Scotland - Skye Trail and a little extra

After our amazing experience in the Lofoten Islands in summer 2023, I suggested to Jean Marie another trek I’d been wanting to do for a long time: the Skye Trail in Scotland.

A few photos of this stunning island and he was sold and ready to go.

The route is available on the excellent WalkHighlands site HERE (there’s also a Cicerone guide on the subject). And since I thought it was a shame it avoided the Black Cuillins, I added a 3-day detour in that area.

We took advantage of the May bank holidays in 2024, partly to avoid the peak tourist season and also the midge period—because for some reason, mosquitoes love me 😠!!

27/04 – Day 1 – Transfer to Skye and start of the trek: Rubha Hunish - Flodigarry 28/04 – Day 2 – Flodigarry – just before the Old Man of Storr 29/04 – Day 3 – Old Man of Storr – Portree, then bus to Sligachan 30/04 - Day 4 - Sligachan - Glenbrittle campsite via the Fairy Pools 01/05 – Day 5 – Round trip to Sgùrr na Banachdich from Glenbrittle campsite 02/05 – Day 6 – Round trip to Coire Lagan and walk on the Rubh an Dùnain peninsula 03/05 – Day 7 – Return (hitchhiking) to Sligachan campsite and hike in the Red Cuillins 04/05 – Day 8 – Resuming the Skye Trail – Sligachan – Elgol 05/05 – Day 9 – Elgol – Somewhere on the climb to Bla Bheinn 06/05 – Day 10 – Somewhere on the climb to Bla Bheinn - Broadford 07/05 – Day 11 – Visit to the Armadale Castle and park 08 & 09/05 – Return to Glasgow, visit the city, and return flight And here’s the summary

26/04 – Day 0 - Arrival in Glasgow

So here we are on April 26, 2024, in Glasgow after a smooth flight and with 12 days ahead of us.

After reaching the city center, we bought gas for the stove (I think it was at Blacks, 167 Argyle St), then scoped out the bus station to be efficient tomorrow morning since our departure for Skye is at 6:40 AM!

Stopped by a friendly pub



then picked up a few groceries at a Tesco before heading to our room in a no-frills hotel—basic comfort but not too far from the center and at a very reasonable price.

27/04 – Day 1 – Transfer to Skye and start of the trek: Rubha Hunish - Flodigarry

Oh man, what a night! There was a huge party right next door with music blasting. So when the alarm went off at 5:30 AM, I felt like I hadn’t slept at all...

But we’re on time for the 6:40 AM bus that’s supposed to take us to Portree on the Isle of Skye. Expected arrival: 1:03 PM.

Along the way, we pass through the Glencoe area, which we find absolutely stunning! Darn, another spot to add to the wish list :-)



On the other hand, all that snow on the peaks has us a little worried—are we going to find some on Skye?!

The bus stops for 15 minutes in Fort William, then continues to Portree, where we arrive on time and in the rain (ugh, here we go...). We’re able to catch the 1:20 PM bus that takes us to Shulista end road, all the way north of Skye on the Trotternish peninsula. Only one other hiker gets off the bus with us. And phew, the rain has stopped. A quick photo of the cabin marking the start of the trek, and off we go!



This first leg along the coast was absolutely gorgeous.









We passed by a cozy bothy with a sea view. We would’ve loved to keep the young girl company and spend the night there, but unfortunately, that would’ve made the next day’s leg way too long—it’s already super long as it is.



So we kept going, still completely enchanted by the landscapes.

Day 1 follow-up





We passed Flodigarry and started the second leg of our journey in search of a place to camp. We pitched our tent near Loch Langaig, about 1 km further on.



It seems there are actually other people on this trek—we can see several other tents being set up nearby!

In the end, there were 6 other tents—overcrowding at the campsite! Dinner in the tent; it’s a bit chilly outside.



Today’s stats: 13.7 km, 424 m elevation gain

28/04 – Day 2 – Flodigarry – just before the Old Man of Storr

The night wasn’t too bad, but the cold woke me up several times. I got up at 6:30 AM because today was the killer stage: 28 km and 1,800 m of elevation gain. Yikes...

It was a stunning but exhausting day with perfect weather. First, a nice climb to reach the breathtaking landscapes of Quiraing. We could already see the ridge waiting for us ahead.



After 2 hours of hiking, we reached the Quiraing parking lot, had a coffee, and set off again. Behind JM, the Quiraing where we came from.

Here’s the veeeery long Trotternish Ridge. It’s massive, gorgeous, jagged—but far from flat (very far from it!!).











The last two climbs did me in.



