Isle of Skye

Linked to the mainland by a bridge and a ferry, the Isle of Skye still feels like a proper Scottish island. From the Skye Bridge at Kyleakin, the landscape soars to the saw-tooth ridges of the Cuillin Hills, the Red Hills and the Old Man of Storr, creating some of Scotland’s most dramatic vistas in the process. What few settlements there are here cling to the coast - the interior of the island is a vast natural playground for walkers, climbers, bird-watchers and anyone else who feels the pull of the great outdoors. Offshore, sea-kayakers paddle from inlet to inlet, and tiny ferries transport visitors to outlying islands like Raasay, where ...

Linked to the mainland by a bridge and a ferry, the Isle of Skye still feels like a proper Scottish island. From the Skye Bridge at Kyleakin, the landscape soars to the saw-tooth ridges of the Cuillin Hills, the Red Hills and the Old Man of Storr, creating some of Scotland’s most dramatic vistas in the process. What few settlements there are here cling to the coast - the interior of the island is a vast natural playground for walkers, climbers, bird-watchers and anyone else who feels the pull of the great outdoors. Offshore, sea-kayakers paddle from inlet to inlet, and tiny ferries transport visitors to outlying islands like Raasay, where James Boswell and Samuel Johnson took refuge from the elements in 1773. Historically, Skye was the homeland of the warlike MacLeod and MacDonald clans, who squabbled over the island for centuries, leaving a series of romantic castles scattered across lonely bluffs. Summer is peak season; those who visit in spring and autumn escape both the crowds and the midges, who feast on hikers’ blood from July to August.

About the Expert

Joe Bindloss has written more than 30 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, Time Out and other publishers, with a focus on Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and island nations.