Last Updated on April 29, 2024 by Sam
A three day Isle of Skye itinerary is enough to enjoy many of the best things to do on the island. There are a number of amazing places to visit including the Old Man of Storr, Neist Point, the Fairy Pools and many more! With so much natural beauty to enjoy, one day or two days simply isn’t enough for a Skye itinerary in our opinion. Alternatively, if you want to enjoy some of the longer walks and hikes then you may want to extend this Isle of Skye itinerary from three days to four days or even a week. Having spent two weeks exploring the island, we’ve come up with this itinerary to help you see the best Skye has to offer in just three days. Find out the best places to visit with our ultimate three day Isle of Skye itinerary!
As there is so much to see on the island, this Isle of Skye itinerary requires three full days to complete. This means you will need to spend at least 4 nights on the island to give yourself three full days of exploring. A car is essential for this itinerary too, as there is quite a bit of distance to cover if you want to visit the best places on Skye. If you don’t have your own car then we recommend renting one for your trip through Discover Cars as they compare prices between a number of operators to get you the best deal.
Click here to find brilliant value rental cars on the Dicscover Cars website!
Planning a trip to Scotland’s capital city? Make sure to check out our one day Edinburgh itinerary for tips on where to visit!
Isle of Skye 3 Day Itinerary
Day 1
Old Man of Storr
Your three day Isle of Skye itinerary starts with a visit to one of the island’s most famous attractions – the Old Man of Storr. Located on the Trotternish ridge, this 50-metre tall rugged rock formation is said to resemble an old man. Personally we don’t really see the resemblance, but the towering rock formation is an impressive sight and as long as it’s a clear day you will get some incredible views of the surrounding scenery.
It’s around a 45-minute hike from the car park to reach the main Old Man of Storr viewpoint, from which you get an iconic view of the unique rock formation, with Loch Leathan in the background.
The walk up to the viewpoint at the Old Man of Storr is gradually uphill for the majority of the way, but there are some steeper points that are a bit more hard work! It’s well worth the effort though as you’re rewarded with an amazing view.
Walking back down to the car park is a little quicker, and only took us around 30 minutes – so in total you can hike up to the viewpoint and back within 1¼ hours if you’re going at a good pace. It’s best to start off your day here as the walk is one of the most popular things to do on the Isle of Skye, and it’s generally less busy the earlier you visit.
Parking at the Old Man of Storr car park costs £4 for up to 3 hours, which is more than enough time to hike to the viewpoint and back. You can pay by cash or card, and there is the option to pay for longer if you want to try one of the longer walking routes here. For the sake of this three day Skye itinerary there isn’t the most time for one of the longer routes, but if you want to then you can try and find a way to work it in!
Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls
Once you’ve finished the Old Man of Storr hike it’s time to drive north to visit the stunning Mealt Falls and Kilt Rock. Mealt Falls is a breathtaking waterfall that plummets over the cliff edge of Kilt Rock and directly into the sea from 55 metres high. Located on the island’s Jurassic Coast, the waterfall is found amongst the dramatic cliffs of Kilt Rock – which is made up of a series of basalt columns.
The Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls viewpoint offers amazing views of the waterfall and the area’s scenery, and watching the waterfall power into the sea below is a mesmerising sight. We loved this spot so much that we included it on our list of best waterfalls on the Isle of Skye!
It’s around a 15-minute drive from the Old Man of Storr to the Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls car park. Parking is free, but the car park is fairly small so expect it to be quite busy during the peak summer months. As the car park is right next to the viewpoint most people don’t spend too long here, so if you can’t find a space then it shouldn’t be long before one becomes free.
The main attraction here is obviously the great views of Mealt Falls and Kilt Rock from the viewing platform, but if you’re lucky you may catch a glimpse of some exciting marine life out at sea. Although sightings aren’t that common, it is sometimes possible to see minke whales, dolphins and more from here – so keep your eyes peeled just in case!
Staffin Bay
Staffin Bay is one of the most unique places to visit in Skye as it’s possible to see fossilised dinosaur footprints here. Like many places on the island, it’s also a very scenic spot – so it has more to offer than ancient footprints if that’s not of particular interest to you!
The dinosaur footprints at Staffin Bay were only discovered at the beginning of the 21st century, and have since become a popular attraction on Skye. Unfortunately, the footprints can actually be quite hard to find – as we found out first hand when we spent over an hour looking for them without success.
There is no exact marker for where the footprints are, but if there are other people in the area we recommend asking them if they’ve managed to locate them. To give yourself the best chance of seeing the footprints it’s best to visit in low tide, as they are said to be submerged during high tide.
