There is something about the Isle of Skye that is magical and I have very fond memories of spending holidays there as a child. I therefore make no apologies for the length of this review which I hope will be a guide for anyone visiting, or thinking about visiting this beautiful island.
It is affectingly known in Gaelic as Eilean a' Cheņ, which literally translates into English as the Island of the mist and today Skye, the largest of the Inner Hebridean Islands is often referred to as "The Misty Isle."
Geographical Location & Getting There
The Isle of Skye lies less than a mile off the north-west coast of Scotland and is the best known and largest of the of the Inner Hebridean Islands. The island has a population of just under 9,000 residents and is 50 miles long by 25 miles wide at its widest point, decreasing to just 7 miles wide at its narrowest point creating 350 miles of spectacular and stunning coastline. It is accessed via the Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland which can be reached in many ways by road or rail. These days the island is connected by a road bridge from the Kyle of Lochalsh but when I was a child it could only be reached by a short ferry crossing from the Kyle of Lochalsh to Kylesku.
Approaching Skye by road takes you through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the whole of the British Isles and I would definitely recommend the approach from Fort William or Inverness. The approach from Fort William will take you along the shores of Lochalsh and past the famous Eilean Donan Castle which no calendar depicting the beauty of Scotland would be complete without, if you take this route you will enter Lochalsh at Cluanie, and drive through the magnificent scenery of Glenshiel with its lush green valleys and forbidding rugged peaks . Alternatively, if you approach from Inverness you can take a different Northern route and enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Lochcarron and the surrounding countryside.
The Isle of Skye can also be reached by sea during the summer months from Mallaig via the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry which will take you to Armadale on Skye. Caledonian
Macbrayne Ferries also operate all year round sailings to Skye from the Outer Hebridean Islands of North Uist and Harris. During the summer months there is a privately run ferry which operates between Glenelgand to Kylerhea on Skye. The Kyle of Lochash can be reached by train via two of the world's most amazing and memorable train journeys. These trains operate between Inverness and the Kyle of Lochalsh, and Fort William and Mallaig. There are also daily coaches which run from Fort William and Inverness to the Kyle of Lochalsh.
The Cost Of Getting There
The original ferry to Skye from Kylesku was free for most of its life so the opening of a new toll bridge caused a great deal of controversy and at a toll of £5.70 a time it soon became referred to as the most expensive toll bridge in Britain. Following 10 years of active protesting from local residents the tolls were finally removed on the 22nd December 2004, in what was a milestone victory for the dedicated activists who had protested for a decade that the extortionate toll bridge charges were destroying their already fragile economy. Once again it is free to visit to beautiful island again.
The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Mallaig - Armadale operates between the 15th May and 11th September and takes around 30 minutes. The cost of a car for a single journey is currently £17.65 per vehicle plus £3.25 per person, but there are many saver fares available including a six journey ticket for £66. For current ferry prices and time times visit http://www.calmac.co.uk/summer-skye-timetable.html.
The private ferry from Grenelg - Kylerhea takes about 10 minutes and operates between Easter and October. The cost of a single journey for a car and up to four passengers currently costs £7 or £12 for a return crossing. For current prices and more information visit the following website http://www.skyeferry.co.uk/index.htm.
For information regarding visiting Skye by train or coach there is an excellent website called Fodor's travel which has details on fares and timetables from all UK destinations. For further information visit http://www.fodors.com/
The Bridge to Skye - This is the gateway to the island and a truly impressive sight as you stand on the pebbly shore at the Kyle of Lochalsh. I remember seeing this being built as a child as the project took many years to complete and each summer I would marvel at the progress. The bridge was opened by the Queen in 1995 and there is a plaque on the north side of the bridge commemorating this opening. This suspension bridge is only 276 metres long and crosses a stretch of water just 130 metres wide but it is a fantastic example of engineering at its finest and is regarded as one of the most impressive bridges of its type in Britain. At the end of the bridge lies the village of Kylesku where I can definitely recommend the food at the local hotel which serves freshly caught sea-fish and overlooks the bay where seals can usually be seen.
Kylerhea Otter Haven - This is well worth a visit before you head off to explore the rest of the island and is situated in the south-west area of the island. It is approached via a rough single track road which takes you through the mountains and down a steep decent to the coast. Here you will find a wooden observation hide located where you can watch Otters in their natural habitat. I have been here twice and have seen up to a dozen Otters on both occasions but if you are not so lucky and they are being secretive it may well be worth a trip to the nearby Kyleakin Nature Reserve where they are usually plentiful.
