Yes -- the rental cars on Skye will deliver (there is no brick and mortar location at Armadale) - but IMO/IME it would be better to collect a car from an international/national chain in Inverness so you can explore en route to and from Skye. Places like Glenfinnan, Neptune's Staircase, Urquhart Castle, maybe Plockton, and/or Eilean Donan (just for the beautiful photo stop -- not really necessary to visit the castle itself). Just logistically it would make things easier.

If you were to rent a car locally on Skye you'd then have to return to to the next place on your itinerary by public transport -- whether that is Inverness, or the far NW, or Perthshire or Oban/Mull -- wherever.

Scotland summer 2025
 

Thank you one and all.Great feedback.
One last question I see many B and Bs have not posted availability for June/July yet.When is a realistic time to book and when is the latest to secure accomodation?I realize there may not be any easy answers to this and i may have to contact the b and bs directly by phone.Any suggestions/Thanks

Ron

Many B&B's don't allow on line booking until they know what their rates might be for next year. Especially for Skye you will want to book as soon as you can. If you find a property that appeals and the booking period isn't open, I'd phone them and ask (or e-mail - but I probably would phone) -- they can either take the booking or maybe let you know when you can

Skye travel
 

I can see we can take a bus from Armadale to Portrree.on Skye.Thinking we would leave the car at Mallaig for 2 nights and hop the ferry to Skye for 2 days overnighting in Mallaig..Explore the Macdonald museum in Armadale tale the bus to Portree and head back to mallaig.
Ideally i would like to visit the Talisker distillery.Can we get there from Portree without taking a car.
also will we see enough of Skye if we just go from Armadale to Portree??
bottom line is taking the car the only realistic option??
w

Skye
 

Thanks Janis you have been very helpful

RON

I'm sorry but that is a really (REALLY) bad (horrible :( ) idea.. You wouldn't be able to explore any of Skye -- You'd only see the Armadale > Broadford > Portree main road. IMO / IME you should either 1) drive a car and stay an absolute MINIMUM of two nights on Skye but three nights would be 100000% better because 2 nights only nets you one full day on the island - or 2) take one of Rabbies tours that includes staying on Skye


One of these would work:

https://www.rabbies.com/en/scotland-...nds-4-day-tour

https://www.rabbies.com/en/scotland-...ure-6-day-tour

https://www.rabbies.com/en/scotland-...kye-5-day-tour

https://www.rabbies.com/en/scotland-...ure-6-day-tour

Otherwise -- if not either self driving or taking a multi-day Rabbies tour . . . you should 100% drop Skye from your itinerary.

Oh heck yes - if you've driven the car all the way to Mallaig take it over on the ferry because getting around Skye without one is not easy.Not every ferry is met by the bus either.

You'll see some glorious scenery on route from Armadale to Portree but unless you then sign up to one of the organised day trips offered by several operators, you're missing out on a lot.Plus, not easy to get to Talisker without your own wheels - dead easy with the car, good road from Portree changing to short section of single track as you turn off to Carbost.The road from Armadale to Portree is pretty good too and fast (if you wish - you'll want to stop though to admire the scenery at various places.)

Not sure if you are a seafood fan but the Oyster Shed above the village (parking) is worth a call in - you can eat outside (under cover) or takeaway.

Scotland summer 2025
 

Thanks Janis I take your point.We will drive to Skye and stay 3 nights.
One thing to mention we are both seniors 70 plus so any hiking of any distance is out of the question.does this impact the length of our stay to see the island??
What itinerary would you suggest on our way to Skye from Glasgow?Would you suggest visiting Mull on our way?
Many thanks for your input.You provide the guidance that the guide books cannot always do

Ron

Scotland summer 2025
 

Thanks Scotlandmac that clarifies the driving issue.Incidentally what does it cost to take the ferry with a car and how far ahead do you have to book a reservation?Thanks

Scotland summer 2025
 

One further question are there organised day trips on Skye as an alternative to driving around the island?Where do they leave from?we need to visit Armadale and the Talisker distillery for sure.Thanks

Yes, there are a few organized day tours from Skye. (Just a few years ago this would have been unthinkable but the Island now gets sooooooo many visitors there is a market for tours)

Here are a couple of options to get you started (the 2nd one is more 'walking intensive so maybe not your cup of tea):

https://www.tourskye.com/tour/best-of-skye/

https://www.realscottishjourneys.com...real_skye.html

As for not hiking -- I've been to Skye several times -- some with quite a bit of walking/hiking and some where I never walked more than maybe a couple hundred yards. Hiking is not as all necessary. Luckily you are traveling before things get really busy so finding parking at most of the main beauty spots shouldn't be ipossible like later in the summer.

