Best of Skye In Style
- By day discover Skye's wild landscapes and by night relish upscale accommodation
- Cross the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct on a spectacular rail journey from Glasgow to Mallaig
- Take a private guided day tour of Skye, designed exclusively for Macs guests!
- Explore historic highlights such as Dunvegan Castle, and sample the local whisky
- Walk from Kilmarie to Sligachan, one of Scotland's finest scenic walks
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive on Skye and overnight in SleatArrive in Glasgow, easily reachable from Glasgow or Edinburgh airports, and take a scenic rail journey (5hrs) on the iconic West Highland Line railway, crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct to reach the small harbour town of Mallaig. A ferry (45 mins) brings you to the Isle of Skye where you’ll be met at the ferry terminal and transferred to your nearby accommodation on the Sleat Peninsula.
You’ll arrive with plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely dinner in your hand-picked Highland hotel, perhaps followed by an evening stroll and a glass of the local whisky—Talisker—in the lounge!
Toravaig House is situated in an elevated, south facing position on the south peninsula on the Isle of Skye, enjoying views out across the Atlantic waters of the Sound of Sleat over to the distant hills of Arisaig. This Hebridean gem has, many times, won the title “Scottish Island Hotel of the Year” at the Scottish Hotel Awards. With its comfortable lounge, open fire and baby grand piano, this is a beautiful place to begin your dining experience after a day exploring Skye’s beautiful landscapes.
Located with spectacular views over the sea-loch Na Dal and romantic Sleat Peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Kinloch Lodge Hotel & Restaurant oozes heritage and history. Delight in fine dining at the superb AA 3-red rosette restaurant, where resident head-chef Marcello Tully prepares the very best local and seasonal produce for you to savour.
Situated on the Sleat peninsula at the South tip of Skye, you will be rewarded with breath-taking views and peaceful, picturesque gardens at this luxurious country retreat. Built in 1865 as a Hunting Lodge, Duisdale House was given a new lease of life when it was taken over by Anne Gunn, guests are offered the highest level of service to ensure a memorable stay at this stylish boutique hotel.
Today you’ll discover the island’s highlights by car in the company of one of our endlessly knowledgeable, local guides. On this day tour, exclusively designed for Macs Adventure guests, you’ll have time for short walks at both the Fairy Pools in Glenbrittle and at Skye’s most westerly point—Neist Point Lighthouse. We have also allowed time for optional visits to Talisker Distillery and Dunvegan Castle & Gardens.
After a full day discovering Skye’s west coast enjoy another wonderful evening in the tranquil surrounds of the Sleat Peninsula.
Walk: Optional
Toravaig House is situated in an elevated, south facing position on the south peninsula on the Isle of Skye, enjoying views out across the Atlantic waters of the Sound of Sleat over to the distant hills of Arisaig. This Hebridean gem has, many times, won the title “Scottish Island Hotel of the Year” at the Scottish Hotel Awards. With its comfortable lounge, open fire and baby grand piano, this is a beautiful place to begin your dining experience after a day exploring Skye’s beautiful landscapes.
Located with spectacular views over the sea-loch Na Dal and romantic Sleat Peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Kinloch Lodge Hotel & Restaurant oozes heritage and history. Delight in fine dining at the superb AA 3-red rosette restaurant, where resident head-chef Marcello Tully prepares the very best local and seasonal produce for you to savour.
Situated on the Sleat peninsula at the South tip of Skye, you will be rewarded with breath-taking views and peaceful, picturesque gardens at this luxurious country retreat. Built in 1865 as a Hunting Lodge, Duisdale House was given a new lease of life when it was taken over by Anne Gunn, guests are offered the highest level of service to ensure a memorable stay at this stylish boutique hotel.
Your day begins with a taxi transfer (35 mins) to Kilmarie, on the beautifully remote Strathaird Peninsula, where you’ll begin the day’s walk. You’ll gain some height—and with it unrivalled views down onto the secluded Camasunary Bay and the Cuillins—before descending to the sandy shore of Loch Coruisk. From here the route is easy going, with a few stream crossings, as you wind your way north between Bla Bheinn and the jagged Cuillin ridge, towards Sligachan. This is one of Scotland's finest day walks!
Arrive at Sligachan Hotel (with over 400 whiskies behind the bar) from where you’ll be collected and transferred to your accommodation in the colourful harbour town of Portree—the isle’s bustling heart.