At 6 PM, we pitched the tent in a dreamy spot by the sea, just before reaching the famous Old Man of Storr, which we’re saving for tomorrow. And I’m wiped out!



Tonight, no one around us except for a tent far away (and we didn’t see anyone else arrive). Pure bliss—taking off my hiking shoes, and when it’s in a setting like this, it’s even more joyful.



Like last night, it’s pretty chilly in the tent—brrr, not exactly motivating to get out and brush my teeth.

Summary: 24.5 km and 1,716 m of elevation gain.

Two small things to note: there’s no water on this section, so you need to plan ahead. The ridge isn’t great for bivouacking because it’s very windy (and even on a day with little wind like ours). I’d read in a trip report about a possible bivouac spot at Bealach Chaplin (around 15.8 km and 1,100 m of elevation gain), which I’d considered to split this stage, but we weren’t convinced and just pushed through.

29/04 – Day 3 – Old Man of Storr – Portree then bus to Sligachan

It’s 5:50 PM, we’re settled in a pub in Sligachan, waiting to muster the courage to pitch the tent in the rain. We’ve just finished a burger and are sipping a beer. I have to say, the weather isn’t exactly inviting...

Yet everything had started so well with a beautiful ray of sunshine. We got up at 7:30 AM, left at 8:45 AM, and enjoyed stunning views and exceptional light before quickly reaching the Old Man of Storr, with hardly any tourists.





After that, we descended and followed the coastal ridge—it was gorgeous. Unfortunately, the weather turned gray, and the rain that joined us didn’t leave. It’s even cold. In the distance, the Old Man of Storr where we came from, and the gloom that settled in



And here’s the ridge

In the end, the stage wasn’t that short. After 4.5 hours, I hit a wall—no energy left. We stopped for a quick snack sheltered from the wind, but we didn’t linger because the cold caught up with us.

Phew, there’s Portree with its pretty colored houses, but we still had to walk along the bay





When we arrived in Portree in the rain, the idea of a hotel for the night crossed my mind. I shared it, and it was quickly adopted. We could already picture it: warm, a hot shower, no tent to pitch, a real mattress—yes, we could definitely see ourselves there... Except we didn’t find a hotel at an acceptable price, and the disappointment matched our expectations.

Since I’d decided from the start to skip stage 4 (Portree–Sligachan), which, based on the trip reports I’d read, didn’t seem all that interesting, we decided to take a bus that same day to reach Sligachan instead of walking nearly 1.6 km in the rain to the campsite north of Portree.

And here we are in this cozy pub, with our rain gear dripping and our phones charging.



We wisely started with hot chocolates before giving in to the burgers.

The rain picked up again—we’ll need some serious motivation later...



There are several other hikers who don’t seem in any hurry either.



What followed was epic. There *is* a campsite in Sligachan, but since it was busy, we decided to take advantage of a relative lull to push a little farther along the trail and bivouac. But everything was soaked... So we chose a hillock, which is never a good idea when it’s windy. And sure enough, just as we were pitching the tent, the rain returned with gusts of wind, and the tent was half blown away, with one of the tent’s attachments snapping (at the ring that holds the poles). Huge gulp!!

No way we could stay there. So we packed everything up and hurried back to the campsite.

Luckily, the broken attachment could be bypassed by using the footprint, which has the same rings! Major relief—we dodged a bullet (or rather, the cold). The trek can continue.

Day’s tally: 19 km and 563 m of elevation gain

After a break, I'm back with the next part of the travel journal.

30/04 – Day 4– Sligachan to Glenbrittle campsite via Fairy Pools The wind blew hard during the night, but the tent held up well. In the morning, a nice little ray of sunshine, a bit of wind to dry everything, and off we went again.

Today, we're leaving the Skye Trail to head to the Glenbrittle campsite, which is a starting point for several hikes toward the Black Cuillins. Since I couldn’t find any public transport to get there, I saw that it was possible to reach it on foot via the Fairy Pools. After that, there’ll still be 7 km of road, but I spotted a path that runs alongside it and should let us avoid it as much as possible. I even considered climbing up Bruach Na Frithe before reaching the Fairy Pools. In short, a great plan for this transition day.

So, we left the Sligachan campsite



and headed southwest. We followed a stream (Allt Dearg Mor) with mini waterfalls—it was a beautiful start.



Unfortunately, after 1.5 hours, the rain came back, so we abandoned the detour to the summit and headed straight for the Fairy Pools.



The site is stunning, with a cirque of imposing black mountains, but it was still pretty crowded even on this rainy day.





