Beyond the viewpoints, Skye has a short list of things to do, and most of them depend on the month and the wind. Here is what each one is, when it runs, and which of the guided tours of the Isle of Skye leave you time for it.
A small boat leaves the jetty below Dunvegan Castle for a 25-minute trip to the seal colony in the loch. You buy the trip at the castle; it runs on a first come, first served basis, with no booking.
No tour puts the seal trip in its fare. You need a tour with an hour or more at Dunvegan, and you pay at the jetty. See the attractions page for the tours that stop long enough.
Loch Coruisk lies in the heart of the Cuillin mountains, and no road reaches it. Boats sail from Elgol, a village in the south of Skye, and land you a short walk from the loch. The Mackinnon family's Misty Isle Boat Trips have sailed there since 1969, and Bella Jane sails from the same harbour.
We have not printed fares or sailing times, because the operators change them. Book directly with either one, and allow most of a day for Elgol and back.
You do not need boots for most tour stops, but these walks are worth planning your tour around:
Wear shoes with grip. The paths are wet much of the year, and the Storr path is steep and exposed.
Talisker Distillery at Carbost is the island's oldest working distillery, founded in 1830. Its hour-long tour and tasting starts at £22 per person, a 30-minute tasting at £20, and you should book ahead. Children under 8 cannot join a tour.
The Macleod private 3-day and 4-day tours stop at Talisker for 45 minutes. On the Highland tours, other distilleries appear instead: the HAGGiS 5-day tour includes a distillery tour, and the Highland Explorer 5-day tour stops at Blair Athol on the way home. See Talisker's hours before you plan a winter visit.
The Jacobite steam train runs between Fort William and Mallaig over the Glenfinnan Viaduct. It is on the mainland, but several tours ride it on their way to Skye. Choose by what you want:
The Highland Explorer Hogwarts Express 3-day tour from Edinburgh, the Highland Explorer 3-day tour from Inverness, and the Highland Experience 4-day tour. The 4-day listing says it runs from April to October.
The Highland Explorer 5-day and 6-day tours cross the Glenfinnan Viaduct on the local West Highland Line train, which is not the Jacobite.
The top Highland Explorer 3-day tour from Edinburgh excludes the steam train. Take the Hogwarts Express tour if the ride matters to you.
The operators warn that the steam train can change or be cancelled at short notice. Your tour still runs if it does.
The Hogwarts Express tour and the Highland Explorer and Highland Experience multi-day tours put the Jacobite in the fare. Compare them before you book.
Summer gives you the most choice. From October, the boats and the seal trips stop, and by winter your options are the walks and the distillery.
| Activity | When it runs | On which tours |
|---|---|---|
| Dunvegan seal trip | 1 April to 30 September, Monday to Friday | Any tour with an hour or more at Dunvegan; you buy the trip there |
| Boat to Loch Coruisk from Elgol | 2026 sailings to the end of October, weather permitting | The Macleod private 4-day tour stops there |
| The Fairy Pools walk | All year | The Fairy Pools days from Inverness and Portree, and most multi-day tours |
| The walk to the Old Man of Storr | All year | Private days only |
| Talisker tour and tasting | All year, except 11 October to 1 November 2026 | The Macleod private tours stop there |
| The Jacobite steam train | April to October, per the tour listings | The Hogwarts Express and steam-train tours put it in the fare |
Skye works with children if you plan for the weather and the walking. The Dunvegan seal trip is free for under-5s and short enough to hold their attention.
Rain does not close the island, but it does make a long walk less fun. Two things on Skye are indoors: the Dunvegan Castle rooms, from April to mid-October, and a Talisker tour and tasting, all year. Both suit a wet afternoon, and both charge at the door.
If your tour is on the road that day, it will still stop at the viewpoints. Keep a waterproof in your day bag, and read the weather guide for the wettest months.
No shared tour fare includes a boat trip, a seal trip or a distillery tour. You book each one with its operator and fit it around your tour's stops.
The seal trip times and prices are from Dunvegan Castle, the boat seasons from Bella Jane and Misty Isle, the whisky tours from Talisker and the walk time from The Storr, all checked 21 September 2026. What each tour includes is from its own listing, captured 20 September 2026.
Twelve hours from Inverness for a private party of two to seven, with close to two hours on the pinnacle path and close to two more on the walk up the glen, and a kilted guide. Refundable up to 24 hours ahead.
From $744 per person
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A whole day that starts at the Portree coach park at 9am, with an hour and a half for the walk to the pools before short stops round the northern peninsula. Refundable up to 24 hours ahead.
From $134 per person
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Three days from Inverness with the steam-train ticket in the fare, then an hour and three quarters for the walk to the pools. Two nights with breakfast, for two or more; refundable up to 24 hours ahead.
From $761 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: check the prices on the attractions page, the month on the weather guide, or compare every tour on Isle of Skye Day Tours.