Visiting the Isle of Skye
By Tully Luxury Travel | 07-16-2024 |
An Insider's Look Private Travel Scotland Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands hold a place in the hearts of many, the rocky moors, castle ruins and lush hillsides creating a mythical, almost magical story. Though Scotland is vast indeed, it is well-recommended that your trip to the Scottish Highlands includes a visit to the Isle of Skye.
Things to do in Skye are many, but a curated tour will provide all the highlights, as do all of Tully’s luxury vacations to Scotland. As for where is the Isle of Skye in Scotland, you only have to head north of Glasgow to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and keep going, up to Glencoe and through Fort William, then on to Loch Alsh. Here, you absolutely must make a stop at 13th-century Eilean Donan Castle, the most beautiful in Scotland. From there, you reach the village of Kyle of Lochalsh and set off over the Skye Bridge to the island itself.
As you can imagine, there are numerous places to visit on the Isle of Skye – attractions are ample and engaging in historical, social and soothing ways.
The roads are winding, the nature spellbinding
Just north of the town of Portree, the Old Man of Storr is an intriguing basalt rock formation on the Trotternish Peninsula that was shaped by glaciers. At 2,200 feet tall, it presents an unusual viewpoint, enriched by the hiking paths that ring it. The whole of the Trotternish Peninsula itself is a mass of mountains and rock formations, with nearby dinosaur footprints to see at Corran Beach. North of these, the 200-foot Kilt Rock formation resembles a pleated kilt. It yields splendid views of the land and the sea, with the adjacent Mealtfalls waterfall dashing into the Raasay Bay below.
Within the interior, The Fairy Glen is also noted for its rock formations, cone-shaped hills and wee ponds. It is well-known for its folk tales, too, as you can imagine. The fairies are also at play in the middle of the isle at the Fairy Pools. These are a series of multiple small waterfalls strewn across the moors, each churning away, enticing visitors to take a refreshing dip. The pools are woven together by the Allt Coir’ a’ Mhadaidh brook.
Even more fairies take centre stage in the west of the Isle of Skye at Dunvegan Castle, the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. The castle is currently the home of the Clan MacLeod chief. Inside, the Fairy Flag of Dunvegan is one of the Clan MacLeod’s most treasured possessions, a sacred silk banner dating back to the 4th century. Nearby, a stop at Claigan Coral Beach is worth the photo op, and around the bay, The Three Chimneys is one of the top destination restaurants in the U.K.
A stop in Skye wouldn’t be complete without a little single malt whisky. The Talisker Distillery has been making treasured, full-bodied whiskies for almost 200 years. The tasting room is easily found on the banks of Loch Harport.
Visitors to Skye can also take a boat trip to Loch Coruisk, an inland lake at the foothills of the Black Cuillins Mountains. Combine your boat trip with a hike, and experience an afternoon to remember forever.
See historic sites and natural delights
The best time to visit Skye is the spring and late autumn, as the summer months can get extremely busy. Anchor your visit with a stay in the main town of Portree to experience the best of Gaelic culture and heritage – with a fine bit of Scottish hospitality thrown in, as always.
The Tully Travel Designers can come through at any time with various itineraries across Scotland. Give them a call to talk about Scotland today.