Isle of Skye
5
Day Itinerary •
UK
Five days on the Isle of Skye gives you enough time to reach every extraordinary corner of the largest island in the Inner Hebrides. The Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing, the Fairy Pools and the Cuillin ridge are the famous highlights, but five days also allows for the extraordinary northern peninsula of Trotternish, the hidden sea stacks of Staffin and the remarkable Neist Point lighthouse at the westernmost tip of the island. This route covers the complete island circuit. The Trotternish peninsula with the Storr and Quiraing, the extraordinary Fairy Pools of Glen Brittle below the Black Cuillin, the remarkable Dunvegan Castle and the Coral Beaches, the remote Waternish peninsula and the extraordinary Kilt Rock waterfall falling directly into the sea.
Best Time To Visit
May to September
Getting There
Drive via Kyle of Lochalsh or ferry from Mallaig
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 100 to 180 GBP per person per day
Difficulity
Moderate, some hill walking on rough paths
DAY 1
PORTREE AND THE STORR
MORNING
THE OLD MAN OF STORR AT SUNRISE
The Old Man of Storr is the most famous rock pinnacle in Scotland, its extraordinary 50-metre basalt column rising above the Trotternish ridge with the Sound of Raasay and the mainland mountains behind. The walk up from the car park takes about 45 minutes on a well-maintained path. Go before 7am in summer to have the rocks entirely to yourself. The view from above the pinnacle over the Trotternish peninsula at dawn is extraordinary. Free. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
PORTREE HARBOUR
Portree is the finest small harbour town in the Hebrides, its extraordinary row of brightly coloured houses reflected in the calm water of the bay making it one of the most photographed scenes in Scotland. The harbour is the heart of island life, the fishing boats moored alongside the pleasure craft and the remarkable seafood stalls selling the finest langoustines, crab and lobster landed that morning. Free. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
KILT ROCK AND THE MEALT FALLS
Kilt Rock is one of the most extraordinary coastal formations in Scotland, its 60-metre vertical cliff of columnar basalt resembling the pleated fabric of a kilt dropping directly into the sea. The Mealt waterfall plunges over the cliff edge beside it in a single extraordinary drop to the waves below. The viewpoint is one of the most dramatic on the entire Scottish coast. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Lealt Gorge viewpoint 3km south of Kilt Rock, where the Lealt river drops through an extraordinary narrow canyon to the sea, is almost always missed by visitors stopping at Kilt Rock. The gorge walk from the road takes 15 minutes each way and passes an extraordinary ruined diatomite processing plant from the 1890s. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Early packed breakfast or cafe Leave before dawn for the Storr. Coffee and something portable. | Lunch: Portree harbour seafood stall Fresh langoustines and crab claws at the most beautiful harbour in the Hebrides. | Dinner: The Isles Inn, Portree Local venison, Skye lamb and the finest whisky selection on the island.
DAY 2
THE QUIRAING AND TROTTERNISH
MORNING
THE QUIRAING WALK
The Quiraing is the most extraordinary landscape on Skye, a vast landslip on the eastern face of the Trotternish ridge creating a chaos of pinnacles, cliffs and hidden plateaux unlike anything else in Britain. The circular walk from the northern car park on the B855 takes about 3 hours and passes the extraordinary Prison, the Needle and the Table, a hidden flat-topped rock used for shinty games until the 19th century. Free. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
STAFFIN BEACH AND THE DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS
Staffin Bay has the finest dinosaur trackways in Scotland, the footprints of sauropods and theropods preserved in the remarkable mudstone ledges at the beach. The footprints are visible at low tide and the extraordinary Staffin Dinosaur Museum in the village has excellent interpretive displays. The bay itself is beautiful with the Trotternish ridge behind. Entry museum approx 3 GBP. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
FLODIGARRY AND THE TROTTERNISH COAST
Flodigarry at the northern tip of Trotternish has the most extraordinary combination of sea view and mountain backdrop on Skye, the Sound of Raasay, Wester Ross and the Cuillin all visible simultaneously. The cottage where Flora MacDonald lived after helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape is on the hotel grounds. The coastal walk north from Flodigarry to the Rubha Hunish headland gives the finest view of the northern tip of Skye. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Rubha Hunish headland at the very northern tip of Skye, reached by a 45-minute coastal walk from Flodigarry, has a remarkable former coastguard lookout converted into a bothy and the finest views of the Outer Hebrides, Torridon and the Shiant Isles from any point on Skye. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Portree Early start for the Quiraing. Coffee and toast before the walk. | Lunch: Columba 1400, Staffin Simple lunch with extraordinary views over Staffin Bay. | Dinner: Flodigarry Hotel The finest dinner with a view on the island. Local seafood and game.
