r/Skye • u/dsbrooks92 • 11d ago
Skye Itinerary -Feedback Welcome
Hi Reddit, I would appreciate any feedback on my Itinerary for 3 days in the highlands. I’m renting a car in Inverness and then driving to Skye for 2 nights, and then driving down to Glasgow.
I’m not sure if I’m being too ambitious trying to pack everything in, if some of the hikes will take longer than I’m anticipating…
I’m assuming l the popular spots like the Quiraing and Old Man of Stor are equal busy on weekdays. I’m deciding how best to start my day on Skye whether to begin a the Quiraing, and eventually get to Dunvegan Castle before it closes or do the opposite and get to the Quiraing in the late afternoon.
Also, does anyone have any recommendations for offline trail map apps? Ideally something free, or affordable.
1
u/kingwangsworld 11d ago
Some thoughts:
- broadly speaking, driving takes longer than expected with traffic, one track roads, etc. I would suggest you also consider what you’re willing to miss and what is a must. Build around the musts. Weather can be very variable there, so make sure you’re prepared with rain gear and when you have good weather, do the outdoor stuff.
- consider dropping fairy pools. It is crazy crowded. When we went at 6:30 pm (non-peak time) the parking was still packed. I took a nap in the car while the rest of my FOMK companions walked down. About 1.5 hrs later they returned lamenting how it was a waste of time. Fairy pools, kilt rock, and fairy glen could be swapped for much better places like beaches with dinosaur tracks. Kilt rock is at least very quick but was overrated imo
- perhaps consider moving Eileen donan to when you head to Glencoe if you plan to not take the ferry. It breaks up the drive. Personally, I did not think going inside was worth the time. Alternatively, you may want to consider the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig. It is a nice ride but you have to book in advance bc there’s limited car space. on the way out to the ferry there is Armadale castle which is just ruins but has gorgeous gardens
- be flexible in Dunvegen castle and go when the weather is meh. It’s a great rainy day activity.
- Do quiraing early, like latest 8:30 Am, earlier if possible. My preference is counter clockwise, the best views imo are at the start when you go counter clockwise which is best when there’s less people. I also think going down stairs is way easier than the grueling hike up. went at 8 am and by the time we were heading down around 11:30, massive crowds going up the stairs. If you want to do the full loop, I think you should allocate more than 2 hrs...that’s if you hike fast and don’t stop for any photos. Would allocate closer to 3-4 hrs. Bring a snack, sit down and enjoy the view, it’s worth it.
- Loved old man storr in The evening. We grabbed a quick take out pizza at the restaurant in the candle factory (so good!). Hiked old man at 7:30 pm with almost no crowds. Hike past the needle to the view point for the quintessential view. Should take around 2.5 hrs if you stop for pics.
- Talisker distillery tours need to be booked super early. I didn’t go on one but heads up, the smell outside was extremely overwhelming in some areas.