Overview
Introduction to the Skye Trail
This is a seven day walk on the Isle of Skye, a beautiful, mountainous island off the west coast of Scotland. The Skye Trail is a challenging, unofficial long distance route, it is unmarked and many sections aren't even on paths. However, the challenge is well worth the effort as you will experience some of the most breath-taking scenery in Scotland. You will pass ruins of deserted villages, destroyed in the Highland Clearances. Have multiple views of the Cuillin Ridge and walk over the Trotternish Ridge. You will also have the chance to see The Isle of Skye's array of wildlife, including seals, otters and eagles.
Highlights of the Skye Trail
- Walking around the Quiraing, an incredible rock formation.
- Walking the Trotternish Ridge, 10 summits in one day!
- Views of the infamous Cuillin Ridge.
- Seeing the most Northerly point of the Isle of Skye.
What's Included with this Holiday
- A qualified Mountain Leader
- A Skye Trail Information Pack
- B&B accommodation for 8 nights
- 8 Breakfasts
- Luggage transfer to each B&B
- Maximum group size of 12
- Free transport from the Skye Trail back to Fort William
- Support Vehicle available (so you can skip a section)
- Free pick up and drop off to Fort William train station
What to Expect from the Skye Trail
Please read the itinerary for a day-by-day plan of what to expect. However, we also want to be able to give you a more general understanding of this trek. The Skye Trail is a fairly new long distance trail and so it has not yet gained the exceptional reputation that it thoroughly deserves. However, the unsung character of this trek only adds to the dramatic sense of remoteness and wilderness that makes it so special. You will likely see only a handful of other walkers tackling this route.
The Isle of Skye comes from the Norse word Sky-a, meaning cloud island. It has both mountain and coastal scenery that is nothing short of remarkable. During your trek you will get to experience some of the breathtaking sights. This includes both the Red and Black Cuillins; Skye’s most dramatic mountain range. You will have coastal views out to the islands of Soay, Rum, Scalpay and Raasay, trek along The Trotternish Ridge, walk next to The Quiraing, along Glen Sligachan and out to the most northerly part of the island. The island also gives you the opportunity to see Skye’s great variety of wildlife; Peregrine Falcons, Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Gannets and if you are lucky even Puffins, Minke whales, and schools of dolphin and porpoises.
The wildlife, scenery and Skye’s amazing history, make the Skye Trail an exceptional trek. However, it is well worth remembering this has been graded as one of our harder trails for a reason. The walking can be on rough, boggy and exposed paths, and some sections are even off path completely. While the difficulty of The Skye Trail must be respected, for those who are willing and able, the experience is well worth the effort!
To see more information on the trail, wildlife and walk reports, visit https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/skye-trail.shtml
Is the Skye Trail Right For Me?
The Skye Trail is one of our harder routes due to much of the trail being off path. Therefore, it is tougher going underfoot than trails like The West and The East Highland Way. There is also one very long day over the Trotternish ridge, however, this can be shortened if you would rather an easier day.
If you have enjoyed walking a long distance trail before and got home feeling you could have managed something just slightly harder then this is a great trail for you. If you felt The West Highland Way or East Highland Way pushed you to your walking limits you may find this trail is a greater challenge than you would like.
Skye Trail Gallery
- Clouds on the Cuillin and view over Loch Slapin
- Group walking along Glen Sligachan with Pinnacle Ridge in the background
- Glen Sligachan with Bla Bheinn in the background
- The Old Man of Storr Rock Formation on The Skye Trail
- Bla Bheinn with cloud along the summit and sheep grazing by the road
- Blue Sky on and loch in Glen Sligachan
- Cloudy day by Loch Slapin on The Skye Trail
- Lunch Stop on the shore of Loch Slapin on a beautiful sunny day
- Path along Loch Slapin on The Skye Trail
- Loch Slapin and The Cuillin
- Walking along small footpath on Glen Sligachan
- Bright Blue Sky in Glen Sligachan
- Small river crossing in Glen Sligachan on The Skye Trail
- Walking along a grass coastal path on The Skye Trail
- Fantastic lighting and cloud on The Trotternish Ridge
- Walking on a narrow path from The Old Man of Storr
Skye Trail Guided Walking Itinerary
Daily Plan
Each day you will be guided along The Skye Trail to the next B&B. There is no need for you to worry about being lost, we will be with you from the moment you set off in the morning to the moment you enter your B&B in the evening. You will only be expected to carry your day rucksack (what you will need to keep you warm, dry, fed and watered for the day). Everything else will be transported to your next B&B for you. Everything will be arranged for you so all you need to worry about is the walking itself!
