Scotland Road Trip: NC500 – Isle of Skye

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Day 5: Isle of Skye

Our main article – Driving Scotland’s North Coast 500: Our 7 day Road Trip – has links for each day.

Day 5 was 10 hours of bliss. We drove for about 5 hours in total – about one hour more than Google calculated – and explored on foot for the other 5 hours. The distance traveled was about 145 miles (225 km). We started our round trip from Kyleakin at 9 am and were back at our accommodation by 6 pm.

We drove to Portree, the capital of the island. We stopped in at the tourist information centre for some maps and brochures. After a brief walk, we headed north to the Old Man of Storr, recognised in the opening scenes of Ridley Scott’s movie Prometheus.

After a 2.5-hour hike, we continued our tour, accompanied by two young female German hitchhikers, Sophie and Mara. The girls didn’t want to wait an hour for a bus to see the usual places, so they jumped in with us. We visited Mealt Falls and the 90-metre Kilt Rock (which looks like a pleated kilt).

From there, we ventured on to the Trotternish Peninsula and the Quiraing. This area featured in films as diverse as The BFG, Macbeth, Stardust, The Land That Time Forgot, Snow White and the Huntsman, 47 Ronin, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and Transformers: The Last Knight.

We spent a good 30 mins taking in the atmosphere from a ridge near the parking area on the Quiraing. We visited Dunvegan Castle – the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland and home to the chiefs of the Clan MacLeod, where we watched seals playing in the water. We explored the Dun Beag Iron Age Broch, built around 500BC. We finally dropped the girls back in Portree before heading back to Kyleakin where we had dinner at Saucy Mary’s before a very satisfying sleep.

Route

Kyleakin > Sligachan > Portree > onto the A855 to the Old Man of Storr > Lealt Falls > Mealt Falls and Kilt Rock > continue along the A855 towards Staffin > turn left after the Staffin Post Office towards the Quiraing > stop and park at the Quiraing car park (there is only one) > stay on the A855 and you will drive down a hair-pin road towards Uig > the road becomes the A87 > Uig > turn right near Borve onto the A850 and onto Carbost and keep driving until this road forms into a T-intersection > turn right onto the A863 towards Dunvegan Castle (follow the signs) > after visiting the Castle, follow the A863 through Kilmuir > after going over the River Ose bridge, continue on to Dun Beag Broch (on your left on a hill) – if you pass the Struan Post Office on your left you have gone too far >

Dun Beag Broch to Kyleakin via Portree

Dun Beag Broch > turn left on the A863 onto the B885 towards Portree > Portree > get back onto the A87 and head south > through Sligachan > Kyleakin

Dun Beag Broch to Kyleakin direct (save 30 minutes and 10 miles)

Dun Beag Broch > continue along the A863 through Drynoch > Sligachan > Kyleakin.

Our route on Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/SNBMmwToGzm

Driving time (including stops)

9 hours – 9 am to 6 pm

Distance

About 145 miles (225 km)

Accommodation

Saucy Mary’s Hostel, Kyleakin, Isle of Skye

Meals

Breakfast – Scottish breakfast (less black pudding, haggis and beans).
Lunch – Banana, muesli bar, orange juice.
Dinner – Tomato and courgette soup, bruschetta, fish and chips, pulled pork in ciabatta with chips and coleslaw. We ate at the Castle Moil Restaurant at the end of the car park. Saucy Mary’s was full, the Kings Arms Hotel was full and there wasn’t anywhere else to eat. Fortunately, dinner was reasonably priced and tasty.