Isle of Skye Travel Answers

The length of your intended stay on the Isle of Skye may well depend on the weather and the horrible midgies, both can be unpredictable in May, but the west coast of Scotland is far more scenic than the north and east coast, the latter is mostly flat farmland, and although colourful in May when the yellow Rapeseed fields are in bloom, there is not the same dramatic scenery as on the west and north west coasts. Hiring a car is a good idea, which will give you flexibility in regions where public transport can be sparse.
But the real benefit in your choice of the month of May is the long daylight evenings, giving you plenty of opportunities to explore the wild countryside. I used to always camp in a tent, stowed in the boot of my car, with a Primus stove to cook food and make tea, you can just camp anywhere, provided you don't leave any mess or damage anything, there are very few restrictions......

So, enjoy your trip, I'm sure it will be pleasantly memorable if you have not seen this beautiful region of Scotland before, just remember to pack plenty of fly repellent to deal with the midgies!

Benny.

bobalongwhale wrote:
We are going to Fort William at the end of May. From there we plan to rent a car and want to see all the amazing views of the area. The Isle of Skye is high on our list but not sure how long to spend there and how to balance the rest of our stay. Is it worth driving all the way up to Durness and continue along the coast to the east and down south or is it best to stick to Skye? Any tips welcome

Hi...One of our Highlights  when visiting Scotland was Isle Of Mull . We used car ferry to cross from Lochaline to Fishnish. Had awful weather when visiting Skye,but very scenic. I strongly recomend you check out the web site for  "Undiscovered Scotland" they describe with mud maps and notes some greatr driving tours...We did several ..Applecross&Torridon, Gairloch&Poolewe, Coigach&Assynt were standouts! We crossed over from Ullapool via Inverness, Nairn ,Buckie,Gardentown..The Banff&Petershead Tour was fantastic. LOVED SCOTLAND!

Have you experienced single track roads with passing places?
Driving North to Durness would give you the most amazing scenery then along the coast to Tongue, maybe even as far as Bettyhill before heading south again. Distances may not seem that far, but the roads are narrow therefore take much longer to drive.
The cost of petrol in this corner of Scotland could be another factor in how far you drive. Keep the petrol tank full you never know where the next petrol station is.
I would drive north from Skye, take the cattle road to Applecross then drive around the coast to Gairloch (Na Marra restaurant well worth visiting).
Keep heading North to Durness exploring the coastal roads as much as you can you will never be disappointed by the scenery stunning in the sun dramatic in the rain.

That's great ! Thank you very much all