Elevation gain/loss: +247m/-274m
This quality Hotel offers fresh, stress free accommodation with many rooms overlooking idyllic Portree and the busy harbour. They have an unrivalled reputation for superb, award winning cuisine created using the freshest of local produce and first class service.
Upgrade Option (additional supplement added at confirmation): Former Georgian Farmhouse, The Marmalade was once home to Alexander MacLeod, treasurer for the MacDonald clan, and his wife who together cultivated oranges in their garden and made sweet homemade marmalade. Arguably Portree's poshest hotel, rooms are spacious and stylish decorated, and the beds are astonishingly comfortable. Expect all those finishing touches that make a stay here feel extra special, think Highland Bath spa products infused with lemongrass and ginger and locally spun pure wool throws. The attached restaurant, Chargrill is one of the best in town and the recently fitted sauna and relaxation room is the icing on the cake.
From the moment you arrive you cannot fail to appreciate the Highland setting of this hotel. Set within fifteen acres of mature private grounds overlooking Portree Bay with magnificent views over the Sound of Raasay to the Cuillin Mountain range. The owners pride themselves on being a small family run business as they believe it produces a better guest experience. They have strict attention to detail, a caring locally based team and do not overlook any element of quality. The bedrooms of the Cuillin Hills Hotel blend comforting tradition with modern simplistic style. The character is individual dècor layered with classic furniture to provide and preserve the elegant interior of the hotel.
This morning a scenic transfer (40 mins) brings you from Portree to the car park for the Quiraing. Follow a narrow path through this otherworldly landscape of rock pinnacles and cliffs with spectacular views of Skye’s east coast towards the Torridonian mountains on the mainland.
The return leg of your transfer is flexible—finish the day’s walk with a late lunch at Flodigarry Hotel or return to the vibrant town of Portree with time to explore.
Elevation gain/loss: +260m/-460m
This quality Hotel offers fresh, stress free accommodation with many rooms overlooking idyllic Portree and the busy harbour. They have an unrivalled reputation for superb, award winning cuisine created using the freshest of local produce and first class service.
Upgrade Option (additional supplement added at confirmation): Former Georgian Farmhouse, The Marmalade was once home to Alexander MacLeod, treasurer for the MacDonald clan, and his wife who together cultivated oranges in their garden and made sweet homemade marmalade. Arguably Portree's poshest hotel, rooms are spacious and stylish decorated, and the beds are astonishingly comfortable. Expect all those finishing touches that make a stay here feel extra special, think Highland Bath spa products infused with lemongrass and ginger and locally spun pure wool throws. The attached restaurant, Chargrill is one of the best in town and the recently fitted sauna and relaxation room is the icing on the cake.
From the moment you arrive you cannot fail to appreciate the Highland setting of this hotel. Set within fifteen acres of mature private grounds overlooking Portree Bay with magnificent views over the Sound of Raasay to the Cuillin Mountain range. The owners pride themselves on being a small family run business as they believe it produces a better guest experience. They have strict attention to detail, a caring locally based team and do not overlook any element of quality. The bedrooms of the Cuillin Hills Hotel blend comforting tradition with modern simplistic style. The character is individual dècor layered with classic furniture to provide and preserve the elegant interior of the hotel.
After a hearty breakfast your trip has come to an end. Portree has good onward bus connections to Kyle of Lochalsh (1hr), and from here you can connect to Inverness by train and fly to UK airports, or continue to Fort William by bus then change to train for an onward journey to Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Other Information
Is it for me?Designed for those who want the complete Skye experience in a shorter timescale; visit this island's well-known spots, experience cultural discovery (including time for optional distillery visits), and delight in walking peaceful trails alongside unrivalled mountain scenery. One of the highlights of this tour is the superior accommodation throughout in which you can relax in the evening and some even have gourmet restaurants. Also included is a private guided day tour of the island with knowledgeable guides. The walks are graded easy-moderate and follow good, gently undulating tracks and paths throughout.
In Style | After a day of exciting adventures and soaking up unbeatable scenery, retreat to stylish accommodations and unwind with fine food and wine. This trip type is for those who like sophisticated places to stay and are looking for active routes but still want the holiday to feel special.
Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.
Solo Travellers
The minimum age for this tour is: 10 Years
This trip is graded ‘easy to moderate’ overall. You should be in good physical fitness to fully enjoy the walking on this tour. Most of the trails follows either gravel or dirt paths and tracks, along with some short stretches on quiet roads. There are just 2 walks, one is 17km and one is 6km. The shorter one has more elevation gain and loss and the longer one has undulating terrain but neither are especially challenging. There are some stream and small river crossings on the Kilmarie to Sligachan walk and some sections of narrow paths with steep grassy drop-offs on the Quiraing trail, but neither of these should pose problems for experienced walkers.
