The Isle of Skye is one of the most beautiful parts of the UK. In the North West of Scotland, the Isle of Skye is full of amazing scenery with mountains, waterfalls, historic sea cliffs and impressive sea cliffs. Check out my guide to exploring the Isle of Skye in one week to see the best this amazing island has to offer.
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How to get to the Isle of Skye
Exploring the Isle of Skye in one week is easy, and it’s best if you have your own car. Some tours run to the Isle of Skye, but public transport on the island is limited. Having your own car means you can have the freedom to explore the island at your own pace and visit the beautiful less popular corners. The Isle of Skye is connected to mainland Scotland by a bridge. It’s a short bridge with no cost, so you don’t need to worry about booking ferries. The bridge means the Isle of Skye is easy to combine with a trip around other parts of Scotland and the UK.
How long should I spend on the Isle of Skye?
While you can technically ‘do’ the main sights on the Isle of Skye in 2-3 days, it’s definitely worth spending a bit more time there if you can. I found there was plenty to do for a whole week and could easily have stayed for longer. There are so many beautiful walks you can do, and driving the narrow single-lane roads can mean it can take a while to get anywhere. The weather on the Isle of Skye can also be a little unpredictable, and by that I mean it can often rain… a lot. Having some extra time means you can spend the rainy days relaxing with a cup of tea (or whisky), and see all the best sights in the best weather.
If you’re looking for a walking guide to the Isle of Skye, I’d really recommend this Ordnance Survey guide to the Isle of Skye (affiliate). It’s got loads of walks for a whole week and more on the Isle of Skye.
Day 1: Coral Beach and Neist Point
Start your first day of exploring the Isle of Skye in one week with a visit to one of its most beautiful beaches, the Coral Beach. It’s best to get here early as the car park is small and fills up quickly, especially in the busier summer months. I arrived about 9.30am in early June and got one of the last spaces. However, if you do arrive later you might just have to wait for a parking space.
Out of the car park, it’s a well marked path to the coral beach. You really can’t get lost. It’s an easy walk without any major hills, and it’s only about 2.5km each way. Enjoy the views as you walk towards the coral beach. In early June, the yellow gorse bushes are in full bloom which give some lovely colour to the photos.
You get to a small white beach first, which is nice, but make sure you carry on to the main coral beach. The beach isn’t actually made of coral, but instead white sand and lots of shells and stones. It’s so beautiful, and if you’re able to visit on a day with some sun it’s even better. Another advantage of arriving early is that it will be almost empty for beautiful photos.
There’s an option to climb to the top of the hill/cliff next to the coral beach. If you choose to do this, the views are great over the beach and also to Lovaig Bay on the other side. Spend as long as you like relaxing at the beach, maybe having a picnic here, before heading back along the same path to the car.
In the afternoon, visit another of the Isle of Skye’s gems. Neist Point and lighthouse is one of the most photographed points in Skye, and it’s easy to see why. Parking here can be a challenge as well, but if you visit later in the afternoon there will be more space.
I’d recommend starting off walking to the right out of the car park, so you can admire views of the whole of Neist Point. Keep the sea on your left and follow the vague path. It can be a bit boggy at times, so it’s best to have good walking boots in case you step into a more squishy bit. But the path is relatively easy to follow. You can walk as far as you like, but I’d recommend trying to get to the small disused coastguard lookout. From here, there’s a great view back towards Neist Point and the famous lighthouse.
I chose to walk back towards the lighthouse at this point. At the car park, you can follow the well marked path down to the lighthouse. The views are stunning, with seabirds nesting on the cliffs. The cliffs to the left of Neist Point are lovely as well.
You can get right up to the lighthouse, but you can’t go inside. When you’ve finished exploring, just take the same path back up to the car. It’s a steep climb back, but luckily it’s such a beautiful area you can disguise any ‘I can’t breathe’ moments and just pretend you’ve stopped to take a photo!
