Glen Brittle

Glen Brittle is where you go if you mean the Black Cuillin seriously. The narrow road drops southwest from Carbost onto the west coast of Skye and ends at a campsite and beach below the highest peaks of the Cuillin ridge. The glen has two distinct characters: the Fairy Pools at its northern end, where the Allt Coir' a' Mhadaidh runs through a series of turquoise plunge pools that have become one of the most visited natural features in Scotland; and the climbing hut and campsite at the road's end, which is the operational base for everything from the Cuillin traverse to individual peak bagging.

The Fairy Pools problem is real. A dedicated car park now exists at the trailhead, but on any clear summer day the road approaching it is backed up for a kilometre and the path is crowded from 8am to 7pm. The pools themselves are genuinely beautiful — the colour comes from filtered water over pale quartzite and the swimming is cold and spectacular. But the management of the site is still catching up with its popularity. Arrive before 8am or after 5pm in July and August.