Isle of Skye, Scotland
Often overlooked, but whilst I have a personal vested interest in Scotland with my husband and his family being Scottish it is absolutely a place of beauty! And so varied - naturally people head towards Glasgow and Edinburgh, but make sure you get up into the Highlands too. I feel like I know Scotland well but there is so much I’ve yet to see. Here are our highlights of the gorgeous Isle of Skye…
Elgol
I am very fortunate that my in-laws live in Elgol on the Isle of Skye, so with every trip we try to explore as much of the Isle as we can (or not! It’s also great to have some proper downtime!).
You will get stunning views of the Cuillin mountains, whatever the weather, from the shore/Elgol Pier (you’ll see our son has already claimed it as his!), plus you can get a boat out to Loch Coruisk which is one of the finest freshwater lochs in Scotland - it can be boggy so take sturdy/waterproof footwear!
Lastly, have a wander through Spar Caves (when the tide is out!) and be sure to check out the Elgol Shop for their tasty sweet and savoury treats - you would have earned it!
Fairy Pools, Glenbrittle
The pools that keep on giving. Be prepared to be shoulder to shoulder with other like minded people, or get up early to get yourself parked to see these beauts.
A very short walk down to the pools from the car park and you’re in waterfall heaven - we weren’t brave enough to take a dip but you can if you have the balls to do so!!
Multiple waterfalls along the River Brittle that are blue or green in colour with the stunning Cuillin mountains as their backdrop.
You can walk as little or as far as you want (same route there and back takes approx. 40 mins) but make sure you give yourself time to explore or just sit and stare…
Well worth the car park fee which when we went was £5!
Point of Sleat
On our last trip to Skye I did a little googling on some nice walks. My husband and I had a cheeky night away whilst our son was having some quality 1:1 time with his Grandparents. We were staying down on the south tip of Skye in a gorgeous hotel called Duisdale House and as we had this time together to enjoy a walk without it taking triple the length of time when with our son (sorry mate, but its true!), we found a nice little 2 hour number to the Point of Sleat. The reviews said that you’d pass a fantastic white sand beach, ha, in Scotland - never!
The walk itself is on a single track road and before you know it, you’re in the Caribbean! A white sand beach, clear waters oh and a shitload of jellyfish! Not quite the weather for sunbathing, but make sure you pack a picnic and some beers whilst enjoying the view! You can also walk round to the lighthouse and on a clear day you can see across to Rum, Canna and Eigg!
This one is not to be missed!
Old Man of Storr
Possibly one of the most ‘famous’ sights on the Isle - I mean, Romesh Ranganathan has been here! But if you’re this far up then it’s a must. Just north of Portree, the Old Man is in an area known as Trotternish, sandwiched between Portree and Staffin.
The Old Man himself is a large pinnacle of rock that can be seen for miles around (if you don’t get the classic ‘dreich’ Scottish weather of course!) and was created due to a massive ancient landslide - a photographers dream!
The walk is do-able, starting and returning in the same spot and takes just over an hour. You can park at the bottom, but be warned of how busy it can get!