Free parking is available at Staffin Bay besides An Corran Beach. From what we know the dinosaur footprints are located on the rocky area in front of the parking, which can be accessed via the ramp down to the beach and then climbing onto the rocks.
It’s around a 10-minute drive from the Kilt Rock viewpoint to the car park at Staffin Bay, and how long you spend here will depend on how long you look for the footprints. Hopefully you’ll have more luck than us and find them relatively quickly!
The Quiraing
The next stop on this three day Isle of Skye itinerary takes you inland to the Quiraing, which brilliantly encapsulates the island’s beauty. There are a number of walks possible in this area, the most popular being the Quiraing circuit – a 7 kilometre hike taking in some of the best scenery on the island.
It’s a bit of a squeeze for time if you want to do the full hike, as it normally takes at least 2 hours without any stops. If you are keen to do the hike, then make sure you have an early start for the day as that way you should hopefully have enough time.
Alternatively, it’s still possible to enjoy some of the scenery without doing the walk. The drive from Staffin Bay to the next stop on this list passes by the Quiraing, allowing you to enjoy some of the views on the way. It’s up to you whether you want to stop for a walk or just enjoy the views from the car.
One of the most striking things about the Quiraing is how similar the scenery is to Iceland, which is a country well worth visiting if you haven’t already. Make sure to check out our guide to the best things to do in South Iceland to see why!
The Quiraing car park costs £4 for 3 hours, which can be paid by cash, card or using the RingGo parking app.
Rha Waterfall
Next up is one of our favourite hidden gems on Skye – the beautiful Rha Waterfall. Tucked away in Uig Wood, this two-tiered waterfall isn’t particularly well-known, but it’s a lot more impressive than we initially expected it to be.
If it has been raining in recent days then the waterfall is particularly impressive as it flows with quite a strong force.
Free parking is available just a short walk from the Rha Waterfall, where the A87 and A855 meet. It’s a fairly small lay-by rather than a proper car park, but there should be enough space for you to park whilst you visit the falls.
After you’ve parked up, it’s around a 10-minute walk to the Rha Waterfall. At first you follow the A855 uphill and then head through a gap on your right which leads you into the woods. From there the trail is obvious and leads you down some stairs to the waterfall.
To get the best view of the waterfall you can climb onto some of the rocks in the river, but be careful as they can be quite slippery. If you’re lucky like us you may even have this beautiful spot to yourself, as it’s one of the lesser-visited waterfalls on Skye. Find out more in our guide to Rha Waterfall!
Fairy Glen
Finish the first day of your Skye itinerary by exploring the beautiful landscape and rolling hills of the Fairy Glen. It’s some of the most enchanting landscape on the island, thanks to the picturesque cone-shaped hills, rock formations and small ponds.
Spend some time walking through the rolling hills and enjoying the lovely scenery. One spot you won’t want to miss is Castle Ewan – a natural rock formation that resembles the ruins of a castle. Climb to the top of the ‘castle’ to get one of the best views of the Fairy Glen.
There is no set path that needs to be followed, so just wander through the hills and enjoy the nature. It’s not too large of an area, so it’s up to you how long you spend walking around, but we’d recommend a minimum of around half an hour.
If you’ve seen pictures of the Fairy Glen you may have seen images of rocks laid out in spirals on the ground. These are actually considered to be a nuisance created by tourists, with some tour guides encouraging them to create these spirals or leave coins for the ‘fairies’.
We strongly encourage you to avoid contributing to this problem and to leave the area in its natural state. If you don’t see these rock spirals on your visit then it’s actually a positive thing, as locals remove them periodically to discourage this behaviour.
Parking at the Fairy Glen car park costs £3 for up to 2 hours, which should be more than enough time to explore the area.
Day 2
Coral Beach
Day 2 of your three day Isle of Skye itinerary kicks off at the lovely Coral Beach near Dunvegan. It’s one of the island’s best beaches, with beautiful blue water, white sand and great views of the surrounding area.
There is limited parking around one mile away, which means it’s around a 20-minute walk before you get to the beach itself. Parking is free, and we recommend arriving early to avoid having any problems getting a space.
It’s a relatively flat walk to Coral Beach, so it’s a nice and easy way to start your day. Once you arrive at the beach you can find a spot to relax on the sand, or even go for a swim.
One thing you will want to do is climb the hill at the far end of the beach. From the top you get some lovely views back over Coral Beach, as well as of Loch Dunvegan and out to sea.
If your visit happens to coincide with low tide then you can walk over to the small island of Lampay, which is around 150 metres from Coral Beach. It’s only possible to reach the island at low tide, and you can click here to find up-to-date tide times.