Day 1: Arrive in Broadford
Today is your chance to arrive in Broadford and meet your guide and the rest of the group in a local pub before The Skye Trail begins! It may be possible for us to meet you at some point in the afternoon in Fort William and give you a free lift up to Broadford if you need us to. But please do email us about this before you book if you need this.
Accommodation B&B in Broadford
Day 2: Walking to Torrin - 12 miles
This is the first day of walking, where the trip really begins. Once everybody has got their lunches we will be walking to Torrin, which is 12 miles walking in total, 600m of ascent and will take us around 6 hours. We will use a minor road to leave Broadford and soon follow a good track with excellent views of Beinn Na Caillich. This section of The Skye Trail follows the old Marble Line, the route of a railway line that ran between Broadford and a series of Marble quarries which has been closed since 1912. Next we will follow a rougher path, heading towards to the coast and will continue by following the coastal route around Loch Eishort to the ruins of Suishnish. The population of this small hamlet was forcibly removed during the Highland clearances in 1853. A good track followed by a short road section brings us to Torrin itself whereby we will gain excellent views of Bla Bheinn and The Red Cuillin Hills.
Accommodation B&B in Broadford
Day 3: Walking to Elgol - 10 miles
Today's walk to Elgol is an easier, shorter day. It is just ten miles with a little under 500m of ascent and will take us around 5 hours to walk. We begin by following a section of road around the head of Loch Slapin. This simple section of walking allows you to make the most of the breathtaking views of Bla Bheinn and Clach Glas. Once we leave the road we will ascend through a forestry section of the trail until we reach the heather moorland above. The path here is less defined and boggy underfoot with spectacular views of The Skye Trail behind. After a glimpse of the peninsular of Sleat we will descend back to the road once more. We follow the road through to Kilmarie to a secluded, pebble beach before continuing along good footpaths and tracks until we reach the road to Elgol.
Accommodation B&B in Broadford
Day 4: Walking to Sligachan - 11 miles
One of the most scenic days of The Skye Trail. Today begins by following a very narrow path over vertical cliffs, where great care will be needed on this dramatic section! For those nervous of heights just let your guide know so they can give you the extra encouragement you may need. The views from here to The Black Cuillin are some of the most spectacular of the trek. Once we reach the beach at Camasunary the path becomes a wider track. The terrain underfoot is easier going and so the inspiration views of the Black Cuillin to the left and the Red Cuillin to the right can be fully enjoyed. This path will take you all the way to Sligachan itself and offers one of the most beautiful walks in the UK. You will be walking a total of 11 miles today with 500 meters of ascent, and will take us around 7 hours to complete.
Accommodation B&B in Broadford
Day 5: Walking to Portree - 12 miles
Today we will make our way out of Sligachan by crossing a small river. We will then be following the narrow coastal path that gives excellent view over Loch Sligachan until we reach an area known as The Braes. Once we reach The Braes we will be rewarded with views over The Narrows of Rassay and over to The Isle of Rassay. This sections of The Skye Trail is a simple and quiet road walk for much of the afternoon. As we being to reach Portree we will leave the road and follow the estuary before making our way into Portree itself. This 12 mile day has 400m of ascent and will take us around 5-6 hours to complete.
Accommodation B&B in Portree
Day 6: Walking to The Storr – 9 miles
Today’s walk to The Storr from Portree is 9 miles, 700m of ascent and will take us approximately 5 hours to complete. We will begin by following the Skye Trail around the outskirt of Portree, with beautiful views over Portree Harbour. We will then ascend up above the sea cliffs to a rough path. Much of the day we continue following this undulating path over some rough and often boggy ground. The walk is well worth the effort and many an eagle has been spotted in this area. On a clear day views of Raasay, Rona and even Torridon on the mainland can be enjoyed. Heading North we will gain views of The Storr and The Trotternish Ridge, our challenge for tomorrow.
Accommodation B&B in Portree
Day 7: The Trotternish Ridge - 14 miles
Today we will be walking the toughest section of the The Skye Trail, trekking The Trotternish Ridge. We have 14 miles of walking to complete, including 1600m of ascent and it should take us 8-10 hours to complete. The day will begin by climbing towards the summit of The Storr until we are on one of the finest ridge walks in the UK. After reaching the ridge line we start up the summit of Hartaval and continue on to Sgurr a’Mhalaidh, Beinn Edra and 7 other summits! After completing our final summit of Bioda Buidhe we begin a final descent to the road. Although this is an incredibly hard day it is also perhaps the best and certainly the most memorable of the trail.
