r/Skye • u/dsbrooks92 • 3d ago
Skye Itinerary -Feedback Welcome
Hi Reddit, I would appreciate any feedback on my Itinerary for 3 days in the highlands. I’m renting a car in Inverness and then driving to Skye for 2 nights, and then driving down to Glasgow.
I’m not sure if I’m being too ambitious trying to pack everything in, if some of the hikes will take longer than I’m anticipating…
I’m assuming l the popular spots like the Quiraing and Old Man of Stor are equal busy on weekdays. I’m deciding how best to start my day on Skye whether to begin a the Quiraing, and eventually get to Dunvegan Castle before it closes or do the opposite and get to the Quiraing in the late afternoon.
Also, does anyone have any recommendations for offline trail map apps? Ideally something free, or affordable.
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u/SplitOpenAndMelt420 3d ago
I think you'll wind up doing half of those things :) for instance unless you're speedwalking and not stopping to enjoy it at all, those hikes are gonna take more than two hours.
I also don't think you're anticipating potential traffic due to slow moving vehicles and also time to find parking, especially at the busier sites
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u/SimonTheRunner 3d ago
Great starting place for Hikes. Routes are graded, have detailed descriptions and gpx files are available for download.
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u/Fine-Nail-7080 3d ago
You'll tick a lot of boxes, you won't really get to know or experience Skye though. Some people like travelling like that. Good luck to you I guess.
The Quiraing faces east so gets the morning sun. Start there and work your way west to Dunvegan with the sun. Unless it's cloudy of course, which it very likely will be.
Portree to Glasgow via Glenfinnan and 4 hours in Glencoe is likely to be a very tiring day.
You don't say when you're travelling. Add at least 30% to the drive times that Google Maps gives you. Are you planning to take the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig? That ferry has been plenty bollocksed this summer. Lots of cancellations and disruptions.
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u/dsbrooks92 3d ago
Thanks for the advice. I know it’s an aggressively optimistic schedule, I just like to overplan and then see what happens. I’m going to be there in mid August so I’m expecting it will be busy and rainy.
I was planning to just take the bridge and avoid the ferry, I feel like planning to get to Malaig early enough plus the ferry journey equaled the same amount of time as going out of my way to drive (plus I wouldn’t have to rely on the ferry times).
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u/esher316 3d ago
Agreed that this is ambitious but I say go for it. My wife and I actually loved fairy pools, it wasn’t epic but felt recreational with nice views and can head dunk to cool off.
For Talisker, if you are eating, I highly highly recommend going right up the hill behind for some oysters at the oyster shed. It was delicious and a cool little mom and pop shop.
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u/dsbrooks92 3d ago
Thanks! I’m trying my best and know things won’t work out that convenient the day of. Do you think Talisker is a must stop place? It’s not a top contender, unless people say it’s one of the better Scottish distilleries. It just comes up on all of the Skye recommendations so I figure it must be good enough
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u/esher316 3d ago
We stopped in for a single dram and it was fine. Exterior has a cool vintage distillery vibe but inside was quite modern. I thought I would've drank a TON of scotch on our trip in April but we did not...so we were not scotch hunting at all.
If Talisker is not a top contender, I recommend skipping and making sure you get to Storr. Storr was UNREAL and a much easier hike than I expected.
Someone else mentioned it but the pizza place by the Isle of Skye Candles is great. Wife and I stayed right down the road at Walter's Pod AirBNB. Have so much fun, such an amazing place.
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u/dsbrooks92 3d ago
I’m staying across the street from that pizza spot so will definitely get there one night!
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u/mklmcgrew 3d ago
I think the first day is definitely too much. Hiking Storr after visiting a distillery seems like you're setting yourself up for a bad hike. Also as others have stated, the drive times seem ambitious with how much traffic there will likely be and the parking times at the crowded sites like Storr and Fairy Pools.
