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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".
Designed for those who want the complete Skye experience in a shorter timescale; visit Skye’s well-known spots, experience its cultural highlights (including time for optional distillery visits), and delight in walking peaceful trails alongside unrivalled mountain scenery. We also include a private guided day tour of the island with knowledgeable guides and Macs friends Donald & Peggy. The walks are graded easy-moderate and follow good, gently undulating tracks and paths throughout. Perfect for your first visit to the Isle of Skye!

Tour Type:

In Style | After a day of exciting adventures and soaking up unbeatable scenery, retreat to stylish accommodations and unwind with fine food and wine. This trip type is for those who like sophisticated places to stay and are looking for active routes but still want the holiday to feel special.

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: 10 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

  • Islands

Activity Level & 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!

Accommodations

4 Nights in 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, whereas 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 below 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.

Luggage 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.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.  Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person.  It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

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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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive on Skye and overnight in Sleat Day 2 Private guided day tour of Skye Day 3 Walk Kilmarie to Sligachan 11 miles / 17 km Day 4 Walk Quiraing to Flodigarry 4 miles / 6 km Day 5 Onward travel

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The Macs Way

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