Overview
A nine day, self-guided walking holiday following the Isle of Skye Trail along the length of the island, the largest of the Inner Hebrides archipelago where lochs, rugged peninsulas and valleys are wrapped around the foothills of its mountainous interior. Staying in locally-owned guesthouses or hostels, follow this long eastern trail through some of the island’s finest natural heritage including Black and Red Cuillin, Trotternish Ridge, and Skye’s most northerly point, Rubha Hunish. This is a challenging Caledonian adventure and one that requires plenty of wild walking experience.
We provide all luggage transfers, as well as transfers to trailheads on some days. Our standard itinerary goes from south to north but, depending on availability, we can also organise it in the reverse direction.
For a more moderate level of walking holiday, check out our Walking on the Isle of Skye holiday.
- The Old Man of Storr
- The Quiraing
- Trotternish Ridge
- Cuillin Mountains
- Duntulm and the walk to Rubha Hunish
- Portree
- Elgol
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Broadford
Arrive in Broadford, the second largest town on the Isle of Skye, in the shadow of Ben na Caillich. Take time to stroll through James Ross Park on the seafront, or enjoy a Drambuie at the Broadford Hotel where it was first served in the 1870s. Broadford is your base for the next three nights.
- Accommodation: Hillview or similar in Broadford
Day 2: Broadford – Torrin | 19.9km
Start the day heading away from Broadford through grassy fields as you ascend to Suisnish Peninsula cliffs and the abandoned villages of Suisnish and Boreraig, the latter being a victim of the Highland Clearances, part of Skye’s darker history. Take in fine views of Blà Bheinn to the north before being transferred back to Broadford for the evening.
- Walking for the day: 19.9km, ↑372m ↓365m
- Accommodation: Hillview or similar in Broadford
Day 3: Torrin – Elgol | 15.6km
Start the day with a short transfer back to Torrin. Today’s walk starts with views of Blà Bheinn, following a mix of tarmac sections with old footpaths and tracks. Further on along the coastal path, the islands of Eigg and Rum come into view. End the day in Elgol, a small fishing village with stunning views of the Cuillin Mountains over Loch Scavaig, where you are met and transferred back to Broadford.
- Walking for the day: 15.6km, ↑360m ↓320km
- Accommodation: Hillview or similar in Broadford
Day 4: Kilmarie – Sligachan | 16.9km
Start the day with a short transfer to Kilmarie. Today’s walk is one of Skye’s most magnificent trails. Walk alongside Loch Scavaig to Camasunary Bay, a secluded spot reachable only on foot or by boat. Continue on to Glen Sligachan, nestled between the Red and Black Cuillin Mountains, before later traversing them to take in some of the island’s most spectacular views. Accommodation tonight is at Sconser Lodge, a short 5mins drive rom Sligachan, with return transfers between Sligachan and Sconser provided by the owners.
- Walking for the day: 16.9km, ↑273m ↓301m
- Accommodation: Sconser Lodge or similar in Sconser
Day 5: Sligachan – Portree | 19.5km
The start of today’s walk is along a coastal path, with a couple of river crossings where your feet might get wet. Continue north through woodland and fields before passing through Ollach and Achnahanaid, two small villages along the way. The latter part of the walk is along a tranquil coastal road, with a finish in Portree, the largest village and capital of Skye. With its fishing harbour lined with rows of colourful houses, Portree is a great place to stay for the next two nights.
- Walking for the day: 19.5km, ↑282m ↓283m
- Accommodation: Erisco or similar in Portree
Day 6: Portree – the Storr | 14.2km
Starting near the centre of Portree, spend the day walking along the coastal clifftops, taking in fabulous views over to the Storr to the north, the Cuillin Mountains to the south, and the Torridon mountains on the mainland, over the sea to the east beyond the Isle of Raasay. You are met and transferred back to Portree for a second night.
- Walking for the day: 14.2km, ↑539m ↓380m
- Accommodation: Erisco or similar in Portree
Day 7: Trotternish Ridge: the Storr – Flodigarry | 28.6km
After you are transferred from Portree, embark on one of the finest ridge walks in Scotland. Please note that this is a very demanding walk with no easy shortcuts to come off it. Start with an ascent through fantastic rock formations of the Storr at the base of its 719m summit (the highest point in north Skye), followed by a long day of steady ups and downs along the cliff tops. Continuing through the rock formations of the Quiraing at the north end of Trotternish Ridge, the day comes to a close in Flodigarry, a village well-known for its historic links to Bonnie Prince Charlie.
