How long does it take to drive to Portree from Glasgow?

This is a great website which gives you information as to how to get to anywhere in the world: http://www.rome2rio.com

According to above website, it will take 4 hours & 15 minutes to drive from Glasgow to Portree.

According to viaMichelin about 5 and a quarter hours. Via Michelin tends to over estimate the times it gives, but four to five hours is probably right as a guide depending on stops, traffic etc.

It will of course take a lot longer if you take the ferry from Mallaig to get to Skye.

What route were you planning on taking?

I always plan for the longer period of time. You will be driving through stunning scenery. You need to plan some time to stop and enjoy it now and then.

Here's a link to the main route onViaMichelin. And here's the route if you take the ferry. Oddly they show about the same time, but realistically, you need to time your arrival for a ferry and you should book in advance in the summer, right MC?

Pam

For some reason known only to itself, Via Michelin does not take into account the time spent on the ferry. Any ferry.According to them the crossing is instantaneous. Remember to build that in.

Pam, you are right to advise booking the slot on the ferry. It is a turn up and go service, but during the summer if one does not have a ticket reserved the time between 'turn up' and 'go' might be a few hours if the ferry is sold out. I've only ever used it as turn up and go, but have the advantage I can be home in a few hours if need be. Mallaig is not the worst place to while the time away, but it is tiny.

Thank you so very much for the information. I am consulting my road map of Scotland and I cannot discern where I cross over on the ferry if I use A87. On my map it shows Kyle of Lochalsh. Is that the place of crossing? Also would it be simpler to take a bus or rent a car? My husband and I are seasoned drivers. Who do you contact for a ferry pass? Thanks again for your timely advice.

Theres the Skye bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh. the former ferry ran from there.
There was a hefty (extortionate) fee, until the scotish parliament abolished it.

There is still a ferry from Mallaig to Skye, and a tiny one runs from about 7 miles south of the A87, its cery expensive about £15 fir the quarter mile crossing.

Crossing from Kyle of Lochalsh to Skye is accomplished via the Skye Bridge - no ferry needed!

The main route is via the bridge on the A87, and is free. The ferry is from Mallaig and what would probably be taken if you want to go via Glenfinnan. It is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne aka CalMac, a Scottish institution as the run most of the west coast ferries.

On our trip last August, we used the Skye Bridge to get onto Skye, but took the tiny ferry from Kylerhea to Glenelg to leave Skye. It may be expensive considering how short the crossing is, but we did it for a) the ferry experience; b) it was still cheaper than the Mallaig ferry, and easier to time our drive/ferry crossing; c) there are two worthwhile stone-age brochs to visit just outside of Glenelg; and d) The Lonely Planet guidebook insisted that the Ratagan Pass, on the road east of Glenelg, was particularly spectacular. The road was steep, curvy, and narrow, especially on the Skye portion west of Kylerhea. Apparently there's a British TV or radio personality with a place on the water just outside of Glenelg, but I don't recall his name.

Lots of options, which take different amounts of time, but each comes with unique opportunities. Wonder what a helicopter would cost, and how fast that would be? :-)

We only have three days to travel and explore Skye so my guess is that renting a car is best and traveling via Skye bridge...but I am going to explore the cost of a helicopter. My husband and I have been researching the cost of renting a private jet to fly across the Atlantic and found that if you divided the cost by the number of seats it would be the same cost as a commercial flight with less airport hassle. It's finding the ten people who want to go where you want to go and committing to it!

Well, you might want to look into seaplanes before helicopters. Check this out. Service starting in April 2015. It looks like they land Ashaig which is near to Broadford.

I used to see the sea planes from my office. I got into far too many problems because of that from my bosses. I liked the sea planes.

MC, In the US one of our more wonderful, but lesser visited National Parks is Isle Royale on the norther edge of Lake Superior--so close to Thunder Bay the Canadians probably wish that they had it. You get there either by driving to Grand Portage Minnesota (what a great name!) or by driving or flying to the Keweenaw Peninsula and taking the ferry from Houghton/Hancock or from Copper Harbor. I've traveled on the Ranger or the Isle Royal Queen--AKA the vomit comet. BUT there is sea plane service too! You land in one of the very narrow inlets just near Rock Harbor where the lodge is and camp sites. Goggle Isle Royale National Park images and you can get an idea of what it is like....Someday I can go back and travel on the sea plane! I'll take my dramamine first though.

I had the pleasure a few years back of going on a flying boat in Egypt. Best money spent on a treat on a holiday I have ever spent. The Glasgow one is one I plan on going on one day...

The curse of the local.. one day. I must go on holiday to Glasgow and properly see my home city's lures.