Where to base yourself
Portree
The capital and the most practical base: hotels, B&Bs, hostels, a supermarket, fuel and most of the island’s restaurants. Central for Trotternish and within 40 minutes of Dunvegan and Sligachan. Rooms for July and August go many months ahead.
Broadford and the south (Sleat)
Broadford, the second village, is 15 minutes from the bridge and well placed for Elgol. The Sleat peninsula beyond, around Armadale, is greener and gentler — “the garden of Skye” — with some of the island’s finest country-house hotels.
Dunvegan, Waternish and the west
Scattered crofting townships with B&Bs, a few inns and well-known restaurants. Good for the castle, Neist Point and sunsets; a long drive from the Storr.
Sligachan, Carbost and Glenbrittle
The Cuillin side: a historic climbers’ hotel at the Sligachan crossroads, the Talisker distillery village of Carbost, and a campsite and hostel in Glenbrittle near the Fairy Pools.
Food & drink
Skye has an outsized reputation for food. Langoustines, scallops, oysters and mussels come straight from the surrounding lochs; lamb and venison from the hills. The island has several nationally known restaurants, including destination dining rooms in the north-west, and plenty of good cafés, seafood shacks and pub kitchens. The catch is capacity: in summer, reserve dinner before you arrive — every night — or be prepared for a supermarket picnic. Many places close one or two days a week and from November to March. For a drink, Talisker has been joined by newer distilleries and craft breweries.
Tips: saving money and staying safe
- Book accommodation first, months ahead for June to August. If Skye is full, look at Kyle of Lochalsh, Plockton or Glenelg on the mainland.
- Visit the Storr, the Quiraing and the Fairy Pools before 9 am or after 5 pm. Summer evenings are light until 10 pm or later.
- On single-track roads, use passing places to let faster traffic by, and never park in one or on a verge. Blocked roads delay ambulances and school buses.
- Use the public toilets at car parks and villages; there are none on the hills. Take all litter away.
- The weather changes in minutes. Carry waterproofs and warm layers on every walk, even to the Fairy Pools.
- Midges are active from late May to September on still days. Repellent and a head net make evenings bearable.
- Consider May, early June or September: the island is at its best and the pressure is noticeably lower.
- Camper vans: stay on campsites. Overnighting in lay-bys and passing places is a real problem for residents.
Sample plans
One day
- Early start from Portree to the Old Man of Storr.
- North along the coast: Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock, Staffin.
- Up to the Quiraing for a walk and the view.
- Back by Uig and the Fairy Glen; dinner in Portree.
Two days
- Day 1: the Trotternish loop as above.
- Day 2: Dunvegan Castle in the morning, Neist Point after lunch,
- then south to Carbost for Talisker and the Fairy Pools in the early evening light.
- Stop at Sligachan bridge on the way back.
Three days
- Add Elgol and a boat to Loch Coruisk,
- or the gardens at Armadale and the quiet roads of Sleat,
- or a day on the neighbouring island of Raasay (ferry from Sconser).
- Keep it loose: day three is your insurance against rain.
Where to stay: Isle of Skye
Cuillin Hills Hotel
A country-house hotel in its own grounds on the edge of Portree, looking across the bay to the Cuillin.
The Portree Hotel
A traditional hotel on Somerled Square in the very centre of Portree, steps from the harbour, shops and bus stops.
Sligachan Hotel
The historic climbers’ hotel at the Sligachan crossroads, facing the Black Cuillin, with a famous whisky bar.
