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Isle of Skye-Day for Loch Coruisk vs Dunvegan/Neist Point

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Hi...finalizing our itinerary for Isle of Skye next week (family of 2 adults, 1 teen). For one day, we are considering spending time visiting Dunvegan Castle and Neist Point lighthouse. The other option which is also appealing is to spend the morning on a Loch Coruisk boat trip. For context this will be our second day on Isle of Skye; planning to devote the first day to Trotternish Peninsula and some hikes/walks along the way. Additionally, we are staying in Portree area and will have a rental car.

Appreciate thoughts on which option may give a better balance of experiences. Also, if we go with the boat trip, thoughts on afternoon activities which may be doable based on the location--not sure if it is reasonable to plan castle or lighthouse for that afternoon based on how spread out these locations are from Elgol.

Posted by
1533 posts

If the weather next week is anything like our current weather then I think you will want to consider whether the boat trips will even be running. All things being equal then I think a teen is much more likely to enjoy the loch Coruisk experience and would probably find the castle rather dull. However, as I say the October weather is unpredictable. At the moment we have heavy winds and torrential rain, which would render both the boat trip and Neist Point off limits. Neist has some of the highest sea cliffs in Scotland and it is one of the windiest places on the island. I would not want to be there in high winds.

A low level hike to somewhere like Braes Beach might be better in poor weather.

Posted by
35789 posts

the first named storm of the year, Amy is on the way for tomorrow with the first stuff already in western Scotland. This is a big one, a merger of two former American hurricanes.

After the storm has passed you are advised to check locally on the conditions on the roads, watching out for flooding and trees down and land slips. Don't venture off without.

Posted by
1983 posts

Do the boat trip if weather allows. IMHO skip Dunvegan castle - it's more like a stately home with lots of family mementos than an actual castle. Dun Beag hill fort and Duntulm Castle ruin are interesting stops.

You might want to consider a short road trip off Skye - Duirinish has highland cows, Plockton is a pretty village with some good walks and restaurants. That would be about 80 miles round trip. You could also head past Eilean Donan Castle for a photo op (no need to visit unless you need a rainy day activity) and up to Ratagan Viewpoint. It is possible to continue on that road and take the Gleneig Ferry back to Skye if their schedule works for you.

Posted by
2774 posts

I found our visit to Dunvegan Castle really boring. It all seemed to be about family history and Clan MacLeod history. Not having any links to either, I soon lost interest.

Posted by
3 posts

Thanks for the replies...these insights and additional ideas are very helpful! We had placed a "possible" by taking the Glenelg Ferry when leaving Skye if time allowed, so very nice to hear that it could be a fun side venture.

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