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The Skye Trail - Front Cover
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The Skye Trail

A challenging backpacking route from Rubha Hunish to Broadford

This guidebook describes The Skye Trail, a challenging week-long trek across the largest island in Scotland's Inner Hebrides, the Isle of Skye. From Rubha Hunish in the north, the Skye Trail heads along the Trotternish Ridge and past the Cuillin to Broadford in the south. Suitable for experienced backpackers and mountain walkers.

The eBook is also sold by Amazon Kindle, Rakuten Kobo, Google Play Books and Apple Books.

After completing your purchase, GPX files will be available to download from My Library

Quick facts

  • Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland (Inner Hebrides)
  • Distance: ~128 km / ~80 miles
  • Typical duration: ~7 days (week-long trek)
  • Start: Rubha Hunish (northern tip of Skye)
  • End: Broadford (southern Skye)
  • Route format: Linear long-distance backpacking walk across rugged terrain
  • Stages: 7 main stages (plus an optional alpine variant)
  • Difficulty: Challenging – remote paths, unwaymarked sections; experienced mountain walkers recommended
  • Best season: Spring and summer for longest daylight and fewer midges

Detailed overview

Discover the rugged beauty, dramatic ridges, and wild landscapes of the Skye Trail, an 80-mile (128 km) north-to-south trek across the Isle of Skye. Starting at Rubha Hunish and finishing at Broadford, the route threads past the Trotternish Ridge, the Quiraing and Old Man of Storr, crosses Glen Sligachan between the Black Cuillin and the Red Hills, enters the dramatic Cuillin mountains, and passes the abandoned village of Boreraig.

Ideal for experienced mountain walkers, this unofficial, week-long trek can be completed with wild camping each night or using overnight accommodation along the way. This guidebook provides all the practical support you need to plan and enjoy the walk, from route overview to expert advice on navigating Skye’s remote terrain.

Seven daily stages covering the full Skye Trail from Rubha Hunish to Broadford, including coastal paths, mountain ridges, and remote glens
Step-by-step route descriptions supported by detailed 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey maps, elevation profiles, and downloadable GPX files to help you navigate through Skye
Each stage includes distance, estimated walking time, terrain summary, and difficulty level, helping walkers plan daily sections and manage the hillier terrain of this Scottish island
Optional summit route via Bla Bheinn, one of Skye’s most spectacular Munros, offering high-level views for walkers seeking a memorable mountain day
Highlights and landmarks along the trail, including the Trotternish Ridge, Quiraing, Old Man of Storr, Black Cuillin, and the abandoned village of Boreraig
Information on accommodation, wild camping, refreshment points, public transport, plus geology, history, wildlife, and a glossary of Gaelic place names


Plan your Skye Trail adventure with confidence and experience the remote wilderness, dramatic mountains, and unforgettable vistas of one of Scotland’s most challenging and rewarding long-distance walks with this definitive guidebook.

Where and when to go

Seasons

Spring and summer are likely to be the best months for walking on Skye, with early May being popular to avoid the midges; longer daylight hours also make it possible to cover large distances.

Centres

Begins at Rubha Hunish at the northern end of Skye; passes through the island capital - Portree - after three days; finishes at the large village of Broadford.

Difficulty

A week-long route for experienced backpackers; self-reliance, fitness and good navigational skills will all be called upon.

Must See

The stunning headland at Rubha Hunish, the Trotternish Ridge, the spectacular rock scenery of the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr, picturesque Portree, walking in the shadow of the mighty Cuillin, the abandoned village of Boreraig.

Which format is best for me?

Printed book

A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps — everything you need on the trail.

ISBN9781786311863
AvailabilityREP
Published28 November 2023
Reprinted16 November 2026
Pages112
Weight 130g

eBook

The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.

Updates

  1. Updated

    Dun Flodigarry Hostel

    Dun Flodigarry Hostel at Flodigarry at the end of Stage 1 has now closed permanently and no longer offers accommodation or camping. There is a hotel at Flodigarry as well as nearby B&Bs

  2. Updated

    Torrin Bunkhouse

    Torrin Bunkhouse page 89) – no longer needs to be booked 3 weeks in advance still has to be booked in advance) but now only accepts bookings for at least 2 nights.

  3. Updated

    Updates

    P52 Camping is no longer permitted at Dun Flodigarry Hostel

    P81 The position of the MBA bothy marked on the map at Camusunary has changed; a new bothy is now located directly on the Skye Trail just where the route turns east near the water at Camusunary Bay.

    P89 Mrs Mack's Takeaway – seasonal food truck usually parked on the Skye Trail just before Torrin check Facebook for opening times www.facebook.com/MrsMacksFarmShop)

Meet the authors

Helen's walking initiation began with enforced parental rambles and progressed through the Ten Tors expeditions on Dartmoor as a school pupil to the completion of a 4000-mile backpack across Europe with Paul in 2003-4. Helen is a firm believer that travelling on foot allows you to meet people and see things that would otherwise be overlooked and it's with this attitude that she co-founded the Scottish walker's website Walkhighlands in 2007.

Originally from Devon, Helen has gradually been moving north and has lived and worked in the Scottish Highlands since 2005. She has co-authored 21 walking books about Scotland with Paul and is passionate about the need to conserve Scottish wild land while developing the local tourism industry to ensure that walkers visit time and time again to discover the huge variety of walks out there.

Paul has a lifelong passion for walking and exploring the outdoors. In 2003-4 he undertook a 4000-mile continuous backpack across Europe with his wife Helen. After quitting a conventional career in York, Paul has spent many years living and working in Scotland and is the co-founder of the Walkhighlands website, a free online guide and forum for walkers in Scotland. He is a keen photographer and is currently enjoying exploring the lesser known areas of the Cairngorms close to home, but has still never captured a shot of the elusive capercaillie in the local pine woods.

Paul has co-authored 21 walking books with Helen. For some years a member of the John Muir Trust, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland and the Mountain Bothy Association; he is currently on the local outdoor access panel for the Cairngorms National Park.