Isle of Skye Without a Tour: Car, Bus, Train and Ferry

Most people who search for guided tours of the Isle of Skye are weighing them against a hire car. This guide sets the two side by side, honestly, with the official figures for each part of doing it yourself.

Can you see Skye without a tour?

You can. Nothing on the island charges you to be there: the famous sights are outdoors, with no gate, and only a few places, such as Eilean Donan, Dunvegan Castle and the Talisker Distillery, sell tickets. What you need is a way to reach them, because they are spread across separate peninsulas with long roads between them.

There are three ways to do that on your own: a car, public transport, or a mix of the two with a day tour. Each is below, with what it costs and what it misses.

What does driving yourself involve?

Many of the roads to the famous stops are single-track, with passing places. You pull in to let oncoming traffic pass, and you never park in a passing place. In summer the roads are busy.

The reward is freedom. You can be at the Old Man of Storr before the coaches, stay at Neist Point for the evening light, and walk the whole of the Quiraing. No shared tour gives you any of those.

What does parking cost at the big sights?

Parking is the cost most visitors forget. At the Storr, The Highland Council charges every motor vehicle £6 for up to six hours and £8 for up to twelve, at the machines or through the Ringo app. The car park has toilets. Dunvegan Castle's car park is free in its season.

Other car parks on the island may charge as well, and prices change, so check the signs when you arrive and carry a card and some cash.

Can you get there by train?

Partly. The railway from Fort William ends at Mallaig, and CalMac's ferry sails from Mallaig to Armadale in the south of Skye in 45 minutes. CalMac advises booking ahead, especially with a car. It is a fine way to arrive, but Armadale is far from the famous sights, so you need transport from there.

The Jacobite steam train also runs to Mallaig, in its season. Some tours put it in the fare, which is the easy way to ride it.

Can you get there by bus?

Yes. CalMac says a bus runs from Glasgow to Portree via Fort William in about 4 hours 50 minutes. That puts you in the island's main town, which is where the day tours from Portree start.

Once there, the far sights are the problem. The Fairy Pools, Neist Point and the Quiraing are all a long way from Portree, so a bus visit works best with a hire car or a tour for the day you want to see them.

How do you get around once you are on Skye?

By car, or by tour. CalMac notes that car hire is available on the island, and advises booking in advance. That means you can arrive by bus or ferry without a car and hire one only for the days you need it.

If you would rather not drive at all, the day tour from Portree starts at the coach park at 9am and spends all eight hours on the island. The private Explore Skye day picks you up anywhere on Skye and pays the parking.

Where does a tour save you the most?

On three things. First, the single-track roads, if you are not used to them. Second, the parking: a tour pays it, and the Explore Skye private day lists parking fees in its fare. Third, the time: a tour knows how long each stop takes, and it will not get lost on the way to the Fairy Pools.

A tour also brings a guide, on most, who tells you what you are looking at. That is worth more at the Old Man of Storr, where the landslip that shaped it is the whole story, than at a car park viewpoint on your own.

What about the hybrid: bus to Portree, tour from there?

This is the best plan for many visitors who do not drive. Take the bus or the train and ferry to the island, sleep in Portree, and book the shared day from there for $134. You get eight hours on the island with no mainland driving at all: the Fairy Pools first, then Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock, the Quiraing and the Storr.

If you want your own pace, a private day from Portree costs from $398 a person. Every day from Portree and Inverness is on the Isle of Skye day tours page.

When is a private day better than a hire car?

When you want a car's freedom without the driving. The Explore Skye day costs from $398 a person for seven to eight hours: pickup anywhere on the island, the parking fees paid, soft drinks and water aboard, and two hours at the Old Man of Storr. You choose the stops with the driver, and nobody has to watch the road.

It has limits a car does not. It takes travellers aged 16 and over, it cannot be changed or refunded once booked, and it covers one day. For a longer stay, a hire car for the other days and a private day for the far north is a fair split.

If you are driving in from the mainland, you cross the Skye Bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh, free since 2004, or take the ferry to Armadale. Both are on our page about getting to Skye.

Who should drive, and who should not?

• Drive if you are confident on narrow roads, have three days or more, and want to walk the Storr path, the Quiraing circuit or Neist Point.
• Take a tour if you have one day, if you are staying in Inverness or Edinburgh, or if single-track roads in the rain are not how you want to spend a holiday.
• Mix the two if you do not drive but can reach Portree: a tour for the far sights, the town on foot.

What can a tour not give you?

Time. The shared tours stop at the Storr viewpoint for about ten minutes, and the official site recommends at least two hours for the walk up and back, or an hour and a half at a push. The route is steep and exposed, so wear boots that grip. A shared tour cannot give you an evening at Neist Point either.

If those are what you came for, drive, or take one of the private Isle of Skye tours. The Aye Tours and Explore Skye days both give the Storr close to two hours.

Frequently asked questions

If you would rather someone else drove

Isle of Skye and Fairy Pools Day Tour leaving from Portree

Eight hours from the Portree coach park, all on the island, twelve people at most. The waterfalls come first, before the crowds, then the east coast of Trotternish. Snacks and water are in the fare.

From $134 per person

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Private Isle of Skye Full-Day Tour – Customisable Experience

Seven to eight hours with pickup anywhere on the island, the parking fees paid and two hours at the pinnacle path. For ages 16 and over; non-refundable once booked.

From $398 per person

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Day tour to Isle of Skye and Fairy Pools from Inverness

Twelve hours from Union Street, with an hour and a half in Portree and an hour and a half walking up to the waterfalls under the Cuillin. The castle is a ten-minute photo stop on the way home.

From $107 per person

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