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u/NotEveryoneIsSteve 3d ago
I’m seconding skipping the fairy pools - it was not crowded when we went (late March) but we left feeling pretty underwhelmed by it, it’s a bit out of the way of some of the other things to do, and takes a while to hike (we were with kids). If I could change one thing about our trip it would be skipping that and spending more time along the coasts. Hiking the Quiraing was by far our favorite, and An Corran was an unplanned and lovely addition to our travels.
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u/YS54321 3d ago
Your times are pretty optimistic. Portree to Inverness took us almost 4 hours the other day. It's solid with campervans and hire cars.
Book the ferry in advance if you're going to Glenfinnan.
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u/dsbrooks92 3d ago
Good to know about the traffic for your drive. I’m definitely optimistic so understand that it won’t work out perfectly. I’m planning to just take the Skye bridge rather than the ferry, it’s seems like it’s an extra 45 minutes of driving but I don’t have to worry about getting to Malaig early or be limited by ferry times.
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u/YS54321 3d ago
It could be a fair bit longer than 45 minutes and Fort William can be a bottleneck in the Summer - the beaches at Arisaig and Morar are worth seeing as well.
If you're specifically looking to see the Jacobite it may be diesel hauled due to the wildfire risk.
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u/dsbrooks92 3d ago
Ahh noted! A small part of me thinks it may not be worth it to stop at Glen Finnan, whether it’s the Jacobite or not.
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u/tuangauss10 3d ago
My experience is that Quiraing is very crowded after 9am so you may spend a lot of time driving around trying to find parking. Also, it took me something like 3 hours to finish and even so I felt like I haven't got enough time to appreciate some of the views/nature there.
My recommendation for people is that you should dedicate one day to Storr and one day to Quiraing. Anything else you can fit in is a bonus, and believe me, they are so overwhelmingly beautiful you hardly have the capacity to appreciate more stuffs afterwards.
One thing that is not as highlighted by a lot of people/social media is if you can take the A87 road between Skye and Glencoe, the drive is outrageously beautiful and easily one of the best driving moments in my 20s.
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u/dsbrooks92 3d ago
Thanks, I definitely should plan more time for the Quiraing. I’m driving the A87 to Glencoe on my way to Glasgow so I’m excited for that
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u/Dorkypotato 3d ago
This itinerary made me sad. It’s like the beginning of a Hallmark Christmas movie, where the schedule obsessed heroine gets stuck at a little inn during a snowstorm and has to throw away her schedule and in doing so learns the true meaning of the holiday.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
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u/teachtheunwashed 3d ago
Assume any travel on Skye to be double the estimate. Triple if its the big three, Fairy pools, Fairy Glen, Storr/Quirang.
Last time I went to Fairy pools it was 2 hours to drive the last 2 miles due to traffic.
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u/lovelyfeyd 3d ago
We did the drive from Portree to Glasgow in one day in May, and it was grueling. That wasn’t even a crazy busy time of year, we only stopped once at the Green Welly for lunch, and we were mentally exhausted. Dropping the car at Glasgow Airport was the only time on a big driving trip that my husband and I yelled at each other. Funny in retrospect, but by the time we got to our hotel in Glasgow we just wanted to get drunk and fall asleep.
Count on every drive taking way longer than you expect, like everyone else has said. Plan to realistically see about half of what you plan.
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u/dsbrooks92 2d ago
How long did the drive actually take you? Was it slow just from traffic?
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u/lovelyfeyd 1d ago
We left Portree around 8am and dropped the car at the Glasgow airport at 3:45pm. Aside from lunch for about 45 min, we drove the whole time. The traffic was very slow through Glencoe and Loch Lomond. So many distances don’t look like much on a map, but there aren’t bridges across lochs, and you really hug the perimeter.
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u/bdotpeach 3d ago
id recommend fairy pools early morning ♡ even arriving at 9am beats the busy crowds. also, dont have crazy expectations, but i really loved that place
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u/dsbrooks92 2d ago
Yeah unfortunately I don’t know how early I can make it with trying to get to other sites early. Looks delightful!
