Isle of Skye, scotland
Attractions Guide

Introduction

The Isle of Skye is located west of the Western Highlands just off the coast of the mainland and is one of the most scenic places in the British Isles, hosting countless attractions. These attractions are loosely listed in order here along a recommended route around the island, however with so much to see, you'll need to be a bit picky.

Castles

Just before you reach the island is one of Scotland's most popular castles, the 13th century Eilean Donan Castle, which sits atop a small island just off the coast connected by a bridge. The extraordinary medieval castle looks incredibly beautiful set amongst the scenic landscape.

After the Eilean Donan Caslte, the most popular caslte around the Isle of Skye is the Dunvegan Castle & Gardens, a stunning medieval castle surrounded by a picturesque landscape, featuring posh interiors and beautiful gardens. Be sure to take in views of the castle with the lake as the background near these gardens. You'll find this castle near the western tip of the Isle of Skye in the town of Dunvegan.

Castle Ruins

Just after crossing the bridge to the Isle of Skye you might like to visit the striking ruins of the Dunscaith Castle, which overlooks a beautiful bay surrounded by mountains. This castle sits along the water near the beginning of the Isle of Skye along a peninsula south of the main road.

At the northern top of the Trotternish Peninsula are the ruins of a tiny medieval castle perched atop the cliffs above the coast, called the Duntulm Castle. You can admire the castle quite well from the parking lot at the Duntulm Sea Viewpoint. The hike up the hill to the castle ruins is quite dangerous and technically not allowed, although many still do it. The view from near the parking lot is quite picturesque however.

Sgurr na Stri & Sligachan Waterfalls

One of the first attractions you'll encounter on the Isle of Skye is the Sligachan Old Bridge, a small extremely photogenic footbridge made of stone. From the Sligachan Old Bridge Car Park next to this bridge you can take a very short hike to admire the stunning Sligachan Waterfalls set amongst the wild landscape with tall mountains behind them.

From the same trailhead beside the Sligachan Bridge you can hike up into the mountains behind the Sligachan Waterfalls, deep into the Isle of Skye wilderness. If you're willing to do a long and challenging but highly rewarding hike, you might consider taking the 15 mile (24 km) round-trip hike up to the peak of Sgurr na Stri.

From the top of this mountain which rises above the sea you can enjoy what is perhaps the best view in the British Isles, overlooking many islands, lakes, rugged coastline, and even beautiful wild beaches.

This trail is incredibly scenic along the entire route, passing by many small lakes along the way. Just before reaching Loch a'Choire Riabhaich lake you'll turn off of the main trail onto a smaller trail to reach the mountain's peak. It's highly recommended to hike a bit beyond the main trail as well in order to admire the breathtaking Loch Coruisk, which is the largest lake in the area.

There's also the option of walking around the entirety of Loch Coruisk in a loop, or walking down to the coastline just south of Loch Coruisk.

Eas Mor Waterfall & Fairy Pools

Another option for Sgurr na Stri is to hike past Loch Coruisk to the west, passing between the mountains of Sgurr na Banachdaich and Sgurr Dearg, before reaching the Eas Mor Waterfall and finishing in the town of Glenbrittle. The one-way hiking distance for this route is approxiamtely 14 miles (22.5 km), with many options for scenic detours along the way.

If you'd like to hike directly to the Eas Mor Waterfall from Glenbrittle, it's approximately 1.4 miles (2.3 km) round-trip from the Sgurr Dearg and the Inn Pinn Parking Lot. This tall waterfall is located within an strikingly picturesque mountainous setting, and you're even likely to pass by sheep along the trail to the waterfall.

It's also possible to use the Eas More Waterfall trail as an alternate hiking route to Sgurr na Stri, which is slightly longer than from the Sligachan Bridge, at approximately 15.5 miles (25 km) round-trip.

Fairy Pools

Nearby Glenbrittle and the Eas Mor Waterfall you'll find The Fairy Pools, a series of spectacular waterfalls and pools accessible via a 1.2 mile (1.9 km) round-trip hike with the option for further hiking along the river if you like.