Next, we took a forest path that took us higher up (below, you can see the Brittle River and the road leading to the campsite).



We rejoined the road at Bualintur. With the rain picking up again, we arrived at the campsite soaked and freezing, where we settled in for 3 nights.

At the campsite, there’s a café/small shop, and we ordered a nice hot soup with buttered bread, tea, and a huge muffin. Phew, that was better—with all that rain, we couldn’t stop to eat, and we were starving.

After this late meal, we set up the tent (yay, the rain stopped!).

Then a hot shower, a bit of restocking—the selection is limited, but we’ll have to make do since there are no other shops.

We had a quiet dinner in the tent because it was too chilly to eat outside. We tried the tube of garlic cream (uh, really weird and super salty).

We ended the day with a little walk on the beach next to the campsite—this place is really great!

Summary: 18.3 km - 550m elevation gain

Thanks for your story and the photos—it’s fascinating to read.

Thanks Doogy, that’s really nice to hear and it gives me even more motivation to keep going!

01/05 – Day 5 – Hike to Sgurr Na Banachdich from Glenbrittle campsite

Today, a light hike starting from the campsite. The peaks of the Black Cuillins are famous for climbing, but there are still some accessible via classic hiking routes. I chose to climb Sgurr Na Banachdich using www.walkhighlands.co.uk. There’s a solid climb to get there (almost 1,000m of elevation gain), but without heavy backpacks, it’s already way more enjoyable. On the way up, we had a great view of the cove and the campsite beach.



From the top, the panorama stretches over the Black Cuillins and Loch Coruisk, which is stunning, and even the Red Cuillins way in the distance.



The descent was relaxed, taking in the scenery and those beautiful black mountains under a sun that finally decided to show up.







Those lambs are so cute!



Back at the campsite for a nice ice cream at the outdoor tables.



And we took advantage of the sun to do some laundry.

The evening was really chill—we got to eat dinner in the sun, sheltered from the wind outside the tent: amazing smoked salmon, noodles with garlic purée, a feast for a hiking night.

Hard to resist crashing early tonight (I think I’m paying for the big Day 2 hike). Lights out at 9:15 PM!

Day’s stats: 12.8 km – 990 m elevation gain

02/05 – Day 6 – Return to Coire Lagan and walk on the peninsulaRubh an Dùnain

For our second day at Glen Brittle campsite, I decided to hike to Coire Lagan in the morning, which Walkhighlands describes as the most impressive cirque in the Cuillin. Thanks to our early night, we set off on the hike pretty early.



and enjoy the site while waiting for the sun to reach the loch.



The cirque is indeed stunning, with steep surroundings that clearly don’t deter some from venturing in!



The descent via a different path is quite enjoyable, with a nice encounter at the end.









We treat ourselves to a good pizza at the campsite café, but since we’re both pretty wiped out, we try to take a nap in the tent. However, it’s hot inside, and with the wind blowing, it’s not easy to relax.

So, we head out again for a short walk on the Rubh an Dùnain peninsula, though we don’t go all the way to save energy for the rest of the trip.



On our return, the weather is glorious, and we see people on the beach and even in the water, which triggers an irresistible urge to join them.



No surprise—it was freezing, but it was amazing, as was drying off in the sun. We soak up these vacation moments as much as possible because tomorrow we leave the campsite and return to the trek.

Day’s total: 9.2 km and 600 m elevation gain for Coire Lagan, and 8.9 km with 320 m elevation gain for the peninsula

03/05 – Day 7 – Back to Sligachan (hitchhiking) and hike in the Red Cuillins

Today’s plan is to head back to Sligachan to pick up the trek tomorrow. We got super lucky this time—just after leaving the campsite, we heard a car behind us and stuck out our thumbs. A van stopped, and two friendly Scottish climbers gave us a ride to Sligachan in just 35 minutes.

I decided to make the most of this extra day by exploring the Red Cuillins. After dropping off most of our gear at the Sligachan campsite, where we’ll be staying tonight, we set off on this gorgeous loop I’d spotted on my favorite hiking site.

We crossed the bridge in front of the Sligachan Hotel



then gained some elevation and followed the valley from above—this will be our route tomorrow on the next leg of the Skye Trail.



It was a fantastic hike with stunning views and weather that held up nicely.





Loch Ainort



There was one tough part, though—a steep scree descent that really killed my motivation to do the final climb planned on the route. Plus, I was totally wiped out, and we’d already tackled a good amount of elevation gain.



We passed by a lovely waterfall and headed back to the campsite to pitch the tent.





