Arrival:

The best way to reach Isle of Skye is via car hire from Glasgow or Edinburgh. From either major city, the drive is about 5-6 hours (allow some extra time for stops along the way since the drive is very scenic). The best deals for cars were found at the Edinburgh airport; we used Avis Car Rental, and rented a mini for $26 US per day.

Portree is the largest town — with a whopping ~2,000 people — and is a great home base for your visit. The town provides plenty of great hostel or hotel options for all budgets, and situates you within a 1-hour drive of all the top attractions.

Pro tip: For each of these days, we decided to wake up at sunrise to take pictures of The Storr, The Quiraing, etc. and have breakfast afterwards. However, the itinerary is laid out for the normal traveller who doesn’t enjoy waking up at 5am every day.

Day 1:

Enjoy breakfast at one of the quaint cafes in Portree. We recommend Cafe Arriba, which opens early, has great views of the harbor, and most importantly, incredible food and coffee. 

The Storr: Make your way up to The Storr (about 20 minutes north of Portree). You can find plenty of parking along the road, and the trailhead is tough to miss. This 5-mile hike will take around 3-5 hours depending on your fitness level. The Storr is most famous for The Old Man of Storr, a massive 55 meter monolith that looks otherworldly from every angle: 

The hike spans through the entire mountainside, which is covered in neat rock structures. In other words, The Storr is a photographer’s Disneyland. Let your creative side flourish and find some unique views along the way:

Kilt Rock: We chose to make a quick stop at Kilt Rock (about a 10 min drive north on the same road); you can drive right up to the viewpoint:

Faerie Glen: After a relaxing afternoon in Portree, we drove over to the Faerie Glen for sunset (about 30 minutes from Portree). During the day, this place if flooded with tour buses and tons of people. Around sunset, all of the tour buses leave, and the only sounds you hear are those of crickets and the local sheep. This place is truly magical, and a must-see on your trip to Skye:

Day 2:

Fairy Pools: Another popular destination in Skye, the Fairy Pools are a collection of crystal-clear blue pools that sit at the foot of the Black Cuillin Mountain Range. The path does become quite crowded during the day. However, make the effort to walk a little further up the path, and you will be rewarded with views like this:

We were blessed with great weather, so spent several hours here swimming in the pools, relaxing on the warm rocks, and enjoying lunch by the stream.

Neist Point Lighthouse: From the Fairy Pools, head west for about a 1-hour until you arrive at Neist Point. Prepare to see one of the most stunning views in all of Scotland, with a picturesque lighthouse situated atop beautiful sea cliffs. We HIGHLY recommend going at sunset; this destination is a ‘must’ for landscape photographers: 

Make sure to bring a jacket! Although it was warm when we arrived, the weather quickly turned very cold and windy. 

Day 3:

The Quiraing: Another “must-see” for any photographer, this terrain boasts some of the most spectacular landscapes in all of Scotland. From the carpark, this loop traverses about 7km, and will take about 2 hours with no stops.

When you reach the middle of the loop, the path splits off into many different directions. We recommend setting aside an extra hour or two to explore the hillsides and discover some unique photo opportunities:

Lealt Falls: On your way back down to Portree, make a trip down to the beautiful Lealt Falls. 

This attraction is one of the more secluded beauties of Skye, and is definitely worth checking out. 

From here, we made our way back down into Portree, had an incredible lunch at Sea Breezes, then began the drive back to Edinburgh. While there are various other spots to explore in Skye, we believe this itinerary provides the “best of the best” in terms of views and accessibility for a 3-day trip!