Driving around Skye to get to these places is lovely as well. Make sure you enjoy the drive as part of your day, because the views are just lovely. The roads can be narrow and hilly and full of potholes, with sheep just standing in the road. But just embrace it. Go as slowly as you like, and pull over whenever someone seems to be stuck behind you. There are loads of passing places, which are clearly signposted, so driving here isn’t too difficult. Just keep looking at the views and keep an eye out for anything else. I was lucky to spot seals on my way back from Neist Point, and made use of a passing place to pause and get some photos. I also got some great views of the Cuillin hills in the south. Enjoy the drive as part of your day out.
Day 2: Oronsay Island and the Fairy Glen
Start your second day on the Isle of Skye with a walk out to Oronsay island, on the north west coast of Skye. This is a 4-5km walk, but leave a couple of hours for it so you have time to take photos and enjoy the view. This walk is only accessible at low tide, as the path to the island is covered at high tide. So before you go, make sure you check the tide times. It’s best to go a couple of hours before low tide, to make sure you don’t get stranded on the island. You can check the tide times here.
There’s some parking near the farm at the end of the road by Ullinish. From there, take the footpath that’s signposted to Oronsay island. The path is well marked and easy to follow. And you can see the island ahead, so just keep heading towards it. Keep an eye out for seabirds when you walk as well, such as Kittwakes and Oystercatchers.
The rocky bridge between the island can be challenging to walk over. Walking boots are best so you don’t risk twisting your ankle. But the views are great, especially when the white sand beaches get exposed at low tide. Oronsay island is easy to walk over and explore. You can walk anywhere you like, as the grass is short and there aren’t many boggy places. Spend as long as you like walking around the island and enjoying the beaches before heading back the way you came.
In the afternoon, head to another of my top places when exploring the Isle of Skye in one week and head over to Fairy Glen. This place isn’t as well known as the Fairy Pools, but it’s a beautiful place and well worth a visit. The drive is about 40 minutes from Oronsay Island and much of the drive is over a narrow mountain pass. It’s a good road with lovely views, just be aware it’s a single track road so you’ll need to look out for passing places. And be aware of large holes on the road and sheep who don’t seem to move when they see cars!
There’s a good car park for Fairy Glen, and it costs £2 for 2 hours (you can pay by card). Just follow the footpath out of the car park and you’ll soon see the iconic pyramid shaped hills. Keep following the path, and take diversions wherever you like.
It’s fairly steep uphill, but the views are worth it. It really does feel like you’re in a fairy tale land, with fairies all around. You can see why this place gets its mythical name! Keep following the path until you get to the tall pinnacle of rock, called Castle Ewen because it looks like the ruins of a castle. Explore as much as you like before heading back down.
Day 3: Quiraing, Kilt Rock, Mealt Falls and the Old Man of Storr
After two days of nice weather, the traditional Scottish wind and rain returned today! Scotland has a reputation for being very rainy, and after today I have to agree…
After waiting for the worst of the rain to ease off, I headed to the Quiraing. This is one of the famous sights on Skye. There’s a good car park (pay by card, £3 for 3 hours). Take the short walk up a well made path to get to a good viewpoint of the area. It was kind of all in a cloud when I was there…but the view was still nice!
It’s worth walking up the path a bit more. You get more views, including of the massive ‘prison’ rock. The path can be a bit steep and rocky at times, but it’s easily passable with walking boots or good shoes. I kind of liked it in the cloudy, misty weather – it felt really isolated and mythical, and the mist gave it a really magical feel. Once you’ve seen enough of the view, head back down to the car.
Only about 10 minutes down the main A855 road to Portree, you can stop off at a viewpoint for Kilt Rock and Mealt falls The water just seemed to pour off the cliff, and is particularly impressive after heavy rain. It’s just a short viewpoint stop, but definitely worth it.
Five more minutes down the main road, and you can stop off at Lealt Waterfall viewpoint. It’s another nice place for a short wander and to get a photo or two of the view.
Keep going down the A road, and soon you’ll see the car park for The Storr. I found out later in the week that you’re meant to be able to see the Old Man of Storr from the road as you drive up from Portree. So my top tip here – if you can’t see this view from the road, then you’ll be in a cloud when you get up there and you won’t be able to see down either! I wish I’d known this before I started climbing up!
