The Isle of Skye

Day 1 – Inverness to the Isle of Skye

This morning we meet in Inverness, and drive west to Skye. We’ll pass by Glen Sligachan, where Wilderness Scotland travellers have contributed to path repair through our Wilderness Conservation and Community Fund, so a stop here is well worth it for a short stroll to enjoy the spectacular views of the hills and to hear about how ecotourism helps benefit the local landscape. We’ll then continue on to Portree, the capital of Skye, and here we can enjoy a short hike around a headland overlooking Portree Bay. Afterwards, a short transfer takes us to our accommodation to settle in and enjoy our welcome dinner. (L, D)

Walk details: 3km/ 2 miles | approx. 2 hrs | 160m/525ft ascent

Day 2 – Waternish Point

Today’s walk is exactly the kind we love. Spectacular sea views, great walking and fascinating history. To cap it all, this part of the island is almost unknown to most tourists, meaning we can enjoy Skye’s beauty at its peaceful best. We will hike out to a remote headland crowned with a lighthouse, overlooking the Minch with views of the Outer Hebrides. This is a great place to spot whales and dolphins on a calm day, as well as enjoying the dramatic sea cliffs which line the peninsula and the distant Dunvegan Head. On the way, we pass the ancient ruins of one of the best preserved brochs on Skye. As you walk your guide will bring the place alive with stories of the Faeries and the great rivalry between Skye’s MacDonald and MacLeod clans. The terrain is undulating with most of the ascent on the return leg as we climb gradually back up from the headland. (B, L)

Walk details: 13km/ 8 miles | approx. 5 hrs | 390m/1275ft ascent

Day 3 – Hiking the Trotternish Peninsula

After enjoying breakfast, we head to The Quiraing (pronounced as ‘kwirrang’). This is one of Skye’s most famous landscapes, a testament to the island’s unique geology. The start point will be busy, but we will soon leave the crowds behind. Depending on the weather and the group, several route options vary the length and amount of ascent. This is one of the more challenging days as the path has some steep bits and short tricky sections with a little exposure, but your guide will see you safely through these and the rewards are ample. We’ll pass by the spire-like rock formations of The Needle and The Prison, marvelling at the fantastical shapes, all while admiring sweeping views across the Sound of Raasay to Torridon and Wester Ross. (B, L)

Walk details: 8km/ 5 miles | approx. 4 hrs | up to 390m/1280ft ascent

Day 4 – Exploring Raasay

We take a small ferry to the Isle of Raasay where we will walk today. Raasay is an often overlooked gem and much quieter than Skye. Yet the island has much going for it, including the quality of its scenery and hiking, and has a fascinating history all of its own to enjoy. We can choose from several excellent hikes, ranging in distance. The terrain on Raasay is mostly good paths but has steep sections and can be rough in places. After returning to Skye, we’ll continue on to our next accommodation and get settled in. (B, L)

Please note that on our luxury departures in 2024, we will not be changing accommodation during the week.

Walk details: 10km/ 6 miles | approx. 5hrs

Day 5 – Wild Loch Coruisk

The wild and jagged peaks of the Black Cuillin are a real highlight of a visit to Skye. While the summits are only accessible through challenging scrambles, their beauty is easily appreciated from a loch hidden in the mountain’s depths. We’ll take a boat trip over to the remote southern edge of the Cuillin. After being dropped off in this lonely and wild spot, we’ll aim to circumnavigate Loch Coruisk – ‘The Cauldron of the Waters.’ This might well be Scotland’s most dramatic loch, with dark, sharp peaks rising straight from the shoreline. Although there isn’t much ascent, it is rough, with stony and boggy terrain. We’ll need to cross a few rivers with care on stepping stones, so a there-and-back walk may be planned instead in rainy conditions. (B, L)

Walk details: 7 km/4 miles | approx. 4hrs | 122m/400ft ascent

Day 6 – The Clearance Villages

Today’s walk delves into a beautiful coastline, yet one that is poignant with the remains of one of the darkest times in Scottish history – the Highland Clearances. On this coastal circuit, we’ll pass through the sites of two villages which were abandoned during the Clearances, and your guide will tell you of this sad but crucial time in Highland history, and of Skye’s significant place in how events unfolded. This walk is slightly longer than others on this trip, but worth that bit of extra effort! After looking around the mossy walls of the houses we’ll follow the rugged shore beneath steep cliffs on a good path (from the days this area was populated) but it is rough and bouldery in places where the track has worn away. We then ascend away from the coast with a long gradual ascent which has most of the ascent for the day. (B, L, D)

Walk details: 13km/ 8 miles | approx. 6hrs | 350m/984ft ascent

Day 7 – Glenelg then return to Inverness

Leaving our accommodation, we depart Skye via the unique community-owned ‘turntable ferry.’ Such vessels were once common in the Highlands but this is the last one! Arriving in Glenelg, a remote village on the mainland, we hike down to the coast to see the site of the house where the famous author Gavin Maxwell lived when he wrote ‘Ring of Bright Water’. We visit the well-preserved Brochs – Iron Age dwellings – in Glenelg before making our way east via the spectacular Mam Ratagan Pass back to Inverness. (B, L)

Walk details: 3km/ 2 miles | approx. 2 hrs