🗺 isle of skye - a travel guide
We had the good fortune to spend a few nights in Portree on the mighty Isle of Skye. It is one of the major islands of the Inner Hebrides - a group of islands to the northwest in Scotland. Portree is the largest town on the island and perfectly positioned to do some exploring. We had rented a car but there are buses as well. To get to the more remote places a car (or a tour minibus) is necessary.
Accommodation
We were a bit late to arrange accomodation and it was rare and expensive. However we were lucky to find a room at the Kenmore B&B for some £100 a night. This B&B is located some 10 minutes by foot from Portree centre. A basic room en suite with all you would need, a nice host and some great scottish breakfast. It was much better than we expected and at a really good price. Free parking just outside was also a nice feature.
Sights
There are lots to see so naturally you will have to choose a bit.
One of the best drives was the one out to Neist Point - the westernmost point on the island. It is this really narrow road that goes on and on through a stunning landscape and at the end this small peninsula with a mighty rock and a lighthouse. On the way back we stopped in Glendale and the amazing Cafe Lephin for a coffee. A local place with nice vibes and friendly staff.
Before Neist Point we visited the Talisker Distillery - the only one with some history on the island. We were lucky to get two spots on the 10 o’clock tour. It was a nice and informative tour that ended with a tasting of 3 drams. A nice touch that we have not seen before was the possibility for the designated driver to bring their samples in small bottles.
Also on the west side of things is the Dunvegan Castle - the main site for the MacLeod clan. The castle has been added to many times and for a while after the famine they had to let it go. But now it is again the main place for this clan which makes it a more interesting to visit. Quite expensive and the larger tourist buses can go here so more of a commercial site.
That leads us to the castle of the Macdonalds - another important clan on the isle. The Duntulm Castle on the north end of things. This is a ruin and it was abandoned already in the 18th century in favour of Monkstadt where the new head quarters was built - partly with stone from the old castle. This feels older than the Dunvegan one and is also free to visit. Just a stroll of some 100 meteres from the parking amongst sheep and ocean.
Not far from the Duntulm Castle is the Skye Museum of Island Life. This is a handful of houses built in the style that was common in earlier days. And there are lots of interesting history to learn about here. Worth the visit.
All over the place there are waterfalls and nice views. Just stop your car whenever the view looks promising and there is parking! Also the sheep - they are everywhere and they don’t particularly care about other kind of vehicles. Sometimes you just have to wait for a while….
Food
We had great food everywhere. Let’s single out three favourites.
Oyster Shed
After our visit to Talisker we went up the hill to this amazingly simplistic and overall great place - the Oyster Shed. It is really a shed that serves all the seafood you can imagine. We had natural and grilled oysters, softshell crabs, calamares, cod and lobster. All so fresh and tasty. And with some great views. And sheep nearby.
1820 Limited
This establishment has set up in a former parish church built in 1820 - therefore the name. It was converted to a community hall in 1934 and then used for various purposes over the years. In 2019 the restaurant An talla mor 1820 (means the great hall 1820) opened up. It is a vibrant environment in this former church. It is busy and it was full when we arrived but we could hang out in the bar while waiting. We has steak pie and macaroni with some local beer. All nice. The vibes are perhaps better than the food but it was a really wholesome experience and the staff is really friendly. They have no own presence on the internet but you can find info on the usual social networks.
Sea Breeze
The last evening we headed for Sea Breeze - this is a place where you can’t book and the lines can be long. The location is in the midst of the harbor so quite right for such a venue. Perhaps due to the rain or that we were a bit early we managed to get the last table before the line started. Nice! We got a nice seafood platter with some nice wine to it.
Final words
Isle of Skye was a really nice destination. The landscape is not far from those of the alps and the fjords, people are really friendly and there are lots of sheep.
written by fredrik & katarina at 2026-08-23
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