It’s 11/11 and what better time to write about my adventures on the Isle of Skye. Today feels like the Universe’s nudge to breathe and stay open to wonderful things. It’s the kind of date that practically insists on manifesting something good! 

In numerology, 11 is considered a master number tied to intuition, alignment, and that feeling of being pushed in the right direction. When it shows up doubled, people tend to take it as a moment to pause, set an intention, or just acknowledge that they’re exactly where they need to be. The angel number 111 (which I actually have tattooed on my inner left arm) carries a similar meaning. It’s all about fresh starts, new energy, and trusting the path you’re stepping onto. So today felt like the perfect day to look back on Isle of Skye and the little bits of magic it handed me.

We woke up in Mallaig fully planning to take the ferry to Armadale, only to find out it had been shut down that morning. I was excited about getting to drive our rental car onto a ferry and see what that entailed but alas, classic travel plot twist. For a minute we just sat there refreshing the website and waiting for it to magically change, but it honestly ended up being just fine. The drive around only added a few extra hours, and the scenery almost made it feel intentional, like we were being rerouted on purpose to see things we would’ve missed.

By the time we finally made it onto the Isle of Skye, we went straight for the Old Man of Storr. No warmup, no easing into the day, just straight from ferry chaos into wind whipped hiking glory (and boy the wind was whipping) and honestly, I thought I was ready, but I really wasn’t. 

Old Man of Storr has this way of looking dramatic and mystical from far away, and then the second you’re actually on the hike, it’s like, surprise, hope your quads are in a good mood today(and your knees on the way down need even more help)! 

This is where I really surprised myself with, well how do I say….how out of shape I am? I mean I’m not out of shape, but I hadn’t been on a serious hike in a good long while and as soon as we started on the trail it was already at a pretty intense incline. With the cool air and wind that makes the back of your throat burn with cold, I was actually huffing and puffing for the first quarter until I finally adjusted. Then, I felt on top of the world. 

The weather was perfect with exception of the wind. One minute calm, the next minute it’s so strong I had to lean into it and plant myself like a tree. It wasn’t scary, just wild in that very Skye way where you can’t help laughing because the whole landscape feels alive. I’ve never experienced wind that hard though, especially at the very top you truly have to plant your feet or it will push you in another direction. I thought I was sunburned when we finished and my boyfriend had to inform me that wind burn is a real thing! 

But the views, oh em gee. Even halfway up, when you look back and see the coastline and the lochs spreading out behind you, it hits you how unreal this place is. And every time we thought we were close, another ridge would appear, like the Storr was teasing us a little. When we finally reached the lookout point, the rock formations were massive and dramatic, way bigger than they look from below. It felt ancient, almost otherworldly, and like you’d stepped right into the kind of landscape movies try to recreate. 

Once you’re up there you feel so satisfyingly tired and yet extra energized at the same time. It’s not the hardest hike in the world but it definitely makes you work for it. I would do it again and again and again.  We took some side trails on the way down and climbed some other rock formations before finally getting back to the parking lot to go searching for a warm spot to eat and regroup in Portree. 

Portree is cute in that slightly chaotic, pastel harbor way, and we were starving so we just grabbed the first open place we could find…which ended up being some very questionable Chinese food. Questionable to the point of looking at each other halfway through the meal like, do we keep eating this? It wasn’t terrible, just character building as my mom would say. 

After getting it all down and warming our bones back up we took the drive out to Fairy Glen which I was super super excited for. As a girly in love with the fantasy world, this was a must visit spot for me. The weather had that misty, soft focus look like the world had turned the saturation down a bit and it was honestly perfect for the place. Fairy Glen already feels like you’ve stepped into a pocket of another world, but the mist made everything quieter and more dreamlike. It also gave us most of the place to ourselves as it seemed everyone else preferred to be inside or elsewhere in the weather. 

Little hills that come to soft points like grassy pyramids surround the small trail. Sheep wandered around freely like they owned the place. It didn’t feel dramatic like the Storr. It was quieter, softer, and almost playful. The kind of place where you slow down without meaning to and you look around and suddenly realize you’ve been smiling for five minutes straight without noticing. It had that if magic were real, it would live here energy, but in a quiet, cozy way.

The funny thing about the Fairy Glen is that those little pyramid shaped hills look like they should have some wild legend behind them, like giants stacked them or fairies carved them. But they’re actually just the leftovers of a landslip. The same kind of geological drama that shaped the Quiraing and the Storr, just on a much smaller and cuter scale. Over time, erosion kept shaving the land down in these odd swirling patterns. So instead of one big dramatic cliff, you end up with all these tiny pyramid mounds and ripple like ridges. I loved it. 

Reflecting on our trip through the misty hills, the ferry that didn’t run, and the beauty of Skye, it all feels like a reminder to stay open to wonder. Trust the detours and timing of things.

So as I sit here on this special day, I’m letting the energy of 11/11 inspire me to hold onto gratitude for the small moments. The pyramid shaped hills that make Fairy Glen feel otherworldly, the thrill of reaching the top of Storr, and even the slightly questionable Chinese food in Portree. It’s a perfect reminder that every part of the journey has meaning, and sometimes the universe delivers its magic in ways you never expected. Oh and happy Veterans Day, I’m thankful for your service!

The universe loves us ❤️