Hello,
We will be on the Isle of Skye for 3 nights at the end of April. I am hoping to get recommendations for where on the island to stay and accommodations. It looks like Portree is the most popular, but I'm wondering if there would be a better place to base.
Any advise is appreciated!
Thank you,
Nancy
Portree is a good place to stay for several reasons. There are a lot of daytrip options, guided tours by van and by boat starting from Portree. And there are a lot of good restaurant options. Plus it's a nice town to hang out in.
The end of April is very very soon, and things in Portree tend to book up early, including both lodging and restaurants. If that's where you decide to stay, I'd book quickly, if you're not too late, and make dinner reservations now. I was there last April, and I made my lodging reservations in October or November, and there were already a lot of places completely booked. You should be okay on getting dinner reservations if you don't wait too much longer.
Portree is a good base, as Lane said, but it does get crowded. I stayed on the outskirts of it, but had a rental car, which made it easy to get around. That said, there is more lodging available there than any place else on the island, so given your timing, you may not be able to be too choosy.
Lane is also correct in that lodging is VERY tight on Skye and most people start booking 6-10 months ahead of time. If you get stuck, you can try Skye Rooms on Facebook, which is a group of B&B owners who list last minute openings and accept some requests from travelers. It's always worth a try.
I agree with Lane’s advice that you do need to book your accommodations ASAP. We stayed at the Viewfield House Hotel in Portree. It’s on a hill just outside of the center so it’s in a quiet location overlooking a loch. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here.
One of our favorite meals was at the Edinbane Inn. They also have 6 rooms. It’s about 15 minutes from Portree. Non-residents can make dinner reservations starting at 2 weeks before the night you plan to dine here.
Another favorite restaurant is at the Bracken Hide in Portree. Reservations are a must.
If you look on booking.com you will find that there are still a fair range of places available at the end of April. Have a look at those, then if there is anywhere you fancy, try and book direct. There are also possibilities there at Dunvegan and camping pods (for something a bit different) down at Harlosh, beyond Dunvegan.
Not sure how many of you there are, but I can recommend a place we stayed 3 miles outside of Portree and just LOVED. Heartherfield House B & B. You can email them through their web site.
Thank you for your responses! I booked The Bosville in Portree for three nights.
We considered the Bosville for our September trip and then booked the sister property, The Marmalade. Would love to hear your review of the Bosville and restaurant recommendations when you get back! Hope you have a great trip.
Hi. We considered booking the Bosville for our trip in early September but booked the Marmalade. Would love to hear your review of the Bosville and restaurant recommendations when you get back. Have a great trip.
Ellen
