For our driving road trip to Isle of Skye, I have been trying to book a room in Portree for June 9 & 10, 2018 but most of their good-rated B&Bs/guest houses are booked up. I was told that these are the dates of the Skye half-marathon which has become a very popular race and one will find it hard to get accommodation. So I have been researching to find a place outside of Portree. Any suggestion?
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Much of the accommodation on Skye is booked a year ahead, so even without the extra traffic of the marathon, some places will be booked up by now. Accommodation there is limited and there have been reports this year of too much traffic on the narrow roads causing problems.
Have a look at booking.com to check out availability elsewhere on the island. Smoothhound.co.uk lists many B&Bs.
Alternatively, could you reschedule the order of your trip to miss this weekend? Staying on the mainland and travelling onto the island each day isn't ideal, as it takes so long to get round Skye.
If your schedule permits, I would try to squeeze another day on Skye, as it takes time to get round and if your trip is anything like mine there, you could lose a day or 2 due to bad weather. I was there early July and one day, I couldn't see the Cullins at all (large mountains) as they were covered in low cloud/mist all day long.
Posted by
3123 posts
I can recommend the Dornie Hotel, which is on the mainland about 5 min from Kyle of Lochalsh Bridge and walking distance from Eilean Donan Castle. It's nothing fancy, but clean and pleasant, affordable, with helpful staff. Their restaurant/pub is very good.
Posted by
OP
Vancouver
59 posts
Thank you Jennifer for your valuable suggestions!
As I have already booked accommodation for most of the stay-over towns, I have to stick to our itinerary now. I will now focus my search for accommodation on another nearby town along A87 before reaching Portree and A855 after leaving Portree. Unfortunately we can only have a 2 nights' stay in Isle of Skye for our 2-week Scotland trip. We definitely plan to return!
Thank you epltd for your recommendation. Dornie Hotel sounds like a nice place to stay over. I can only wish to be there for our next trip as our fixed route is reaching Trotternish Peninsula from Oban.
Posted by
Missouri, USA and Essex, UK.
1043 posts
I am finding a lot of places booked up already in the Scottish Highlands not just on the Isle of Skye. I have already made my accommodation bookings for July 2018 (the week before the big summer school break) and I missed out on a couple of first choices. Hope you are able to find something close by. I am really looking forward to my summer vacation in Scotland. The last time I was in Scotland was 36 years ago! Have a great trip.
Posted by
OP
Vancouver
59 posts
Thank you mpaulyn! Have a memorable trip!