7 Things to See in Central Isle of Skye, Scotland

If you’re wondering what else there is to see in Central Isle of Skye other than the famous Fairy Pools, you’re in the right place.

In this blog post you’ll find a great 1-day road trip itinerary including a circular trail, a picturesque bridge, plenty of waterfalls, highlands cows and more.

If you’ve been browsing posts about the Isle of Skye, you’ve probably noticed that a 3-day road trip is possibly one of the best ways to see most of its gems. Since I like to put a little twist on things, instead of your usual 3-day itinerary, I created a 3-part series. This way you’ll find the best detailed itinerary to explore each area of this beautiful place, namely: Central Isle of Skye, North-East Skye (aka the Trotternish Loop) and North-West Skye.

If you’d like to see our road trip around the central area of the Isle of Skye then make sure to watch our YouTube video by clicking here. You can also watch our full West Scotland Series by clicking here.

About the Isle of Skye

The Isle of Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides and the second largest in Scotland after Lewis and Harris. Known for its picturesque harbour with colourful houses, Portree is the island’s capital and largest settlement. Many people therefore base themselves in Portree when touring around the island.

The island’s landscape to the south and central areas is dominated by the stunning Cuillin Range. The main range is called the Black Cuillin whereas the eastern hills are called the Red Cuillin. To the north of Portree is the Trotternish Peninsula. Both areas offer some fantastic walking and hiking routes with the Cuillins alone offering 12 Munros. Munros are mountains in Scotland that are over 3,000 ft (914.4 m). These Munros are part of the ‘Munro bagging’ challenge where climbers try to conquer all 282 Munros.

Skye also has a rich history which is full of Dinosaur Fossils, Clan Wars, Highland Clearances, Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Rising. Without digging too deeply into the island’s history, I think it’s worth mentioning the two most powerful clans on Skye: Clan MacLeod and Clan Macdonald that had a long-term feud. The clan system came to an end in the 18th century after the Jacobite risings. This was followed by the Highland Clearances that replaced many communities with sheep farms. 

The island’s population has declined with only about 10,000 people living there in 2011. According to the 2001 Census data, approximately one third of Skye’s residents are Gaelic speakers. Whilst their number is declining, it’s still an important part of their culture.

I guess it comes as no surprise that Skye’s leading industries are tourism, agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

How to Get to the Isle of Skye

By Car

Since 1995 it has been possible to drive to the Isle of Skye from mainland Scotland thanks to the famous road bridge called the Skye Bridge. Until 2004 it operated as a toll road and visitors had to pay approximately £5.70 each way to cross it. When the Scottish Government bought the bridge they removed the tolls, so now you can drive across the bridge for free. 

Top Tip – I loved driving across the bridge as it provides you with some stunning views. If you’d like to admire the bridge a bit longer, I recommend you either stop at Kyle of Lochalsh on mainland Scotland or Kyleakin on Skye.

If you don’t have your own car but would like to enjoy the freedom of a private vehicle, then you can always hire a car using this company to get to the Isle of Skye.

By Public Transport

By Bus – You can travel to Portree and Uig by bus from Glasgow or Inverness. You can plan your journey by clicking here. In addition, Stagecoach runs local bus services between villages. You can plan your journey by clicking here.

By Ferry – You can also reach the Isle of Skye by ferry. There are 3 ferry ports on Skye: Armadale, Uig and Sconser. These ferries are run by Calmac and sail to destinations such as Mallaig, Harris, North Uist and Raasay. You can browse for ferries by clicking here.

By Train – If you’re coming from further afield, you can get the train to either Kyle of Lochalsh or Mallaig from where you can take the local bus or ferry. Please note that from Armadale public transport services are less frequent so you might want to reach Kyle of Lochalsh.

7 Things to Do in Central Isle of Skye

Below are 7 beautiful places you should visit whilst exploring the Central Isle of Skye. This itinerary has a good mixture of historical places, circular walks, stunning views, and a fair number of waterfalls. In addition, if you’re lucky you might get to spot some cute highland cows.

Note – Since people will likely do a very similar itinerary to yours, you’ll inevitably run into the same people all day long. It’s actually quite fun, so just enjoy the day and don’t forget to say hi to your fellow road trippers.

For reference, we stayed in Kyle of Lochalsh on mainland Scotland and drove across the Skye Bridge every day. Please be sure to adjust the order of the itinerary according to where you’re staying.

