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Highlander Private Tours

ISLE OF SKYE SCENIC TOUR

from Inverness

Eilean a' Cheò and The Misty Isle are 2 other names for the Isle of Skye. Departing Inverness at 8am we travel along Loch Ness side until we reach Invermoriston and here we branch right towards Kyle of Lochalsh and Skye.

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We pass through Glenmoriston and climb high up to Loch Cluanie and after the Cluanie Inn if it is a clear day we will see the mountains of Kintail and the peaks of the 5 sisters of Kintail as we descend down into Glen Sheil and reach Loch Duich and continue to our first stop of the day , Eilean Donan Castle.  Eilean Donan Castle is strategically placed where 3 sea lochs meet and is one of the most photographed castles in the world and one of the most visited attractions in the Highlands.  The current castle is the fourth castle on this site as the castle has been destroyed and rebuilt 3 times during Scotlands Turbulent History.

Photo by Sourav Bhaduri on Unsplash

Continuing along Lochalsh side we reack Kyle of Lochalsh and we stop at the Skye Bridge viewpoint where we get a fantastic view of the Skye bridge and the Cuillin mountains in the background.

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As we cross the Skye bridge we see the ruins of Castle Moil and we bypass Kyleakin where the old ferry from Kyle of Lochalsh landed.

The next place we pass through is Broadford , the second largest settlement on Skye and it nestles beneath the motherly shade of Ben na Calliach ( Pronounced kyach ) and also known as The hill of the old woman. The views over the bay to Scalpay, Paabay and Torridon are pretty impressive.

We stop briefly at Sligachan where the Black Cuillin mountain meets the western seaboard.  The views here of the old stone bridge with the cuillins in the background make for a wonderful photo opportunity.

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A few miles along the road from Sligachan we come into the little village of Carbost which is most famous as the Home of Talisker Distillery which was built in 1831.  Loch Harport is a beautiful spot . We stop at the Distillery visitor centre where you can partake of a dram of the local Uisge-Beatha (Water of life).

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Continuing our journey we head for the Trotternish peninsula and we come in to the little place of Uig , the name Uig means Bay in the Norse language. From here you can catch a ferry to the Isle of Uist in the Outer Hebrides.  By the time we reach Uig you are probably hungry so we will stop for lunch here.

Photo by Ian Cylkowski on Unsplash

After lunch we climb up to the road that leads to the Quiraing ( pronounced kwi ran ) and we make our way to the viewpoint. The Quiraing was created more than 100 million years ago by a landslip, in fact the whole of the Trotternish Escarpment was formed by a great series of landslips.  Standing 543 metres high the name Quiraing comes from the Norse language KVI RAND which means round fold.  Within the fold there is The Table, an elevated plateau hidden amongst the pillars. It is said that the locals hid cattle here from Viking raiders.  This area is still Geologically active and moves a few centimetres every year.

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Moving on we pass through the little village of Staffin and we stop at the Kilt Rock and Mealt falls viewpoint.  As you can see Kilt rock is so called because the rock formations resemble the pleat folds of a kilt. Mealt falls is a spectacular waterfall dropping 180 feet into the Atlantic Ocean.  

As we continue on towards Portree we stop at the viewpoint to see The Old Man of Storr, a large rock standing 160 feet high on The Storr Hill. Local legend has it that The Old Man of Storr was a giant who lived here and when he was laid to rest part of his thumb (The old man) remained above the ground.  This area has featured in several movies including The Wicker Man in 1973.

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A few miles down the road from The Old man of Storr we come in to Portree , the largest and main town on Skye.  Portree was created as a fishing port in the early 1800s .  The picturesque harbour offers a wonderful photo opportunity.

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Leaving Portree behind we head back towards Kyle of Lochalsh and on to Inverness.  We will head over the hills to Strathcarron and depending on the time we will decide which route we will take , we will either come back through Achnashellach or go the longer way through Torridon and Kinlochewe.

 

This is our idea of The Isle of Skye Tour, however, it is YOUR tour and if you wish to alter the tour by taking any place out and adding another place in then please let us know because, unlike The Old Man of Storr, this Tour is not set in stone.

Tour Stops

1 – Eilean Donan Castle

2 – Skye Bridge viewpoint

3 – Sligachan old bridge

4 – Talisker Distillery

5 – Uig  ( lunch )

6 – Idrigil Bay viewpoint above Uig

7 – Quiraing viewpoint

8 – Kilt rock / Mealt falls

9 – Old Man of Storr viewpoint

10 – Portree

Subject to availability.

RATES

Isle of Skye Tour  (9-10 hours)

Departing Inverness

Winter Season

(November 1st - March 31st)

1-4 People : £580

5-6 People : £660

7-8 People: £700

Summer Season
(April 1st - October 31st)

1-4 People : £640

5-6 People : £700

7-8 People: £750

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