Skye from Portree

Portree sits in the middle of the island. That is the practical argument for staying here rather than somewhere prettier and further out: nothing worth seeing is more than an hour from the door, and you can come back for lunch if the weather turns.

Most guests go north on the first day, west on the second and south on the third.

North: the Storr and the Quiraing

The Old Man of Storr is about twenty minutes up the A855. Go before nine if you want the car park and the path to yourself, and take a jacket regardless of what the sky is doing in Portree.

Further north are Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls, and then the single-track road over the Quiraing, around thirty-five minutes from the house. The walk along the base of the ridge is easier than it looks from the car park.

West: Dunvegan and Neist Point

Dunvegan Castle is about forty minutes, with seal trips from the jetty below it. Neist Point, with its lighthouse, is the far west of the island and worth timing for the evening light.

South: the Cuillins and the Fairy Pools

Glen Brittle and the Fairy Pools are around fifty minutes. Boots, and a spare pair of socks in the car. Talisker Distillery at Carbost is on the way back, roughly thirty minutes from Portree.

Portree itself

The harbour is five minutes downhill on foot. Boats leave from there for sea eagle and seal trips in season, and the painted houses along the front are the photograph everyone takes home.

Getting here

Portree is about forty-five minutes from the Skye Bridge and three hours from Inverness. Buses, trains, ferries and the drive are all on the Getting here page.