Isle of Skye Road Trip Guide

Isle of Sky Road Trip Guide. Taking a road trip to the Isle of Skye? We spent a few nights in Skye during the Summer and totally fell in love with the Island. There is so much to do that we really needed more than the three nights we had allowed ourselves. I know we will be back but we also learnt a few things while there which will allow us to make even more of our next Isle of Skye road trip. 

Places to stop on the way up on your Isle of Skye Road Trip

We drove up from the West Coast of Scotland where we had spent a week exploring the area. It was around a five-hour drive from Ayr to Portree where we were staying. So I was keen to make the most of the journey up. Especially travelling with kids as they need to have the journey broken up.  With this is mind I was looking for places to stop on route things that would make the journey worth it.

Have a look at this post on tips for renting a car in Scotland if you are flying in and need a car for the road trip.

Places that you may consider stopping at on the way up are:

• Glennfinnan Viaduct & Monument. An ideal stop for Harry Potter fans you can see the Harry Potter bridge and if you are lucky catch the Jacobite as it goes over. There is also open space to run around, toilets and a cafe. As it is a National Trust location you do need to pay for parking. Depending on how you are travelling to Skye it is either on route to the Mallaig ferry or a short detour along the side of Loch Sheil. You can read more about our visit – Harry Potter Bridge & Train
• Fort William Gondola up to Ben Nevis. It is possible to buy tickets before you visit or on the day at the Gondola terminal. This was our fallback plan if we did not manage to ride the Jacobite on our way back down from Skye. Driving past the Nevis range it seems to good an opportunity to miss. Find out more on their website. However, we did manage to ride the Jacobite and I have written all about our experiences of buying tickets on the day. 

Buying Jacobite Tickets On The Day

• Glencoe Mountain and the three sisters. Before you get to Fort William you pass through the most stunning scenery that easily rivals that on Skye. Pack a picnic and stop off at one of the many lay-bys and picnic on the grass near Glencoe mountain range. We did not spot any with toilets but the views are stunning.
• If you are driving over the bridge to Skye as we did then you could also stop at Scotlands most famous castle. Eilean Doran. It is open daily until 5 pm and you can buy tickets in advance online. There is also a cafe in the carpark selling a wide range of good quality food. This remains open past the castle to service the passing traffic. There are picnic benches and depending on tides you could sit on the side of the loch. There are also toilet facilities available. 

How to get over to the Isle Skye from mainland Scotland

There are three routes over to the Isle of Skye. We went over the Skye bridge. Although the route is slightly longer there is not much in it timewise according to google maps. The bonus of this route is and it takes you past Eilean Doran. Also because of our plans on the drive up we were not sure if we could commit to the ferry times. Which I did find limiting. Driving gave us complete flexibility. Also because we were travelling during the Summer months we did not need to worry about the bridge being shut. As it can be in high winds or bad weather, partly because it is so high! When you drive over it you really do look like you are driving into the sky! So with bearing this in mind if you are travelling during the colder months.

There are two ferries that operate. The first is part of the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet and will go from Mallaig over to Armadale. A return crossing costs around £40for a car with two adults and two children. The crossing is meant to be beautiful. While we were staying in Ayr we used the same ferry company to travel to Aaran.  We found that there was plenty of space, toilets and a cafe on board. However, we did find the times limited and many sell out in advance. I would book ahead to make sure you get a sailing time that suits especially during peak season.  You can find out more on the Caledonian MacBrayne website.

For more flexibility and for a much more local experience you can get the small car ferry over from Glenelg.  The ferry is the last manually operated turntable ferry in Scotland. It carries six cars at a time, you do not need to prebook and it runs from 10 am to 7 pm every day during peak season. Although please do check their website for more information. A car costs £25 return with four passengers and runs every 20 minutes as required. 

Tips for driving around the Isle of Skye

• We found that petrol on the island was actually cheaper than on the mainland. For example, the Culaine Inn close to the bridge was a whole 30p extra a litre than those petrol stations on the Island. Although it did seem so much more expensive than those we had seen elsewhere too. 
• Accept it is going to take you longer than you expect to get around the Island. Outside of the main roads, many are narrow. Thankfully they have multiple passing points which are signposted and in our experience people do use them. The smaller roads pass through some stunning scenery and so you don’t want to drive fast anyway. 
• With this in mind during busy times make sure you get up and out early. As many of the tourist spots get busy. We made the mistake of visiting Coral Beach mid-morning and could not even get into the carpark to turn around it was that busy!
• Pack a picnic. We noticed a lack of cafes on the routes we drove. Although we were predominately in the top right of the Island. There are several Co-ops that we passed both on the way into Syke but also around Portree. 
• Watch out for sheep. You will know when you are in an area where they roam free because of the cattle grids. We came across a couple that had an unhealthy attitude when it came to cars. Although they didn’t cause a problem and the boys found it hilarious. 
• Pay attention. The scenery is so stunning it is hard not to look. But we came across one accident where the driver had obviously been paying too much attention to the reflection in the lochs instead of the road!
• Book your restaurants in advance. Especially at the moment. With staff shortages and some still being closed, you must book in advance. We tried to book some restaurants in Portree on our day of arrival and could not manage it. The only good thing is that there is a lot of local seafood available in the Co-ops including langoustines, prawns, smoked salmon and scallops which all tasted delicious. 

So that is our guide to an Isle of Skye Road Trip. Have you driven to and around the Isle of Skye? Have I missed anything? Please let me know in the comments below. 

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