Travel with Emily

The promise of rugged nature was what first drew me to Scotland, with images of imposing rock faces and crumbling castles; all draped in a soft blanket of greenery.

I was excited to hike and lose myself in rolling green hills, where there were more sheep than people. Whilst I found many lovely walks and natural landscapes here in Scotland, the isle of Skye was the crowning glory.

Springing from the north-west of Scotland, Skye is clearly in the highland country and balances seclusion with accessibility, fish and chips with high dining and stunning scenery with charming pubs.

Attractions

Old Man Storr is your intro into hiking here as the 4km walk gets gradually closer and closer to the rocky pillars. Whilst it is consistently up-hill, it’s mostly up-and-back which means you can go as far as you’d like and then just turn around. Me and my friends (one with a bad knee) did most of the walk in about 2 hours, but you can even go further than Old Man Storr and continue on to another lookout.

If you only have one full day, I would suggest starting a little bit further north on Skye at the Quiraing, and seeing as much of the Old Man as you can fit in on the way home, as the Quiraing hike gives you a much more panoramic view over Skye and a more intricate landscape as you’re walking along the ridge line. As it’s longer, the crowds of people are also more spread out, making it feel more intimate. Pack your lunch, bring clothes for all weather and enjoy the magic of the Scottish Highlands!

Transport

I navigated Skye with and without a car and here’s what I would say about transport.

A car undoubtedly gives you more freedom. Freedom to set your own schedule, see as many things as you want in a day, and escape much more quickly from the temperamental weather. However, this also adds stressors of driving on single lane country roads, parking predicaments and a higher cost. With two people or a family I believe this is the best option, however if you’re flying solo, public transport works surprisingly well!

The highlands have a great deal too with their Ember buses as you can even get between major points such as Inverness and Portree on Skye for £2!

Busses run in a loop in each direction of the northern-most part of the island, which coincidentally is where most of the natural attractions are. You can quite easily get to Old Man Storr, cliffside views and one end of the Quiraing hike. It requires more planning as the busses come every hour or two but shouldn’t dissuade anyone.

The best combo that worked for me and a friend was a bus in the morning and hitchhiking from the car park in the afternoon! This was my first time ever hitchhiking and coincidentally the American couple that picked us up, their first time doing so too! Something here brings out the kindness in strangers, maybe a little bit of lingering magic from the Fairy Glen and Pools!

It makes for an adventure, good stories and interesting conversations. The beautiful nature of Skye is reflected in the people as cars give way to each other, back up to let another car pass in the single lanes and pick up travellers catching a ride into town.

Food

You can’t come to Skye without tasting some of their seafood, and in the main town of Portree you can eat fish and chips either in The Lower Deck Seafood Restaurant -a cosy place down by the water, or from Fish & Chips and lick the oil off your fingers sitting on the pier by the rocky beach. As I picked option 2 and was waiting for my plate of fresh fish, I got chatting to a lovely woman working in the restaurant, who happened to be the wife of the man working in the take away shop! With that level of dedication to seafood you can’t go wrong!

If you haven’t gotten your seafood fix, you can also pop by the Oyster Shed before a tasting at Talisker Whisky (remember to book ahead for this one!). The shed is perched on top of a hill and you can order a beautiful plate of Oysters and watch them opened right in front of you. With a few friends you can sample the whole menu of soft shell crab, salt and pepper squid and even lobster!

Where to stay

As for accomodation, Portree is the central hub for all things Skye. If you don’t have a car, I’d really appreciate recommend basing yourself here as it limits the buses you need to take and gives you more time in a day to explore. It’s a little bit bigger, has coffee shops and grocery stores and is quite charming.

In saying that, I stayed in a hostel in a town called Kyleakin which is just over the bridge to Skye and this also worked out well, it just needed a little more planning as it was further away!

Lastly, if you’re up for an adventure, pack your tent and lace up those boots because Skye has some beautiful multi-day hikes that are calling my name for next time – just remember to bring your midge spray!