Would you like to explore the best of the Isle of Skye? This guidebook covers 15 of the best short walks in the area (all under three hours), including the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing pinnacles, Rubha Hunish and the Fairy Pools.

Why choose this guidebook?

• Easy to moderate walks suitable for almost everyone
• Short climbs but no challenging terrain
• Numbered points which tie OS maps to clear route description
• Facilities, parking and highlights for every route
• Route Summary Table to help you choose your walk

Cicerone’s Short Walks guidebooks contain everything you need to get outdoors and discover the best of an area. The routes are perfect if you’re new to walking or looking for something you can enjoy with the whole family. Let the adventures begin!

Using this guide  

Introduction 

Walking on Skye 

Plants and wildlife 

Things to see 

Where to stay 

Getting around 

The Walks 

Walk 1 Scorrybreac and The Bile  

Walk 2 The Old Man of Storr  

Walk 3 Brothers’ Point  

Walk 4 The Quiraing  

Walk 5 Rubha Hunish  

Walk 6 Dun Borrafiach  

Walk 7 Mointeach nan Tarbh and Oisgill Bay  

Walk 8 Lorgill Bay  

Walk 9 Fairy Pools and Coire na Creiche 

Walk 10 Rubh’ an Dunain  

Walk 11 Camasunary  

Walk 12 Armadale woodland  

Walk 13 Boreraig  

Walk 14 Coire-chat-achan 

Walk 15 Ben Tianavaig  

Useful information 

Tourism websites 

Tourist information centre 

Accommodation 

Camping and caravan sites 

Hostels and bunkhouses 

Transport 

Visitor attractions 

Local place names and their meanings 

Seasons

Skye is a place to visit all year, but, be warned, the summer months are not the best partly because of the sheer weight of tourists, but, of greater concern, this is when the dreaded midges are out and about. Visiting off-season is always a good idea; some places may be closed, but the scenery is always there.

Centres

No one centre serves all the walks. Using Portree as a base puts most walks within easy reach, while Broadford will serve the rest.

Difficulty

None of the walks is unduly demanding. Ben Tianavaig is the only mountain included, one that gives a splendid view over the town of Portree. The walk to Camasunary has a fair measure of up and down, but all the remaining walks are easy to moderate in difficulty.

Must See

The Old Man of Storr is an iconic Skye landmark, now more readily accessible following forest clearance. The Quiraing pinnacles, too, are a popular target, as are the Fairy Pools in upper Glen Brittle. Less well-known is the idyllic walk out to Rubh’ an Dunain and the woodland wander around Armadale.

We do not yet have any updates available for this book

We are always grateful to readers for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground. If you would like to send some information to us then please use our contact form. They will be published here following review by the author(s).

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