It’s a big car park (with toilets, one of very few public toilets on the Isle of Skye!). Again you can pay by card, and it’s £3 for 3 hours. The walk up to the Storr is longer and more difficult than the previous walks today, but still easily doable for anyone with basic fitness. It’s a fairly steep climb uphill. Unfortunately the Scottish weather was setting in again for me at this point, so I got some lovely views of some clouds…
After about half an hour of uphill climbing, I got some sort-of-views of the tall rocks that make this area so famous. Unfortunately the weather gods then decided to send torrential rain and strong winds, to the point I could hardly stand up, and it took 48 hours to dry all my stuff. So at that point, I headed back down to hide in my car!
Day 4: Dunvegan Castle
Another stormy day with winds over 40mph and heavy rain meant I wasn’t keen to do much this morning! But one of the advantages of exploring the Isle of Skye in one week is that you don’t have to be out all the time. I spent this morning enjoying relaxing with a good book and cup of tea while I looked out at the weather.
The weather cleared a tiny bit in the afternoon, so I headed off to Dunvegan Castle. You can get a view of the castle if you drive past the entrance and carry on up the road to the Coral Beach. After a few minutes, just as the road starts to climb to a corner, you can pull over in a passing place and take a quick photo looking back to the castle.
The castle is £14 entry. They give you a map which is easy to follow so you can make sure you see everything. I started off walking around the rhododendron garden and woodland walk. I visited in early June and the rhododendrons and flowers were beautiful.
There’s also a spot at the end of the rhododendron garden where you can get a nice view of the castle.
The castle is interesting to visit inside. It’s not huge, so probably won’t take more than 15-20 minutes to look around and read about. They let you take photos inside which is nice. Parts of the castle date back to the 13th century, and it’s the ancestral home of the Chief of MacLeod. It’s the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland.
After visiting the castle, there are more gardens to explore. I really liked the water garden with an impressive waterfall. There were more beautiful flowers, and the walled garden was lovely too. Unfortunately when I visited in June 2021 they weren’t running the boat trips to see seals, but if you’re visiting at a later date check to see if these trips are running. Even without the boat trip, you can still get some nice views from where the boats would normally go from.
I spent about 1.5 hours at the castle. It’s not huge, but it’s a great way to spend a rainy afternoon, learn some history and enjoy the gardens.
Day 5: Fairy Pools, Portree and Old Man of Storr (again)
The weather had improved a lot today, so this morning I went to the Fairy Pools. The Fairy Pools are one of the most famous attractions on Skye. It’s a lovely walk up a series of waterfalls with the tall Cuillin mountains in the background.
The car park can get busy, but I found a space easily in late morning in early June. The walk is well marked from the car park so you won’t get lost. The walk starts with a river crossing, which after the heavy rain of the last few days was interesting! Everyone was balancing on wobbly submerged rocks to try to get across without ruining their shoes. It was difficult to cross, so definitely something to bear in mind if you visit after heavy rain (which, to be honest, in Scotland is most of the time!).
After crossing the river the walk was a gentle uphill climb, and it takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the first waterfall. It’s definitely worth walking further up, as there are loads of pools and some great views. A few people attempted swimming in some of the pools…but mostly they were just stood at the side shivering. So swimming didn’t look appealing!
It’s a lovely walk and some great views. I spent 2-3 hours here, taking the walk up slowly and stopping for lots of photos. It was about 5km in total.
Next, I stopped at the town of Portree, one of the main towns on the island. The long stay car park on the edge of the town is only £1 for 2 hours parking. It’s definitely better than trying to squeeze into one of the more central car parks, and only a couple of minutes to walk to the centre. The centre of Portree is nice, with a lovely harbour with coloured houses. It’s a nice place to wander for half an hour, or longer if you visit any of the shops.
The weather was looking good, so I decided to have a second attempt to visit the Old Man of Storr this evening. The views from the road were lovely driving there from Portree.
From the car park, I took the left hand path to the top. It’s a slightly gentler climb than the right, and gives great views down to the loch.
Once you reach the top, the views were just amazing. The rock formations are so impressive, it’s impossible to describe the scale. It’s like being in Lord of the Rings. This was one of my favourite views, and one of my favourite on the Isle of Skye. I’m so glad I came back here on a nice evening rather than in the rain!
