The Isle of Skye takes its name from the old Norse sky-a, meaning ‘cloud island’, a Viking reference to the often mist covered Cuillin Hills. It is the second largest of Scotland’s islands, 50 miles in length. The Isle of Skye has some truly spectacular scenery. We were amazed at the beauty of this island. Whether you have just a couple of days or a week, here are the best things to do on the Isle of Skye with kids.
OLD MAN OF STORR
The 50 metre high pinnacle of crumbling basalt known as the Old Man of Storr is one of the most well known and photographed landscapes on the Isle of Skye. Easily accessible from the town of Portree, it takes some hiking to get up to the best viewpoints, but it is absolutely worth it.
Read about: Hiking the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye
QUIRAING
Staffin Bay is dominated by the dramatic basalt escarpment of the Quiraing. It’s impressive land-slipped cliffs and pinnacles are one of Skye’s most remarkable landscapes. You can admire the view from the car park or there is a fantastic 4.5 mile hike that will get you up close to these dramatic pinnacles.
Read all about: Hiking the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye
ELGOL
Elgol is located on the southwestern coast of the Isle of Skye. The journey from Bradford on the east coast to Elgol is one of the most scenic on Skye. Yet it’s a place that few visitors seem to get to. It takes in two postcard panoramas – the view of Bla Bheinn across Loch Slapin and the superb view of the entire Cuillin range from Elgol pier.
LOCH CORUISK
The spectacular Loch Coruisk is well worth visiting. A remote loch ringed by the highest peaks of the Cuillin. Accessible via boat trip from Elgol (as we did) or via an arduous 5.5 mile hike from Kilmarie. This was a real highlight for us on Skye, helped by the most amazing weather. What a spot for a picnic?
Read more: A Boat trip to Loch Coruisk on Skye
RUBHA NAM BRATHAIREAN (BROTHER’S POINT)
Brother’s Point is a beautiful peninsula on the Isle of Skye. It is a short hike to some stunning coastal scenery. Very few people visit, meaning that you’re likely to get the views all to yourself.
KILT ROCK AND MEALT FALLS
Located just a few miles from Brother’s Point is Kilt Rock. An easily accessible viewpoint right alongside the road. In one direction you will see Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls. To the south is Brother’s Point. For great views with little effort, this viewpoint is worth a stop.
NEIST POINT
This is another very popular site on the Isle of Skye. Many people come to Neist Point at the end of the day to watch the sunset. Expect large crowds of people and an overflowing car park, especially during the busy summer months. A beautiful location but the crowds of people take away from some of the enjoyment.
FAIRY GLEN
Located on the Trotternish Loop, this is another spot that gets relatively few visitors. Accessed along a minor road (no large camper vans!) the Fairy Glen is an enchanting natural landscape of miniature conical hills, rocky towers and a tiny loch. This is the perfect place to explore with children searching for fairies!
Read all about: Exploring the Fairy Glen on the Isle of Skye
TALISKER WHISKY DISTILLERY
Talisker Distillery is the only whisky distillery on the Isle of Skye. Tour the distillery, taste some whisky, and buy some to take home, as we did.
THE FAIRY POOLS
This is another very popular destination on the Isle of Skye. It’s an easy walk along a series of waterfalls, making it perfect for people of all ages and fitness levels. It was pouring with rain (in fact it was sleeting!) the day we visited and freezing cold so we didn’t have the best experience. On a fine day i’m sure it would be beautiful.
THE CUILLINS
The Cuillin Hills are Britain’s most spectacular mountain range. The peaks are near-alpine in character, with knife-edge ridges, jagged pinnacles, naked rock and scree-filled gullies. Located in the southern half of the Isle of Skye, you will see them from the road as you drive through the island. While the higher reaches of the Cuillins are a paradise for the more experienced mountaineer, there are plenty of low-level hikes within the ability of most walkers. The Cuillins loom over the Fairy Pools, making this one of the easiest ways to get up close to them.
CLAIGAN CORAL BEACHES
Located near Dunvegan Castle and only accessible by an easy one mile walk are the Claigan Coral Beaches. For a taste of the Caribbean on Skye this is the place to head. The beaches are formed from maerl (not coral at all), the calcified remains of a type of seaweed, and are brilliant white.
Have you been to the Isle of Skye? What are your favourite things to do or places to see?
READ ALSO: Top 6 Family Friendly Hikes on Skye
15 Comments.
I have never ever considered visiting the Isle of Skye but omg it is utterly breathtaking, I so want to go and see the natural beauty now, thanks so much for linking up #Mondayescapes
It’s a beautiful part of the UK.
The Isle of Skye looks stunning. We haven’t been up hopefully we will get to explore there one day. #MondayEscapes
It’s absolutely beautiful. Well worth a visit.
Och aye laddie, Skye looks braw! I was there many years ago but we want to go back as a family…do we need raincoats? Thanks for all the suggestions #FarawayFiles
Definitely – to visit anywhere in Scotland!
Just love these photos, Nicky, and you’ve got me itching to explore this gorgeous scenery again. I went horse riding on Skye years ago. It would be wonderful to revisit with the kids. I’d love to show them the Fairy Glen. #FarawayFiles
Thank you Clare. We loved our time on Skye and will definitely return one day. The Fairy Glen was pure magic.
extraordinary landscape, I’d love to visit it:) I’ve been to Edinburgh and Glasgow and Stirling:) #farawayfiles
What a wonderful experience for your whole family. The landscapes in Scotland are incredible. I’ve never been to the Isle of Sky but I’d love to take our crew. Our little girl would absolutely love to look for fairies! Thanks for joining #FarawayFiles
Skye was stunning Katy…it reminded us of New Zealand and/or South Africa. Real wow factor.
It is so stunningly beautiful! I know there was some concern about the crowds and potential overtourism in the area. Did you experience that? Are there better times to visit? Living in Denmark I love the Viking connection AND all the hills that we don’t have here! Thank you kindly for sharing with #FarawayFiles, cheers from Copenhagen.
Hi Erin. We didn’t experience any crowds of people although i had read about the problems too. We visited at easter and it was perfect. I would imagine that the summer months are very busy and the island and its infrastructure probably can’t cope. Roads are single track in places are car parking is limited. I would certainly recommend April/May time as a greta time to visit.
Indeed Skye is, a beautiful place and somewhere I would encourage anybody to visit, with or without children. As my friend is bringing her two kids with her later this year on a trip I thought I would have a look as to what was on offer.
Which leads me to my question, would you often recommend whisky tasting as an activity to do with kids?!
Our kids are used to wine tasting (without the wine, for them!) so why not whisky tasting? They already know how wine, and now whisky are made #worldschooling. The tours are usually really interesting for them, and we still get to taste the wine/whisky!