The Isle of Skye is one of the top places to visit in Scotland! It’s the biggest island of the Inner Hebrides and features breathtaking landscapes. A road trip on the Isle of Skye will spoil you with scenic views ranging from dramatic mountains and deserted beaches in the south, to mountain passes past lush green valleys and jaw dropping waterfalls in the north. Steep gradients and tight bends make this island a biker’s paradise. But to truly immerse yourself in this spectacular landscape we recommend getting out of the saddle and enjoying some of the many beautiful hikes!
This Guide includes our Top 10 Things to See on the Isle of Skye and useful advice to planning your trip!
Top 10 Things to See on the Isle of Skye
1. The Quiraing
The Quiraing offers views of some of the most spectacular landscapes in Scotland. It was formed by a massive landslip, which has created high cliffs, hidden plateaus and imposing rock pinnacles. The Quiraing walk is particularly popular with hikers and photographers, but I think EVERYONE should make time for this 2 hour walk and soak in this otherworldly landscape.
The Quiraing is part of the Trotternish ridge, the nothernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye. If for any reason you choose not to do the hike, I strongly encourage you to at least walk from the parking lot to the Quiraing Lookout. It only takes about 5 minutes and the view is stunning!
2. The Fairy Glen
The Fairy Glen is like a miniature version of the Quiraing, where a tiny single track road winds around small round topped grassy hills with lochands. The landscape is very enchanting and picturesque. It’s best to explore these unusual land formations by following one of the trails, getting lost and taking in the views. You don’t need to hike very far. In fact, it’s not even a 5 minutes walk from the car park to immerse yourself in the landscape. It wasn’t busy when we visited but if the car park is full you can also park in Uig from where it takes about 30 min. to hike to the Fairy Glen. We absolutely loved it here!
3. Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls
Kilt Rock is a 90 meter rock formation resembling a pleated kilt, both in shape and colour. But arguably most people come here to watch the mesmerising Mealt waterfall plummeting from the top of the cliffs into the sea. The only other time I’ve ever seen this before was the McWay Falls along the Big Sur of California.
From the parking lot it’s just a few steps to this gorgeous look out point and during peak season there is usually a piper, adding to the dramatic atmosphere of this awesome place!
4. Brother’s Point
The Brothers point, also known as Rubha nam Brathairean, is a dramatic headland walk along the coast marking the easternmost point of Trotternish. It wasn’t the highlight of all the places we visited on the Isle of Skye but what I liked is that most people don’t bother with this hike. During peak season the Isle of Skye can attract big numbers of tourists and this walk allows you to get away and enjoy some of its beauty to yourself! It’s very beautiful and well worth the hike but if you find yourself strapped for time then I would give this one a miss, because the other highlights are simply unmissable!
It’s worth pointing out that some of the headland can be quite wet (even on a sunny day) and we both got wet feet so perhaps bring a spare pair of socks. Outside of summer I would probably skip this one altogether unless you are very confident that your footwear will keep you dry 😉
Click here for directions!
5. The Old Man of Storr
Now this was probably my favourite and certainly the most jaw-dropping place we visited on the Isle of Skye. ‘The Old Man’ refers to one of the majestic rock pinnacles you hike up to from where you will experience 360 degrees views of some of Scotland’s finest landscapes. Hiking up to ‘The Old Man’ was a little steep. Instead I followed the trail path further along from where you get an incredible view of the rock pinnacles.
From the car park there are stone steps leading up to the top. I was surprised that a lot of people turned around at this point to get back down. One of the highlights for me was the actual walk past the pinnacles and further along, so if you’ve made it this far, just push yourself a little bit further.
This hike takes about 2 hours and here are the directions of how to get there. If it’s a misty or foggy day you may not see anything from the top (or bottom). But catch it on a clear, sunny day and you’ll be mesmerised by the beauty of this place!
Pressed for time?
If your time on the Isle of Skye is limited, you can easily do all of the above as a circular loop around the north island in one day if you start early, skip Brother’s Point and only visit the Quairing lookout point!
if you enjoy hiking and don’t want to miss some of Scotland’s most spectacular landscape, then you should factor in more time!