I don't know what the current car ferry rates are -- the CalMac website will have all the details. Yes -- your definitely will want to pre-book the ferry well ahead -- but not months ahead or anything like that. scotlandmac may have a better handle on how far ahead is recommended -- my last visit was a few years ago and I booked about a month out.

"Would you suggest visiting Mull on our way?"

Absolutely yes . . . IF you have sufficient time. Again you'd want a minimum of two nights on the island (the roads on Mull are even slower that on Skye so it takes time to get around)

Just a note about Skye...

Today's Scotsman newspaper (Edinburgh) carries an article about a major local tour operator on Skye refusing to take clients to the Fairy Pools, one of the principal tourist destinations on the island, because of massive congestion.

Gordon Pearson, who runs WOW Scotland, described the last few weeks driving a tour bus to the Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle, one of the island’s most sought after beauty spots, as “a horrific experience.”

Mr Pearson said he is concerned the lack of appropriate infrastructure to support the influx of visitors to the site is putting his customers at risk. He said some 400 vehicles can get stuck in a traffic jam on this road at one time with up to a four hour wait.Some 200,000 people a year visit the Fairy Pools, but the single track road into and out of Glen Brittle is poorly-maintained and is causing dozens of flat tyres each week, leaving the route blocked for hours on end by stranded cars.

Isle of Skye tour boss looks to cancel trips over 'horrific four hour wait' on road to Fairy Pools (scotsman.com)

File under "overtourism" evidence.

I didn't read the link so some of this info may be in that article, but just from other reports in the British press over the last couple of weeks . . . The Fairy Pools issue affects everyone -- crowds, parking, silly 'influencers' monopolizing the view points with selfie taking. The single track road out to Glen Brittle which used to have almost no traffic -- just those traveling to the Hostel or beach and a handful at the Fairy pools. Then travel to the Pools exploded and parking became non-existent. So a non-profit installed toilet facilities and a small parking area and now the local government is blaming the charity for the increase in visitors and wants them to pay for repairing the entire road.

Traveling on Skye is simply not the idyllic / enchanting experience it was just a few years ago.

It looks like the cure for overtourism is --- overtourism.

Book as soon as the window opens - CalMac now open specific clusters of months for on line bookings so keep a look out on their website which has quite a bit of information on this.Current prices here:

https://www.calmac.co.uk/article/781...aig---Armadale

That run, similar to Oban -Mull - gets booked up quite quickly.If you have to change the booking subsequently, there is no charge and its not expensive if you have to cancel completely for whatever reason; an admin charge is levied (as long as you cancel pre-sailing and don't simply not turn up.)

If you can't find a day trip operator who gives you enough time at the distillery, there are always taxis - about 9 or so operate from the main square in Portree.They are expensive!

Skye rewards whether you are a hiker or not, as janisj says. We used to take my very elderly (now 101yrs!) MIL out on wee jaunts in the car, letting her see Glen Brittle (she loved the beach walk there), the Trotternish coast driving loop (her favourite), the drive out to Neist Point. It was wonderful for us too, not matter how often we've seen these sights and even though my husband and I are hikers and love a good hill walk which Skye is world class for.The scenery is just so jaw droppingly beautiful, a real wow.And the play of light and colours on the landscape is stunning.

A lot of driving, and other places are available!
 