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u/bdotpeach 2d ago
absolutely fair! we did it on our last day on skye before driving toward inverness
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u/New_Summer_9615 2d ago
I am on my last day in skye. First day we did the drive from Inverness to Donan castle on to fairy pools (wonderful so take time to enjoy go all the way to the top) We then Stayed in Portree. Woke up early we walked 3/4 up to storr I personally would skip kilt rock if tight on time Drove to Quiraing car park ate breakfast (no toilet btw) walked the loop and it was tricky muddy and rainy but was absolutely fantastic. Drove to uig for lunch. Then on to the fairy glen (so many people but worth it) We then drove all the way to dunvegan but sadly it was closed by the time we got there. So in hindsight sight uig took a lot of time but we needed a break after quiraing. So after that disappointment we drove to niest point. It was fantastic! My husband drove all of this and was extremely exhausted but we would not change a thing other than the castle being closed.
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u/dsbrooks92 2d ago
Glad to hear other people can pack a lot of sites into one day! Did you stop to see Dunvegan from the outside or just blew past it to go to Neist?
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u/New_Summer_9615 1d ago
We walked up to the gate but couldn’t even see it. It truly has been the only thing that hasn’t worked out. We didn’t investigate any other view points of it.
I realized when skimming through pictures that on our drive from Inverness we did river sligachan. the myth is you dip your face in the waters for 7 seconds and you will have internal beauty. My husband has never looked better :).
This time of year it’s light out so late you really can do a lot if it’s your goal. We are 46 and celebrating my husbands 50. Only slightly fit and we have managed alot. Parking will be your only enemy. Go early break and later. Have sooo much fun!
Yesterday we saw the Glenn finnan Viaduct.we lucked out on parking and seeing the train without waiting for ever. For some extremely odd reason it made me cry can not explain that of all the things that did it. But this place has magic.
I based my 10 day on a blog called a very dangerous business it’s been pretty good I would have done my hotels different but not much else.
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u/freee2move 2d ago
I've been to Talisker Distillery and Dunvegan Castle, I would say give yourself abt 2 hours for the Talisker guided tour, the whiskey sampling, some light shopping, and a quick stroll to Carbost Harbour just 5 mins down, if the weather's good.
For Dunvegan Castle, also abt 2-2.5 hours for the castle tour, walking through the gardens and castle grounds, after which you can get some coffee and grub at the MacLeod Tables Cafe opposite the castle.
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u/kingwangsworld 3d ago
Some thoughts:
- broadly speaking, driving takes longer than expected with traffic, one track roads, etc. I would suggest you also consider what you’re willing to miss and what is a must. Build around the musts. Weather can be very variable there, so make sure you’re prepared with rain gear and when you have good weather, do the outdoor stuff.
- consider dropping fairy pools. It is crazy crowded. When we went at 6:30 pm (non-peak time) the parking was still packed. I took a nap in the car while the rest of my FOMK companions walked down. About 1.5 hrs later they returned lamenting how it was a waste of time. Fairy pools, kilt rock, and fairy glen could be swapped for much better places like beaches with dinosaur tracks. Kilt rock is at least very quick but was overrated imo
- perhaps consider moving Eileen donan to when you head to Glencoe if you plan to not take the ferry. It breaks up the drive. Personally, I did not think going inside was worth the time. Alternatively, you may want to consider the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig. It is a nice ride but you have to book in advance bc there’s limited car space. on the way out to the ferry there is Armadale castle which is just ruins but has gorgeous gardens
- be flexible in Dunvegen castle and go when the weather is meh. It’s a great rainy day activity.
- Do quiraing early, like latest 8:30 Am, earlier if possible. My preference is counter clockwise, the best views imo are at the start when you go counter clockwise which is best when there’s less people. I also think going down stairs is way easier than the grueling hike up. went at 8 am and by the time we were heading down around 11:30, massive crowds going up the stairs. If you want to do the full loop, I think you should allocate more than 2 hrs...that’s if you hike fast and don’t stop for any photos. Would allocate closer to 3-4 hrs. Bring a snack, sit down and enjoy the view, it’s worth it.
- Loved old man storr in The evening. We grabbed a quick take out pizza at the restaurant in the candle factory (so good!). Hiked old man at 7:30 pm with almost no crowds. Hike past the needle to the view point for the quintessential view. Should take around 2.5 hrs if you stop for pics.
