanks to the trusty yet confusing bus schedule.  After some relaxing and a well deserved Magnum ice cream, we hitched the 6:47 pm bus (for 3,40 EUR | $4 USD) and was back in Bled by 7:30 pm. 

According to my Apple Watch, I walked 33,000 steps that day… a personal best.  That amounted to about 16 miles or 25 km.  Exhausting, doable, and extremely worth it.  This beautiful day trip to Lake Bohinj is a must for those wanting to reconnect with nature and those who love exploring foreign national parks like I do!

Resources for Lake Bohinj, Slovenia

If you’d like to visit Lake Bohinj from Lake Bled, check out the bus schedule

Other things to see, in the Bohinj region, which we didn’t have time for:

• Cable car up to Vogel
• Hike up to Pec (about 45 min)

Approximate Schedule for the Lake Bohinj Day

• 8:20 am: Bus from Bled to Ukanc
• 10:10 am: Arrive at Ukanc bus stop, begin walking
• 11:30 am: Savica Waterfall
• << walking >>
• 1 pm: Lunch at Koča Pri Savici
• <<more walking>>
• 4:30 pm: near Mostnica Gorge
• 6:47 pm: bus back to Bled
• 7:30 pm: arrive back to Bled
• 8 pm: I’m asleep.

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

A few years ago, your average American would likely not have heard of Slovenia or considered it as a holiday spot.  However, with the rise of Instagram, Lake Bled has become a magical destination – even for destination weddings!  You could even be like my friend Steven, who had a magical wedding at Lake Bled.

As a part of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is nestled between Austria, Italy, Croatia and the Adriatic Sea.  The landscape has rugged mountains (as part of the Julian Alps), glacial lakes, and beautiful wooded areas.

1. Train from Vienna to Lesce-Bled

Vienna is the perfect base to take a long weekend in Lake Bled. I began my journey in Vienna, where I took the 8:20 am train from Wien Hauptbanhof to Villach. There is a quick and easy switch from Villach to Lesce-Bled. Truthfully, I almost missed the stop at Lesce-Bled. Too busy admiring at the beauty out the window!  I arrived at Lesce-Bled around 1:50 pm.  From the Lesce-Bled train station, I took a bus into Bled town.

1.1 Bus to Bled town

I didn’t realize it at the time, but public transportation buses in Bled, and perhaps Slovenia, are actually what we would consider charter buses.  While there was a luggage compartment below the bus, I didn’t know this at the time.

Lugging a rolling luggage (with backpack and purse) onto a charter bus is the most miserable thing I can think of.  If you find yourself in this situation, do yourself a favor and just open the lower compartment yourself before you board. There is an unforgettable, unusual, “Dino Park” on the way into town.  And yes, it is everything your imagination thinks it would be. I couldn’t take a picture of it, as I struggling with my luggage and half-sitting in my seat.

In three words, my Airbnb is

Bled itself is a small town that surrounds the beautiful Lake Bled.  Lake Bled is more or less famous for the island, with a church, in the middle of the lake.  For 10 EUR, a tourist boat can take you onto the island so you can tour the church.  During my time there, I did not end up doing that, more or less because my purpose was to photograph the island and surrounding areas.

2. Ojstrica – Sunrise Hike Lake Bled

There are several hiking trails in and around Bled, which can offer you views of the lake and the island.  Most easily accessible is the Ojstrica, which is on the southwest side of the lake.  I went up to this viewpoint one morning for sunrise.  Sunrise was scheduled for 5:15 am that morning. According to Google Maps, it was a 45-50 minute walk from where I was staying on the opposite of the lake. Before 4:30 am, I was out the door.  I was in Bled in late May, early June, and it rained quite a bit. Be prepared!  Accuweather said it would rain at 7 am, so I had some time.

I mostly followed Google Maps. The path is mostly flat, around the circumference of the lake.  Towards the end, you veer off into a wooded, forested area, where a slight incline begins.  There are a lot of eroded and slippery stones (slippery from the rainfall the night before) along the way, so be careful.  Before Google said I arrived, I found this sign.

This is where you stop with your app and follow the sign.  This is where it begins to get steep. Basically, you begin to climb upward, but only for less than 5 minutes, until you reach the peak.

2.1 Sunrise

I arrived right around 5:17, and though shrouded by clouds, daylight was about to break.  There were a few people already enjoying the sunrise, and in a strange irony, the 6 people up there, including myself, were all Americans – one couple toasting with champagne, part of a family, and then me.

Watch this video on YouTube.

I would have said that it was peaceful up at the top, but for some reason, somebody down at grown level was doing some heavy gardening. All we could hear was the revving of a weed whacker, from about 5:30 to 6 am.  Things don’t always turn out exactly the picture-perfect way you want it to.

I stayed until about 6:45, when I realized I should get moving because of the aforementioned rain forecast.  And as a testament to the greatness of the Accuweather app, at 6:56, I felt the first drops of rain.  I rushed to grab my rain jacket and put the rain cover over my backpack to protect my camera. 