6. Fairy Pools
The Fairy Pools are located at the foot of the Black Cuillin mountain range from where a series of waterfalls creates beautiful rock pools with crystal clear spring water. The beauty of this place is undeniable but it was also the busiest place we visited on the island and the hike felt a little ‘crowded’ compared to everywhere else we’d been on the Isle of Skye.
The hike takes about an hour and the car park charges a whopping £5 GBP even for motorbikes. We managed to find off-road parking which I like to think was legal but it’s certainly difficult to park for free around here.
It’s worth mentioning that we had to wear our midge head nets during the majority of this hike. Midges generally like damp conditions and the water pools provide a perfect breathing ground for them. Although we hiked here on a rainy and windy day (they don’t usually like winds) we could not avoid them. So come prepared!
The ferry pools are definitely worth visiting, although between the midges and crowds of people it wasn’t my number one highlight. That said, the wild camping around here is simply awesome and that’s what really made it for us!
The walk to Coral Beach from the gravel car park is about 25 min. each way. However the car park is small and at the end of single track. This means it fills up quickly with nowhere else to park and you may need to turn around if you arrived here too late in the day during peak season. Luckily there is no issue parking a motorbike without taking up a car parking space!
Best wild camping spot
Once you pass the Fairy Pools continue towards Glenbrittle Campsite & Cafe. It’s roughly a 10-15 min. drive and you’ll notice a few suitable and stunning wild camping spots along the way. We wild camped next to a river with stunning views of the mountains. But beware, it’s generally pretty bad in regards to midges out here. If you need a hot shower or laundry facilities then just head to the campsite.
The Fairy Pools are located 20 miles (35 minutes drive) from Portree.
7. Coral Beach
Coral Beach is the prettiest beach on the Isle of Skye and pretty unique as it’s made of crushed white corals. When the sun is out the beach looks tropical as does the turquoise coloured sea. Visiting when the tide is half in will give you the best opportunities to photograph Coral Beach from its best side. Right next to the beach is a small hill, known as ‘Ghrobain’. It only takes a few minutes to hike up it and be rewarded with stunning panoramic views. During low tide you can explore the small island called ‘Lampay’ via a coral causeway.
It is possible to wild camp on Coral Beach just behind the little hill, out of sight. However, you’ll have to be able to carry all the camping gear and supplies 3.6km each way as you can only get to this beach by foot. I think it’s one of the best wild camping spots on the isle of Skye!
Coral beach is located about 26 miles (45 minutes drive) from Portree.
8. Neist Point Lighthouse
Photo of Neist Point by www.walkhighlands.co.uk
On the most westerly tip of the Isle of Skye you’ll find the Neist Point Lighthouse. It’s a popular sunset point with stunning views of the surrounding cliffs and lighthouse itself. During the day it’s meant to be a good spot to spot dolphins. So if you bring a good picnic and some patience you might just get lucky! It’s also possible to wild camp out here but it does get very windy!
Neist Point Lighthouse is located about 31 miles (1 hour drive) from Portree.
9. Camasunary Bay
There is a lovely hike through the Cuillin Mountain range in the south of the Isle of Skye leading to Camasunary Bay. The southern part of the Isle of Skye is much quieter than the north. So if you want to enjoy a beautiful hike away from the crowds then this is it!
Whilst in this area it’s also worth checking out Elgol & Torrin. The winding single track roads are very scenic, passing a 16th century church & graveyard, a marble quarry. The hairpin road leads to an old port with beautifully restored croft-houses, some of which have been turned into AirBnB accommodation. From here you can book boat tours to visit the nearby Spar marble cave.
10. Camas Daraich
Camas Daraich is another beautiful white sand beach but much quieter than Coral Beach. The reason for that is that it’s located in the southern part of the Isle of Skye which many people don’t bother to visit. Perhaps that even makes it more unique and beautiful! It’s not too easy to reach and the hike takes about an hour with some steep hills and boggy terrain. But in return you might just have this awe inspiring beach all to yourself!
You can combine a hike to Camas Daraich with a hike to the Point of Sleat – the southernmost point in the Isle of Skye. The hike also provides nice views of the surrounding islands. But of course nothing beats setting eyes on Camas Daraich!
