Scotland: Isle of Skye Short Break

Skye Highs Short Break

5 Days & 4 Nights 4.6 Read 9 reviews

The perfect 4-night escape to explore the magical Isle of Skye.
Crossing Glenfinnan Viaduct on the Jacobite Steam Train, ‘Hogwarts Express’.
A guided day trip; learning about Skye’s stories, history & wildlife from a local.
Walks to explore Skye’s Cuillin mountains, rocky Storr and wild beaches.
Kicking back with a cup of tea, large slice of cake and maybe a wee dram!

Escape to the Isle of Skye on the perfect 4-night short break, including a magical steam train ride on the ’Hogwarts Express’, an expertly guided day trip taking in Skye’s mountains, rocky peninsulas, remote lochs and wild beaches, topped off with some great walking. Starting with one of the world’s greatest rail journeys, take the Jacobite steam train from Fort William to the west coast station of Mallaig where you’ll overnight. Then take a ferry across to Skye where you’ll stay 3 nights in pretty Portree.

What To Expect

Travel restrictions and resources, to and from any destination

A 4-night short break to the Isle of Skye. Immerse yourself in some of the most dramatic scenery Scotland has to offer. You can choose to simply relax in a pretty Highland village with cosy pubs and local ale, or enjoy some walks. Enjoy the added bonus of a steam train ride, and guided tour of Skye. This tour is also an ideal add-on to any trip starting/ending in Fort William, such as the West Highland Way

Tour Type:

Discovery | Think of it as a ‘local’s guide’ to the best of the region. It includes a combination of activity and transportation to give you the freedom to explore and cover more ground at your own pace. We do all the research and organisation for you. All you have to do is turn up and enjoy!

Activity:

Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

As a guide, we would suggest that the minimum age of traveler this tour would be suitable for is: 16 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Islands
Short Break
Coastal Walking

Activity Level & Terrain

This trip is graded easy to moderate overall, although you will find some suggested walks are more on the moderate end of the scale e.g. The Storr to Portree coastal walk. We include suggested daily walks of up to 9 miles, the terrain is rugged underfoot and takes in some not to strenuous ascents. Perfect for those with a relatively good level of fitness.

Navigation

You will find GPX tracks for the top choice walks on our free Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app with access to detailed mapping. With access to the app you shouldn't have any problem finding your way but we also include turn by turn route notes and a 1:40,000 scale Harvey map of Skye. The routes are generally well-walked with the exception of the more remote The Storr to Portree coastal route which should only by attempted by those happy using a compass and map to navigate. A bad weather alternative, or more relaxed day alternative for this walk is simply to spend time exploring the rocky formations at the The Storr and return to Portree via bus.

Accommodations

4 nights accommodation is included in hand-picked guesthouses and B&B’s of a 3-star standard.

We carefully select small and friendly accommodation that offers great value, food and welcomes. The properties we normally use are detailed below, however are subject to availability and therefore alternatives of an equal standard may be offered.

You can add extra nights at either side of your tour in Fort William, Glasgow or Edinburgh - please contact us for details.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

This holiday is available to solo walkers, although a single supplement is payable. If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate your request, although it is not generally possible to secure more than three single rooms in a party. A single supplement is payable.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning while lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Your accommodation will be more than happy to provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival, alternatively your guidebook also includes details of local shops and convenient lunch stops on the way. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or nearby pubs and restaurants.

Included

4 Nights in 3* guesthouses and B&B’s
4 Breakfasts
Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig (standard class)
Mallaig to Armadale ferry
Guided group tour of Skye on day 3
Maps & route notes (and access to our free Macs App GPX tracks).
24/7 Telephone support from our UK office.

Excluded

Travel insurance (required)
Public transportation on Skye (payable locally)
Lunches, dinner, drinks & snacks
Personal equipment
Suggested optional excursions on Day 4 from Portree.
Mountain rescue/emergency assistance.

Extras

Additional nights
Accommodation upgrades

When To Go

Skye is a popular destination year round with enthusiatist walkers, cyclists and sight-seers alike, especially during the summer months. If you prefer a bustling atmosphere you may relish this experience, but please make sure to book well ahead of time to avoid disappointment. It will help if you are flexible with your dates if you'd like to travel in peak season. If you are seeking a more peaceful island experience then we recommend travelling at the beginning and end of the season in May and October.

Getting to the Start

By air: Convenient airports for getting to Fort William are Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness. Glasgow and Edinburgh in particular are well-served by low-cost and scheduled airlines. With each of these airports a regular shuttle bus (and also a tram for Edinburgh) operates into the city centre; duration approx. 30 mins.

By bus and train to Fort William: from Glasgow take a bus (3hrs) or train (4hrs), from Inverness take a bus (1h50), from Edinburgh take a train or bus first to Glasgow (1hr) then onward travel as aforementioned.

Getting from the End

By air: Again, Glasgow and Inverness are the most convenient airports. You can also travel to Edinburgh.

By bus and train from Portree: to reach Glasgow take a bus all the way (6h20) or bus to Fort William (3 hrs) then a train (4 hrs). To reach Inverness take a bus (3hrs). To get to Edinburgh take a bus to Glasgow (6h20), then train or bus (1hr) to Edinburgh.

The website www.travelinescotland.com is fantastic for researching train and bus timetables throughout Scotland. Your pre-departure information pack will also have handy hints and tips about journeys and transport services. Please note that outside the Scottish school holidays and peak summer months, bus timetables are reduced.

Luggage Transfer

When you travel with public transport, you take your luggage with you. Baggage transfers are not included.

Equipment

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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