Dunvegan Castle
Next stop is the impressive Dunvegan Castle, situated on an elevated rock overlooking Loch Dunvegan. Originally built in the 13th century and then remodelled in the 19th century, the castle is the ancestral home of the Clan Macleod.
The castle has a lot of interesting history to learn about during your visit, as well as five acres of beautiful gardens to explore. Entrance to the castle and gardens costs £16.50 per person, but if you’d prefer to just visit the gardens then it’s slightly cheaper at £14.50 per person. We personally recommend paying the extra to see the castle itself and to learn more about its history.
Guided tours are available and depart regularly from the main entrance hall between 10.30am and 4.15pm. Alternatively, you can explore the castle at your own pace on a self-guided tour.
An optional extra is to take a seal boat tour from Dunvegan Castle, which costs £12 per person. These boat trips last 25 minutes and give you the chance to see seals up close, as well as the potential to see other wildlife including Sea Eagles and Arctic Terns.
Dunvegan Castle is closed during off-season and is only open from the 29th of March until the 15th of October in 2024.
Duirinish Stone
After you’ve finished exploring Dunvegan Castle, the next stop on your three day Skye itinerary is the Duirinish Stone. This 5-metre high stone was erected by locals in 2000 to celebrate the millennium. Its location on top of a hill means you get wonderful views over Loch Dunvegan, MacLeod’s Tables and the Cuillin Ridge.
Alternatively, we recommend doing the Two Churches walk, which includes a stop at the stone. The walk only takes 45-60 minutes, so if it’s a nice day we suggest making the most of the good weather and enjoying the nature.
Parking for the walk is available at the Dunvegan Duirinish Church of Scotland, or alternatively you can park in the lay-by and start the walk from nearby to the Duirinish Stone. We cover the walking route in more detail in our article on the best walks on the Isle of Skye.
Neist Point
Finish your day with a trip to the amazing Neist Point – which is undoubtedly one of the highlights of your three day Isle of Skye itinerary. This spot is home to some amazing scenery in the form of dramatic cliffs and sea views, as well as the lovely Neist Point Lighthouse.
It’s around a 20-25 minute walk from the car park to Neist Point without stops, but if you stray from the path a bit then you can enjoy a variety of different vantage points. The walk isn’t too strenuous in general, but does involve a steep downhill section at the beginning – which means a steep uphill section on your return journey!
Once you get to the lighthouse it’s a nice area to walk around. If you go just beyond the lighthouse there are some rocky cliff edges you can walk down to, from which you get some lovely sea views. It’s possible to see some great wildlife from this part of Neist Point, with sightings of dolphins, whales, sharks, and more possible.
If you want to check what has been seen recently at Neist Point then click here!
A visit to Neist Point will last at least an hour if you’re walking down to the lighthouse and visiting the viewpoint too. We recommend staying for longer as you normally need quite a bit of patience if you want to see any wildlife – and even then you might not get lucky.
There is a reasonable amount of parking available at Neist Point, the majority being in lay-bys along the road leading to the start of the path. As it’s one of the most popular places to visit in Skye it can still be a bit tough to find a space during peak season, even though there is more parking available here than at most other spots on the island.
Day 3
Skye Wildlife Boat Trip
The final day of your three day Skye itinerary kicks off with an amazing wildlife watching boat trip. There are a variety of different boat trips available, with the possibility of seeing minke whales, dolphins, basking sharks, golden eagles, sea eagles, puffins and more! We recommend checking out this guide to the best wildlife in the Isle of Skye for more information about the amazing species found here.
Our boat trip in Skye was the highlight of our stay, and we were fortunate enough to have sightings of hundreds of puffins, a golden eagle, a sea eagle, and a pod of approximately one hundred dolphins. We also had sightings of a number of other seabirds including gannets, skuas, razorbills and more.
Wildlife sightings do partly depend on luck, but during the right season you can guarantee to see puffins at the island of Canna. For this reason we took a trip that specifically visits the cliffs of Canna to ensure we saw puffins, but also gives the chance to see whales, dolphins and more depending on luck! The main season to see minke whales at Skye is between May and October, so definitely take a boat trip if you’re visiting during this period!
Our personal recommendation is to book your Skye wildlife trip with Bella Jane and AquaXplore Boat trips. The tours are very well run and the guides have a great eye for spotting wildlife, as well as being very informative about the wildlife and the spots you visit.
They have a range of different tours available, with our personal recommendation being the Puffin Run to Canna – which lasts approximately 3½-4 hours and costs £72 per person. Click here to take a look at the various wildlife tours available on the AquaXplore website!
