Scotland Isle of Skye

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Matt.

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I'm booking a late April trip for this year and trying to decide where to base myself. I'll be there for a week and am thinking of getting a cottage.

Can anyone advise on good locations to be based?


Thanks
 
I stayed in the north east at Staffin, which was great for the old man of Storr and the Quiraing but it made it a long drive to Elgol. I'd choose somewhere more central next time I think
 
popcorn said:
I stayed in the north east at Staffin, which was great for the old man of Storr and the Quiraing but it made it a long drive to Elgol. I'd choose somewhere more central next time I think
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Google suggests that's a ~1.5hr drive, was it approx that? Given the lack of roads it seems hard to choose somewhere that won't give 1-1.5hr drives to some of the popular locations.
 
Matt. said:
I'm booking a late April trip for this year and trying to decide where to base myself. I'll be there for a week and am thinking of getting a cottage.

Can anyone advise on good locations to be based?


Thanks
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Portree is quite central and there are bound to be place to rent there. If you want to camp then Sligachan is handy and has showers etc.
 
Portree is a good shout if you fancy a bit of nightlife. Or as mentioned above, Sligachan is central to the road network, we seemed to be driving through there all the time, so it would give decent overall access.
 
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I probably should have said that the Sligachan hotel has rooms and there are a number of places on the A87 between Broadford and Portree. As @Matt. says the roads are limited in number and narrow so going is slow. Add to that the number of photo opportunities on Skye means you either miss a lot or don't get very far very quick.
 
popcorn said:
Portree is a good shout if you fancy a bit of nightlife. Or as mentioned above, Sligachan is central to the road network, we seemed to be driving through there all the time, so it would give decent overall access.
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I think I'd prefer not to be in Portree and would prefer to be out of a town.

I'll see what's available around Sligachan. I'm planning on getting a cottage rather than using hotels. It's just easier for a week, and means I can make my own meals and not have to eat out all the time!
 
Matt. said:
I think I'd prefer not to be in Portree and would prefer to be out of a town.

I'll see what's available around Sligachan. I'm planning on getting a cottage rather than using hotels. It's just easier for a week, and means I can make my own meals and not have to eat out all the time!
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Slitchan is pretty much the hotel and campsite, and a lovely photo opportunity, nothing else there. As I said there are places dotted about on the A87. Away from that and the towns there isn't much.
 
Dangerous said:
Away from that and the towns there isn't much.
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Well that’s why we all go and visit!

I’ll have a look at options. There’s a lot available now so a good time to book before it all fills up.
 
Matt. said:
Well that’s why we all go and visit!

I’ll have a look at options. There’s a lot available now so a good time to book before it all fills up.
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I was meaning housingwise. The whole island is so scenic it can't fail to impress. I would love to go back for a week or so, only spent a couple of taster days staying there and rode round on a bike after doing the NC500 (twice)
It's on my wish list.
 
Matt. said:
I think I'd prefer not to be in Portree and would prefer to be out of a town.

I'll see what's available around Sligachan. I'm planning on getting a cottage rather than using hotels. It's just easier for a week, and means I can make my own meals and not have to eat out all the time!
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Portree is the most central.
Why not rent a cottage around that area, but not in the town?
 
When we went we rented a cottage in Luib, just north of Broadford, easy access to Sligachan and Elgol.
In all honesty nowhere is too far away, we went to all areas of the island quite easily.
If you visit Portree there are boat trips to see the eagles but unless you find one that goes with fish to attract the birds you will likely only see them afar off.
 
We saw sea eagles and golden eagles around Elgol, along with dolphins, minky whale and Orca on a boat trip to Canna where we saw Puffins... that was a great day!
 
We’ve always stayed at Torrin, which is on the road from Broadford to Elgol. Very convenient for sunsets at Elgol, with some great photo opportunities along the road. Easy access to Sleat and Eilean Donan castle, with Sligachan and the Quiraing in reach.
 
happy haggis said:
We’ve always stayed at Torrin, which is on the road from Broadford to Elgol. Very convenient for sunsets at Elgol, with some great photo opportunities along the road. Easy access to Sleat and Eilean Donan castle, with Sligachan and the Quiraing in reach.
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Took me awhile to learn how to pronounce Sligachan, lol.
 
We stayed in Struan, the opposite side of the island from Portee almost six years ago so it may have changed slightly. It was a great cottage and only 1/2 hr across the island to Portee but also good for travelling north and south of the island and cheaper than Portree.
 
+1 for Sligachan

in the middle of the Cuillins and less than an hour from Elgol and Quiaring - don't underestimate how long it takes to drive around all the wiggly bits

I have stayed at the Sligachan, up near Carbost, Edinbane, Staffin, Uig and Dunvegan and down at Broadford, Elgol and Torrin and on every trip I found myself driving past Slig far too often

Try and get a booking at the hotel if funds allow

The locals are superb and there is a brewery, ceilidh hall, restaurant and the best stocked whisky bar I have ever seen

and you can roll out of bed, check the weather, cross the car park to the bridge and stroll up to a number of fabulous waterfalls and easily get back for the superb breakfast

Dave
 
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Does anyone have a recommendation for a cottage booking site for Skye?
 
