Most of Skye's famous sights are reached on foot, and almost all of them are free. That makes walking the heart of any visit, but the island's paths are exposed, often muddy and sometimes close to big drops, and the weather can turn quickly. This guide compares the four walks most visitors do, so you can match them to your fitness, your time and the forecast. None of them is a mountain climb; the Black Cuillin ridge is a serious scramble for experienced mountaineers and is not covered here.
The Old Man of Storr
Distance about 3.8 km there and back, on a constructed path of gravel and stone steps from a roadside car park eight miles north of Portree. Allow one and a half to two and a half hours, with about forty-five minutes up and thirty to forty minutes down at a steady pace. It is the easiest of the big walks to navigate and the most crowded, so arrive early. The upper area beneath the pinnacles carries a rockfall risk, so stay on the path, and expect mud after rain.
The Quiraing
Distance about 6.8 km on a loop from the car park at the top of the single-track road between Staffin and Uig, crossing steep slopes beneath the landslip formations known as the Prison, the Needle and the Table. The island walking guide rates it hard and suggests around two hours at an average pace without stops. The path is narrow, crosses a stream and has steep drops in places, so it is unsuitable in strong wind or mist. In poor weather, walk the first section for the view across Staffin Bay and come back the way you came.
The Fairy Pools
A walk up Glen Brittle along the Allt Coir' a' Mhadaidh, passing a chain of clear blue pools and small waterfalls beneath the Black Cuillin. Allow one and a half to three hours, depending on how far upstream you go. The path is well trodden but rough, with stream crossings on stepping stones that can become slippery or impassable after heavy rain. The water looks most vivid after a few dry days; wild swimming is possible but the water is very cold all year. Parking is paid and the car park can be muddy.
Neist Point
Distance about 2.2 km there and back, around forty-five minutes without stops, from a car park at the end of a narrow road roughly thirty minutes beyond Dunvegan. A concrete path drops steeply, partly as steps, to the lighthouse on the most westerly point of Skye, so the effort comes on the return climb. Stay well back from the cliff edges, particularly in wind. It is the island's best sunset spot and a good place to look for seabirds, and in summer whales and dolphins are sometimes seen offshore.
Which to choose
With one day and average fitness, do the Storr in the morning and drive on to look at the Quiraing from the car park. With two or three days, add the Fairy Pools and Neist Point. Families with young children usually find Neist Point and the lower Fairy Pools the most manageable, while the Quiraing suits confident walkers on a calm day. Our three-day itinerary fits all four walks into a single trip.
What to bring
Waterproof boots with good grip, a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves outside midsummer, water, snacks, a charged phone with an offline map and a torch from October to March. In summer, add midge repellent. Download the forecast the evening before, because mobile signal is patchy on much of the island.
Parking and the road
Each of the main car parks charges a fee, paid by coins or contactless card, and parking on verges or in passing places is prohibited and can block emergency vehicles. On single-track roads, pull into a passing place on your left to let oncoming traffic by, or wait opposite one on your right, and let faster cars overtake. Leave gates as you find them and keep dogs on leads near sheep.
If you would rather not drive
Small-group day tours from Inverness and multi-day tours from Edinburgh stop at several of these walks, usually allowing time for the Storr viewpoint or a short Fairy Pools walk rather than the full routes. For longer walks at your own pace, a car, or a base in Portree with careful use of the infrequent local buses, is the better option.
