Isle of Skye, an Ideal Scottish Escape

Posted on 04. Jul, 2010 by in Travel

While a lot of people only go to Scotland for the Highlands and the tartan, there are other areas of outstanding beauty to be seen in that part of Great Britain, like the Isle of Skye. Located in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland - for the non-initiated, that’s about 5 hours west of Aberdeen.

Old Man of Storr by Asands and Dunvegan Castle by Kopernikus 1966

Scotland is well known for its spectacular scenery, and Skye is no exception, whether it is at Old Man of Storr or at the Kilt Rock waterfalls. The former is a steep, rocky face overlooking the Sound of Raasay. The latter is a 200 feet high waterfall, part of cliffs that resembles a carefully pleaded kilt. It’s almost like a giant rock strata tartan (say that 10 times fast). Honorable mention to Loch Coruisk, which is said to be the finest lake in Scotland, partly because of its dramatic green surroundings. Inexperienced hikers, beware: the path that leads to this Loch has a section called the Bad Step. Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

In terms of architecture, Dunvegan Castle is another important attraction of Skye, not only because of its history but because of its beautiful setting. It’s the oldest inhabited castle of Scotland and seat of the MacLeod clan. Interesting tip: after visiting the castle, hop on the boat trip that takes you on the Loch Dunvegan and try to locate and identify the various kinds of seals that live there.

Loch Coruisk by Grinner and Portree by Andrea Mucelli

Back to civilization. The capital of the Isle, Portree, is well-known for its typical harbour, decorated with colorful little houses. Watch out for the breathtaking views of the rocky Cuillin mountains from the harbor - and if you couldn’t tell by the picture, do not miss the sunset.

What’s so great about Skye is that even though it seems like a remote place, it’s actually pretty easily accessible from mainland, either by car or by bus. For an exotic touch to your trip, look out for locals who speak Gaelic - it’s not that uncommon in that part of Scotland, as an estimated 30% of the population speak it on a regular basis.

Have you been to Isle of Skye? Do you have any specific tips or recommendations?

(photos from Flickr)

Related posts:

  1. Top 10 Natural Wonders of Great Britain
  2. Ideal Daytrip from Prague: Cesky Krumlov

Tags: , , , ,

10 Responses to “Isle of Skye, an Ideal Scottish Escape”

  1. kirsty

    05. Jul, 2010

    sounds like you had fun xxxx

    Reply to this comment

  2. Leng | Globe Nomads

    25. Jul, 2010

    Coming Sep I will be at Ben Nevis and I am wondering if I should make a detour to Isle of Skye. Photos do look good.

    Reply to this comment

    • Marie

      25. Jul, 2010

      You should definitely go. I haven’t been myself (hence the title of the post) but it seems like it is a small piece of heaven in Britain. Plus it’s not much of a detour, you can easily spend a day there.

      Reply to this comment

  3. Veronique

    08. Jan, 2011

    Je fouille tes archives… Ah, ça me fait voyager de nouveau. Je suis allée à l’Isle of Skye et ça vaut le détour! On est restés dans une auberge de jeunesse super, tout au nord, à l’est, et on a mangé dans un pub extra, le genre qui a juste deux ou trois plats au menu, mais d’excellents plats. On avait vue sur les ruines d’un château et la mer. Dur de trouver mieux. J’adorerais retourner dans les îles écossaises. Des amis ont passé leur lune de miel dans les Shetlands cet été…

    Reply to this comment

    • Marie

      10. Jan, 2011

      Je suis bien contente que mes archives te plaisent, continue de t’y promener autant que tu le souhaites! ;)

      Ton voyage semble être tout ce qui a de plus parfait et charmant! Si ça continue, je vais devoir cesser notre correspondance!

      Reply to this comment

  4. Veronique

    10. Jan, 2011

    ha ha! Tous mes voyages ne sont pas parfaits, mais celui-ci en Écosse, notre premier dans cette contrée, le fut. C’est sûrement pour ça qu’on est tombés amoureux du pays. Si je pouvais déménager n’importe où, ce serait là :-)

    Reply to this comment

  5. Kopernikus1966

    13. Jun, 2011

    Well, judging from the picture of Andrea Mucelli, there´s still the “Pink Guesthouse” in Portree…

    Reply to this comment

  6. Marie

    13. Jun, 2011

    It kind of stands out! Must be fun to stay there, I didn’t know it was a guesthouse. Thanks for your picture and your comment!

    Reply to this comment

  7. John Daly

    15. Jun, 2011

    My wife and I have a Vocation Rental cottage on the Isle of Skye. Get the info at our website http://www.skyeluxurycottage.com

    Reply to this comment

  8. Sophie

    06. Oct, 2011

    I was in Skye almost 20 years ago. It was interesting and felt isolated, even though it was only a few minutes from the mainland. We’re actually in Scotland right now, and thought of going to the Hebrides this weekend, but it’s just too cold and rainy.

    Reply to this comment

Leave a Reply