Then it was off to the pub for a killer meal: double burger, beer, a mountain of fries, and a cheesecake. The pub was way busier than the first time we stopped by—probably because it’s Friday.



Stats: 12.7 km and 1,100 m of elevation gain

04/05 – Day 8 – Resuming the Skye Trail – Sligachan – Elgol

Today, we have to make a choice... Either the classic Skye Trail stage 5, or taking the route via Loch Coruisk and the famous Bad Step (if you don’t know about it, a quick Google search will tell you all about this passage above the water). JM is all for the second option, while I’m really tempted to see Loch Coruisk—it looks stunning—but the Bad Step? Not exactly my cup of tea. So after a bit of shared trail along the Glen Sligachan between the Red and Black Cuillins,





we decide to split up—each going our own way—and meet back up on Camasunary Beach.

For me, the first few kilometers are tough, just like yesterday and the previous days. I feel like I’m running low on energy. Luckily, it’s a stage with not too much elevation gain, and after a while, my strength comes back. After parting ways with JM, I followed the lovely Loch na Creitheach



then reached Camasunary Beach, where I waited calmly for his arrival under weather that was starting to turn.







He really enjoyed it—the Loch Coruisk was absolutely gorgeous!

05/04 – Day 8 (continued)

He then rejoined the coast. And here’s the bad step (right in front) that didn’t cause him any trouble at all.





The coast was also really beautiful (there are boats that shuttle from Elgol to Loch Coruisk—judging by JM’s photos, I think it’s worth it).







After meeting up, we leave Camasunary beach (in the background of the photo) and continue along the coast.



Worth noting: there’s this warning on the Walkhighlands site about a section after the beach: « the path passes above another steep cliff, exposed at times perilously close to the edge. Take great care on this section as there have been several fatalities », but we didn’t notice any particular danger (maybe because the path was dry).

It’s a bit long but quite beautiful.





As soon as you turn around, the view is majestic—too bad the sun completely disappeared.



There’s a variant that goes via the Bla Bheinn summit, but given the weather conditions, we’ll try to do it as a round trip tomorrow or the day after. Plus, I’d feel like we’d miss out on the Elgol peninsula.

We arrive in Elgol at 4:30 PM and pitch the tent on the hill opposite the shop, just in time before the rain. We’re frozen and spend an hour and a half warming up in our sleeping bags. 8:20 PM the rain stops—it shouldn’t rain anymore today, or tomorrow for that matter, which is good news.

Today’s stats: 20 km and 384 m of elevation gain for me, and more for JM.

05/05 – Day 9 – Elgol - Somewhere on the climb to Bla Bheinn

Already the 9th day of hiking! In the morning, we took our time since the stage is relatively short and the weather wasn’t very inviting. Here’s our campsite—it was the least pleasant of the trek.



Around 9:40 AM, we hit the road. View of the small port of Elgol as we left.



It’s pretty flat, there’s fog, so not many photo stops, and the kilometers fly by quickly. We follow Loch Slapin.





At lunchtime, I found a little tick on the top of my leg. Phew, I had the gear to remove it! Little by little, the sky clears, but there are still clouds over the summits.



We arrive quickly at the turnoff for Bla Bheinn and start climbing in search of a campsite. Nice waterfall along the way.



The plan is to set up the tent and do the round trip to Bla Bheinn in lightweight mode—either tonight or tomorrow morning. Ouch, everything’s soaked, and the terrain isn’t great for pitching a tent. So we keep moving until we find a spot that looks fairly flat on the map and offers just enough space with the river right next to us (okay, the path too, but you can’t have everything). Tent set up around 3:30 PM.



Then comes the hesitation—should we climb or not? A break in the clouds is forecast around 5/6 PM, but also rain at 7 PM. Maps.me says 1 hour 15 minutes of climbing and 700 m of elevation gain. I doubt I could climb 700 m in 1 hour 15! So I’m leaning toward postponing the climb until tomorrow and that amazing view from the top, which I’d regret bitterly! We enjoy the end of the day with a little herbal tea by the river, and the last of our peanuts went into it (I thought I’d save some for tomorrow, but nope ;-) In the end, it didn’t rain, and we were able to eat by the river in a dreamy setting, alone in the world with the clouds playing hide-and-seek with Bla Bheinn.



Ah, JM found a tick too—so that’s one tick each :-)

Summary: 16.9 km and 578 m of elevation gain.

05/06 – Day 10 – Somewhere on the climb to Bla Bheinn - Broadford

Last day? Yep!! We waited for a break in the weather to climb Bla Bheinn, but it never came—the summit stayed in the clouds, and it’s even drizzling a bit.

