The largest of the Inner Hebrides, it’s home to some of Scotland’s most iconic landscapes. The island’s peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the country.

History of the Isle of Skye

The island has been occupied since the Mesolithic period, and over its history has been occupied at various times by Celtic tribes including the Picts and the Gaels, Scandinavian Vikings, and most notably the powerful integrated Norse-Gaels clans of MacLeod and MacDonald. The island was considered to be under Norwegian suzerainty until the 1266 Treaty of Perth, which transferred control over to Scotland. The 18th-century Jacobite risings led to the breaking-up of the clan system and later clearances that replaced entire communities with sheep farms, some of which involved forced emigrations to distant lands. Resident numbers declined from over 20,000 in the early 19th century to just under 9,000 by the closing decade of the 20th century. Skye’s population increased by 4% between 1991 and 2001. About a third of the residents were Gaelic speakers in 2001, and although their numbers are in decline, this aspect of island culture remains important.

Visiting Isle of Skye for the first time and wondering what are the top places to see in the city? In this complete guide, I share the best things to do in Isle of Skye on the first visit. Top help you plan your trip, I have also included an interactive map and practical tips for visiting!

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This complete guide to Isle of Skye not only tells you about the very best sights and tourist attractions for first-time visitors to the city but also provide insights into a few of our personal favorite things to do.

This is a practical guide to visiting the best places to see in Isle of Skye and is filled with tips and info that should answer all your questions!

Sligachan Old Bridge

Sligachan is a small settlement on Skye, Scotland, close to the Cuillin mountains and provides breath-taking views of the Black Cuillin mountains and the River Sligachan. There are unending hiking routes here, each offering impressive views; many avid climbers choose Sligachan as the starting point for their ascent of the Cuillins, but for less ambitious […]

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Visiting Sligachan Old Bridge

Fairy Pools of Skye

At foot of the Black Cuillins near Glenbrittle are the Fairy Pools, beautifully crystal clear blue pools on the River Brittle. The spectacular Fairy Pools are located near the village of Carbost in Glenbrittle on the Isle of Skye. Glenbrittle runs roughly south to north along the River Brittle and is overlooked by the Cuillin mountains. […]

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Location: Fairy Pools, Glenbrittle, Isle of Skye, UK | Hours: 24 Hour | Distance: 3.70km

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Visiting Fairy Pools of Skye

Portree

Portree, the main town on the Isle of Skye, situated on the east side of Skye overlooking a sheltered bay, is the capital of the island. It is surrounded by hills – Ben Tianavaig to the south and Suidh Fhinn or Fingal’s Seat to the west, both about 1000ft (413m and 312m respectively) and Ben […]

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Visiting Portree

Dunscaith Castle

Dunscaith Castle also known as Dun Scaich, Dun Sgathaich Castle and Tokavaig, is a ruined castle on the coast of the Isle of Skye, in the north-west of Scotland. It is located in the Parish of Sleat, in the Highland council area, and in the former county of Inverness-shire.  The castle stands on a rock […]

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Location: Sleat Peninsula, Tokavaig, Isle of Skye, Western Isles, Scotland | Hours: 24 Hours | Price: Free | Distance: 21.00km

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Visiting Dunscaith Castle

Old Man of Storr

The Old Man of Storr is one of the Isle of Skye’s most popular tourist attractions and an incredible iconic sight, with its spiky pinnacles of rock set against the backdrop of rolling green hills. It is situated atop Trotternish Ridge—a peninsula in the northeastern region of the Isle of Skye, created as the result of […]

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Visiting Old Man of Storr

Caisteal Chamuis (Knock Castle)

Knock Castle is a former stronghold of the MacDonalds. The castle is also known as Caisteal Uaine or Caisteal Camus. It lies on the east coast of Sleat, approximately five miles (8.0 km) north of Armadale on the Isle of Skye, south of Cnoc Uaine, on the eastern side of Knock Bay. Currently the castle […]

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Visiting Caisteal Chamuis (Knock Castle)

Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum of the Isles

Armadale Castle is a ruined country house in Armadale, Skye, former home of the MacDonalds. A mansion house was first built here around 1790. In 1815 a Scottish baronial style mock-castle, intended for show rather than defense, designed by James Gillespie Graham, was built next to the house. After 1855 the part of the house […]

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| Hours: Gardens open Wednesday – Sunday, 9.30 – 5.30, to end October. Last entrance 5pm. | Price: Adult: £8.00 Concessions: £7.00 (60 and over, students with student card, disabled people) Child under 5: Free Child 5-15: £5.00 | Website | Distance: 29.50km

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Visiting Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum of the Isles

Dunvegan Castle and Gardens

Dunvegan Castle and Gardens sits on a rock overlooking Loch Dunvegan and has been the home of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod for over 800 years. The oldest part of the castle was built in the 13th century but its been added to and remodelled right up until the 19th century. Inside you can explore […]

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| Hours: 10am-5.30pm Easter–mid-Oct | Price: adult/child £14/9 | Website | Distance: 29.70km

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Visiting Dunvegan Castle and Gardens