You are trying to pack a lot in! Distances between tourist destinations in Scotland are probably so much less than Canada, but bear in mind our roads are also much less suited to long distance travel. In the more remote areas you will find yourself on single track roads at some points, and they can be surprisingly busy, for example on the North Coast 500 route at most times of the year. There are places to view the Jacobite train rather than travelling on it if you just want to see the Harry Potter views, as it is expensive and time consuming. I would suggest having a look at Guides such as Scotland the Best, to find the more unusual places to visit. Although the Highlands and Glasgow and Edinburgh are the most popular tourist areas, I would suggest considering the Borders, East Lothian, and Galloway especially, for quieter roads, interesting history and beautiful scenery. Also hardly any midges. I may be a little biased....An option might be to base yourselves in Edinburgh for example and take a couple of small one day bus trips to the highlands to save yourself the driving. The guides on the minibuses are often so knowledgeable and can be a bit more flexible when there are only a few passengers. Edinburgh itself will be very busy with tourists whenever you come. End of May and early June are often the loveliest months in terms of weather and wildflowers etc, but it is very very variable and almost never hot! On a long car journey you might see incredible views, or you might see low cloud and mist blocking everything beyond twenty metres away! If that's the case, forward planning for interesting stops is key! I wonder if you could maybe go back to your plan and figure out what things particularly interest you most rather than trying to see everything! For example, are there family links to places; are you interested in history, castles and battle sites; scenery and spectacular beaches and mountains,; film locations; culture and art; walking or climbing; golf; etc etc. We have them all, but it would be a challenge to cover them all in a couple of weeks! Glasgow and Edinburgh each take more than a day of course, but I would not take a car into either city. Hop on hop off bus tours are excellent, and give the opportunity to see a number of tourist attractions, which can be widely spaced. The public transport is great too, and there are park and ride facilities on the edge of both. Parking charges and fines are horrendous in both cities. Neither city is huge, particularly Edinburgh, but it is hilly! Hope you have a wonderful trip. Scotland is beautiful. I may be a little biased......

Oops. When I wrote the above I had only seen your original post. Others have all made very good points in far more helpful detail than I could manage. Rabbies Tours are famously excellent, and exactly what I was meaning. I completely forgot Whisky as an interest. How could I? Skye is, as they all say, astonishing, as are all the islands.

Meant to add -

Re the route to choose when driving to Skye from Glasgow - if of interest, my own favourite route with links to three other options:

https://annestravelsandhikes.com/201...tes-to-skye-1/

This route is via the Skye Bridge which to me, gives the finest views overall but it does mean more road mileage than the Mallaig route which is my second favourite drive to the island.We are up on Skye most months and mostly take the bridge route from Glasgow but vary it too.
One issue to remember with the Mallaig ferry is to keep an eye on the weather in the lead up as if any ferry is going to go off, it's that one.The ferry also ties you into a specific timescale but it's a lovely sail and drive and well worth doing if it most appeals or works re your overall itinerary.

Re Mull - yes you can do that in which case you potentially could come off the island and head for Skye using the ferries from Tobermory or Fishnish to Ardnamurchan and drive to Mallaig.But there are significant stretches of extremely winding, if very quiet, single track road often with non existent or very short sightlines so not the easiest driving if you are nervous overall.Stunning scenery as with most of the west coast.
Or simply return to Oban from Mull and head north from there, longer drive, but 'easier' road.No single track.

I was going to add to my previous post that the Fairy Pools parking is so extensive now, that I've thought of it as a major improvement! I've used it several times this year but for other walks.I am taken aback however to read the Scotsman article.I think WOW are based in Inverness but yes, they will be taking groups daily to Skye though it's a long day trip from the city - almost 3 hours each way to Portree alone.
Perhaps we've been lucky but in all our trips down that road we've never had more than a minute or two's delay, usually because an inexperienced campervan driver is micro manoeuvring down the final bends to the car park and meets another van coming UP that bit of road.The police have bollarded off most of the road edging for quite a way to stop vehicles pulling onto the soft shoulder though the bollards don't go all the way back which is where isses will still arise.
Some drivers go far too fast on the single track, desperate to tick off another site and overshoot passing places when a car approaches from the other direction.Then they pull over , braking hard, onto the soft ground (the section before the bollards start) and so the problems begin.

Have to assume that the WOW operator is not dramatising for the sake of it though I can't believe they'll take the decision NOT to go to Skye or the Fairy Pools.If they're on a tight schedule for whizzing groups around the island then I can imagine even a small delay might be more frustrating for them than for visitors in general and set blood pressure rising.Heading up to Skye one January a couple of years back, we counted 9 such minibus tours all coming back from the island (never seen WOW so far, mostly Timberbush, Rabbies, Highland Explorer, Hairy Coo tours.)

The new parking hasn't increased visitor numbers.Rather, there are nowhere near the chaotic scenes I remember before the parking was developed.

Scotland summer 2025
 

Inverness to Edinburgh in 5-6 days drivingWhere to stop along the way for the night. Pitlochry/Perth??Thanks

Scotland summer 2025
 

Add Aviemore as potential stop on route Inverness to Edinburgh 5-6 day driving trip/