Accommodation B&B in Portree
Day 8: Walking to Kilmaluag - 10 miles
Our last day of walking is 10 miles, 600m of ascent and it will take us about 6 hours. We will begin by walking through The Quiraing. This incredible areas includes the rock formations of The Prison, The Needle and The Table and is one of the most famous features on the Island. We will then descend past Loch Langaig before we reach the road and the outskirts of Flodigarry. After a short walk down the road you will continue along a very rough path, which soon becomes a scenic costal route. Much of the rest of the day will be on moorlands making use of rough paths until we gain sight of the headland itself. The Skye Trail is complete once we reach the cliffs above Rubha Hunish, the closest we can get to the the Northerly tip of the Isle of Ske without climbing the vertical cliffs below. Once here the route is complete and a short walk back over the moorland will bring us out to the road and the van which will take you back through Skye to Portree.
Accommodation B&B in Portree
Day 9: Leaving Portree
Today, after breakfast, you will have come to the end of your holiday with us and it is time for you to make your way home. We offer a free transfer to Broadford for those that need it. Once again it may be possible for us to give you a free lift back to Fort William but this will need to be discussed with us, ideally before you book.
Skye Trail T-shirts
Before or after your trek you might like to purchase one of our very own range of souvenir t-shirts. These are all made from organic cotton and come in a range of colours and styles. Head over to our store to have a look.
Skye Trail Map
Skye Trail Accommodation Options
All our Skye Trail guided walking holidays are offered with B&B accommodation. This is our most popular option for all our treks.
Bed & Breakfast
The Bed and Breakfast option provides you with good standard Bed and Breakfast accommodation, with breakfast included within the price of the holiday. The B&Bs we use are located within small towns or villages and so you will have access to local shops as well as a choice of pubs to make sure you have plenty of opportunity to have an evening meal. In areas where there are no B&Bs or there are no facilities such as shops or pubs we will instead drive you out to another nearby village where a better overall experience can be achieved.
We only use B&Bs in Portree and Broadford since these are the only villages with options for eating out in the evening and shops, meaning you are better placed to fully recover after each day of walking. Therefore, you will have a short drive before or after each day of walking.
Broadford
Broadford is located on the beautiful east coast of The Isle of Skye and is one of the larger villages on the island, however by most people’s standard it would still be seen as a small village. It does have a large shop so you will have plenty of opportunity to buy your lunches there and it also has a good variety of hotels and restaurants for your evening meal.
Portree
Portree is the biggest town on Skye, but it is still a small place by most people’s standards. However, it has a good shop, numerous pubs and restaurants to eat in as well as a few take-aways. It also has some fantastic views as it too is located on the Island’s East Coast.
Dates & Prices
The dates of our scheduled treks can be seen below. We also off the option of private bookings for groups. Please get in touch if you'd like to book privately.
| Date of Trek | Availability |
|---|---|
| Saturday 20th April 2024 to Sunday 28th April 2024 | 2 spaces left |
| Saturday 25th May 2024 to Sunday 2nd June 2024 | FULL - waiting list available |
| Saturday 24th August 2024 to Sunday 1st September 2024 | Spaces |
| Saturday 28th September 2024 to Sunday 6th October 2024 | Spaces |
No Suitable Date?
If there are no dates on this calendar to suit you please let us know, sometimes we can add extra dates if there is enough demand for an extra trip to be added.
Waiting List
If a trek is full but you would like to be added to the waiting list, please do let us know. The waiting list is there so that if anyone drops out of the trek we will contact you and let you know, so you can take their place on the trek instead.
Future Dates
Our trekking calendar is released a year in advance each spring. Keep an eye on the 'Year Planner' in the menu above, or send us a request for an email alert when the latest calendar is published. If you are keen to book early and secure a trek on a date to suit you, do feel free to get in contact with us to suggest a date
Pricing
Price for Bed & Breakfast:
The price of this trip is £1329 per person (based on two sharing).
To book this trip we will require a £200 deposit per person with the rest to be paid a month before your trip.
If you are booking as a solo traveller and happy to share a twin room with another solo traveller of the same sex the price is £1329.
If you are a solo traveller and would like a single room to yourself there is a £45 per night single supplement (£360 in total).
How to Book
Booking is simple, you can either phone us, email us or use our online shopping cart below.
Book Skye Trail Online
What Happens Once you Have Booked
Once we have received your booking (either through the online shopping cart, email or phone). We will then confirm with you that your accommodation option and room type, single, twin or double, is available. We will then send you a full booking form and information about paying your deposit for your trek. All deposits can be paid by cheque, bank transfer or debit/credit card. Once we have received back both your booking form and deposit we will let you know and your place on the trip will be secure.