Things to Do in Isle of Skye
Skye is the superstar island of the Scottish Hebrides, and for very good reason. It has some of the most dramatic scenery in the whole of Britain, all jagged ridges, black basalt pinnacles, moody seas and impossibly green glens. The island is small enough to feel manageable, maybe 50 miles long, yet packed densely enough with wonders that every trip I make surfaces a favourite corner I had not fully appreciated before. This is the shortlist of what genuinely deserves your time.
Hike the Old Man of Storr
The Old Man of Storr is the island’s most famous sight, a great tooth of rock standing guard over the Sanctuary of the Cuillin, and it earns every ounce of its fame. The walk from the roadside car park up to it takes the best part of an hour and climbs steadily through scree and moorland to reward you with one of the most photographed views in all of Scotland, out over the Sound of Raasay. Go early to beat the crowds and catch the low morning light, because the car park fills fast even in good weather and the path can turn into a procession by midday. The climb is steady rather than hard, the payoff is monumental, and on a clear day you will not want to leave.
Walk the Quiraing
For my money the Quiraing is the single most spectacular place on the whole island, and that is saying something. The path is actually a closed old road, so it is easier than it looks, winding along a high plateau beneath vast pinnacles and cliffs where the land looks as though it slid sideways and then froze mid drama. The views out over the green valley floor and the Staffin bay far below are immense, stretching to the mainland hills. In mist it becomes unearthly and strange, in clear skies it is giddy with scale, and either way it is unforgettable. It is a longer walk than the Old Man but gentler underfoot, and well worth the drive across the north of the island.
Swim in the Fairy Pools
In Glen Brittle, on the west coast, the River Brittle pours down from the mountains through a series of clear, emerald pools that glow an impossible blue green on sunny days. The water is genuinely cold, breathtakingly so, but countless visitors strip off and hop in regardless, driven by photos they have seen of people swimming beneath the Cuillin backdrop. The car park is busy, so arrive early. It is a lovely, easy valley walk even if you keep your clothes on, and the towering backdrop of the Black Cuillin is the real star, rearing up above the crystal water in one of the island’s most magical corners.
See the Cuillin Ridge
Skye is dominated by the Black Cuillin, a ridge of bare black gabbro that is the toughest mountaineering in the whole of the UK, a challenge for the world’s best climbers. You do not need to climb a single metre of it to appreciate it. Views from Sligachan, the Glen Brittle shoreline, the Fairy Pools and the Blaven side all show the great rock teeth and spires in their full drama. The road around southern Loch Scavaig offers huge sweeping scenes. It is the battered, ancient heart of the island, and every corner of it feels epic and wild in a way few other landscapes manage.
Visit Dunvegan Castle and the Gardens
Dunvegan Castle has been the seat of the MacLeod clan for eight centuries, and it is the only part of the island that feels properly grand and ordered. The castle sits on a sea loch with lovely gardens, boat trips out to spot the resident seals, and atmospheric rooms that tell the long clan story through objects, portraits and the famous fairy flag of legend. It is a calm, green counterpoint to the wild mountain scenery, and after days of wind and rock it is exactly the kind of gentle half day your legs and head need, and a good option if the weather turns against the hills.
Watch the Sunset at Neist Point
Neist Point on the far western tip of the island is the perfect way to end any Skye day. The walk out to the lighthouse is atmospheric, along cliffs that fall sheer to the Atlantic below, and if you are lucky you will spot dolphins, whales or seals in the water, or seabirds nesting in their thousands on the stacks. Sunset here, with the light raking across the sea and the painted lighthouse throwing its beam, is one of the great simple moments in all of Scotland. Wrap up warmly and in layers, because the wind out at the far tip has absolutely no manners whatsoever, and give yourself time to sit and watch the colour change.
Savour the Food and the End of the Road
Beyond the big sights, Skye is a place to slow down and let the days spread out. Portree harbour, with its brightly coloured houses, is postcard perfect and worth a morning stroll. The Talisker distillery on the west coast pours famous, smoky single malt for tours and tastings. Local seafood, shell-stung mussels, fresh lobster and langoustines, appears on menus everywhere and is superb. Give the island two or three days at the very least, let the weather set the pace, and the combination of wild, dramatic scenery and a warm, well fed evening afterwards is the real Skye experience, the one people carry home with them.