The Cuillin Peaks - Situation in the middle of the island this has to be one of the most impressive mountain ranges in Scotland and it is certainly one of the most formidable. I have a very fond memories of this area from the summer of 1976. Way back then I was a six-year-old child and I hiked into the middle of this mountain range with my parents and elder brother. After a point the route became too dangerous for a child of my age to go any further, and so I stayed behind with my mother on a plateau just beneath the summit. We sunbathed on this plateau and baked in the sun and I played in a little stream whilst my father and brother, determined not to beaten, continued a further mile or so on to the mountain peak. This was one of the hottest days ever recorded on Skye, yet when my brother and father returned a short while later they amazed us by telling us how they had walked through a blizzard of snow. This was the also the day that I came face to face with my first Adder which wriggled through the grass and wrapped itself around my father's feet. The Cuillin range of Mountains are best accessed from the village of Broadford, which is Skye's second largest settlement, and lies in a beautiful setting overlooking the Peaks and the islands of Eigg and Muck.
Portree - No visitor to the Isle of Skye leaves without visiting Portree, which is the largest settlement on the island and lies in the North. The village takes its name from the Gaelic words Port-Righ, literally referring to a Royal (Righ) Port. It has a good range of shops including a well stocked co-op supermarket. The houses on the Harbour front are very pretty and are painted bright vivid colours, alternating from red, white, yellow and blue. Whilst the Harbour itself is a typical working Harbour with fishing boats returning their daily catch and locals repairing their nets on the pebbly shore. Portree has a library, which is worth a visit if you want to learn about the local history, culture and folklore, many of the books here are however written primarily in the Gaelic language but most have English translations or summaries. There is also a small indoor swimming pool , which is perfect for cooling down on the odd day that the sun shines, and the Tourist Information Centre is a good place to enquire about what is happening in the area and on the island in general. The Aros Heritage centre is situated just outside Portree and has lots of information about the local crafting way of life and examples of typical life on the island both past and present day.
The Trotternish Peninsula - Before you leave the North of the Island, I would strongly recommend that you visit an area known as the Trotternish Peninsula which has some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the island. This includes an area known as "The old man of Stor" which overlooks sea stacks with cliff faces so sheer that you can only stand in awe and wonder about the forces of nature which have carved these needles which protrude from the sea, these cliffs are home to thousands of seabirds, which circle and scream overhead. Close by you will find the village of Staffin which has the only sandy beach on the Island.
Dunvegan Castle - In the northwest corner of the island is Dunvegan castle, this is the ancient stronghold of the McLeod Clan and has been for the last 800 years, today this is still their family home. Admission to the castle is around £6 for an adult and half price for a child. For more information including opening times visit www.dunvegancastle.com.
People & Culture
The people of Skye speak the Gaelic language as their mother tongue but all but a handful of elderly residents are also bilingual with English. All public signs including road signs and place names are displayed in both languages but many local shop names are often displayed only in Gaelic e.g. Oifis a' Phuist (Post Office), Banca Rioghal na h-Alba (Royal Bank of Scotland) etc. Scots Gaelic is a Celtic language related to, but different from Manx and Irish Gaelic which form the Northern Celtic languages or Welsh, Cornish and Breton which make up the Southern Celtic languages. Today there are fewer than 80,000 native Scots Gaelic speakers in the world and almost 10% of these can be found on Skye. The language of the people is paramount to the culture of Skye and tales of folklore abound. The whole island is steeped in history with tales of rival Clans who came and tried the overthrow the resident McLeod Clan. The People are predominantly Presbyterian in religion and most are devoutly religious. As you travel around Skye you will see many churches, some so tiny they will hold only a dozen or so people, and you will also see also many ruins of Castles and Fortresses.
Accommodation & Eating Out
There are plenty of places to stay including large Hotels in Broadford and Portree. I have stayed in both rented croft houses, and static caravans, but my parents had a camper van for many years so most of the time that was our bed for the night. There are several small campsites dotted around the island and many locals have took to offering Bed & Breakfast to boost their incomes or even buying a static caravan or two. Eating out is generally in Hotels, almost all of which are open to non residents for food and drink. There are no pubs on Skye so if you want an alcoholic drink you will find almost all hotels will have a public bar. In recent years a couple of small cafes have appeared on the island but there is no fish and chip shop or fast food establishments.
General Information
The weather on Skye is very unpredictable and can change within minutes, and venturing into the remote areas of the island is not recommended for the inexperienced or unprepared. The roads are mainly single track with passing places so travelling by car is slow, it can take a whole day to cross from one side of the island to the other. The one and only downside of the island are the midges, the scourge of the Scottish Highlands so no visitor should be without repellent of some form, these are particularly severe in late July - early September which unfortunately coincides with the peak tourist season so be warned.
Conclusion
In my opinion the Isle of Skye is amongst the most beautiful places I have visited in the world and all to often it seems that so many of us are eager to jump on a plane to exotic locations without knowing what beauty lies on their own doorstop. I look forward to returning to Skye again soon.
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Advantages: beautiful scenery, peaceful, silent Disadvantages: Very dependent on the season and the weather. And the weather is often fickle with tourists.
Aug 8th, 2005
exceptional by (47%):
very helpful by (51%):
helpful by (2%):
