Best of Skye in Style : Rail & Hike Holiday, explore the Isle of Skye

Best of Skye In Style

5 Days & 4 Nights

By day discover Skye's wild landscapes and by night relish upscale accommodation
Cross the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct on a spectacular rail journey from Glasgow to Mallaig
Take a private guided day tour of Skye, designed exclusively for Macs guests!
Explore historic highlights such as Dunvegan Castle, and sample the local whisky
Walk from Kilmarie to Sligachan, one of Scotland's finest scenic walks

Discover the best of Scotland's Isle of Skye staying in superior accommodations, taking off-the-beaten-path walks, cultural and historical exploration with a private guided tour and a rail journey on the West Highland Line through the dramatic landscapes of the Scottish Highlands. On two of Scotland's favourite walks marvel at the sight of the jagged Cuillin Ridge, Skye's backbone, and the otherworldly beauty of the Quiraing's unique rock formations. On your exclusive private tour of the island enjoy visits to the Fairy Pools and the renowned Talisker Distillery. Stay in the colourful harbour town of Portree and also overnight in Sleat, a secluded peninsula on Skye's southern shore in stylish accommodations. Throughout you will create many special memories of your time in Skye, the "misty isle".

What To Expect

Travel Restrictions

Designed for those who want the complete Skye experience in a shorter timescale; visit this island's well-known spots, experience cultural discovery (including time for optional distillery visits), and delight in walking peaceful trails alongside unrivalled mountain scenery. One of the highlights of this tour is the superior accommodation throughout in which you can relax in the evening and some even have gourmet restaurants. Also included is a private guided day tour of the island with knowledgeable guides. The walks are graded easy-moderate and follow good, gently undulating tracks and paths throughout.

Trip Style:

Self Guided | Go at your own pace on an independent holiday.

Activity:

Multi Centre Walking | You will spend multiple nights in one or more of the locations on this walking holiday

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveller this holiday would be suitable for is: 10 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Wine, Whisky & More...
Luxury & Unique Stays
Wildlife
Historical Journeys
Coastal & Island

Inspiration:

Classic

Grade & Terrain

This trip is graded ‘easy to moderate’ overall. You should be in good physical fitness to fully enjoy the walking on this tour. Most of the trails follows either gravel or dirt paths and tracks, along with some short stretches on quiet roads. There are just 2 walks, one is 17km and one is 6km. The shorter one has more elevation gain and loss and the longer one has undulating terrain but neither are especially challenging. There are some stream and small river crossings on the Kilmarie to Sligachan walk and some sections of narrow paths with steep grassy drop-offs on the Quiraing trail, but neither of these should pose problems for experienced walkers.

On your private guided day tour we have allowed time in the schedule for walking at the Fairy Pools and Neist Point (these are entirely optional short walks).

Navigation

The route is largely not waymarked and follows a mixture of tracks, and narrow paths (both gravelly and grassy). We provide you with detailed turn-by-turn route notes and maps in our GPS Macs Adventure smartphone app. You can simply download the GPX tracks to your phone for offline use and off you go!

Accommodation Information

4 Nights in hand-picked and superior 4* hotels; the hotels near Armadale on the Sleat Peninsula are country lodges or small country hotels with restaurants that stand alone in the countryside. This contrasts with the hotels in Portree are located in the bustling town centre.

If you would like to add extra nights to your trip we recommend doing so in Glasgow at the start of your trip. If you’d like to upgrade your room type please ask your Sales Specialist for more information.

We regularly use the listed properties but may accommodate you elsewhere if these are not available. However, they will be of a similar standard.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

This trip is available to solo walkers, although there is a supplement due to the fact that some of the costs (such as transfers) are not shared. Single rooms are available on request and a supplement is payable.

Meals

A breakfast will be provided by your accommodation every morning. Usually these are buffet or continental-style, with the option to order a traditional Scottish breakfast from a menu. Dinners are not included, however the hotels on the Sleat Peninsula have their own distinguished restaurants. In Portree you can also eat in your hotel, but there are plenty of alternatives and you might also like to sample Scotland’s renowned fish & chips.

Whisky

Of course the region is also famous for it’s whisky! The Isle of Skye now has two distilleries, the Talisker Distillery (established in 1830) and the newer Torabhaig Distillery (established in 2017). On the guided tour of the island you’ll have time to take a tour of the Talisker Distillery if you wish.

Included

4 Nights in 4* hotels
4 Breakfasts
Luggage transfers
Travel from Glasgow to the Sleat Peninsula
Transfers as listed in the itinerary on day 1, 3 & 4
West Highland Line rail tickets (standard class)
Ferry journey from Mallaig to Armadale
Private guided day tour of Skye
Information pack, maps, route notes and GPX tracks within our smartphone app
24/7 Emergency telephone support

Excluded

Travel insurance (required)
Travel to Glasgow and from Portree
Lunches & dinners
Drinks & snacks
Personal equipment

Extras

Additional nights before, during or after the walk

When To Go

You can begin your tour on any day of the week except Sundays (due to limited train & ferry timetables) between April and early October.

Portree is a popular overnight stop on Skye and can be busy during the summer season, so if you have any flexibility with your dates please let your Sales Specialist know when you book. Skye generally gets very busy so its best to book as early as you can to avoid disappointment.

Getting to the Start

The trip begins at Glasgow Queen Street train station—easily accessible from the UK via rail and motorway links. If you’re travelling from Europe, North America or further afield we recommend flying into Glasgow Airport just a short taxi journey from the city centre (20 mins). To find more travel information visit the Trainline and UK Travel Planning.

The airport has plenty of UK and European links. There are also direct flights available from New York, Orlando, Toronto and Halifax. Otherwise, you can easily connect from other North American airports via Iceland, London or Amsterdam using British Airways, KLM, or a multitude of low budget airlines such as Ryanair or Easyjet.

Getting from the End

From Portree there are frequent onward bus connections to Kyle of Lochalsh (1hr). You can find bus information on the Scottish Citylink webite. From here you can connect to Inverness by train and fly to UK airports. Alternatively, to reach Glasgow continue to Fort William by bus then change to the train for your onward journey to Glasgow.

Glasgow and Edinburgh airports provide daily flights to key UK, European and Worldwide destinations.

Baggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight stay. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

There are a few private taxi transfers included as part of your trip. We have included these for your ease and enjoyment and have booked them for specific times each day but you’re welcome to adjust these based on your requirements where possible.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

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