Philip

Have posted two other topics in planning our May '18 vacation to Scotland. We are two couples from Texas. Our unofficial guide - janisj - has not been bashful about us ('not') including Skye. However, still interested in getting 'a taste' of Skye (actually my wife and I have visited Skye before but the other couple has not). Appreciate hearing your thoughts.

35,000 view:
1. Arrive Portree late one afternoon. Stay Cuillin Hills Hotel and eat Scorrybreac Restaurant.
2. Depart Portree in the morning and visit Old Man Storr, Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock. Drive into Staffin and head to Uig -- via Quirang. Need to be out of Skye in time to have dinner at Monachyle Mhor (in Balquhidder) at 8pm. Certainly we know this is busy busy and then busy. If we are up for a triple busy, any other places we must visit? lunch place we must stop? should we depart via ferry to Mallaig or back to A87?

Thanks!

janisj

To put some context here (so people don't think I've gone off the deep end) . . . The OP will probably not arrive in Portree until nearly dinner time. They will have driven from Dornoch via Loch Ness to get to Portree, and then leave the next morning to drive to Bahquhidder.


>>2. Depart Portree in the morning and visit Old Man Storr, Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock. Drive into Staffin and head to Uig -- via Quirang. Need to be out of Skye in time to have dinner at Monachyle Mhor (in Balquhidder) at 8pm<<

Just the loop around the Trotternish Peninsula will take 2 hours.

But I seriously give up . . . several people have suggested your plans are impractical but it is your trip.

mnag

Philip - my google map shows the drive from Portree to Balquihidder as 6 plus hours. While I believe its possible to hike the Old Man Storr (about 1.45 hours), Lealt Falls/Kilt Rock (20 min to see) and drive and check out the Quiraing (about 1 hour for a short hike)and cover it all in one day I am not sure how you can get to Balquihidder in time for a 8pm dinner reservation. We more of less covered the same in a full day but our start and end point (i.e. dinner) was Portree.

How about skipping Skye and spending time in Glencoe instead? It would in my opinion be the next best thing.

janisj

>>How about skipping Skye and spending time in Glencoe instead? It would in my opinion be the next best thing.<<

Believe me I've tried. It seems Texans are stuuuuuborn

I've also suggested not staying in Balquhidder since Monachyle Mhor is quite remote being nearly 30 minutes up a single track from the A9.

janisj

>>quite remote being nearly 30 minutes up a single track <strike>from the A9.</strike><<

Jeeze where did that come from!? 30 mins up a single track from the <B>A84 . . .

paulg

"Believe me I've tried. It seems Texans are stuuuuuborn"

Hey, watch it, you broad brush painter!

janisj

MmePerdu

You see that "!" at the end of the subject? Definition of misplaced "!"... "I know what I'm doing is a waste of good vacation time (also known as stupid) but I've convinced my clueless companions that it'll be worth it. Please save my butt here and agree with me."

Definition of "a taste": something not worth doing by anyone else's definition.

You're welcome.

historytraveler

Whathello

I slept on Skye and was so glad I did it. We saw so much there.
One of the best dawns in my life. Looking at the sun getting up with my to become wife.
(Then discovering in the next morning there is a price to pay for whisky that is not on the menu.)
No way I would rush it some places are best left unseen until you can 'do' them properly.

gailscout

We did that drive in May 2015 but left from Armadale on Skye via 10:30 (roughly) am ferry to Monachyle Mhor arriving around 5 pm. Hope you are staying the night there or at least close by.

We stopped at Glenfinnan Viaduct for 30 minutes and made it to Lochleven Seafood Cafe on on Loch Leven for lunch around 2. We proceed to drive around the lake to Glencoe driving through Glencoe Mountains on the A82 then A85 to Balquhidder and Monachyle Mhor, stopping often for photographs.

Monachyle Mhor is a delightful place where we had a wonderful, relaxing dinner and walk to visit the sheep and wooly Scottish cows across the lane. Should have stayed another night!

My only suggestion would be to stay closer to the ferry and tour the lower area of Skye. It's all lovely.