classiqueP29

I will be flying to Edinburgh from Rome on April 23rd and will be there until my flight leaves out of Edinburgh (or would you recommend I change it to another airport closer to the Isle?) April 27th. There will be three of us and we would like to avoid renting a car and take trains if possible unless otherwise recommended. Does anyone know what stations and lines out of Edinburgh service the Isle? Also are there sleeper trains from Skye to Edinburgh since my flight leaves around noon that Sunday and I would need to be at the airport by 10AM? We are looking to hike and generally enjoy Scottish culture and am open to any recommendations regarding activities! Any info would be much appreciated since I'm having trouble finding clear information online.

janisj

OK -

- There are no trains on Skye. You can take a train to Mallaig and then a ferry to Skye and then local buses on the island. But Skye is huge, the ferry drops you at the far southern end and the buses will be slow going

- There are no sleepers from Skye to Edinburgh or to Glasgow.

- Where to fly out of partly depends on where you are flying TO. The two major airports are GLA and EDI.

- To be at either airport by 10:00 a.m., you would need to be off of Skye the evening before - even if you rented a car. It would be a long drive.

- You don't mention Visiting Edinburgh - so do you mean to arrive and immediately leave for Skye -- or after a day/night in Edinburgh.

- If Skye is the only place you want to go - I'd definitely be renting a car.

GeoffHamer

Skye is a long way from Edinburgh so you may want to choose another island.
By train (www.nationalrail.co.uk), you can go to Mallaig on one of the most beautiful lines in Europe, then take a ferry to Armadale (www.calmac.co.uk) or take the train via Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, then a bus over the bridge to Skye.
There are also long-distance buses to Skye (www.citylink.co.uk).

LAwoman

We took the train to Mallaig, the ferry to Skye (Armadale), and arranged to rent a car to drive on Skye from Kyle Taxis. They picked us up at Armadale & took us to their rental facility.

Mimar

You really only have 3 days in Scotland. Do you have any interest in seeing Edinburgh? You could fly into Glasgow or Inverness; both are closer to Skye.

But while you can experience (most of) the wilds of Scotland without a car, you need more time, and definitely more time than you have.

I would forget Skye for this trip, keep your flight into Edinburgh, spend a day in the city, and look for one- or two-day trips up the east coast and/or into the Trossachs. Here's a link to transport options in Scotland: http://www.visitscotland.com/guide/t...ound-scotland/

GeoffHamer

www.transportdirect.info gives connections for all forms of transport in Britain. I tried Edinburgh to Elgol as an example, and it gave a series of connections by train and bus, taking just under ten hours. Portree or Broadford would have more frequent connections.

classiqueP29

I could have my flight fly into Glasgow if that's better. I was really looking to spend most of my time on the Isle since I've been to both Glasgow and Edinburgh before. I'd be open to renting a car however the three of us are 21 and would probably have to pay an extra fee. If anyone could recommend a car rental on the island that'd be amazing!

LAwoman

I did - Kyle Taxi, they are a car rental company, and they were great to work with

Frances

My daughter is 21 and is renting a car through Enterprise (in Edinburgh) and its not costing a lot. It would be worth looking at if you have problems because of your age. I think Enterprise is a national company and so would have depots elsewhere.

classiqueP29

It seems Kyle Taxi offers both rentals and car services, so I could have them pick me up in Armadale after the ferry and then arrange to have a car rental. We're looking into the Skyewalker Hostel in Portnalong near the Cuillin Hills. Has anyone stayed there? Or know if there is bus that runs regularly to Portree?

GeoffHamer

Buses in Skye, as elsewhere in the Highlands and Islands, are regular and reliable, but very infrequent because of the sparse population. You can research journey times on www.transportdirect.info.