3 Nights on the Isle of Skye: A Scottish Gem
- Kevin and Roxanne
- 10 hours ago
- 5 min read
Why We Loved It the Second Time
Thirty-two years ago, during our three-month honeymoon backpacking through Europe, Kevin and I said goodbye to our dear friends Fiona and Alex in Edinburgh and boarded a bus heading for the Isle of Skye.
Eight hours (and lots of crackers and cheese) later, we arrived in Portree on the Isle of Skye—and then spent the next two days hiking in wind, rain, mist, and low clouds. We knew Skye was supposed to be spectacular. We just couldn't quite see why.
Our strongest memory of Skye wasn't a dramatic mountain or sea cliff. It was a friendly sheepdog who joined us on a countryside walk for hours, helping us cross streams and navigate a pasture with an intimidating bull, before we finally convinced our four-legged guide to head home.
We left the fabled island feeling a little underwhelmed, but oh well, travel is sometimes like that. If expectations are too high, it might be hard to fulfill them.
But when Fiona and Alex suggested returning during our latest trip to Scotland, we figured "why not?". Skye deserved a second chance, and with relatively low expectations now, we will most surely exceed them!
We are happy to report expectations were exceeded. It was pure dead brilliant! (Scots use this term to describe something that is amazing...)
This time we had better weather, a car—and two Scottish friends who knew exactly where to take us. We discovered the Skye with the dramatic sea cliffs, jagged rock formations, waterfalls, green valleys, mountains, and landscapes that looked almost unreal.
Our revised opinion: the Isle of Skye is spectacular.
The lesson? You really need to travel around the island to appreciate it. Give yourself at least three days, rent a car, bring your hiking shoes—and hope the Scottish weather cooperates.
Having Fiona and Alex as our personal Scottish tour guides certainly didn't hurt either. We know we were lucky.
Our 4-Day Isle of Skye Itinerary
Day 1 | Glasgow to Skye
We broke up the roughly five-hour drive with stops in Inveraray and Oban before crossing to Skye.
Highlights:
Inveraray pitstop
Lunch in Oban
Eilean Donan Castle photo stop
Laundry Cottage at Dunvegan Castle (lodging)
After-hours wandering through the castle gardens
Day 2 | The Trotternish Peninsula
This was our first full day on Skye—and the day that completely changed our opinion of the island. It's a day packed with tons of amazing sites.
Highlights:
Old Man of Storr hike
Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls
Duntulm Castle ruins
Skye Museum of Island Life
Fairy Glen
Pizza at Gasta Port Righ in Portree
Day 3 | The Quiraing + Fairy Pools
A day of hiking through some of Skye's most extraordinary landscapes, with a very good café stop strategically placed in the middle.
Highlights:
Quiraing hike
Café Cùil
Fairy Pools hike
Day 4 | Dunvegan + Glencoe
Before leaving Skye, we toured Dunvegan Castle, then headed back toward Glasgow with stops in Fort William and Glencoe.
Highlights:
Dunvegan Castle
Lunch at The Crofter. pub in Fort William
Walk along the River Coe near Glencoe
A Few Favorite Skye Experiences
Laundry Cottage at Dunvegan Castle
Never underestimate the value of great lodging in a great location.
Alex found this gem overlooking the loch, with Dunvegan Castle just steps away. Staying on the estate meant we could wander the gardens after closing, when almost everyone else had gone home.
Having the place nearly to ourselves was magical.
Dunvegan Castle and Gardens
If you stay in the Laundry Cottage, you will get free access to the gardens and grounds, even after hours. The lodging price also includes entry into the Castle.
Spring flowers in bloom in the castle gardens.
Old Man of Storr Hike
Popular? Absolutely. Worth it? Absolutely.
The climb brought increasingly spectacular views across the Trotternish landscape. Unfortunately, my running shoes were less enthusiastic about the patches of packed snow.
I eventually stopped near the Old Man while Kevin and Cormac continued higher. Watching them negotiate the snowy trail confirmed that I had made an excellent decision.
.
Kilt Rock + Mealt Falls
One of Skye's easiest scenic stops—and certainly one of the most dramatic.
From the viewpoint, Mealt Falls drops about 60 meters directly into the Sound of Raasay, alongside the basalt cliffs of Kilt Rock.
Duntulm Castle
Not much remains of Duntulm Castle, but that's almost beside the point.
A short and extremely windy walk leads to the ruins perched above the sea, surrounded by the vast landscape of northern Skye. On a clear day, you can see toward the Outer Hebrides.
Skye Museum of Island Life
A small open-air museum of traditional thatched cottages offering a glimpse into crofting life on Skye.
Fairy Glen
Tiny conical hills, vivid green slopes, winding paths, and just enough odd geology to make the landscape feel slightly enchanted.
And no, this is not the same as the popular Fairy Pools (see below).
The Quiraing
If I had to choose one landscape that captures what we missed on our first trip to Skye, it might be the Quiraing.
Jagged cliffs, pinnacles, hidden valleys, and enormous views—the kind of place where every few minutes you stop walking simply because you need another photo.
Fairy Pools
Our final Skye hike followed a series of clear pools and waterfalls beneath the Black Cuillin mountains.
Another reminder that our first impression of this island had been very, very wrong.
Final Thoughts
Thirty-two years after leaving Skye wondering what all the fuss was about, we finally understood.
Some places deserve a second look. Skye definitely did.
Three nights gave us enough time to see many of the island's highlights, but I could easily have stayed longer—especially with landscapes like these around every corner.
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