Updated trip

I'm not understanding your reason for a train to Inverness and then renting a car.

Sounds terribly rushed to me. Sorry.

What route would you suggest to get from Edinburgh to Flodigarry? Where to stop? We are fine renting a car in Edinburgh.

Hi, Lala,

Are you staying at the Flodigarry Hotel or the Dun Flodigarry Hostel?

You would definitely see more by driving than you would from the train. Plus you can stop whenever and wherever you want to along the way. That way, you can bypass Inverness, unless you have a particular reason for going there. You can also save time by not having to return the car to Inverness, or money by not having a one way rental. You'd also save by not having to pay train fare. Make sure to get a vehicle large enough for the four of you plus your luggage.

It's possible, without stopping a lot, to drive from Edinburgh to Mallaig, for the ferry to Skye, in about six hours. Armadale to Portree would be about 90 minutes. As long as the driver is okay with the long day, you should have no problem. There are several routes from Edinburgh to Mallaig (or Kyle, if you're taking the bridge). All of them are on main roads, and all of them are scenic once you leave the Central Belt. I think that your teenagers would enjoy the car journey more than they would the train journey, unless they have a tendency to get car sick. :( You can let them choose the music on the car radio.

What you see on your Edinburgh to Skye journey will be determined by which route you're taking to cross to Skye. You'll no doubt get many recommendations on this site, but the final choice is up to you. You should choose a different route to Skye from your return journey to Edinburgh, for a different perspective.

If you are taking the ferry to and/or from Skye, be sure to make a reservation. Unless you are taking the Glenelg to Kylerhea ferry, in which case it's show up and go.

Have a wonderful time on your holiday, especially on Skye!

Best wishes for your travels.

Mike (Auchterless)

I second the advice given by Mike (Auchterless).

I would add that there's very little to see in Portree, so you could use that day to branch out west and see Dunvegan castle, the coral beach and Neist Point Lighthouse, before head up to Flodigarry. Then on day 5 you could explore the Trotternish peninsula including the Old Man of Storr, Quiraing, dinosaur prints on Staffin Beach, etc, etc.

Thank you so much!
We can drop the night in portree and stay somewhere else. If we were to take the route from Edinburgh to the Mallaig ferry where would you recommend stopping for the night?

Hi again, Lala,

Initially you said that you were going straight through to Portree after you leave Edinburgh. It's certainly doable in one day, albeit a long one, leaving enough time to do a bit of sightseeing along the way. That way, you could get an early start after your overnight in Portree, and visit the sites that Skyegirl recommended, on your way to Flodigarry.

The most direct route from Edinburgh to Mallaig is to take the M9 to Stirling, the A84 to Lochearnhead, the A85 to Crainlarich, the A82 through Glencoe to Fort William, and the A830 to Mallaig. This will give you ample opportunity to see some spectacular scenery along the way, as well as a good choice of places to stop for a meal. Of course you can always drive straight through.

On your return from Skye, for a different perspective, you could take the A87 to Invergarry, and the A82 to Fort William. On your return to Edinburgh, you could take the A82 to Spean Bridge, the A86 to Laggan, the A889 to Dalwhinnie, and the A9/M9 back to Edinburgh.

These are just suggestions. If you do decide to break up your outbound journey earlier than Portree, Mallaig would be a good choice. That way, you can catch an early ferry for Armadale, and be in Portree in about 90 minutes.

Whichever route/stop you decide on, you will have a wonderful time in Scotland!

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)