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Isle of Skye July 2026 One Week

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Hello! Our family of four (60s parents and 30 and 26 daughters) will be visiting the Isle of Skye at the beginning of July 2026. None of us have ever been to Scotland. We are all American, but our youngest daughter is attending University of Manchester. We are going to visit her in Manchester for a few days and then go to Skye for a week.

I know, most Americans would do a whole tour of Scotland in a week, but we want a slower pace and really get to be together and get to "feel" the area.

I have a house booked in Breakish (near Broadford).

NOW I have to figure out our transportation. My husband and I will be flying into London and have to make our way to Manchester. Our older daughter will fly directly into Manchester. Then, we all will need to make our way to Skye a few days later. We think we'll want to take a train from Manchester to Scotland and rent a car then reverse a week later. Our house is Saturday to Saturday.

Does anyone have advice on a good way to get up there and where to rent a car?

Next will be for things to do on Skye.

Thanks!!!

Renee

Posted by
1959 posts

You could take the train from Manchester to Glasgow. It's just over a 3 hour trip.

Car rental in Scotland: Arnold Clark Car Rental or their partner Celtic Legend. Same car, but sometimes one or the other offers better rates. We booked through Celtic Legend in 2023 and received free extra drivers and GPS. Both companies are easy to work with and will answer all your questions.

Your drive from Glasgow to Breakish without stops could take about 5 hours. I would suggest an overnight, either in Glasgow before picking up your car, or on the drive to Skye. You will be driving through some beautiful Highland scenery with plenty of places to take in the views along Loch Lomond and the Glencoe Valley.

Will everyone return to Manchester before flying home or will you be leaving from Scotland?

Posted by
2796 posts

If you are all meeting up in Manchester, hire a car there (the airport is as good a place as anywhere) then it's a straight drive up the M6/M74 to Glasgow and onwards

Posted by
3 posts

Blockquote

If you are all meeting up in Manchester, hire a car there (the airport is as good a place as anywhere) then it's a straight drive up the M6/M74 to Glasgow and onwards

Blockquote

I just looked up rental prices. You are right about this option. I can get a car for a whole week from Manchester for the price of a day from a company up north.

I just don't know how my husband will feel about driving so much on the wrong side of the road. :(

Posted by
3022 posts

I am guessing you will be on divided motorways most of the way from Manchester to Glasgow, which will be easy driving. Your husband can get used to driving on the left before he has to deal with smaller roads and intersections. So unless he objects to driving right or more hours, I think he will be fine.

Sounds like a wonderful trip. I love Skye!

Posted by
1959 posts

I just looked up rental prices. You are right about this option. I can get a car for a whole week from Manchester for the price of a day from a company up north.

What rental companies are you looking at? I see a difference in weekly rentals of about £25-30 for an automatic estate car including insurance, VAT & roadside assistance.

Posted by
2904 posts

Make sure you are booking with a reputable hire company. There sre some 'budget' companies which initially seem a lot cheaper but get terrible reviews for all the hidden extras they add. This often makes them a lot more expensive than the reputable companies. Ones to avoid include Green Motion, Drivalia, Easirent.

Arnold Clark and its their partner Celtic Legend get consistently good reviews and are recommended.

Posted by
3 posts

Thank you all!

I just booked a car using the Auto Europe link in Rick Steve's site. It's with EuropeCar.

Now, I get to make an itinerary! I'd love advice for that too.

Posted by
1959 posts

Are you now driving from Manchester to Skye?

Be sure your rental has enough room for both your passengers and your luggage. We booked the suggested SUV for our last Scotland trip and discovered the storage area wouldn't accommodate 4 carry-on bags. Fortunately, we were switched to an estate car at no extra cost that had plenty of room for the 4 of us plus 4 bags and personal items.

Also, be aware that electric cars are not recommended on Skye due to the poor charging infrastructure.

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