How to get to the Isle of Skye?
You can take a ferry to the isle of Skye, however you don’t have to! In fact you have 3 options to get there, so let’s take a look at them!
1. The Skybridge (cheapest option to reach Isle of Skye)
There is actually a free road bridge spanning the sea between the villages of Kyle of Lochalsh (mainland) and Kyleakin (Skye). It is 1.5 miles long. Since the toll charge was scrapped in 2014 it now provides the cheapest way to cross over to the Isle of Skye!
2. The original Glenelg-Skye Ferry (coolest option)
The MV Glenachulish is the last manually operated turntable ferry in the world! It runs annually from Easter to October, seven days a week, roughly every 20 min. between 10am and 6pm. The 550 metres crossing only takes 5 minutes, making it the shortest sea crossing to the isle of Skye!
Turntable Fares
Motorbike: £7.00 / Return: £10.00
CAR WITH UP TO 4 PASSENGERS: £15 / RETURN: £25.00
Foot passenger: £3 / Return: £4
Campervan: £25 each way
Note: It’s not possible to pre-book this ferry!
3. The Skye Ferry
This is a much BIGGER ferry which runs all year round between Armadale and Mallaig. The crossing takes about 45 minutes and can be booked online (highly recommended in peak season!).
Armadale – Mallaig Ferry Fares
Passenger: £3.10 each way
Motorcycle: £5.15 each way
Car: £10.30 each way (EXCLUDING DRIVER!)
Note: You can pre-book your ferry here!
Bridge crossing vs Ferry to reach the Isle of Skye
Why pay for a ferry if the road bridge is free you might wonder? Well, in our case we were coming from the south having visited the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Morar Beach earlier that day. Taking the Skybridge would have meant a 2.5 hours (110 miles) detour, requiring us to backtrack to Fort Williams where we had stayed the previous night. So the ferry option from Armadale made much more sense for us. The other advantage with this ferry was also that it takes you to the south of the Isle of Skye. Knowing that we were leaving the island from Uig, which is in the north, this option saved us many unnecessary miles.
There is definitely something special about taking the turntable ferry, if you aren’t on a tight time schedule. It is also the shortest sea crossing. But which option makes most sense for you will largely depend which direction you will be coming from and if you are heading back to the mainland after your visit or continue island hopping. Just be aware that there the Skybridge and Skye Ferry are pretty far away from each other and plan accordingly.
I also cannot urge you enough to pre-book your ferry tickets during peak summer season. With a motorbike you might be lucky enough to still get onto a fully booked ferry. But with a car you may need to wait several days if you simply turn up on the day. So plan ahead to avoid disappointment!
Where to stay on the Isle of Skye?
Portree is the largest town on the isle of Skye and an excellent base to explore the island from! The most popular place to visit on the island can easily be reached on day trips. If you are wanting to spend time in the Cuillin mountain range you are better served finding accommodation in the southern part of the island. If a daytrip is enough though, then consider visiting the mountains after you take the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale and then base yourself in Portree to visit the rest of the island.
Fiona and I wild camped on the isle of Skye! There are fantastic wild camping spots near the Ferry Pools, Corral Beach and Neist Point. Looking for campsites with facilities? Here is a list of all campsites on the isle of Skye!
But if you are looking for a base to explore the island from then Portree is where you’ll want to be!
Where to eat on the Isle of Skye?
There are many restaurants in Portree, no matter if you are looking for gastro pubs, Fish & Chips by the harbour, gourmet burgers or oriental food. However, we also found that while riding around the island there were inexpensive food trucks serving decent food and we often relied on those. You might also want to check out The Oyster Shed, a seafood market, just half an hour away from Portree where you can taste delicious, fresh oysters.
For a list of fine dining options, including Michelin Star restaurants click here.
Are you ready to explore the Isle of Skye?
I hope this in-depth guide has provided you with some travel inspiration and useful information to plan your trip. The Isle of Skye is no hidden secret and attracts many visitors. To escape the crowds make sure you explore the south of the island also! The Isle of Skye is definitely one of the most beautiful places to visit in Scotland! We loved our visit and hope this blog post will ensure that you will too 🙂
