The Isle of Skye: Top Things To Do

The Isle of Skye is a magical place. Sitting in the north-west of Scotland, it’s the largest island in the Inner Hebrides. Skye can be reached by car (over the toll-free bridge) or ferry, making it quite an accessible island from mainland Scotland.

Giant Angus MacAskill Museum

Angus MacAskill was born on the island of Berneray in 1825 but emigrated to Cape Breton when he was only 6. Angus was 7ft and 9 inches tall making him the tallest recorded giant. Peter McAskill has created this museum to remember the MacAskill family history. The museum is in Dunvegan and features a life-size model of Angus – you can take your photo next to him to see the height difference!

You can find the entry prices on the Dunvegan Museum website.

Skye’s Oldest Bakery

Also in Dunvegan is Skye’s Oldest Bakery which has been baking since 1870! Open all year, the bakery has a little coffee shop next to it and they have rolls, pastries, pies, cakes and scones. We bought some cakes when we made a stop off here.

Skye Museum of Island Life

I enjoy learning about how people have lived, so I was intrigued by the Museum of Island Life. The museum is made up of lovely thatched cottages which all look close to how they would have in the 1800s. Entry is cheap and we spent quite a while having a wander around all the cottages and imagining what life must have been like living there. From the Skye Museum of Island Life, you will see some great views – we were lucky we got a lovely sunny day for it.

In this museum, you will see a smithy, byre, croft house, weaver and a little shop. I enjoyed looking at all the old branding. You will also hear about the legendary Flora MacDonald and her run in with Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Skye Fairy Pools

The magical Fairy Pools are at Glenbrittle and are a definite must when in Skye. From the car park (this cost when we went but the money goes into maintaining the area) you follow a path all the way up – it’s quite an easy route but there are some rocks so young children might need some help over these.

People like to take a dip in the water at the Fairy Pools as it is so clear – I certainly wasn’t brave enough! It was lovely to sit on a rock and go into dreamland as I watched the waterfall.

Visit the Isle of Skye’s capital, Portree

Portree is a lovely little fishing village and has everything you could need – shops, restaurants, cinema, swimming pool, supermarkets and a petrol station. When I visited, I got fish and chips and sat by the harbour – it’s very pretty!

I stopped off at Skye before venturing over to the Western Isles and then stopped again on the way back. I spent four days in total here and packed a lot in but I can’t wait to return again and see even more. I love that Skye can be reached by bridge – driving over that bridge is an experience in itself!

Stop off at Broadford

The first town you encounter when driving from the Skye bridge is Broadford. We stayed in a wigwam here which had stunning views. The town is great for shopping and next to the Co-op, there is a little cluster of independent shops including the Isle of Skye candle company. This might also be a good point to get groceries as there are only two more Co-ops in Portree.

Near Broadford is a quaint little cafe called Deli Gasta which has outdoor seating, they do big sandwiches! You can find the location of this cafe in the map at the end of this post.

If you’re looking to browse the local ales, you might be interested in visiting The Misty Bottle in Breakish which is just outside Broadford. At first, this place caught my attention as there was a lovely vintage car parked outside. Step inside and it’s like an Aladdin’s cave of glistening bottles. There are lots of varieties of wine, beer, cider, you name it. We picked up a few drinks as souvenirs.

Armadale Ferry Port

This one might seem a little odd, but I took a drive out here and I honestly think this is one of Scotland’s prettiest ferry ports. It was a sunny day as I watched a Calmac ferry arrive into the port and the scenery around it was beautiful. At the ferry port, there are lots of little shops too and a cafe – or get some ice cream and watch the ferries roll in.

More things to do on the Isle of Skye

If you have more time on the Isle of Skye than I did, you might enjoy visiting the below!

Whilst you’re in Skye – you could also fit in a visit to the Harris and Lewis in the Western Isles.