Isle of Skye Travel Forum

Hi there,
I will be in Isle of Skye for about 5 days in June.
I will be arriving in Uig via the ferry from Tarbert in Outer Hebrides.
Can anybody suggest an itinerary from there?
I have no vehicle, so I will be relying on public transport and maybe hitching if I get stuck somewhere.
I was thinking of staying 1 night in Uig, (Is it worthwhile?) I thought maybe it would be a good base. Or would heading to Portree straight away be a better option (transport links, walks, photography etc)?
Basically I am looking for beautiful places to photograph, scenic walks/hikes to go on, nice beaches, pretty villages etc etc.
Does anyone know of a bus service the goes around the Trottinish peninsula? Or any day tours?
Any help much appreciated :-)

If you have to rely on public transportation I would recommend staying in Portree: 'the capital of Skye'. Uig is a very little village and rather isolated.But be aware buses run semi-infrequently !!

I found a website with the bus schedules on Skye: http://www.rapsons.com/images/Area%20book%204%20September%202007.pdf

For walks ask for a small booklet called "Walks Isle of Skye" with 30 walks on the island. We also have had a lot of help from the website 'Undiscovered Scotland' (www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk).


happy travels
Jaap

Choice is always to be welcomed so no apologies for disagreement. I should not advise either of Portree or Uig but Broadford. It's not as nice as Portree as a place but, to my mind, a far better centre for buses - particularly to Sligachan or Elgol for the Black Cuillin.
These are possibly the most spectacular mountains in the UK. Don't be put off if you are not a climber. Although the full Cuillin Ridge needs climbing skills, you can do a number of individual peaks without these.
It's an old book now but I think W.A. Poucher's 'Magic of Skye' is still available and it's full of excellent ideas and pics.

Ok, now that we have some disagreement, maybe you should consider splitting your stays between Broadford and Portree? Portree is really the best place for doing the Trotternish peninsular loop, and Broadford is really the best place for South Skye. Both places also offer some facilities and services to kill some time on a rainy day.

You could also spend a day or two in Trotternish right after your disembarkment from the ferry, but rather than Uig I'd choose Staffin or one of the smaller hamlets around the northern tip of the peninsula. I think there's a postbus from Uig calling at these places without going to Portree first.

I'd also recommend www.undiscoveredscotland.com -- by far the best guide available

Thanks for your suggestions!
Yeah I think I will stay 2 nights in Portree to hopefully bus around the Trotternish Peninsula and maybe Dunvegan if the buses are frequent, then head south and spend a night or two in Broadford and visit the Cuillin Hills and any other recommended sites around the south.
Is Kyle of Lochalsh or Kyleakin worth staying a night in? Is it photogenic I guess I mean by that?
I want to catch the 07:25 train to Inverness from KoL so I thought it would be easier to get to the train station, rather than catch a bus from Broadford that early.
Also, does anybody know if the bus route to Inverness is just as scenic as the train is supposed to be?
Thanks for your help! :-)

http://www.theskyeguide.com/index.php/walking/

seems to be a fairly new site

When staying in Kyle of Lochalsh you are less than 10 kmīs from Eilean Donan Castle, which can be very photogenic !!

Certainly Eilean Donan is very photogenic -- but also a bit devalued by the sheer numbers of pictures IMHO. May I suggest you stay on Raasay for a day -- great hiking, wonderful views -- it's a place that will repay for sure! You can also learn a lot about the history of the place and the effects of the Highland Clearances. You can experience the things Sorley MacLean (whose family originally hailed from Raasay) wrote some of his most beautiful poems.

http://www.raasay.com/html/coppermine/index.php