Often overshadowed by Bonnie Prince Charlie in drag, the little-known romance of Skye tells of a 9th-century princess who fell in love with a shipwrecked rival chief. Fearing retribution from her father, she concealed her baby in cathedral-like Spar Cave until the feud was over — hence its Gaelic name Slochd Altimen, which means ‘Nursing Cave’.
A good hiding place, it’s only accessible for an hour either side of low tide and, despite Sir Walter Scott calling it a ‘mermaid’s alabaster grot’ and ‘Strathaird’s enchanted cell’ in 1814, it is little visited.
To get there, set off from the phone box in Glasnakille and before long — via a trail left by sheep, a few cliff faces, slippery rocks and a vast ravine — you’ll find your way to the extraordinary flowstone staircase, dark cavern and icy pool within.
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