Essential information for a safer, smoother visit.
“Plan carefully. The sheep will not.”
Skye is easy to enjoy and occasionally less easy to drive around. A little preparation keeps the roads moving, the locals civil and your wing mirrors attached.
Four matters worth settling before the island begins settling them for you.
Skye is connected to the mainland by bridge and served by ferries and buses. Check routes and service updates before setting off, then check them once more after the weather has had an opportunity to contribute.
Allow more time than the map suggests. The map has not met the sheep.Book well ahead during the busier months. Portree is convenient, while villages elsewhere on the island offer quieter bases and fewer opportunities to buy an emergency fridge magnet after dinner.
Use recognised accommodation or campsites. A passing place is not a small scenic pitch.Choose two or three areas for each day rather than attempting the whole island before lunch. Distances look modest; roads, livestock and weather may hold a different view.
Check parking and ground conditions before visiting. Gates must remain usable by people with actual fields.Midges favour calm, damp conditions and are most troublesome from late spring into early autumn. Carry repellent, cover exposed skin and consider a head net if you wish to retain both dignity and blood.
Wind is the best natural defence. Unfortunately, it cannot yet be booked in advance.Use passing places to let oncoming traffic and faster vehicles pass. Never park in one, even if the view is excellent and your hazard lights feel persuasive.
A journey marked as forty minutes may involve sheep, campervans, weather and somebody taking a photograph from the middle of the road. Allow an hour.
Carry waterproofs, warm layers and sunglasses. There is a fair chance you will need all three before lunch, occasionally at the same time.
Check the timetable and live service updates before travelling. The ferry cannot wait because you were finishing a coffee in Broadford.
Fill up or charge before the gauge becomes a source of spiritual guidance. Services are available, but not always where optimism suggests.
Repellent is useful from late spring into autumn. Standing still beside calm water at dusk is considered a formal invitation.
A brief raised hand acknowledges courtesy at a passing place. It is not compulsory, but failing to do it will be recorded informally and remembered far longer than seems reasonable.
Planes, trains, ferries and an element of faith.
Plan your journeyFrom cosy crofts to luxury retreats (and the occasional bothy).
Find accommodationMountains, lochs, wildlife and the odd castle.
Explore SkyeAdvice, prevention and coping strategies.
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