1. Admire the Collie and Mackenzie Statue overlooking the Cuillins

The first stop on your Central Isle of Skye road-trip should be Sligachan. This small settlement is ideally located close to the Cuillin mountains and other must-see spots such as Sligachan Old Bridge and waterfall.

Where to park? – Free parking is available at Sligachan Old Bridge Car Park. It’s located just off the A87 before you would cross the River Sligachan (SatNav: G74 2BX). 

From the car park head towards the bridge. Just before you would reach it, go through the gate on your left and stop at the Collie and Mackenzie Statue overlooking the Cuillins. The statue is of two men: Professor Norman Collie and Skye-born mountain guide, John Mackenzie. Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries they set out to discover, climb and map the Black Cuillin. The mountains are considered some of the toughest climbs in Britain and involve narrow ridges and pinnacles. 

Today Collie and Mackenzie are considered some of the greatest pioneering mountaineers of their time. The bronze statue was made by a local artist and was unveiled in September 2020 after many years of planning and fundraising. It is placed in Glen Sligachan which divides the taller Black Cuillin from the smaller Red Cuillin.

2. Gain Eternal Beauty at Sligachan Old Bridge

After visiting the statue of Collie and Mackenzie, walk back through the gate and head towards Sligachan Old Bridge. 

Engineer Thomas Telford built the bridge between 1810 and 1818. The rubble bridge has three spans and a prominent hump. Today the bridge can only be used by pedestrians and cyclists whilst vehicles can use the new bridge on the A87 running parallel to the old one. 

Did you know? – According to legend the waters under Sligachan Old Bridge are enchanted and form a gateway to the faerie world. The legend says that should you be brave enough to stick your face in the water of the Sligachan river for a full 7 seconds, you will be granted eternal beauty by the faeries!

If this sounds like an easy way to gain eternal beauty, then bear in mind that you are in Scotland and the water temperature will be pretty close to freezing all year round! On top of that, you have to let your face dry naturally. If you want to attempt this, try to pick a relatively warm summer day and make sure to let me know whether it worked or not. 

The bridge looks so picturesque and remote but only if you’re looking at it towards the Cuillins. When you turn around, you just can’t ignore the busy and noisy A87 right behind you. Obviously when you see photos of the old bridge, the new one isn’t in the picture and it looks like it’s in the middle of nowhere. Busy road aside, the place still has a unique atmosphere to it. Just try to ignore the noise from the traffic.

3. Don’t Forget About Sligachan Waterfall

Not far from Sligachan Bridge is another beautiful spot you must visit: Slighachan Waterfall. Although it’s only a short walk from Sligachan old Bridge, at the time of our visit not many people ventured out to see it.

So, after you’ve gained eternal beauty, make sure to get your steps in too and head to the waterfall. To get there cross the bridge and walk along the A863 for about 240m before you’ll see a footpath on your left. Follow this path until you reach Allt Dearg Mor, then follow the stream to the west. You’ll know that you reached the waterfall when you see a bridge spanning the river in front of it.

It’s a very picturesque waterfall with the Black Cuillin in the background. After you’re done admiring the views, head back the same way you came, cross the bridge again and walk back to your car.

4. Complete One of the Fairy Pools Circular Trails

About the Fairy Pools

The next stop on your Central Isle of Skye itinerary should be the magical Fairy Pools. The Pools are a series of natural waterfalls located in Glen Brittle. The waterfalls form countless crystal clear and aqua blue pools which aren’t just a photographers’ dream – especially with the mountains in the background – but they also offer the perfect spot for wild swimming. So, no wonder that over the years the Fairy Pools have become a top tourist hotspot. 

There are a lot of places that have the name ‘Fairy’ in them on Skye. If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering about the story behind the name, right? Skye definitely has a rich history of faerie folklore which is probably where the name comes from. However, there aren’t any real legends associated with the pools.

Therefore, the name was probably only given to capture the somewhat magical nature of the place. (Well, if you ignore the millions of midges and people surrounding you on your visit, you can definitely see why this place was thought to be magical.)

Top Tip – Generally speaking, the biggest and most impressive pools and waterfalls are all at the start of the path. So, obviously these are also the busiest by far! However, if you walk higher up, the pools and waterfalls will be slightly smaller but you will have plenty of them to yourself. They are equally beautiful, and you will also be closer to the Cuillin’s which makes for more epic pictures.

