Isle of Skye Experience: Highlights, Stories & Travel Tips

When traveling to Scotland—and particularly Edinburgh—we knew we had to visit somewhere in the Highlands. It was either Loch Ness and Inverness or the Isle of Skye. We have plenty of lakes (or lochs) in Canada, so we elected to visit the Isle of Skye.

We didn’t have much time, so after doing some research, watching a few videos, and even getting a bit of help from ChatGPT, I came up with an ambitious plan: leave Edinburgh at 6 a.m., drive up and see several sites along the way, stay the night in Portree, wake up early the next morning, see a few more sites, and then drive back to Edinburgh.

Our plan worked… mostly—but it was exhausting and extremely stressful. 😅

Stress Levels 🚗💨

The stress began when trying to navigate driving on the left side of the road, sitting on the right-hand side of the car, and tackling roundabouts on the highway. Eventually, I got used to it, but navigating the winding, narrow roads alongside some reckless drivers in the Highlands definitely added to the stress.

Then our daughter began to feel it and vomited a couple of times (possibly due to the winding roads and being tired). We had to stop and clean her up twice, and now we were running behind.

We were in a time crunch because we wanted to make it to the Glenfinnan Viaduct to catch the Jacobite (Harry Potter) Steam Train. The train would pass the viaduct at 11:00 a.m., but we needed to find parking and make it to the viewpoint, so I thought we should arrive by 10:15. We were running late and made it there at about 10:40… boy, were we late.

The parking lots were full, and there was nowhere to park on the street for miles. It’s safe to say we missed the train—although I ended up seeing it from the road further down. (More tips for this later in the post.)

Once we accepted defeat, we headed back to the viaduct viewpoint for panoramic views of the area. Despite missing the train, the scenery was spectacular. Our stress levels dropped significantly once we weren’t in such a rush anymore—though the rest of the day was still exhausting. We made several stops, and still had to skip some, before reaching Portree around 7 p.m. (13 hours later).

Stops Along the Way 🏞️

We had a plan that made sense geographically and wanted to make sure we hit the major sites. We left early, skipped breakfast, and planned to eat snacks along the way—maybe stopping for a coffee somewhere in the countryside.

Our first major stop was the Glenfinnan Viaduct for the Harry Potter train. After that, we would stop for a seafood lunch, continue toward Skye, make a few roadside stops, and then visit Eilean Donan Castle just before crossing the bridge onto Skye.

Once on Skye, we’d drive up the center, stop at the Fairy Pools (and maybe the Fairy Glen, either before or after checking in), then head east to Portree for dinner and the night.

The next morning, we’d head further north to see the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, and Mealt Falls, and then Quiraing before making the long journey back to Edinburgh.

This trip works in theory—but it’s a lot from Edinburgh. It’s more manageable if you’re staying farther north (like Fort William or Stirling) or plan to stop somewhere after Glenfinnan and continue the next day.

Although it was stressful, we still managed to do it all—except we were late for the train and missed the Fairy Pools and Fairy Glen. But despite being rushed, we saw some amazing sights along the way.

Glenfinnan Viaduct 🚂

The ride up was stressful—but enough about that. The scenery was stunning. We saw The Kelpies (the giant horse statues) outside Stirling and drove through Glencoe, which was breathtaking. In Glencoe, you’re surrounded by towering mountains in every direction, close enough to feel like you could touch them.

There are plenty of stops to take pictures and hike, but we were short on time and just enjoyed the ride, stopping briefly to fill up on gas and grab a coffee.

We also passed Loch Lomond, which was beautiful—I wish we could have stopped to enjoy it more. Finally, we reached Glenfinnan, albeit late.  The parking lot was full and there wasn’t a parking spot for miles.  Frantically I panicked but we ended up see the train from the road, and the view wasn’t bad.  After that we backtracked to the viaduct and hiked about 15 minutes to the viewpoint.

The panoramic views of the hills, valleys, and viaduct (the same one the Hogwarts Express crosses in Harry Potter) were phenomenal and hey, at least I got to see the actual train tracks and location.

💡 Harry Potter Train Tip:
If you’re coming from Edinburgh or Glasgow, don’t expect to make it to the viewpoint in time to see the train at 11:00 a.m. Instead, try to catch it from the road further down the route, or plan to visit later in the day to see the afternoon train. You can then stay overnight in a nearby town like Fort William to make your trip more relaxed and enjoyable.

