Need help with hotel recommendations for Portree on Isle of Skye

I can't help with recommendations but will point you in the direction of a Facebook page called Skye Rooms which you might want to join. Perhaps they can assist you.

Hi, kmkwoo,

I realize that you have your hearts set on Portree, but accommodation in Broadford is considerably cheaper. Depending on traffic, it's about a 40 minute drive between towns. In June, you would have plenty of daylight to return from your daily travels in the outlying areas. Also, there are several restaurants, of all price ranges, in Broadford.

There are several B&Bs along Viewfield Road (A87), on the outskirts of Portree. We stayed at the Almondbank a few years ago. It has a great view of Portree Harbour. Most of the B&Bs along Viewfield Road are within walking distance of central Portree.

You could go with sownack's suggestion, and check the Skye Rooms website. Or you could contact the TI office in Portree for suggestions. 011 44 1478 612992 portree@visitscotland.com

I've found the TI offices to generally be very helpful. Let them know what you're looking for, and what price range you're willing to pay. Also, let them know that you'd prefer en suite accommodation, as opposed to a shared bathroom. Some B&Bs will have a "private bathroom", which is a separate bathroom for your use only.

Good luck with your search!

Mike (Auchterless)

Thank you to Sownack and Auchterless. I will research Broadford, including the Almondbank, and I will contact the TI office. Didn't thank of that. Great suggestions!

Hi again, kmkwoo,

If you're checking out Broadford, our go-to accommodation there is the Strathgorm Guest House. They have a family room, a twin bedded room, both en suite, and a double with private bathroom. And breakfasts that will last you the rest of the day! Lots of on-site parking, as well, and a great view of the Red Cuillins and Broadford Bay.

Once again, best wishes!

Mike (Auchterless)

A big parking area off Lisigarry Ct in Portree.
There are a huge number of accom. in Portree and I wonder whether many are yet to open up their availability for next summer season.

I will add there is a huge carpark down by the shore and it's maybe 2 minutes walk from the square in Portree such is Portrees diminute size

I like Broadford too
The Gaboro bar is the locals hangout, we spent a couple of very good evenings in there ( hope the jukebox got fixed)

We had a very pleasant stay at Grenitote B&B in Portree. It's about three blocks up the hill and there's lots of parking. I think they only have three doubles. The rooms are small, but the breakfasts are wonderful, as are the hosts. I found it by clicking one of the tiny black dots on Google Maps, but a Google search will bring it up once you know the name.

Thank you everyone for your helpful advice and recommendations. Now Broadford is on my radar! I put Gaboro Bar on my list of places for drinks and eats.

I reserved 2 beautiful rooms at the Viewfield House in Portree. I cancelled my reservations at the Rosedale Hotel because we didn't want to deal with finding parking spaces after sightseeing all day. Viewfield's rates are reasonable ($205 per night) and that includes breakfast. And they have free on-site parking!

My husband and I stayed at the Portree Hotel (May 2022). Nice place centrally located on the main square. A perk was a guaranteed reservation for dinner each day. We just needed to schedule our time before we set out each morning. Friendly, helpful staff. We were very satisfied with our stay.

We stayed at the Bosville hotel in Portree. Loved it! It had a pub and restaurant attached.

Take note of AVogan's comment about dinner reservations. You will need them at any sit-down restaurant. Otherwise, your best option will be to position yourself at the door of a restaurant just before it is due to open, with fingers crossed.

Just to say that small accommodation providers such as B&Bs are currently going through the process of applying for a licence under the Scottish Government's new legislation for 'short term lets'. This means that all small self catering and B&Bs now have to have a licence to operate. This is all being administered by each local authority (council) and the process is still under development in some areas. Some providers have yet to decide whether to bother getting licensed which (based on what I am hearing from colleagues in the B&B business) is likely to result in fewer small B&B accommodation options on Skye (and probably elsewhere) as some small operators decide to close their doors instead of getting a licence. For my part we have yet to make up our minds whether the hassle of getting a licence is worthwhile as we only open for 3 months of the year and only have 2 rooms.

Those who do decide to apply for a licence may not yet have opened up their calendars for 2023 as they be waiting for their licence to be approved before taking bookings.

Just putting this out there to help (possibly) explain the lack of accommodation options at this point. I suspect that once the licences start to be approved people will open up their calendars.

Hi, Jacqui,

Just out of curiosity, how much do these licences cost, and is it a flat fee, or a sliding scale depending on the number of letting rooms?

Thanks, and good luck!

Mike (Auchterless)

Hi Mike

The cost varies from local authority to local authority. It's a sliding scale depending on number of rooms. Some larger establishments will also need to get 'planning permission' which has an additional cost associated. I think for us (without needing planning permission) the licence for 2 years will be in the region of £400. But there are other additional costs such as getting every electrical appliance 'PAT' tested and an electrical certificate for the whole house, floor plans and various other odds and ends - things not needed for a normal house, and things which many smaller B&Bs won't have had done before. There are lots of bits of paperwork that need to be gathered together and submitted in electronic form. I am going to worry about it once I've been on a bucket list trip to Antarctica (from 1st December), which we have been planning and saving for since the late 1990s.

Best wishes
Jacqui

Hi, Jacqui,

Thank you for the information. Judging from what you've written, it looks as though a lot of smaller B&Bs may have to go out of business. I can see where they may be able to make up the cost of the licence with a few days letting, but those additional expenses (and I'm sure that those "inspections" will be carried out at the expense of the B&B owner) may constitute the tipping point. I remember when heavy "fire doors" became mandatory, and the demand for en-suite accommodation led to many B&Bs having to install new plumbing and remodeling.

I just wonder how these new requirements will affect many of the rural B&Bs, whose only advertising would be a sign at the edge of the road. Will there be inspectors going about checking for licences, as they used to do back in the early days of television? Will lodging websites have to determine if an advertiser is licenced before they can be listed?

As if the pandemic wasn't bad enough for business, this appears to be just making it more difficult for anyone trying to make a part-time living, and supporting Scottish tourism.

Please keep us posted as to how this will affect you, and all of the other small business owners in your situation.

Best of luck!

Mike (Auchterless)

p.s.: Don't forget your woolies when you travel south!

Thank you to everyone for your replies. We have reservations at view field house in Portree.

And thank you Acraven for the tip about making dinner reservations.

June, 2022 we stayed three nights at the Eilean Donan apartments which are about half a mile from ED castle. This location would be convenient for travelers who want to explore Skye and the Applecross / Plockton / Torridon region. All these locations are doable as daytrips. The apartments have adequate kitchens if you want to prepare your own meals. If you choose to stay there, the roomier apartments are the ones that do NOT have a view of ED castle.

In response to the smaller BnB's and marketing - they should really look into Google Business Profile. Chances are if they google their biz name it will already come up and they can claim their business. This is Google's way of helping local businesses appear in local search results. The business can update their profile, hours, add a website link, add chat, add online booking option, customer reviews, and I believe it is all FREE! So, it really is a game changer for small business to appear in Search Results.