Getting caught in the rain is probably one of the more lighthearted things in life. Everyone I passed along the way gave each other an acknowledgement and a little chuckle. Basically, “Yep, I’m caught in the rain too.”

I got back around 7:30 am, exhausted and starving.  Why didn’t I stop along the way to get food?  Because when you pack your bag at 4 am, you think to yourself, “Why do I need money?  I am going to be in a forest.”  You bring money because you’ll be starving on your way back otherwise.

3. Well deserved breakfast

Luckily, Bled town is small. From my Airbnb, I can reach everywhere within five minutes.  I stopped by Caffe Peglez’n, which has a very adorable indoor area and an outdoor seating area.  The interior was decorated with a kitchy, vintage vibe.

I had a simple ham and cheese panini.  It was simple but bigger than I imagined, and perfect for refueling.  Things happen slowly in this part of the world. By 9 am, I finally finished and headed back.  After a shower, I took an amazingly long nap.  I haven’t done many sunrise hikes in my day. Even after my nap, I couldn’t recover from the exhaustion of the day.

4. Dinner and rain…again…

Later in the day, I agreed to meet J. I met her the day before at lunch, when both of us sat alone at neighboring tables. And we decided to eat together.

The following day, J and I decided to take a day trip to Lake Bohinj, in the Triglav National Park.

Read all about the fantastic day full of waterfalls, glacial valleys, and stunning hikes!

Of course, I knew it was going to rain (thank you, Accuweather).  But silly wardrobe choices. My rain jacket wouldn’t match with the dress I was determined to wear. Therefore, I was woefully unprepared for the inevitable downpour that came.  Why a dress you say?  I’m a firm believer that if you feel terrible, but you look nice, you will start to feel better… unless you are caught in the rain, and then … well, I’m just stupid.

Although J and I both ate almost an entire pizza while waiting for the rain to subside, it never did. After about an hour, enough was enough.  Don’t get me wrong, the pizza was delicious. However, my energy level was declining. I desperately needed to get back to my bed.  So, thank you to the tourist shop next door, and the 5,50 EUR umbrella that I bought.  There was a foreign woman looking at umbrellas too. When we made eye contact, we both started laughing both at ourselves and at each other.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Rain can bring good humor, if you let it.

And for an existential note on rain to finish the post, rain brings life, but it also takes away.

5. Information on your Sunrise Hike, Lake Bled

Train

• OBB: One-way, second class ticket: 39 EUR | $46 USD
• Wien Hbf to Villach Hbf: 8:20 am to 12:46 pm
• Villach Hbf to Lesce-Bled: 12:53 pm to 1:50 pm

Bus

Lesce-Bled to Bled main station bus fare: 1,30 EUR | $1.50 USD

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

1. Fairy Glens

On my last day at the Spoons, after check out, I ventured out to the Fairy Glens, which is near the town of Uig.  It was about a half hour drive from the Spoons, onto a different peninsula of Skye (called the Trotternish Peninsula). 

I’ve been to some pretty obscure places. However, considering the Fairy Glens are one of the more famous places on Skye, I expected… at the very least, a sign post.  Marie, from the Spoons, warned me that there was limited parking. She pointed out the small road to turn onto, off of the main road (A87).  Just as you’re entering in the town of Uig, there is a small turn off, on your right.  If you’ve pass the Uig Hotel, you’ve gone too far.  It’s genuinely a small turn and a small road, with absolutely no signs.  As you drive along, there are a few (very few) farm houses and lots and lots of sheep.

The only way you know that you’ve arrived at the fairy glens, is this small pond off to the side of the road.  There’s no marker or sign, but the pond is the sign.  It was frozen over in the winter time and luckily there was one car parked there, which meant at least someone is attempting the same thing as me.

There were no signs on which way to go, but I figured just go up.  There was also kind of a path, but not really.

The story is that fairies dwell in the area, and still live in the hills to this day.  Although there isn’t a specific fairy tale (pun intended) that tells the story of the fairies in the area, it’s common knowledge that this is where they live.  After hiking upwards not more than 10 minutes, I came across these large concentric circles of stone, which I’ll be honest – I still don’t know what they are or what they mean.  But I assume that I had arrived at the fairy glens.

Here is a 360 degree video of the fairy glens area, with the howling wind for a soundtrack.  The lack of steadiness is because I am constantly repositioning my feet for security, as the wind keeps blowing at me and making me lose my footing.

Watch this video on YouTube.

2. Fairy Pools

There is another place in Skye, where the fairies bathe. Personally, it seems a far distance to bathe from the Fairy Glens where they live.  Located on the Duirinish peninsula, the Fairy Pools are a series of waterfalls, near a forest, at the base of the Cuillin Mountains.  Unlike the glens, there is a large parking lot for tourists to the Fairy Pools. However, there is no sign to point you in the direction of the Fairy Pools. You’ll have to walk across the street, and towards the river to start your journey.

