Llyn Y Fan Fach

Traditionally the lake is thought to have been bottomless, and it has long been associated with fairies.  A farmer is said to have married a fairy woman, he first spotted on the shores of this lake while he tended his cattle. He offered her three different types of bread on successive days, first hard baked which she refused, then dough which she also refused, and then lightly baked bread which she accepted and agreed to marry him. She then disapeared back into the lake and returned with her father, and her identical sister. The father conferred a test to see if the farmer was worthy of his daughter’s hand. He asked him to differentiate between his two daughters. They were exactly the same, but he recognised his own love from the way she tied her sandals. The wedding gifts from the fairy realm were elven cattle, as many as they could count in one breath.

There was only one gease that was put on the farmer, he was only allowed to strike her three times, on the third she would disappear forever. The years went by and they had three sons, but the farmer unwittingly struck his fairy wife three times, and she disappeared back into the lake along with all the fairy cattle.

The fairy wife returned from time to time to teach her sons the art of healing and herb lore. This was passed down the family line for centuries and the family became well known as the Physicians of Myddfai, famous in the Medieval period.

Directions: The lake is in the Brecon Beacons National Park, and is in quite a remote location. The best way to reach it is on foot consulting an appropriate Ordnance Survey map.