Caisteal Maol

Caisteal Maol occupies a rocky site overlooking the Kyle Akin from Skye, near the harbour of the village of Kyleakin. The Kyle is a narrow stretch of seawater which allows access to Lochalsh and the several sea lochs facing Skye, including Loch Duich, which leads to Glenshiel and the main route to the Great Glen […]

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Visiting Caisteal Maol

Caisteal Uisdean

Caisteal Uisdean (also known as Hugh’s Castle) was built by Hugh MacDonald who was the son of a deposed clan chief. Hugh had become an outlaw but was pardoned and built the castle around 1589 to serve as his new residence. However, he continued to seek revenge against those who had killed his father and, […]

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| Hours: 24 Hours | Distance: 31.00km

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Visiting Caisteal Uisdean

Lealt Gorge and Waterfall

The dramatic gorge and waterfall at Lealt rank as one of the hidden pleasures of Skye. Lealt waterfall is located 7 kilometers south of Staffin, south of Culnacnoc on the Isle of Skye in Scotland (United Kingdom). After Culnacnoc, along road A855, you pass a river where Lealt gorge is located, there is a small parking. […]

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Location: Lealt Falls 12 Stormy Hill Portree IV51 9DY United Kingdom | Distance: 32.60km

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Visiting Lealt Gorge and Waterfall

Brothers’ Point

A short walk out to Rubha nam Brathairean (Brothers’ Point) – a dramatic headland marking the easternmost point of Trotternish. Brothers’ Point, also known as Rubha nam Brathairean in Gaelic, is a dramatic headland in the Isle of Skye which juts out into the Atlantic ocean. It is believed that Brother’s Point was so-named because […]

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Visiting Brothers’ Point

The Fairy Glen of Skye

On the West side of Trotternish at Balnacnoc (which means – the village or township in the hills) above Uig, is the Fairy Glen. A magical landscape of strange features lies above Uig, where time has sculpted weird and wonderful geological formations odd enough to give the area its fairy name.  Located on the Trotternish […]

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Visiting The Fairy Glen of Skye

Claigan Coral Beach

Claigan Coral Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Isle of Skye, with stunning views over Camas Ban. Known locally as a ‘wee gem’, Claigan Coral is a fantastic place to spend a day. Despite its name, the beach is not actually made of coral but of fossilised and sun-bleached algae. At […]

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Visiting Claigan Coral Beach

Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls

Indeed, the 90 metre Kilt Rock on the Trotternish Peninsula does look strikingly similar to a pleated kilt. Its has vertical basalt columns that form the pleats and intruded sills of dolerite forming the pattern. From the cliff-top viewpoint you can also get a nice look at Mealt Falls, a waterfall that plummets 328 feet […]

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Location: Kilt Rock, Portree, UK | Hours: 24 Hours | Distance: 37.60km

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Visiting Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls

Staffin Dinosaur Museum

The Staffin Dinosaur Museum is home to an internationally acclaimed collection of dinosaur fossils. The Staffin Dinosaur Museum was established by Dugald Ross in 1976 when he was only a teenager. The species he identified in the area include Stegosaurus, Megalosaurus, Cetiosaurus, Hadrosaurus, and Ceolophysis. It is located in an old stone barn by the […]

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Location: Ellishadder Staffin IV51 9JE | Hours: April - October10:00am-5:00pm 7 days a week | Price: Adults: £4 Children: £2 Family Ticket: £10 | Website | Distance: 37.70km

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Visiting Staffin Dinosaur Museum

Neist Point Light House

Neist Point is one of the most famous lighthouses in Scotland and can be found on the most westerly tip of Skye, offering excellent views over the Outer Hebrides. It was designed by David Alan Stevenson and was first lit on 1 November 1909. An aerial cableway is used to take supplies to the lighthouse […]

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Visiting Neist Point Light House

Quiraing

The Quiraing is located in the northern Trotternish Peninsula o the Isle of Skye. The peninsula has a long, dramatic mountain ridge, Trotternish Ridge escarpment which was created by a massive landslip. The Quiraing is the only part of the slip still moving – the road at its base, near Flodigarry, requires repairs each year. […]

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Visiting Quiraing

Skye Museum of Island Life

The Skye Museum of Island Life is a museum in Kilmuir, Skye, Scotland, which is dedicated to preserving a township of thatched cottages as they would have been on Skye at the end of the 18th century. Step back in time and experience how islanders really lived at the unique and informative Skye Museum of […]

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Location: Kilmuir, By Uig, Isle Of Skye, IV51 9UE | Website | Distance: 44.00km

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Visiting Skye Museum of Island Life

Flora MacDonald Grave and Monument

Near the tip of the Trotternish Peninsula is one of Scotland’s most fascinating – and most beautifully located – graveyards. Kilmuir Graveyard is famous because of the grave of Flora Macdonald. The inscription on the tall Celtic cross at the monument reads “Flora MacDonald. Preserver of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. Her name will be mentioned […]

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Visiting Flora MacDonald Grave and Monument

Duntulm Castle

Duntulm Castle stands ruined on the north coast of Trotternish, on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, near the hamlet of Duntulm. During the 17th century it was the seat of the chiefs of Clan MacDonald of Sleat. It is a scheduled monument. Access to the castle is by way of a short track across […]

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Visiting Duntulm Castle