On your private guided day tour we have allowed time in the schedule for walking at the Fairy Pools and Neist Point (these are entirely optional short walks).
4 Nights in hand-picked and superior 4* hotels; the hotels near Armadale on the Sleat Peninsula are country lodges or small country hotels with restaurants that stand alone in the countryside. This contrasts with the hotels in Portree are located in the bustling town centre.
If you would like to add extra nights to your trip we recommend doing so in Glasgow at the start of your trip. If you’d like to upgrade your room type please ask your Sales Specialist for more information.
We regularly use the listed properties but may accommodate you elsewhere if these are not available. However, they will be of a similar standard.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
This trip is available to solo walkers, although there is a supplement due to the fact that some of the costs (such as transfers) are not shared. Single rooms are available on request and a supplement is payable.
Meals
A breakfast will be provided by your accommodation every morning. Usually these are buffet or continental-style, with the option to order a traditional Scottish breakfast from a menu. Dinners are not included, however the hotels on the Sleat Peninsula have their own distinguished restaurants. In Portree you can also eat in your hotel, but there are plenty of alternatives and you might also like to sample Scotland’s renowned fish & chips.
Whisky
Of course the region is also famous for it’s whisky! The Isle of Skye now has two distilleries, the Talisker Distillery (established in 1830) and the newer Torabhaig Distillery (established in 2017). On the guided tour of the island you’ll have time to take a tour of the Talisker Distillery if you wish.
The route is largely not waymarked and follows a mixture of tracks, and narrow paths (both gravelly and grassy). We provide you with detailed turn-by-turn route notes and maps in our GPS Macs Adventure smartphone app. You can simply download the GPX tracks to your phone for offline use and off you go!
- 4 Nights in 4* hotels
- 4 Breakfasts
- Luggage transfers
- Travel from Glasgow to the Sleat Peninsula
- Transfers as listed in the itinerary on day 1, 3 & 4
- West Highland Line rail tickets (standard class)
- Ferry journey from Mallaig to Armadale
- Private guided day tour of Skye
- Information pack, maps, route notes and GPX tracks within our smartphone app
- 24/7 Emergency telephone support
- Travel insurance (required)
- Travel to Glasgow and from Portree
- Lunches & dinners
- Drinks & snacks
- Personal equipment
- Additional nights before, during or after the walk
You can begin your tour on any day of the week except Sundays (due to limited train & ferry timetables) between April and early October.
Portree is a popular overnight stop on Skye and can be busy during the summer season, so if you have any flexibility with your dates please let your Sales Specialist know when you book. Skye generally gets very busy so its best to book as early as you can to avoid disappointment.
The trip begins at Glasgow Queen Street train station—easily accessible from the UK via rail and motorway links. If you’re travelling from Europe, North America or further afield we recommend flying into Glasgow Airport just a short taxi journey from the city centre (20 mins). To find more travel information visit the Trainline and UK Travel Planning.
The airport has plenty of UK and European links. There are also direct flights available from New York, Orlando, Toronto and Halifax. Otherwise, you can easily connect from other North American airports via Iceland, London or Amsterdam using British Airways, KLM, or a multitude of low budget airlines such as Ryanair or Easyjet.
From Portree there are frequent onward bus connections to Kyle of Lochalsh (1hr). You can find bus information on the Scottish Citylink webite. From here you can connect to Inverness by train and fly to UK airports. Alternatively, to reach Glasgow continue to Fort William by bus then change to the train for your onward journey to Glasgow.
Glasgow and Edinburgh airports provide daily flights to key UK, European and Worldwide destinations.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight stay. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person. It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.
There are a few private taxi transfers included as part of your trip. We have included these for your ease and enjoyment and have booked them for specific times each day but you’re welcome to adjust these based on your requirements where possible.
The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
This trip is graded ‘easy to moderate’ overall. The terrain is undulating, but not especially challenging.You should be in good physical fitness to fully enjoy the walking on this tour.
Most of the route follows either gravel or dirt paths and tracks, along with some short stretches on quiet roads.
This tour can be adjusted to start in Fort William instead of Glasgow to coincide with finishing the West Highland Way (in Fort William). The train journey from Fort William would be not cover the same extensive area of the Scottish countryside as beginning in Glasgow but would still cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct before arriving into Mallaig. Please contact us for details.
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