Dangerous said:
To be honest, even if the roads were 3 lane wide single carriageway I couldn't get round the island any quicker, I'd miss to much of its beauty.
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Its quite empty at antisocial hours so you can get to sunrise spot quite rapidly.... Once you've seen all the stuff once you don't need to stop for it again, unless you want to.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
Its quite empty at antisocial hours so you can get to sunrise spot quite rapidly.... Once you've seen all the stuff once you don't need to stop for it again, unless you want to.
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I drive or ride the same country roads often and still make time to look around and that's when I'm not going out to take photos, Do you not?
 
Dangerous said:
I drive or ride the same country roads often and still make time to look around and that's when I'm not going out to take photos, Do you not?
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Not where I live for sure, unless I'm pro-actively looking for something like poppies. If I get to a new place it is quite different. But then it also depends on your car. In Passat you miss so much there is little point even trying; in a convertible it all opens up so nicely. I did enjoy driving round Lakes with roof down in the cold and would happily take it to Scotland now if it stops raining.
 
Dangerous said:
I drive or ride the same country roads often and still make time to look around and that's when I'm not going out to take photos, Do you not?
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No - I really only stop to absorb the scenery in a place I've never driven before. I have one of these memories that once I've been a place once, I remember.

I tend to focus really on the drive and not stop and take the scenery in on routes I drive. When you are on Skye taking landscapes you'll be on the roads when its dark before sunrise and dark after sunset. I assume you'll have a list of locations you want to visit such as Quaraing, Storr, Fairy Pools, Elgol, Tarscavaig, Sligachan. Best advice is to park up and do the real scouting on foot. There's some lovely lakes near Sligachan just past the turn off for the hotel, up from the river and the white cottage everyone seems to take pictures of at Alt Dearg more. Big C shaped layby off the road, park there, walk around and you'll find them.
 
SFTPhotography said:
No - I really only stop to absorb the scenery in a place I've never driven before. I have one of these memories that once I've been a place once, I remember.
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I'll go up Weardale or Teesdale often, sometimes 3 times in one week and have done for many years. Even when in a hurry I try to find time to look around places I've been hundreds of times.
 
I think I've got it down to two possible locations to stay, just trying to decide which to go for!

One just south of Uig in the north, and one just north of Loch Ainort in the East (~15mins from Sligachan).
 
We stayed near Uig but we were only on Skye for one night.
We did the fairy pools and the southern places the first day, then on the second Uig was better for getting to the Northern/eastern places, Quiraing, storr etc.

If I was staying for a week I think Uig would be too far north for me.
 
Matt. said:
I think I've got it down to two possible locations to stay, just trying to decide which to go for!

One just south of Uig in the north, and one just north of Loch Ainort in the East (~15mins from Sligachan).
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Go with the one at Loch Ainort. The Eastern side of the Island is where the bulk of the good stuff is...bar Elgol, and the Sleat Peninsula and getting there from Uig will take ages. Not even I like driving that much. On the NW side the only thing you might shoot is Talisker Bay (easy drive from Ainort) and Neist Point which tbh is a pretty disappointing location but you'll go as it's the done thing.

My recommendations would be for you to shoot sunrise and sunset at Elgol - they're quite different and both worth doing. I'd repeat this for the Sleat Peninsula, the way round to Tarsvavaig is good and the Isle of Ornsay lighthouse worth doing too. I suspect given Elgols wind and "moody" weather Elgol beach is probably going to give you the highest odds of photographic success.

Try to get reflections at Loch Cill Chriosd in the morning - it is just behind Broadford. Its great when it is still - which isn't very often at all.

There are a series of Lochans near Sligachan (you will find and get to these easily) that give great morning reflections and good light - good luck finding a still day though up there.

There are also the falls on the River Sligachan and of course the Storr hike which you will do (I don't like it though, the pathway being very visible in a lot of shots) and the Quairing loop that I like very much. Both morning jobs also. From Ainort up to say Staffin is only 25mins I'd have thought, maybe a bit more or less depending on how fast you drive.

Oh and the Fairpools too - which is far easier accessed from Loch Ainort than Uig.
 
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SFTPhotography said:
Go with the one at Loch Ainort. The Eastern side of the Island is where the bulk of the good stuff is...bar Elgol, and the Sleat Peninsula and getting there from Uig will take ages. Not even I like driving that much. On the NW side the only thing you might shoot is Talisker Bay (easy drive from Ainort) and Neist Point which tbh is a pretty disappointing location but you'll go as it's the done thing.
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Uig is on the same peninsula as Quiraing, so that doesn't seem too bad a place to base myself? The cottage is the west side of the peninsula, ~10mins south of Uig.

I'm swaying to the Loch Ainort one though.
 
Matt. said:
Uig is on the same peninsula as Quiraing, so that doesn't seem too bad a place to base myself? The cottage is the west side of the peninsula, ~10mins south of Uig.

I'm swaying to the Loch Ainort one though.
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Other than Quairing it's miles from all the other places. If it was me I really wouldn't unless the price was right and the cottage really spectacular.

It’s not in Stein is it. Workshop client of mine hired a cracker of a place there but it took me 45mins to drive them from there to Quairing (I offered to pick them up which was an unwise move by me)

Go with Ainort...trust me
 
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booked 6 days overlooking isle of ornsay end of March, this thread has been useful. Over 30 years since I've been to Skye, last time there had the heaviest rain I've ever experienced along with the best light. Think it was at Dunvegan castle we were swamped by hundreds of tits (of the feathered variety) when we got out of the car
 
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