DAY 3
FAIRY POOLS AND THE CUILLIN
MORNING
THE FAIRY POOLS OF GLEN BRITTLE
The Fairy Pools are a series of extraordinary crystal-clear mountain pools and waterfalls on the Allt Coir a Mhadaidh beneath the Black Cuillin. The walk from the car park follows the burn upstream through a sequence of increasingly beautiful pools. The water is cold even in summer but the extraordinary colours, the underwater clarity and the Cuillin peaks above are unlike anything else in Scotland. Wild swimming is extraordinary here. Free. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
THE CUILLIN RIDGE WALK FROM SLIGACHAN
The Cuillin ridge is the finest mountain landscape in Britain, its extraordinary jagged gabbro peaks rising to 992 metres above the Sligachan valley. The walk from the old Sligachan bridge up Glen Sligachan gives the finest accessible view of the Black Cuillin and the Red Cuillin together. The bridge itself is one of the most photographed locations in Scotland. The Sligachan Hotel has the finest selection of island whiskies anywhere. Free. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
ELGOL AND THE CUILLIN FROM THE SEA
The boat trip from Elgol to Loch Coruisk, the extraordinary glacial loch at the heart of the Black Cuillin accessible only by boat or a serious mountain route, is the finest journey on Skye. The view of the Cuillin from the sea as the boat rounds the headland is the most extraordinary mountain panorama in Britain. Seals haul out on the rocks at the entrance to the loch. Book with Bella Jane Boat Trips. Entry approx 20 GBP.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Rubh an Dunain headland south of Glen Brittle, reached by a 5km walk from the campsite, has a remarkable Viking canal cut through the rock connecting a freshwater loch to the sea and the most extraordinary Iron Age dun in the Hebrides. Almost always completely empty. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast Good breakfast before the Fairy Pools walk. | Lunch: Sligachan Hotel Classic pub lunch in the most historic climbing hotel in Scotland. | Dinner: Three Chimneys, Colbost The finest restaurant in Scotland. Book months ahead. Worth it.
DAY 4
DUNVEGAN AND WATERNISH
MORNING
DUNVEGAN CASTLE AND THE CORAL BEACHES
Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland, home to the Clan MacLeod for 800 years. The castle's extraordinary collection includes the Fairy Flag, a silk banner of Middle Eastern origin carried into battle since the 14th century. The Coral Beaches 3km north of Dunvegan are the finest and most extraordinary beach in Skye, the white machair made entirely of maerl, a calcified seaweed, giving the water an extraordinary Caribbean turquoise colour. Entry castle approx 15 GBP. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
STEIN FISHING VILLAGE AND WATERNISH
Stein on the Waternish peninsula is the most extraordinary small village on Skye, its remarkable row of 18th-century fishermen's cottages facing across Loch Bay to the mountains of Harris on the horizon. The Stein Inn is the oldest pub on Skye and the finest place for a dram with a view. The walk along the Waternish shore north of Stein passes extraordinary sea stacks and the remarkable ruin of Trumpan Church where a MacLeod clan massacre took place in 1578. Free. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
NEIST POINT LIGHTHOUSE
Neist Point is the westernmost point of Skye, its extraordinary lighthouse sitting on a dramatic headland above the Minch with the Outer Hebrides visible on the horizon on clear days. The walk from the car park to the lighthouse takes about 30 minutes along a remarkable cliff path. Basking sharks are frequently visible from the headland in summer and the views back along the extraordinary Skye coastline are outstanding. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Trumpan Church ruin on Waternish, where the bodies of the MacDonalds killed in the 1578 massacre are buried under the collapsed wall that fell on them, has the most remarkable and atmospheric churchyard in Skye. The view across to Harris from the graveyard is extraordinary. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Dunvegan Hotel or cafe Breakfast before the castle opens. | Lunch: Stein Inn, Waternish The oldest pub on Skye. Excellent fish and chips with a loch view. | Dinner: Loch Bay Seafood Restaurant One Michelin star. The finest seafood on Skye. Book ahead.
