The Isle of Skye is often described as magical or mystical, and having been there I understand why. It’s beautiful, wild, and unforgettable.
The Isle of Skye was one of the highlights of the trip my wife and I took to Scotland back in 2006, and even though it has been more than fifteen years since our visit, the memory of our visit hasn’t faded. (One of the other highlights of that trip was our visit to Edinburgh.)
The Isle of Skye is both remote and at the same time the most accessible of the Hebrides Islands thanks to the Skye Bridge connecting the island to mainland Scotland. Getting to and getting around the Isle of Skye is relatively easy even if you don’t rent a car. There’s no rail service to the island, but buses run daily from both Glasgow and Inverness, and there is a local bus serving the island villages.
The local bus won’t get you to the more remote parts of the island, but if you want to explore the island’s outer reaches, there are bus tours available from a variety of operators. And there are many boat trips that will give you a different perspective on the island, take you to other nearby islands, and possibly give you an up close look at some of the marine mammals and birds that inhabit the islands.
We had a rental car, and driving on Skye’s many one lane (single track) roads was something of an adventure at times, but we had no misadventures. We spent most of our time on the island exploring the north and west coasts. Highlights of our tour include Kilt Rock, Neist Point, and Dunvegan Castle , the oldest continuously occupied castle in Scotland and the ancestral home of Clan MacLeod.
Another highlight for me was the many sweeping vistas of the open fields and farmhouses, and the rocky shores of the island. I tried to capture some of the magnificence of those views, but no photo can do justice to the breadth and scope of the scenery to be had there. It has to be experienced in person.
While on the island, we stayed at the White Heather Hotel on the harbor in the town of Kyleakin, just across the Skye Bridge from the mainland. The hotel markets itself as a small hotel with the hominess and personal service of a bed and breakfast. We found the staff to be friendly and helpful, and our room was clean, nicely furnished, and more than adequate for our needs
We found the White Heather to be a great base for our exploration of the island, but there are many other hotels and guest houses on the island. Check the Isle of Skye Visitor Guide for a full listing of available accommodations.
Portree, on the east coast of the island, would also make a good base your explorations. It is the island’s largest village (population 2500) and there are numerous hotels and other accommodations to choose from. It’s also more centrally located than Kyleakin. The town of Dunvegan, in the northwest part of the island, is another popular base of operations.
I have no hesitation in recommending the Isle of Skye as a destination that should be on your bucket list. It’s a wonderful place and Scotland as a whole was a great place to start our explorations in Europe. Scotland is both different enough from the U.S. to be interesting and a bit exotic and alike enough to be comfortable and inviting.
We didn’t get to see all Skye has to offer in our short stay, and I would love to go back and explore the island further. But a big part of the allure of travel, for us at least, is exploring new places and new cultures, and there are so many other places that we have not yet visited that we may never make it back to Skye. But I will always treasure our visit and will never forget either the island or its people.
Originally posted by Alan K. Lee, October 3, 2020. Updated and re-posted August 1, 2023.
All photos © Alan K. Lee, except as noted
That trip was more than 15 years ago and some things may have changed greatly since then, so I won’t go into much detail as to what to do, where to stay, where to eat, what things cost, and so forth. But there’s much to Edinburgh that is timeless, and undoubtedly has not changed in the years since our visit.
Central Edinburgh is divided into the Old Town and the New Town. The Old Town includes Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Royal Mile connecting the two, and the area to the south. The New Town stretches from Princes Street Gardens, directly below the Castle, to Queen Street Gardens and the adjacent area to the north. The Old Town is the historic center of Edinburgh, and also the site of the present-day Parliament. As far as the New Town goes, new is a relative term since construction of the New Town began in the 1760s.
Both the Old Town and the New Town have their charms, and both deserve at least some of your attention. We spent most of our four days in Edinburgh exploring the Old Town, so I’ll focus on that part of the city.
Although we didn’t go inside, St. Giles Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is a magnificent structure that predates most of the structures in Edinburgh Castle. The cathedral was built between the late 14th and early 16th centuries. Entrance to the cathedral is free, but a small donation is requested.
One of the attractions of the Royal Mile are the “closes,” underground passageways that were once narrow streets or walkways between houses. The upper floors of some the houses were demolished and the lower stories used as foundation for the Royal Exchange, built in the mid 18th century, leaving the closes below ground. Some of the closes remain as passages between the Royal Mile and the streets to the south, and organized tours of some of the more subterranean closes, such as the 
Other attractions of the Royal Mile include the John Knox House, the Writers’ Museum, the Huntly House, and The People’s Story, a museum housed in the historic Canongate Tolbooth, built in 1591.
You will also find the Scottish Parliament buildings at the lower end of the Royal Mile near Holyroodhouse. Their contemporary, modernist design stands in stark contrast to the traditional and historical structures around them. And while I in fact like the design, to me they look out of place in their setting.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the Monarchy in Scotland, but the palace is open to the public when King Charles III is not in residence. We did not tour the interior, but it comes highly rated. You can visit the Throne Room, the Picture Gallery, and the King’s Bedchamber, and Tour the King James Tower, where Mary Queen of Scots lived. For more information, check the Royal Collection Trust 
We didn’t make it to Queen Street and Queen Street Gardens, but the photos I’ve seen and the guidebook descriptions make me think we missed something there.
A little farther afield in the West End, though within easy walking distance of the New Town, is the 
On the walk back we discovered a path along the Water of Leith that took us to 
On our visit we stayed at an old hotel just east of Calton Hill. With its many monuments, including the Nelson Monument and the Lincoln Monument (which is in fact dedicated to Abraham Lincoln), Calton Hill is one of the more scenic and picturesque locations in Edinburgh. From the top of the hill you have a panoramic view over the city and to the Firth of Forth and the Port of Leith, where the 