How to get to the Fairy Pools

From the A87 in Sligachan, follow the A863 for about 5 miles. At the junction, take the B8009 and follow the signs towards Merkadale and Glenbrittle. In Merkadale when you reach the first junction take a left turn again and follow the signs towards Glenbrittle. 

You’ll notice that the roads get narrower and narrower after each turn. Since it’s a busy tourist destination, this was probably the most cars and campervans we had to pass on such a narrow road. Luckily, there are plenty of passing places, but you need to stay alert.

Where to park? – You can park your car at the Fairy Pool Car Park (SatNav: IV47 8TA) which cost £5 per vehicle. 

The construction of the car park started back in 2018 and it was only finished in July 2021 just a month before our trip to Skye. The aim of the project was to address the ongoing issues of the increasing number of visitors. The lack of parking spots resulted in tourists parking wherever they could, often blocking passing places. Since the roads around the area are narrow, these passing places are vital in keeping traffic moving. Parking on the verge also damaged the environment. Therefore, building a dedicated car park that caters for visitors is a great way to protect the environment. 

The revenue from parking covers staff’s wages and is being re-invested in maintaining and improving the facilities.

Facilities – The car park also has toilet facilities which is great when you’re basically in the middle of nowhere.

Fairy Pools Circular Trails

There are 3 recommended trails you can choose from to explore the area. You can visit the pools with all three, although one doesn’t include them in the original route. (Please refer to the map above for the walking routes).

Please Note – The area is filled with midges especially during the summer months. Midges are tiny flying insects that bite a lot. Basically, if you stop anywhere along boggy areas, you’re offering them a free all-you-can-eat buffet. The midge season in Scotland is normally between May and September, so don’t forget your midge repellent. You can get further information about midges here. We only stopped to grab our sandwiches and had to eat on the go to avoid being eaten alive by them.

1. Fairy Pools Walk

If you’re only here to see the pools or wanting to have a dip in them, you can just do a short 5km (3 miles) long point to point walk called the Fairy Pools Walk (Blue Route). After crossing the road just head straight into Coire na Creiche and follow the river.

The path is steep and rocky going down so I would wear sturdy shoes. You’ll also have to cross the river twice by hopping over some stepping stones. We saw some people struggling with the distances between these stones so we just wanted to make you aware in case you have any fear.

You should reach the first pools in about 15 minutes. From there you can walk as far up along the river as you wish. Once you’ve had enough, you’ll have to walk back the way you came.

2. Fairy Pools and Coire na Creiche Loop

To make the most of your visit to the Fairy Pools, I recommend completing the Fairy Pools and Coire na Creiche Loop (Red Route). This is a great 8km (5 miles) long circular trail with great views over the area. 

After crossing the road take the first left turn. Everyone else will likely head straight but that’s towards the pools. You should walk past a lovely waterfall on your left. You can stop here briefly as it’s a pretty one. 

After the waterfall, just follow the clear path that runs alongside the forest which should be on your left. You’ll start climbing higher and higher leaving the forested area behind. Since you’ll be following the stream, you’ll see a few waterfalls but it’s hard to get close to them. Don’t worry though as you’ll see plenty later on. Soon you’ll pass a trail that leads to the right, but I recommend staying on the path and climbing a bit higher. That lower path can be super wet and boggy, so you may want to avoid it.

You should reach the path where you want to turn right shortly. You’ll know that you’re at the right fork if you see a little pond in front of you. The path goes further ahead too, which you can carry on following for a bit if you’d like to have some fantastic views across Raasay and mainland Scotland. Otherwise turn right here and start your walk across the slope of Bruach na Frithe. This part of the walk was pretty impressive. The path is pretty narrow, and the drop is steep so proceed with caution. 

When you reach the end, carefully descend and join with the path that runs alongside the Fairy Pools. The closer you get to the more popular pools, the more the people to midge ratio will even out. Although it was crowded the pools were still stunning and well worth a visit.

3. Bealach Brittle Loop

If you have more time, you can complete a longer trail called Bealach Brittle Loop (Purple Route). It is a 16 km (10 miles) circular trail. This forestry walk circles around Beinn a Bhraghad and Beinn Staic, and doesn’t actually go to the Fairy Pools. Therefore, I recommend you visiting the Fairy Pools either before or after your walk. 

What’s great about this trail is that you’ll be able to climb up to Beinn Staic which should provide you with some great views of the area.