DAY 5
TALISKER AND SLEAT
MORNING
TALISKER DISTILLERY AND CARBOST
Talisker is Skye's only single malt distillery, producing the finest peated island whisky in Scotland since 1830. The distillery tour takes about an hour and includes the extraordinary maritime warehouse and the remarkable tasting of multiple expressions. The setting on the shore of Loch Harport with the Cuillin behind is the finest distillery location in Scotland. Entry approx 15 GBP. Drive: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
ARMADALE CASTLE AND THE CLAN DONALD CENTRE
Armadale Castle in Sleat, the Garden of Skye, is the atmospheric ruin of the Clan Donald seat surrounded by an extraordinary 40-acre woodland garden. The Museum of the Isles tells the remarkable story of the Lords of the Isles who ruled the western seaboard from Skye for centuries. The gardens in late spring and summer are extraordinary. The ferry to Mallaig departs from Armadale pier. Entry approx 9 GBP. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
THE SLEAT PENINSULA AND THE POINT OF SLEAT
The Point of Sleat, the southernmost tip of Skye, is reached by a 5km walk through extraordinary oak woodland and coastal heath from Aird of Sleat. The view from the point across to Ardnamurchan, Mull and the Small Isles is the finest accessible sea view in southern Skye. The extraordinary mixture of Atlantic woodland, white sand beaches and the open sea at the point is remarkable. Almost always empty. Free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Rubha Mor headland on the Sleat peninsula, reached by a short walk from Tarskavaig, has the finest view of the Black Cuillin from sea level anywhere in Skye. The extraordinary combination of white sand beach, turquoise water and the jagged Cuillin behind makes it one of the most beautiful views in Scotland. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel breakfast, Portree or Dunvegan Final Skye breakfast before the distillery visit. | Lunch: Armadale Castle cafe Soup and sandwiches in the extraordinary castle garden. | Dinner: Hotel Eilean Iarmain, Isleornsay The finest dinner in Sleat. Gaelic hospitality and local seafood.
Where To Stay
Portree, Nights 1 to 5 Central base for the whole island. Approx 100 to 200 GBP per night. Dunvegan area, Night 4 Move west to access Neist Point and the coral beaches easily. Booking ahead Skye accommodation books out months ahead in summer. Reserve well in advance.
Top Tips
1. The Old Man of Storr at sunrise with no other visitors is the finest hour on Skye. Go before 7am.
2. Midges are ferocious from June to August. Bring a head net and midge repellent. Non-negotiable.
3. The Fairy Pools car park fills by 9am in summer. Arrive before 8am or after 6pm.
4. Weather changes rapidly. Always carry waterproofs and extra layers regardless of the forecast.
5. Book the Elgol boat trip well ahead in summer. The Cuillin from the sea is extraordinary.
6. The Quiraing is best walked anti-clockwise starting from the northern car park off the B855.
Total Budget
150 to 320 GBP/day