Day 6: Walk to Macleod’s Maidens
After a long day yesterday, I kept Day 6 on the Isle of Skye simple today with a lovely coastal walk. Only a ten minute drive from Dunvegan is the lovely coastal walk to MacLeod’s Maidens. It’s about a 10 mile walk to get to the viewpoint to see the sea stacks called MacLeod’s Maidens. However, the walk is just there and back so you don’t have to complete the whole walk. I probably did about two thirds of the walk, and I still saw lovely views. It’s a great walk when exploring the Isle of Skye in one week.
You can park at a farm in Orbost, and there’s space for quite a few cars in the parking area. The path is signposted from the car park. It’s a well made track which is easy to follow so you won’t risk getting lost at all. I particularly loved the views of this bay, which the path goes around before climbing into the trees.
There are some sections of the walk in trees, but also some open areas so you can still see the lovely views. When you feel like you’ve walked enough, just head back the way you came.
Another option for a walk today could be Waternish Point, which has lovely views as well. The weather was very windy during my visit, which is why I chose this slightly more sheltered route for my walk today. But depending on the weather, Waternish Point can be a good option as well.
Day 7: Kylehea Otter Hide and Eilean Donan Castle
On my final day on the Isle of Skye, it was time to head back towards the Skye bridge to cross back to mainland Scotland. Near the Skye Bridge, it’s worth stopping at the Kylehea Offer Hide. It’s about a 20 minute drive off the main road down a winding single track road. The car park at the end of the road has an RSPB birdwatching hide nearby. The otter hide is about 10-15 minute walk down a good track that goes past some toilets.
The otter watching hide is a good size, with some useful information boards. Once you get there, you just need to sit and wait and hope you are something. I was there on an incredibly stormy and windy day so visibility was limited. I saw some seals which were lovely, but unfortunately no otters.
Stay as long as you like at the Otter Hide before heading back to the main road that crosses the Skye bridge.
Just over the Skye Bridge is Eilean Donan castle. Although it’s not technically on the Isle of Skye, it’s so close to the bridge it’s a great stop on your way back after exploring the Isle of Skye in one week.
Eilean Donan castle car park is well signposted with a choice of how long to stay. The castle isn’t huge so if you just want to get a few photos from the outside then 1 hour (which costs £2) should be enough. However, if you want to go inside the castle I’d recommend 2 hours parking (which costs £4). This will give you plenty of time to look inside the castle and take some photos from outside.
The inside of the castle isn’t huge, but the banqueting hall is really impressive. It’s also nice to walk across the bridge.
To get good views of the whole castle, you can follow a footpath signposted to Dornie village. This takes you up to the road bridge so you can look over the castle.
After enjoying the castle, it’s time to head on to your next destination after an amazing time exploring the Isle of Skye in one week.
Enjoy exploring the Isle of Skye in one week! Make sure you check out this great walking guide for your trip (affiliate) Scotland has a lot more to offer – check out my recommendations for the top 20 things to do in Scotland. Or spend some time around Fort William and Glencoe – read my blog about Fort William here. Or for more things to do in the UK, check out my top 10 here.
The Isle of Skye is so beautiful, I only spent 4 days there but would’ve loved to spend longer so thank you for sharing this itinerary, it’s given me loads more ideas!
I really loved spending longer on the Isle of Skye, there were so many beautiful places to explore.
My grandma was Scottish and she always talked fondly of Isle of the Sky. It looks absolutely breath-taking. I would love to visit it one day!
There’s so much beautiful scenery, I’d definitely recommend visiting when you can!
Ooooh its so pretty! I’ve looked several times at visiting the Isle of Skye, but I’ve never gotten over there. Maybe this year!!
It really is beautiful, I hope you’re able to visit soon!
Such beautiful photos, Rachel. This post has reminded me of my wonderful time in Isle of Skye a few years ago. Hope to make it back there some day!
Thank you, I really loved taking photos of all the amazing views.
How beautiful! I can just see myself enjoying exploring Isle of Skye. I would definitely stop regularly to take photos, not just for its beauty but to get my breath back. Love that you have a castle to visit too.
There are so many beautiful views to take photos!
It’s been on my bucket list for so long – can’t wait to visit it!
It’s so beautiful, I hope you’re able to visit soon!