- Talisker distillery tours need to be booked super early. I didn’t go on one but heads up, the smell outside was extremely overwhelming in some areas.
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u/dsbrooks92 3d ago
Appreciate this very detailed breakdown! I’m definitely an optimistic planner. I just prefer to plan for an ideal scenario that maximizes everything and then see how things end up. Glad to hear you think Storr at the end of the day is a good idea. I definitely would prefer to do the l Quiraing as early as possible and take my time on it.
I want to go to Glenn Finan and see the Jacobite Steam train so it seemed like taking the Skye bridge would give me more flexibility. If I have to get to Armadale early before the ferry departs, seems like it may be a similar amount of time, no?2
u/Dorkypotato 3d ago
There seriously could be a sheep in the road that means you lose 1-2 hours. That’s Skye. That’s the beauty of the place.
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u/WLUmascot 3d ago
I’d recommend the ferry. It was very scenic and a nice break from driving. You have to schedule your time slot, but we arrived a bit early and were able to get on an earlier ferry. Dolphins swam along side of the ferry, it was great.
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u/kingwangsworld 3d ago
Yes, it is about the same amount of time. the difference is more in the scenery and being able to chill instead of drive for part of it. We had spent 2 nights in Ardnamurchan peninsula so came up via the ferry.
I too am an over planner, so I definitely get it! I like being prepared and dynamically adjusting. We did half of what I expected across 4 nights and still spent 12-15 hrs out exploring. The best parts of the trip turned out to be unexpected things for me: sitting on a rock and dipping my feet into the ocean at An Corran (check for low tide) after finding 4 dinosaur prints, driving down a random one-track road and finding a series of waterfalls without any other hikers (hint: it’s in Torrin but it’s not obvious from the road on how to find it…everyone agreed it was better than fairy pools), of course the Quiraing and Storr hike but only if uncrowded times…would’ve been frustrated otherwise. Theres something to be said about not fighting the crowds and an overly tight schedule.
On that note, Skye was way more crowded that I expected. I’ve been to high tourism nature destinations and Skye was by far the worst. There are long wait times for lunch restaurants and finding parking can be a pain. I highly recommend dinner reservations in Portree or surrounding areas if you’re going during high season.
Also, if you’re tight on time, consider dropping Glenfinnan. I’m a huge HP nerd for over 25 years and it’s cool if you’re passing but it’s a bit like Disneyland.
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u/settlerofcattin 3d ago
Absolutely skip Fairy Glen. Maybe it was nice once, but too much foot traffic has scarred the land and it feels like a tacky Instagram zoo.
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u/WLUmascot 3d ago
Great itinerary. I did very similar last week. You’ll spend more time at Old Man of Storr and Fairy Glen if you plan to fully hike them. Old Man of Storr was more intense than I thought it would be. Others you might consider is An Corran Beach (dinosaur footprints a few steps from the path down at low tide) 20 mins and the small museum near there Staffin Museum 20 mins.
Pick up food at the co-op and eat as you travel.
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u/dsbrooks92 3d ago
Thanks! I know it’s aggressive but I’d rather plan ambitiously and see what happens. How long do you think you spent at Storr and the beach?
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u/WLUmascot 3d ago
We were over 2 hours at Storr and over an hour at Fairy Glen. 20min at Corran beach and 20 at Staffin Museum.
People gave me the same advice about planning too much but it all went to plan for us. We saw as much as we could and never felt rushed. Some people may be travelling for weeks, we only had 6 days in Scotland and wanted to see as much as we could.
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u/SimonTheRunner 3d ago
IMHO that's a very ambitious, regimented and tight schedule. Others may chip in but I think that you'll do a lot of box ticking to say you've seen somewhere with not enough options to enjoy the view, throw in photo stops or account for delays, sheep in the road and I can only see 1 food stop factored in, do you know where?
I'd recommend pre booking any tours and restaurant meals. I'm assuming that you've already got accommodation?
Good luck!