Must See Places on the Isle of Skye - Scotland’s Magical Island
The Isle of Skye is one of the most scenic places we have ever visited. It is an island in northwest Scotland that is quickly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in Scotland. Most people are drawn to Skye’s rugged landscapes, epic hikes, charming fishing villages, and numerous outdoor adventures. We spent 7 nights in the small village of Hungladder, located on the Trotternish Peninsula. For us it was the perfect spot to stay, as many of the activities we were interested in were on along the Trotternish Peninsula.
We took a chance and travelled to the Isle of Skye at the end of October and early November. This was largely because we didn’t have too much flexibility on our dates while making our way around Scotland. These two months are typically the wettest months on Skye, but we were very fortunate to have mild weather everyday! October is the start of low season, which means a lot of the tourist shops, stores, restaurants, and attractions are closed for the season. While we did miss out on a few things due to the timing of our trip, we much prefer to travel without thousands of tourists, so for us it was well worth the trade off.
During the summer months, thousands of tourists flock to the Isle to enjoy the countless adventures available on the island. Although the weather tends to be milder in the summer, it can still be quite unpredictable, so you never know what you are going to get when you visit! The weather shouldn’t deter you from a trip to the Isle of Skye. It is truly a special place and worthy of a visit for anyone exploring Scotland. We would recommend at least 5 days to cover these must see spots. That leaves a little wiggle room to explore other places and plan your time based on the weather forecast.
Eilean Donan Castle
This iconic Scottish castle is definitely worth a visit on your way to the Isle of Skye. While it isn’t located on the Isle, you will pass right by it as you drive to the Isle. We didn’t go inside the castle, however we took some time to admire it from across the bridge, as well as from a viewpoint up the hill from the castle. If you head into the small town and up the viewpoint road, there is a place to park your car and get this great view!
We saw the castle during low tide, but during high tide the water flows around the entire small island and under the bridge, making the castle look quite fairy-tale-esque.
Fairy Glen
Although there are no real legends or stories regarding fairies at Fairy Glen, it is a place you could easily picture as a fairy home. As you drive up, the hilly green scenery surrounding the Fairy Glen looks magical and enchanting. One of the hills has a tall rock formation at the top, which looks like old castle ruins. It is called Castle Ewan, although it actually isn’t a castle. It is a fun place to climb up to get a view of the surroundings.
Parking here is very limited, as there is only room for about 10 cars on the side of the road. From the car park it is a small climb uphill to reach the Fairy Glen, but then you can wander and explore the area. In the summer time it can get very busy, so it is best to head there early.
Everywhere you look, the views are quite amazing. If you are lucky to be there with a small number of tourists, it even feels quiet and serene. We’ve seen pictures online of Fairy Glen full of round rock spirals just below Castle Ewan. Tourists occasionally put these piles of rocks out, but there are signs posted all over urging people not to create these formations as they are taking away from the natural state of the Glen.
Kilt Rock and Mealt Waterfall
The views from the Kilt Rock viewpoint are really beautiful. The viewpoint is just off the road, and the car park is very close to the fenced area where you can see Kilt Rock.
The cliffs are called Kilt Rock because the pattern of the rocks resembles a kilt. They are probably the coolest cliffs we have seen on our trip! They tower over the ocean like a giant wall that is keeping the tides at bay.
Closer to the viewpoint is Mealt Waterfall, and likely what most people come to the viewpoint to see. The waterfall pours off the edge of the cliffs and into the sea below. The water drops 60 meters, so it makes for quite a dramatic sight!
Old Man of Storr
The short hike to the Old Man of Storr is the most popular walk on Skye. The views from this hike are great, and the best part is getting right up close to the cool rock formations. You can see the Old Man of Storr from many different parts of Skye. We first saw it when we were driving on the Isle towards Portree, we saw it again on our hike to Brothers’ Point, and again as we drove on the main road along the coast. It’s a beautiful area that is worth a visit.
We did a whole blog post on this short hike, and you can find more details here. It is best to plan a trip here early so you can avoid crowds and get the best lighting for capturing some awesome photos.
The Quiraing
If you could only do one short hike on the Isle of Skye, our recommendation would be the Quiraing. It gives you amazing views over the Trotternish Peninsula, and you can explore numerous rock formations such as the Prison, The Needle, and The Table. The trail is relatively flat from the car park to the base of the first formations, and treats you to some stunning views of surrounding landscape.
We did a whole blog post on this short hike too, and you can find more details here. For this hike it is best to do it in nice weather (or light rain) since you do walk along the edge of a hills and cliffs for the majority of the short hike.
Brothers’ Point (Rubha nam Brathairean)
This short hike is still relatively unknown, which makes it a great walk even in the summer months. Darrell and I were the only ones on the trail, and we were out there exploring for close to 4 hours!
The walk takes you down to the beach, past a few old ruins, and then up to some cliffs and a peninsula with a flat grassy plateau. We had the perfect weather, and a nice clear sky. Form the peninsula we could see the Old Man of Storr, Mealt Waterfall, and Kilt Rock. It was really cool!
Another cool part of the hike is that in early 2018 they discovered dinosaur tracks in the tidal area. We were there during high tide, so we couldn’t see them (we also had no idea what to look for!) but if you are interested definitely plan your walk around low tide.
Talisker Distillery
The Talisker Distillery is the oldest distillery on Skye. It is very picturesque, located on the coast of Loch Harport. They have tours throughout the day, and are also open during the quieter winter months. Taliskers’ range of whiskys have its own unique flavour when compared to other Scottish whiskies, and if you are a fan of lightly peated and very delicious whisky, this is definitely a must do while staying on the Isle.
Plus there is a delicious coffee shop right across the street. We had an amazing flat white and sweet treat there after our distillery tour!
Duvegan Castle
This castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. It has been home to the Clan MacLeods for over 800 years! The gardens and the castle are supposedly lovely, but unfortunately Duvegan Castle was closed for the season when we visited Skye. We only caught a glimpse of it from across the loch while driving back from Neist Point.
Neist Point
This picturesque lighthouse is one of the most popular in Scotland. It is located on the far northwest tip of Skye, and is considered one of the best places to watch the sunset on the Isle of Skye.
There is a small car park for those looking to explore the lighthouse. Once you make your way on to the pathway from the car park there are two options. The first one takes you down a concrete pathway where you can walk down the hill to the lighthouse. The second one takes you up a hiking trail along the cliffs to the right of the car park.
We wanted to capture some pictures of the lighthouse, so we headed on the muddy trail. The pathways were quite slippery in some areas, and wellies were a must as it was very muddy and boggy. But the views from the cliffs were beautiful. We didn’t visit at sunset, as our accommodations were about 1.5 hours away and we didn’t want to do the whole drive in the dark. The views from along the cliffs would be absolutely stunning with the colourful sunset skies.
Fairy Pools
We unfortunately didn’t make it to the Fairy Pools on our trip, however it gives us a perfect excuse to come back to the Isle for another visit! The Fairy Pools are beautiful rock pools fed by numerous small waterfalls. It is a great place to visit, and you can access them with a short 2.4km walk from the car park. If you are brave, you can even take a dip in the clear icy water! The Pools are located on the southwest side of the isle, and are a perfect outing to pair with a visit the Talisker Distillery.
These are just a handful of awesome adventures on the Isle of Skye. The Isle also has a few famous munros (mountains), more challenging hikes, water activities, and plenty of day trips that take you off the Isle. Our time on this island is a trip highlight for sure. For us it was the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation, and awe-inspiring sights. We were both quite sad to say goodbye after an amazing 7 days.
