Accessibility in Skye

The Quirang is beautiful from right off the car park. Dunvegan Castle is a must and the gardens are lovely. That wouldn’t require hiking. Don’t know about the fairy pools bc I think they’re overrated and didn’t go. Old Man of Storr is a lot of hiking, as is Bella Jane boat cruise to Loch Curuisk (sp?). You can just take the boat out, but you wouldn’t be able to see the Loch. Those are the things I did when I was there. Maybe others can add to that. Hope you have a good trip!

I did not go to a lot of the major sites, in part because I get very nervous driving on some of the higher roads, and also because of the crowds. Some of the places I went to were those that you do not need to hike to get there, like the Trumpan Church ruins, which was interesting because of what happened there hundreds of years ago.

Also, the Isle of Raasay is wonderful (and blessedly free from crowds). You could easily drive around in peace and solitude, see the castle ruins, stop at the little Community Store, have lunch at Raasay House and then relax with a wee dram at the Raasay Distillery. It was one of my favorite places.

Dunvegan Castle involves some walking once you are there, but you could take it slow. The gardens are lovely and I enjoyed those even more than the castle, which might be difficult for you. And you can get a separate ticket just for the gardens.

The Fairy Bridge is a noteworthy site because of the story behind it, and is easily accessible from the road. And there is also the Skye Museum of Island Life, on the north of the island.

Keep in mind that it's not just Skye that involves hiking - it's pretty much all the islands. However, all you have to do is just curate your hikes before you go.

It's absolutely possible to enjoy Skye with minimal hiking! In fact a friend of mine is making it her mission to compile a list of short walks and other activities that are accessible. She goes out with a friend of hers who has very limited mobility and uses a wheeled walker and they write reports of their adventures, which tend to also include plenty of cake! Their (rather wonderful) website is Skye for All

One of their recent trips was to the Fairy Pools where they were checking out the new path and bridge. Have a look and see what you think.

Best wishes
Jacqui (Skyegirl)

My husband and I were in Scotland in April and spent 3 nights on Skye. I have rheumatoid arthritis and was in the middle of a major flare up in one ankle. I ended up buying crutches in Edinburgh; without those, I wouldn't have been able to do much of anything.

Driving in Scotland was probably my favorite activity, and didn't require walking. As others have mentioned, the Quiraing is breathtaking straight from the parking lot. I walked about 10 minutes in with my crutches and found a spot to take in the views while my husband did the whole hike. But you could even stay in your car and it'd be gorgeous. You can't see much of the fairy pools from the car park, although the general views are nice there. It's an easy drive, though. We weren't super wowed with the fairy glen, but you can see a fair amount on a short drive. We also visited several fort ruins, and the Museum (forget the name...) that were easily seen with limited mobility.

I wouldn't cut Skye from your itinerary! It was probably our favorite place in Scotland.

Thank you so much for that link Jacqui - my wife also uses a Rollator so this will be invaluable. Ta muchly

Nigel, I'm glad it's of use. The have a facebook page too if that's your thing...
I love the fact that every outing includes a cake stop.

Thank you for all the quick answers. We did see a video on the fairy pools and realized they are not what we were expecting, therefore, we have no interest. Thank you Skyegirl for the link to Skye for All. I am feeling more confident about going to Skye.

I limped around Skye last June and still had a lovely time. Besides what others have mentioned, you can enjoy the drive out to Neist Point lighthouse. (Consider stopping on that drive at Skye Silver to purchase a lovely souvenir - one of my favorite shops!) We also enjoyed the drive to Elgol which passes some interesting church ruins. IMHO the most dramatic bit of scenery on Skye is the section of road between Broadford and Portree.

Besides Skye, you might want to add the nearby Applecross Peninsula. If you don't want to do the over the top mountain pass you can drive to Sheildaig and take the coastal road to Applecross. Good pub there and also one in Shieldaig.

Skye Silver is not open yet this year. They seem to be having work done on the building, although their website says the closure is due to staff illness.

But if beautiful, locally made jewellery is of interest, then Love from Skye in Broadford design and make all their pieces on the island (unlike Skye Silver).