lodging on or near Portree Isle of Skye

Hi, Judi,

Do you know which two nights you're planning to stay in Portree? How many are in your party?

Are you looking for en-suite, or does it matter? Will you have a car, or are you arriving by bus?

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

If you will have a vehicle, have you tried outside of Portree.

we will not have a car - we are traveling with a small tour -- 6 of us. So we need 3 rooms. En Suite is not mandatory but we'd prefer not to have to share one bathroom for 6 people. September 16 and 17 are the nights we're aiming for -- looks like something must be going on as so many places are sold out!!!!

Accommodation on Skye books up months in advance. It's not that something is going on, it's just it's a very popular destination with limited Accommodation. It's even more limited if you can't stay outside of Portree.

Have you tried Cuillan Hills? Not budget, but may have availability.

I'd check booking.com and airbnb (which I never use) to see if something with a decent rating is available. In 2019 I spent one night just off the island in Kyle of Lochalsh. It's a much less popular place to stay and will be less expensive. It's a stopping point for trains coming in from mainland cities and for buses, including those going on to Portree. I don't know whether buses from Kyle to Portree run often enough to make Kyle a practical place to stay. I just used it for the night before I went to Plockton.

Hi again, Judi,

Is your tour operator able to arrange accommodation for you, or are you on an independent tour which you are organizing on your own?

Mike (Auchterless)

We are on a small tour (6 people). they will arrange bookings for us for a 20% upcharge. We were hoping to not have to do that. But it may end up being our only option!!

Hi once again, Judi,

20% sounds like an extortionate upcharge! What I'd recommend is calling the TI office in Portree directly. The number from the US is 011 44 1478 612992. They may be able to help you find accommodation.

The nearest accommodation I could find for six people on those dates is the Dunollie Hotel in Broadford, but that's a good 45 minutes from Portree.

Just to give you a heads up, accommodation on Skye is expensive all year round. If you have any way of finding out where the other people on your tour (other than yourselves) are staying through the tour company, you could try contacting their lodging directly.

Good luck!

Mike (Auchterless)

Hi again, Judi,

Upon checking further, it appears that there is accommodation available for your nights in Portree. However, most of it is running about $300.00 per night per couple. (Assuming that your party consists of three couples). Again, the TI might be able to help you sort something out.

Good luck once again!

Mike (Auchterless)

Hi Mike- this is very helpful. I really do appreciate what you are doing. The $300 rate is pretty darn high but it might be what we need to pay. We'll take your suggestion to check in with the TI. thank you so much!

Kyle is not viable for Portree by bus currently due to the first bus time (especially), but also over an hour each way
That may change IF the bus service improves, and it just might in 2 to 3 months time. But as things stand, no.

Portree is always busy. 300 dollars for a double with breakfast is expensive for a B&B.

You could look at ‘pods’ which are essential wooden cabins with shower room. There are some at Bracken Hide but they might well be the same price as a hotel room and I am loathe to recommend them as their development is becoming rather large for Portree, which is only a village.

I know of an Airbnb in Penifiler that has 3 lovely rooms. Host is Rebecca so you could look at that and see if available.

Otherwise maybe the Atholl House in Dunvegan or the Dunvegan Hotel, both of which should be less than 300 dollars. Plenty of food options in Dunvegan too.

We stayed at Grenitote B&B which at the time was not listed on Booking.com, etc. I arranged it all by email, but that was in 2022. Very short walk to town center and great breakfast. Rooms were small.

I sometimes resort to walking the streets (with Street View in Google Maps) looking for signs on buildings, and searching for them by name for a contact if the phone number isn't on the sign.

I sometimes resort to walking the streets (with Street View in Google Maps) looking for signs on buildings, and searching for them by name for a contact if the phone number isn't on the sign.

Or you can just go to Google Maps, do a quick search for Portree, then click on "Nearby", insert the Hotels option, and you will see lots and lots of little red dogs appear. Start zooming in and the they will get bigger, and you will see names and contact info. It will take time, but just start checking them out for availability. It will not only show you regular hotels but also small B&Bs. I have done this a number of times when I couldn't find a place; most recently in Northumberland, where I found a small B&B that was absolutely wonderful. Many of these places don't list on booking.com because of the commission.

I just did a quick search like I told you so you can click here if you want, or follow the instructions above: https://www.google.com/maps/search/Hotels/@57.4126066,-6.2167258,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m8!2m7!3m6!1sHotels!2sPortree,+UK!3s0x488c2fe19bd3071d:0x101d0b7a22386915!4m2!1d-6.1947426!2d57.413346?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

One more thing: as others have said, this is common for Skye. When I went there, I was surprised when everyone was telling me to book as soon as possible (this was in August for a May trip the next year), but I did and was glad I did, when I found how quickly these places are snapped up.

Thanks to all of you -- and for the tip of using Google maps, Mardee. Also checking out Dunvegan. I am doing both now! Fingers crossed.

Judi,

Are all six adults? Maybe split up. You might find b&b rooms at 3 different places in Portree. Otherwise, there is a hostel in town offering private rooms. I know nothing else about it, but it might be worth considering for only 2 nights of your entire trip.

Judi, Have you looked at Viewfield House in Portree? That's where we stayed in 2023, and we loved our stay there. It's a Victorian mansion built 200 years ago and is still owned by the same family. The grounds and views are beautiful, and you feel like you are on an oasis away from the bustling center of Portree. Our rate included a hot breakfast along with a small buffet. I highly recommend Viewfield House if they have availability.

https://viewfieldhouse.com/

Thank you all for the great suggestions - some of which I will use again when searching for lodging. This was a real challenge -- 2 nights for 3 couples and trying to stay below $300 /night! We ended up with what looks like a great cottage on Air B and B with views and 3 bedrooms. I so much appreciate everyone's input!