Skye and the Small Isles

Skye is the most visited island in Scotland, and in summer it shows. Plan accommodation early, start days early, and you will still find the drama that made it famous. The Small Isles to the south are the opposite: quiet, car-free and reached only by passenger ferry.

Last checked 11 November 2026. Timetables, prices and opening dates change: check the operator before you travel.

Getting to Skye

• Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh. Free, open all year, about 2 hours 30 minutes from Inverness or Fort William. Most visitors arrive this way.
• Mallaig to Armadale (CalMac). A crossing of about 45 minutes to the Sleat peninsula in the south of the island. Combine it with the Road to the Isles from Fort William. Vehicle space sells out in summer; book ahead.
• Glenelg to Kylerhea. A tiny community-run turntable ferry, seasonal (roughly Easter to October), with space for a handful of cars. The approach road over the Mam Ratagan pass is steep and narrow. Check the operator's website for the current season.
• Without a car: Citylink coaches run from Glasgow via Fort William and from Inverness to Portree. Trains run from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh (about 2 hours 30 minutes) and from Glasgow via Fort William to Mallaig.

Where to stay

Portree, the main town, is the most practical base for the north of the island. Broadford, Sleat and the Waternish and Dunvegan areas are alternatives. Accommodation on Skye is limited for the number of visitors and often fully booked from May to September; book months ahead, and do not arrive in summer without a bed, as there is little to fall back on.

Trotternish: the Storr and the Quiraing

The Trotternish peninsula north of Portree has Skye's most photographed landscapes, formed by huge ancient landslips.

• The Old Man of Storr. A rock pinnacle 15 minutes north of Portree. The path from the car park climbs steadily; allow about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours return. The car park is paid and fills by mid-morning in summer. Going early or late helps.
• Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls. A roadside viewpoint over sea cliffs.
• The Quiraing. A walk along the escarpment from the top of the single-track road between Staffin and Uig. The full loop takes 2 to 3 hours; even walking 20 minutes out and back gives the classic view. The road is narrow and steep with hairpins.
• Fairy Glen near Uig, a small, strange landscape of grassy cones. Please do not move stones or build stone circles.

The west: Dunvegan and Neist Point

• Dunvegan Castle, seat of the MacLeod chiefs, with gardens and seal boat trips in summer. It is seasonal, usually open from spring to mid-October.
• Neist Point, a headland with a lighthouse at the western tip of the island, about 1 hour from Portree. The path down is steep in places.
• Coral beaches north of Dunvegan, actually made of crushed red seaweed (maerl).

The Cuillin and the south

• The Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle, about 45 minutes from Portree, are clear pools in a mountain stream below the Black Cuillin. The walk is about 40 minutes each way. The car park is paid and busy, and the stream crossings can be impassable after heavy rain.
• Sligachan, with its old bridge and view of the Cuillin, is on the main road.
• Talisker distillery at Carbost. Book tours ahead.
• Elgol, at the end of a long single-track road, has boat trips to Loch Coruisk in the heart of the Cuillin, in season.
• The Black Cuillin ridge is serious scrambling and climbing terrain. Hire a qualified mountain guide if you want to go high.

Driving on Skye

Many of Skye's roads are single-track with passing places. Expect journeys to take longer than the map suggests, especially in summer when campervans, cyclists and photographers stop often. Please never park in passing places, and pull in to let faster traffic past. See our guide to single-track roads. Fuel stations are in Portree, Broadford, Dunvegan, Uig and a few other villages; do not let your tank run low in the north and west.

The Small Isles: Eigg, Rum, Muck and Canna

South of Skye lie four small islands, each with its own character. Visitors cannot take cars. CalMac's passenger ferry from Mallaig serves all four on a rotating timetable, so not every island is served every day; crossings take from about an hour to a few hours depending on the route. In summer a private boat from Arisaig also runs to Eigg, Rum and Muck. Check timetables carefully before you plan a day trip.

• Eigg has been owned by its community since 1997 and runs on its own renewable electricity grid. The Sgùrr of Eigg dominates the island, and the Singing Sands beach is at Laig Bay.
• Rum is a mountainous national nature reserve, home to red deer research and sea eagles. Kinloch is the only settlement.
• Muck is the smallest, farmed and quiet.
• Canna, owned by the National Trust for Scotland, is remote and good for seabirds.

Accommodation on all four is very limited. If you want to stay, book well ahead.

How long to allow

Two full days on Skye is the minimum: one for Trotternish, one for the west or the Cuillin. Three nights is better, giving slack for bad weather. Add a night on Eigg if you want to see a Small Isle properly.