The Isle of Skye has been a bucket-list place to visit for both me and Alan for a long time now. This Autumn we finally braved the epic drive from Gloucestershire and it did not disappoint!
We visited the Isle of Skye at the end of September, which we thought would be out of tourist season, as it always has been in other places in the UK that we have visited. And while we were assured by locals that this actually was out of peak season, it was still very busy with tourists for such a small island. Interestingly, we found that most of the tourists seemed to be from the US. With all the American accents around it really felt like being back in Wisconsin, albeit with way better views!
When planning your trip to the Isle of Skye, bear in mind that the summer months and any school holidays will be popular, but even being slightly out of season it will still be on the busy side! We were lucky enough to stay for a week and there was so much to see and do that we definitely could have stayed longer! I guess this means we will have to go back again some day, but I’m sure neither of us would mind that.
If the Isle of Skye is on your bucket-list too and you don’t want to miss any of the very best bits of it, read on to see what we recommend you add to your itinerary. These were our absolute favourite bits from our week there, plus the one place that we regret not having enough time to actually stop and check out!
1.) The Old Man of Storr
The Old Man of Storr is an iconic rock formation on the northeast coast of Skye in an area known as the Trotternish. It is named thus because when viewed from a distance (and from the right angle), the rocks form the face of a craggy old man. Whether you can see the resemblance or not, the Old Man of Storr is a spectacular landmark and the views around the land and coast of the Isle of Skye once you have ascended to the viewpoint are astounding as well.
There is a large carpark just below the Old Man, however get there early as it fills quickly! We arrived at 8.30am with a handful of other tourists, but by the time we left around 11am, there were several cars circling the lot to find a space. There is a very well-marked and well-trodden path leading up to the Old Man. It is steep in places and potentially slippy in places, so do exercise a bit of caution. Take your time, enjoy the ascent and the views you have earned once at the top!
2.) The Fairy Glen
The Fairy Glen is an ethereal, luscious green and narrow valley (or a “glen”) also located in the Trotternish area of the Isle of Skye. It is full of green hills and mounds, small stone circles, sparkling lakes, and is surrounded by larger, and some craggier, hills. From the gravelled car park, you ascend up a small but steep hill, which allows you to view the whole fantastic scene in one before descending back down to be amongst the landscape.
The most stunning piece in this landscape is the Fairy Castle which really does invoke an other-worldly feeling when you turn the corner and see it head on. We happened to stop at the Fairy Glen during a bright and beautiful spell between heavy rain showers one afternoon which really made the whole place light up and feel very fae-like. I’m sure in gloomier weather it would take on a completely different, darker feel. Either way, you will feel like you have left Scotland and indeed arrived in another place altogether.
There is a small pay and display car park for the Fairy Glen. Again, it fills quickly. When we arrived it was chucking it down and we were lucky to have our choice of a couple of spaces. When the skies cleared soon after, cars began pouring in again. If you are happy to wait for a space, I think you will find it worth the wait.
3.) The Coral Beach
The Coral Beach sits at the tip of the middle finger of the Isle of Skye. It is near the village of Claigan on Loch Dunvegan. It is not an easy journey to the beach, although it is definitely worth the effort! The car park for the beach is down a rather long single-track road which was a bit rough in places, but by no means terrible. The car park itself is small, narrow and gravelled with some pot holes. Once you’ve parked up, the walk to the beach is about 20 minutes through farmlands and along the coast. Due to the exposed nature of the coastline you may be welcomed by the blustery Scottish winds. Have I sold it to you yet?
Gather yourself and look down at the gorgeous white sand at your feet. But wait, that’s not sand! Not one speck of sand! That is crushed bits of fossilised Red Corraline skeleton and many varieties of tiny sea shells! Red Corraline is a seaweed that grows on the reef off the nearby Island of Lampay and the “coral” on this beach is actually its bleached skeletons. That is all that covers this entire stunning beach. Although they may not be the kind of white shores to lay out and work on your tan, Coral Beach really rivals the beauty of any tropical beach. Make sure you take the time to climb up the small hill, Ghrobain, next to the beach for some stunning photo ops.
4.) The Fairy Pools
The Fairy Pools are inland at the south of the Isle of Skye, not far from Carbost. They are a collection of waterfalls, small pools, and craggy rocks that run along the River Brittle, all set against the dramatic backdrop of the Cuillin Mountains. Although the setting is a bit off the beaten path, there is a very large pay and display car park here and it is a very popular attraction on Skye. But for good reason!
Once you park up, cross the road and you begin to descend steeply to where the Fairy Pools begin. There are a couple of small waterfalls to start with as you look back towards the car park, but don’t get too hung up here, it only gets better! Before continuing on towards the pools, make sure you stop and pay homage to the rock that is “Just a Rock.”
From there you will be treated to a walk down a gravel path, which eventually becomes more mud and rocks, but do keep going as there are still some gorgeous views and pools to be seen after the easy gravel path ends. How long you take here is really up to you. You can choose to clamber down some of the rocky crevices and banks to get some stunning views of the pools, or you can be a bit more casual about it. Although the Fairy Pools didn’t feel quite as magical to me as the Fairy Glen, they were a beautiful place to explore and are not to be missed!
5.) The Quiraing
This is the one that got away from us! We sadly did some poor planning and had “walking the Quiraing” on our agenda for the end of our week. However, the weather took a turn for the worst on our last day and the rain was just too torrential for us to get out and do any walking. The skies actually looked like Mordor on a bad day from the warmth of our Air BnB.
Although we did not get the walk that we wanted, we had driven past this area a couple of times during the week, taking in the grand beauty of the rock formations.
The Quiraing is near the northern tip of the eastern finger of Skye and is also part of the Trotternish Ridge, as was the Old Man of Storr. It features massive rocky cliffs, plateaus, and jagged peaks. It reminded me of the backdrop to the old Wile E. Coyote cartoons. The walk itself is meant to be something really special… if you get to do it before I do, please leave a comment below – we would love to hear about it! In the meantime I have included a few of the photos we were able to take of the Quiraing while admiring it from afar.
And that’s it! The 5 places on Skye that I would recommend as certain must-sees. Have you visited any of these yourself? Got questions? Got other places that we should see on Isle of Skye during our next visit? Get involved, leave a comment!