5. Sample Some Whiskey at Talisker Distillery

If you have the chance, I highly recommend incorporating Talisker Distillery into your road-trip around Central Isle of Skye. Based in Carbost, it’s the oldest working distillery on Skye. It was founded by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill in 1830 and they opened it a year later after acquiring the lease from Clan MacLeod. 

You can book a basic 45 minute tour which costs around £15 or book a longer one which has more whisky tastings. They also have slightly different opening hours throughout the year which you can check by clicking here. 

Top Tip – Book your visit on time! Unfortunately, the tours were all booked up for the whole week at the time of our visit. So, make sure to plan your itinerary a bit better than we did. Luckily, you can still visit the gift shop without booking or try some whiskey at the bar. Again, we got there a bit late and the bar had already stopped serving for the day, so make sure to get there in time. If you can’t book a tour, you can always take a virtual tour of the distillery. 

Please Note – Don’t drink and drive!!!

6. Snap Some Photos of Highland Cows

Your Isle of Skye itinerary wouldn’t be complete without spotting some Highland cows. There’s a viewpoint ideally located at the base of Glamaig, which is one of only two Corbetts on Skye. Corbetts are mountains that are between 2,500 – 3,000 ft (762.0–914.4m) high.

The viewpoint is called Hector’s Highland Coos and is located just across from the Isle of Skye Golf Club. The owner actually welcomes visitors and you can leave some donations in the red box if you wish. They even put a sign up with their social media handles because they would love you to tag them in your photos to see how far around the world these cows can travel.

I must admit, the grazing Highland cows with Glamaig in the backdrop are definitely a photo worthy combination.

Where to park? – There’s a small layby on the western side of the A87, on the same side as the viewpoint. It’s so easy to miss it, so I recommend slowing down a bit as you approach the place.

Please Note – Google Maps shows a few more Highland Cow viewpoints along the A87 under these postcodes: G74 2BX and IV48 8TD. We personally didn’t spot any as we drove past and trust me my eyes were focused on finding some. Keep your eyes peeled as you might get lucky.

Top Tip – Be warned though! These cute Highland cows won’t be standing at the gate all day waiting for you to snap a photo of them. Since we stayed in Kyle of Lochalsh, we drove past this farm about 6 times over the course of our stay and only saw the cows ONCE! So, if you do spot them make sure you stop because you might not see them again!

7. Stop by at Eas a ‘Bhradain Waterfall

Lastly, to complete your Central Isle of Skye itinerary, make sure to stop at the stunning Eas a ‘Bhradain waterfall (grid reference NG531262). It is positioned between Marsco, a peak within the Red Hills and Loch Ainort, a sea loch overlooking the island of Scalpay.

Where to park? – There’s a layby just off the A87 across from the waterfall (SatNav: IV49 9AN). You can park here for free and walk to the waterfall. Please note that you’ll have to cross the A87 so be careful as it’s a very busy road.

Once you’re on the other side of the road, it only takes 5 minutes to reach the waterfall. But be warned, the path is boggy even on a dry(ish) day, so you might want to wear something waterproof.

Top Tip – If you are lucky enough to see it after heavy rain it will be even more impressive. Although, the path will be even boggier!

Additional Things to Do on the Isle of Skye

In order to see everything the Isle of Skye has to offer, you’ll need at least 3-days. So, if you’re planning your ultimate road trip, make sure to check out other places to visit during your trip: 

Trotternish Loop: 7 Places to Visit in North-East Isle of Sky – Explore the north-east part of the island by completing the Trotternish Loop. Click here to read it.

3 Places to See in North-West Isle of Skye – Discover the north-west area of the Isle of Skye during a 1-day road-trip. Click here to read it.

You can also browse for more Scotland content or more hiking trails in the UK and around the world in my Hiking Adventures Series.

Final Thoughts on Central Isle of Skye

Road-tripping around the Central Isle of Skye was definitely a great way to start our 3-day itinerary. Although we visited during the main tourist season in August, the only place we really felt was crowded was the Fairy Pools. We always knew that this place would be packed, but completing the circular trail was the best way to make the most of our visit.

Again, my only small regret is not having a bit longer to be able to do some hikes around the Cuillins. This is definitely something I would love to do in the future, although I might need to gain some more climbing experience in the meantime.

Have you ever visited the Isle of Skye before? If so, tell me about your experience and how much of the area you managed to explore? Let me know in the comments below.