Inverlochy Castle Hotel 🏰

We had planned to stop for seafood, but after visiting Glenfinnan, we were starving. We came across Inverlochy Castle Hotel—a castle turned hotel tucked away in the Highland forest—and decided to stop in for lunch.

The castle was beautiful, with lovely grounds surrounding it. We weren’t exactly dressed for the occasion, but the staff, dressed much fancier, welcomed us in regardless. They offered modern British cuisine, and the food was excellent—the soup, bread, and cheese board were all top-notch.

Eilean Donan Castle 🏰🌊

After lunch, we finally felt less rushed. Our next stop was Eilean Donan Castle, a castle dating back to the 13^th century that acted as an important defense to the highlands as it sits overlooking a loch connected to the sea. We needed to arrive before 4 p.m. if we wanted to go inside; otherwise, we could just enjoy the views from outside.

The drive was gorgeous, with plenty of viewpoints and lochs along the way. The Highland landscapes seemed to change constantly—mountains, valleys, forests, and cliffs blending together.

We reached Eilean Donan Castle just in time and paid to enter. While we couldn’t take photos inside, it was still interesting and educational. Next time, I might skip the interior and save the £12 per person—the exterior view alone, with the castle sitting on a small island connected by a footbridge, was spectacular.

Journey to Skye and Portree 🌄

By now, we were tired. We skipped the Fairy Pools and headed straight to Portree. Shortly after leaving Eilean Donan Castle, we crossed the Skye Bridge into the Isle of Skye.

Skye wasn’t as remote as I expected—there were small towns and whisky distilleries along the way. The drive was scenic, with sea views, mountains, and ever-changing landscapes.

After 13 hours on the road, we finally arrived in Portree. There were fewer restaurants than expected, and many had long waits. Too tired to sit down somewhere fancy, I grabbed a few beers from a local shop and picked up fish and chips from the local chippy.

It was slightly chilly, and we ate outside at picnic tables—but we were allowed to drink the beers and the fish & chips were unreal, some of the best I’ve ever had.

We stayed at the Portree Youth Hostel—one of the few affordable summer options. It was basic but clean, with a private room and a great location. We went to bed early to rest up for another long day ahead.

Old Man of Storr 🪨

We woke early and drove 30 minutes from Portree to the Old Man of Storr, one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks. It’s a jagged rock formation rising dramatically from a small mountain range, surrounded by countless lochs.

We were lucky to arrive early, as the road turned into a single-track lane with pull-offs for oncoming cars. The view was impressive, though to be honest, it wasn’t quite as spectacular as I had imagined.

My wife and kid decided to stay at the base and give me half an hour to hike up to the viewpoint. There are two trails—moderate and difficult—that merge near the top. I chose the moderate one and as I ascending, stopping to take photos along the way I realized how high up I actually was.

I hiked (and occasionally jogged, trying to be as quick as possible) for about 45 minutes before encountering a herd of goats that blocked the path—some with large horns that made me think that they could actually ram me.  At one point they were baaing and running down the cliff towards me.  It truly was an amazing (slightly sketchy) experience.  So I just took some photos, didn’t even end up making it to the view point and began my descent down, short of breath and rushing to get back down.  And during my descent was the first time I came across any other hikers.  About an hour and fifteen minutes later, we were on our way.

Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls 🌊

Our next stop, about 15 minutes away, was a nice change of pace. Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls offer an easy viewpoint stop—no hiking required.

Mealt Falls is fed by Loch Mealt and drops 55 meters straight into the Atlantic Ocean. The cliffs are called Kilt Rock because the vertical patterns resemble a Scottish kilt.

It was also the first place I could finally fly my drone—drones are prohibited at both the Old Man of Storr and Glenfinnan Viaduct.  The views were nice and it was nice to relax and look out at the Atlantic without having to stress and go on a long hike.

Quiraing and Highland Cows 🐮

Our final stop was Quiraing, a dramatic landscape I had seen in a video. A local told me you could see it just by driving through, although I had seen some videos showing a short hike to views of the sea, so I was confused.  But when driving through there I realized she was right.

The winding roads were steep and narrow, and we even got stuck behind a biker and, later, a cow. But the scenery was incredible—vast mountains, shifting colors, and landscapes that felt like I was on another planet.

We arrived at the parking lot and decided against hiking and began our long journey back to Edinburgh, making a few short stops along the way.

One of the highlights was a small farm where we grabbed coffee and got to see (and even pet) Highland cows. The cows stood in a lush valley near a waterfall—a perfect ending to our Highland adventure.

Eleven hours later, we finally returned to Edinburgh, exhausted but happy to be back.