By 10 AM, we decide to pack up the tent and hit the road.

A lovely encounter that softens the disappointment



We reach Torrin (the end of Stage 6 of the Skye Trail) and start the final leg, which was still beautiful despite the gray skies. Especially the part where we walked along the coast by Loch Slapin and Loch Eishort—it was so wild and stunning.







And since it’s our last day, we make the most of it.









The end is a bit more monotonous, but here we are in Broadford—the trek is over!



Off to the Co-op for some exciting resupplying (no more carrying, so we can go all out!) Then we settle in at the Broadford campsite, which is a great surprise: well laid out, flat spaces for tents, nice hot showers, and a sheltered area for eating (if it had been heated, it would’ve been perfect!)



We feast and chat with a French guy from Tours who’s doing a bike trek.

Today’s stats: 26.8 km and 490 m of elevation gain

07/05 – Day 11 – Visit to Armadale Park and Castle

Today, the decision to make was which castle we’d visit next…

I’ve already been to Dunvegan, so we’re torn between Eilean Donan and Armadale.

In the end, we decide to stay on Skye and take the bus to Armadale.

We grab a coffee by the tiny port that connects to the mainland via regular ferry links to Mallaig.



Then a few little purchases in some charming shops before heading to the castle (now in ruins) and, most importantly, its stunning park.









After all that, there were still 2 hours to wait for the return bus, so we decided to try our luck hitchhiking. Once again, we didn’t have to wait long—a friendly local stopped and gave us a ride back to Broadford.

Back at the campsite, it was time for a tick-check session (phew, we’d learned that while they’re plentiful on the island, they don’t carry Lyme disease). JM won the competition 4 ticks to 1 :-) Then a nice little walk around Broadford, a moment to watch this oystercatcher incubating its eggs.



A beer at the hotel, and we met up with “our” French guy from Tours for dinner (his name was Nicolas, and he decided to leave the island the next day because of the wind and the busy roads).

Tonight, I got pretty bitten by mosquitoes—is midge season already starting? Either way, I’m really glad we’re leaving the island tomorrow!

08 and 09/05 – Return to Glasgow, visit of Glasgow and return flight

Last day on Skye, the bus to Glasgow leaves at 3:40 PM. The plan while waiting is to head back to Portree on the 11 AM bus, grab a bite to eat, and do a little shopping. The smoked salmon restaurant by the port in Portree was really good (luckily we got there early because it filled up fast).



The shopping trip was disappointing, and we cut it short because it started raining again. Seriously, three visits to Portree and three times it rained!

During the bus ride back, the weather was awful—rain, wind—we were just glad we didn’t have to pitch the tent that night.



We arrived in Glasgow really late (11:30 PM), not only is the trip long, but we also got stuck for over an hour because of roadworks. That night, it was pure luxury—a really nice hotel in the city center after all those nights on a camping mat. Absolute bliss!!

The next day, we took advantage of our late flight at 8:40 PM to wander around Glasgow, which pleasantly surprised us.

Time for the recap.

We really loved this trek—the most spectacular part is at the beginning, but the rest is still incredibly beautiful. A tent seems essential to me. The Cicerone guide does list some hard accommodation alternatives, but you’d need to organize taxis at certain points. Plus, personally, I love the freedom of backpacking—no constraints and the chance to find dreamy bivouac spots.

We had no navigation issues thanks to the GPX track we downloaded on our respective apps (Maps.me for JM and Maps 3D for me).

As you’ve probably noticed, the weather was very Scottish—but that’s part of the fun in these countries.

I’m glad we squeezed in that detour to the Black Cuillins, not just to discover these dark mountains but also for a break from carrying the heavy backpack. My only regret is Bla Bheinn and postponing the climb until the next day.

Walkhighlands describes the trek as challenging and aimed at experienced hikers. Personally, I found it physically tough (probably because of Stage 2, which really took a toll on me for the rest of the trip), but JM didn’t.

We were able to restock in Portree and at the Glenbrittle campsite during the detour, which meant we didn’t have to start too weighed down. There’s also a shop in Elgol (hours vary and don’t always match the sign), but it was closed when we passed by. Luckily, I wasn’t counting on it—otherwise, we’d have been in trouble since there’s no more resupply after that. Water was never an issue except on Stage 2, where there’s none at all.

And that’s it—it’s over! I hope you enjoyed this trip report. Until next time!

Thanks for the summary. It’s quite a hike in the end.

Actually, it all depends on the experience, but it's clear that this isn't the one I'd recommend first for someone who's never done any backpacking... Thanks to you