- Walking for the day: 28.6km, ↑1252m ↓1367m
- Accommodation: Flodigarry Hotel or similar in Flodigarry
Day 8: Flodigarry – Rubha Hunish | 11.3km
This is a great finale of coastal walking, with a mixture of beach and clifftops, and a few short excursions across open moors. You may get your feet wet at one of several river crossings. Just before the end of the route, scramble onto the headland at Rubha Hunish, the northernmost point of Skye with one of Scotland’s best views. Finally, it’s just a short distance to the end of the walk near Duntulm Castle. Take public transport from Rubha Hunish to Flodigarry (payable locally) to reach your accommodation.
Please note that buses on this part of the Isle of Skye do not run on Sundays. If day eight of your trip falls on a Sunday, an additional transfer will need to be arranged at a supplemental cost.
- Walking for the day: 11.3km, ↑509m ↓520m
- Accommodation: Flodigarry Hotel or similar in Flodigarry
Day 9: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Our aim is to always offer accommodations with comfortable en-suite double or twin rooms, but we recommend that you have some flexibility over the type of lodging (ranging from hostels to guesthouses and more expensive hotels and sometimes even a bunkhouse or a self-catering facility) as the Isle of Skye is very remote and there are not many options at certain locations. Accommodation has been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism.
Click to view default hotels for this trip
- Hillview (Broadford)
- Erisco (Portree)
- Sconser Lodge (Sconser)
- Flodigarry Hotel (Flodigarry)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. You can have dinner at the guesthouse you are staying at or at the village pubs and restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
This walk is graded as strenuous and a can be challenge with daily distances ranging from 11-29km, and should only be taken on by people with excellent physical fitness who are sufficiently skilled in navigation to tackle some quite long sections of pathless terrain in wild countryside.
Some days will be more challenging than others and the terrain will be varied with some rough and rugged footpaths (read more about difficulty grades). We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available to commence every day from 01 April to 30 September.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. For detailed info, see our blog on the Best time to go to Scotland.
Getting there
Up-to-date travel advice on the United Kingdom is available here (for Canadian citizens) and here (for US citizens).
Click to view travel options and route planner
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Glasgow Airport (GLA).
By train or bus
- Arrival in Broadford: several buses run daily from Glasgow to Broadford (5h 41mins)
- Departure from Flodigarry: several buses run daily from Flodigarry to Portree (45mins) where you can then travel on to Glasgow (6h 42mins)
- If you are able to travel to Scotland without flying, this holiday is reachable by train and bus/ferry with train stations in Mallaig or Kyle. Take the train from Glasgow to Mallaig then a ferry over to Skye before a local bus to Broadford. Alternatively take a train from Inverness to Kyle and then a bus on to the island.
- For bus or timetabling information see the Citylink website or use the Omio planner above. Another great website useful specifically for public transport planning within Scotland is Traveline Scotland.
UK Visa and entry requirements:
IMPORTANT: From 2025, the UK is implementing a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for many countries around the world. Up until 08 January, the ETA requirement only applied to nationals from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
On 08 January 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to visitors from eligible non-European countries, including Australian, Canadian and US nationals. Then, on 02 April 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to eligible European countries, referring to most of Europe.
You can view the full list of countries that this applies to here and apply for your ETA here, or on the UK ETA app. The ETA usually takes up to three working days to be processed, although we advise applying as early as possible, in advance of your travel dates. People travelling with an Irish passport don’t need an ETA.
You can read more about the UK entry requirements on our blog.
Inclusions
Included
- 8 nights accommodation
- 8 breakfasts
- Daily transfers between the walks and your accommodations on days two, three, four, six and seven.
- Luggage transfers on hotel change days (one piece per person, max 20kg)
- Access to your digital pre-departure information (accommodation list, GPS map of the route, baggage transfer information, itineraries, route information of cafes, restaurants, local bus timetables, etc.)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office / representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- A private transfer to your accommodation on day eight, should this hiking fall on a Sunday when there are no public transport options.
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights are available upon request
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