Portree, Scotland

At the start of the scenic Trotternish Peninsula is the sizable town of Portree, which hosts many shops, restaurants, and hotels. This town is also known for its lovely colorful houses lined up along the water, which are best viewed from the Bosville Terrace, along the northern side of the harbor.

When visiting Portree, be sure to also take the short hike up the The Lump hilltop viewpoint, which offers fantastic views over the harbor from high above, on the opposite side of the harbor from the Bosville Terrace. This hilltop also hosts a small 19th century watchtower which you can climb up for amazing panoramic views over the harbor and coastline.

To reach The Lump you just need to take a short walk through the forest starting near the Portree Free Church of Scotland.

Old Man of Storr

Along the Trotternish Peninsula you'll find many of the Isle of Skye's most incredible sights, starting with Bride's Veil Falls located along the road just north of Portree. This small but beautiful staircase-like waterfall is very photogenic and only requires a very short walk to see.

Just north of the falls is the iconic Old Man of Storr hike along a grassy rocky landscape to the famous rock the trail is named after, offering breathtaking views over the islands off the coast and of the surrounding scenery. The round-trip trail length is approximately 2.5 miles (4 km), with the option of further exploring around the rocks and taking an alternate route back to the car park.

Lealt & Mealt Falls

Continuing up the coast you can make a quick stop at the Rigg Viewpoint, which offers clifftop views over the sea high above the coast. Nearby you can park and take the short 0.8 mile (1.3 km) round-trip trail to see the majestic Lealt Falls. Although one of these waterfalls sits beside the road, you'll need to hike down the trail to get a better view of it, and you'll be rewarded with picturesque views of even more waterfalls along the way.

Just a bit further up the road you can stop at the the Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls Viewpoint where you can see gorgeous massive Mealt Falls falling into the sea over tall sheer cliffs, with the beautiful Kilt Rock cliffs in the distance. Very close-by is the small but interesting Staffin Ecomuseum hosting prehistoric fossils. Continue up to An Corran Beach, where you can take in more scenic views of wild grassy cliffs rising above the sea.

The Quiraing & Duntulm

Not far from Mealt Falls and An Corran Beach is The Quiraing, a 2.6 mile (4.2 km) round-trip trail set amongst an unbelievably beautiful landscape with incredible rock formations and views, which is among the most gorgeous sights on the entire Isle of Skye. To reach the parking lot and trailhead for this hike you'll need to drive a little bit inland from the coast to The Quiraing Car Park.

Near the tip of the Trotternish Peninsula you'll find the ruined Duntulm Castle, which is best viewed from the parking lot. Read more information about this castle in the Castles section.

Just down the coast from the castle be sure to stop by the Skye Museum of Island Life, featuring 18th century traditional thatched cottages that have been extremely well-preserved with era-appropriate furnishings.

Fairy Glen & Falls of Rha

In the village of Uig are the fantastic Falls of Rha (also called the Rha Waterfalls) surrounded by dense forests, which you can reach via a very short walk from the main road.

Be sure to stop near the Falls of Rha for an extremely scenic walk amongst the grassy hills of Fairy Glen and see the majestic Castle Ewen formation. This place is called Fairy Glen because it truly looks like a magical place, and is one of the top attractions on the Isle of Skye.

Neist Point & Western Isle of Skye

Now drive to the western side of Skye, where you can take in gorgeous coastal views from the Coral Beach, accessible via a 2.4 mile (3.9 km) round-trip trail from the parking. Close to the Coral Beach you'll find the popular Dunvegan Castle and Gardens (further discussed in the Castles section).

Lastly be sure to visit the stunning Neist Point Peninsula at the westernmost point of the Isle of Sky. Nearby the carpark atop the cliffs you can enjoy the iconic view overlooking Neist Point, which is truly mesmerizing. Near the far end of Neist Point is a beautiful lighthouse, which you can reach via a scenic 1.4 miles (2.3 km) round-trip trail from the Neist Point Car Park.