Ferries and Routes Inverness to Isle Ornsay/Skye

I'll be interested to see Skyegirls thoughts on this.

(But spell check strikes again with Mailbag instead of Mallaig!!)

I think you want to get to Skye ASAP which means the Northern Route and the bridge.

To me you could take the Mallaig ferry off, but as you are so close to the Kylerhea to Glenelg turntable ferry I think that would make a great route to leave on. That is a turn up and go ferry- not bookable.

That way also means you are not running to a schedule of a pre-booked ferry.

If your priority is getting from Inverness to Skye as quickly as possible and seeing as much of the island as possible, then definitely take the bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh to get on to the island. However, whether to take the 'northern' route via Achnasheen A9, A835, A832 and A890 or the 'southern' route via A82 and A87 really depends on whereabouts in Inverness you are staying. If you are staying on the airport side of Inverness then crossing the Kessock Bridge and taking the northern route makes sense. If you are on the southern side of Inverness then the southern route makes more sense. Basically I would want to avoid trying to drive across Inverness as it can waste quite a bit of time.

I think you'd want to try to arrive at the Skye bridge by about 11am at the latest to give you any meaningful time on the island. I'd then recommend doing the northern loop which takes you through Portree and then north towards Staffin and around the top of the island. You will pass the Old Man of Storr, could stop at Kilt Rock waterfall and can divert up to the Quiraing if time permits (probably what I would choose to do rather than driving right around the top of the island). You then pick up the A87 at Uig and head south again, passing the edge of Portree on your way south. You might have time to take a quick trip to the Fairy Pools by turning right at Sligachan and then left at the Carbost turn. But bear in mind it's a 30 minute walk from the car park to the start of the pools. You could easily spend 2 hours there. Then back to Sligachan from where you head south to Broadford before turning right down towards Armadale and your hotel.

An alternative to the Fairy Pools is to park at the Sligachan hotel from where you can head across the moorland towards the mountains and there are other waterfalls, less busy, but equally, less accessible (no real path) than the fairy pools.

You will not see much of the island to be honest with only 1/2 a day at your disposal. That's a pity as you really don't have time to get in to the wilder parts of the island, where decent length hikes are required to get to the stunning natural beauty. I'd suggest that you don't have time to get to Neist point lighthouse, the coral beach or Dunvegan Castle all of which are out west.

You will want to consider where you will eat in the evening. Broadford has options including the reliable Cafe Sia (Pizza and other simple dishes) and the Claymore (seafood). But you will want to reserve a table. Your hotel also does evening meals and that might be the better option.

The next day my preferred route would be the Calmac ferry from Armadale (close to your hotel) to Mallaig. You will need to book this in advance, i.e. now, to have any chance of securing a space on the ferry. If that is not possible then the historic turntable ferry from Kylerhea to Glenelg is superb (no need to book but check on their website before setting off to ensure the ferry is running). This would take you over Skye's highest mountain pass and afford fabulous views of the mainland (weather permitting) before a steep descent to Kylerhea and the ferry across the narrow gap to Glenelg, where more amazing scenery awaits. This would bring you out back on the A87 and eventually the A82 down to Fort William and onwards to Glencoe and eventually Oban. If you are trying to 'do' Glencoe and get to Oban at a reasonable time then basically all you have time for is a drive through Glencoe, which is a shame as there are some great walks.

Hope this helps.
Jacqui (Skyegirl)

Wow, thank you @Skyegirl for this thorough and informative post! Exactly what I needed. We are staying at the Highland Apartments
in the city centre, which route do you think would be best? We are checking daily to see if we can book another night on a cancellation, but so far, nothing. So we will just have to do what we can do. One of our party won't be able to do any hiking or trail walks, so we had already decided to forego the fairy pools this trip. I like the idea the Glenelg ferry since we don't have to reserve it which would make our plans more flexible. Great tips on getting to Oban, you are awesome! And thanks to @isn31c too!

Hi again cinhawkes.

From where you are staying in Inverness I would personally take the southern route. It will be quicker as you are on major roads all the way to Skye. The northern route takes you through some spectacular, wild areas, but the roads are not for the faint hearted on the later section from Achnasheen to Kyle of Lochalsh as there are several single track sections that come up on you very suddenly.

Are you looking for a cancellation at the Duisdale to add an extra night or are you up for a different hotel on the island if you can get it? I assume you know that the people who have Duisdale have other hotels on the island? You are staying very much at the upper end of what's available here. Depending on how many rooms you need you might find a B&B or smaller hotel with availability?

Good Luck!
Jacqui

Hi @Skyegirl - great, we will take the southern route! I didn’t know that about the Duisdale, thanks! We would prefer to stay somewhere less expensive. I’ve searched Airbnb and booking.com and cannot find anything else on our dates. Is there another resource for bnbs and smaller hotels? Many thanks!!

Well quite a few small B&Bs are on booking.com and airbnb. With others you need to know where they are as they might have their own websites. If you PM me your dates I will see if I can find anything and send you a link. It's also worth having a look on Visit Scotland website as some might be listed on there.