There is a big path (above) from the road down a hill towards the river or creek.  You do have to cross the waters sometimes, but there are very large rocks in place for you to cross safely.  Just be careful of slipping, and if you are like me and carrying a backpack, you’re not as light on your feet when you need to jump across sometimes.  No, don’t worry, I didn’t fall, but I definitely landed shorter than where I expected to, once or twice.  haha

I don’t know if there is a specific fairy pool (online guides say you need to walk about 20 minutes before reaching it), but there were several small waterfalls, which were mostly all frozen over.  In most places the water was frozen or semi-frozen, given the unusually frigid temperatures.  But there was no wind, so it was generally a very relaxing and brisk hike.  Some incline on the way up to see more waterfalls, but not too bad.  The more exhausting incline was on the way back up to the parking lot.

Conclusion on the world of fairies on Skye

So, as you can see, the fairies on Skye live a very magical life in a magical place.  I tend to think of fairies as warm weather creatures, so I can’t imagine they were fairing very well in the freezing temperatures.  But hopefully they survived this unusual frigid weather, as I did, and hopefully spring is just around the corner!

Until next time, the fairies wish you a wonderful day!

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

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In Scotland, there is no such thing as bad weather…only the wrong clothes.

I must be the luckiest gal alive to be in Europe during the freak “Beast from the East” winter storm.  Snow in Edinburgh crippling the whole city, but I’m not in Edinburgh.  I’m on the Isle of Skye, where temperatures have fallen below freezing for the first time since 2010!  But I am lucky because… I have all of my winter gear from Iceland.  So THANK YOU giant North Face coat and Sorel snow boots!  

1. The Spoons on Skye

My original plan for Skye was to go hiking and work on my essays.  The first day on Skye, windchill was 13°F | -10.5°C.  So hiking?  No thank you.  But I did manage to get some work done, in the coziest, most amazing place I stayed at!  The Spoons on Skye is a “luxury self catering” guesthouse, which to Americans, really just means it is a vacation rental, not a bed and breakfast. 

My stay at the Spoons on Skye was absolutely amazing, and big bonus, they do leave some food for you in the refrigerator for when you arrive (i.e. eggs, delicious bacon, juice, milk, yogurt, granola, and some tomatoes).  It’s actually a huge plus having those provisions, because everything in Skye is close, but takes a long time to get to. 

Portree, the main town on the island, is only a few miles away, but takes about 20 minutes driving to get there… mostly because of potholes and windy roads.  It’s not a single track road, like other roads on the island.  In order to buy anything, you have to go into town.  And when it is cold as it’s been in years on Skye, one is thankful to have some food at home before having to go out and buy more provisions.

And, through much trial and error, I finally figured out how to layer logs in the wood burning stove, and start a fire!  Which is SO COZY when it’s freezing outside.

Isn’t Spoons on Skye the most gorgeous place ever?

Anyone looking for an amazing, cozy, homey and super lovely place to stay, look no further than the Spoons on Skye! It’s extremely highly recommended by yours truly!

Eventually, I did end up venturing outward on the second day.  Hiking in the cold is fine, but hiking when there’s monstrous wind and the cold, can be tough.  Also, since I just got over my Jerusalem illness, I didn’t want to overdo it physically.

2. Hiking the Old Man of Storr

Hiking the Old Man of Storr was something that I knew I had to do on Skye. The Old Man of Storr is a rock formation, located a few miles north of Portree. 

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There is a small parking space, but most people just park up the road from there, since the parking space really only accommodates less than 8 cars (my educated guess).  There is one sign at the beginning and then a gate and the path up. 

It’s fairly steep on the way up, and that’s not to be underestimated.  It was supposed to be 40 minutes (one way) up to visit the Old Man.  I don’t know what pace that equates to, but going at a steep incline, I was taking several breaks “for the view” but also to catch my breath.  haha.  I passed through 3 more gates, and I still didn’t arrive at the Old Man.  Apparently during this time, I had gone up 52 floors, according to my phone.  And not wanting to overdo it, I gave up and started the much funner descent.

3. Visit to Portree

After my exhausting hike, I decided to stop by Portree and take a look around town.  It’s the biggest town on the island, and to be honest, the rest of the places on Skye that you can see on Google Maps are not towns.  They’re maybe a small grouping of houses (probably less than 10), maybe one post office that might double as a store, and likely no restaurants to speak of.  But Portree was a big town, with hotels, a grocery store, shops, restaurants*, and a harbor. 

*There is a little caveat with the restaurants, because most are not open in the off season.  And even then, the ones that are open close during afternoon hours between lunch and dinner, so there is very limited hours of service.

A visit to town isn’t complete without a stop at the co-op, or small grocery store, to stock up on goods.  Bought enough stuff to cook an amazing soup that kept me warm the rest of the day.

Stay tuned, for my next entry on my trip to the Fairy Glens and my road trip around the Trotternish Peninsula!  But for now, I need to pack, as I’m leaving Belfast for Dublin!

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/