Isle of Skye
The Isle of Skye’s dramatic landscapes are some of the best in Scotland. The best way to experience its mountains, waterfalls, and sea cliffs is on a self-drive road trip.
When most people think of visiting Scotland, Edinburgh and Loch Ness are the first spots that come to mind. While both are nice, I think a road trip up through the Scottish Highlands and then up to the Isle of Skye is far better.
The scenery on Skye is rugged, breathtaking, and raw.
Free to explore at your own pace, you’ll be stopping around each bend of Skye’s notoriously narrow and winding country roads for one incredible photo opportunity after another!
I recently road-tripped around the Isle of Skye in Scotland to experience one of the United Kingdom’s most adventurous and scenic travel destinations for myself. It didn’t disappoint.
If photography and exploring mountain landscapes are your thing, then you’ll love road tripping around the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
The area is steeped in myth and legend — a place where giants and fairies roam. Bloody clan battles were fought here, and ancient castles still stand.
You’ll feel like you’ve been transported into an epic fantasy novel.
The island is split up into a series of peninsulas. For the purposes of this guide, I’ll cover the Trotternish Peninsula in the East, the Waternish Peninsula to the West, and the Black Cuillin Hills region of the South.
Shimmering lochs (lakes) dominate the Waternish Peninsula, while jagged volcanic formations left over from landslides from the Trotternish Ridge. Windswept Red & Black Cuillin mountains rise to meet the clouds in the South.
You can drive around the island in half a day without stopping. But because there’s so much to see, I recommend spending at least 2 full days on the Isle of Skye. Plus you should schedule an additional half day to drive up from Fort William, and another half day to get back.
Combine your Skye road trip with a few days in the Highlands near Fort William, plus a full day in Edinburgh or Glasgow, and you’ve got yourself a wonderful week-long vacation in Scotland. This is if you don’t plan on any really big hikes or other longer excursions.
The most common way to get to the Isle of Skye is to fly into Glasgow, rent a car, and drive up through the highlands from there. It takes 5-6 hours. I flew into Edinburgh, took a train to Glasgow, and then started driving. Fort William is a great place to stop for a night in the highlands to help break up the drive.
rom Fort William, drive 1 hour West on route A830 to the small fishing town of Mallaig and catch the 30 minute long Skye Ferry to Armadale. From Fort William, head North on routes A82 and A87 to the Skye Bridge, a trip that takes about 1.75 hours non-stop. But you will certainly want to stop with so much to see on the route. Like the incredible Eilean Donan Castle.
To mix it up a bit, I recommend trying them both. I started my road trip riding the Mallaig ferry over and finished it driving back on the Skye Bridge.
Isle Of Skye Travel Tips
- Google’s typical driving times are not what they seem, due to all the scenic stops, it can take 2-3 times as long as you think.
- The weather changes quickly on the Isle of Skye. So just because the famous “Old Man Of Storr” happens to be covered in clouds at 9 am doesn’t mean that will be the case an hour or two later.
- It’s wise to keep some waterproof travel gear (jacket, pants) packed with you at all times when you’re outside on a hike or visiting an attraction.
- Roads here are narrow, often without shoulders, and most back roads are single lane. If you’re not used to Scotland driving itinerary, it can be nerve-wracking.
- Single land roads have special passing areas every 400 meters or so. Proper etiquette is the car closest to the turn-off pulls over first.
- The Isle of Skye is a small island, so accommodation must be booked well in advance, espcially in the high season of summer.
Thank you!
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