These tours depart from Elgol Harbour, which is likely to be a little bit of a drive from where you’re staying. Driving to the harbour takes around 30 minutes from Broadford, an hour and 10 minutes from Portree, and 1½ hours from Dunvegan.
There are two departure times a day for the Puffin Run tour, at 9am and 12.30pm. If possible we recommend taking the 9am as it times better for the other stops on the final day of your Skye itinerary.
Fairy Pools
A visit to the famous Fairy Pools is an essential inclusion on any 3 day Isle of Skye itinerary. The Fairy Pools are made up of a series of crystal clear rock pools connected by waterfalls. It’s an extremely picturesque spot to visit, especially as the Black Cuillins mountains tower above the pools to provide a stunning backdrop.
In our opinion, the views of the Cuillins are actually more impressive than the Fairy Pools themselves. The waterfalls are fairly small and although the pools are naturally beautiful, the imposing mountains are what really grabbed our attention here.
We recommend spending at least an hour here, as it’s around a 15-20 minute walk to the first of the pools. It’s a short downhill section at first, but then the walk is slightly uphill for the majority of the way. After you get to the first pool it’s worth carrying on to see more of the pools, and you can keep walking for quite some distance if you’d like to.
The views of the Cuillins as you walk are really impressive, and the pools are filled with stunning blue water. If you’re feeling brave you can go for a swim in the Fairy Pools, but be prepared for the water to be quite cold!
Unfortunately there is no free parking at the Fairy Pools, and the car park there is quite expensive – costing £6 for a car or £8 for a motorhome. There is a small lay-by further along the road to Glenbrittle, just before the bridge over the river. It’s possible to park for free at this lay-by but it will add an extra 20-minute walk each-way to the pools.
Talisker Waterfall
If it’s not too late by the time you’ve finished at the Fairy Pools, then we recommend adding a visit to Talisker Waterfall to the final day of your Isle of Skye itinerary. It’s a stunning waterfall that plunges over a cliff down towards the sea, supposedly from a height of 130 metres.
Also known as Talisker Bay Waterfall, it’s particularly impressive after heavy rainfall due to a higher volume of water in the falls. In periods of dry weather the falls can run dry, but as there is generally a fair bit of rain on Skye hopefully this shouldn’t be the case for your visit!
The walk to Talisker Waterfall is along a fairly flat path, and only takes around 20-30 minutes. As you approach Talisker Bay the waterfall comes into view on your right, at which point you can start to appreciate its beauty.
It’s possible to get up close to the waterfall if you want, but only at low tide. The route involves scrambling over some rocks at the bottom of the cliffs, so it’s not the easiest to do really. Thankfully you can still get a wonderful view of the waterfall from the opposite end of Talisker Beach.
The waterfall is in a slightly remote location, and is around a 30-minute drive from the Fairy Pools. There is a small makeshift car park in Talisker itself with free parking spaces, and a few places where it’s possible to park by the side of the road. It’s around a mile walk to the waterfall from the parking area.
One thing worth knowing is that the road to Talisker Waterfall is in pretty bad condition. It was the worst road we drove on during our time on the island as there are a lot of potholes, so make sure to take care. We recommend reading our tips and advice for driving on the Isle of Skye before your trip to make sure you know how to drive safely on the island.
Where to stay on the Isle of Skye
It’s important to think ahead in terms of accommodation when you’re planning a trip to Skye. As it’s a very popular place to visit the best accommodation options can book up months in advance.
Below we’ve given a quick guide for two of the best places to stay on the island. If you want more detail and more options then make sure to check out our guide to the best hotels and places to stay on the Isle of Skye!
5 Glenconon Bed and Breakfast
The 5 Glenconon Ben and Breakfast is a great base for exploring the Isle of Skye. It’s conveniently located within a half an hour drive of a number of the island’s main attractions, including the Quiraing, Staffin Bay, Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls.
Situated in the small village of Uig, the property is just a short walk from the beautiful Rha Waterfall. There is also a small supermarket just a 5-minute walk away, as well as the Ferry Inn pub which is a 10-minute walk away.
Free parking is available at the property for guests, which is very useful as a car is essential for following this Isle of Skye itinerary.
Click here to arrange your stay at the 5 Glenconon Bed & Breakfast on Booking.com!
Cuillin Hills Hotel
The Cuillin Hills Hotel is one of the best luxury hotels on Skye, located just on the edge of the main town of Portree. Offering amazing views of the Cuillins mountain range and Portree Bay’s colourful houses, it’s hard to find a hotel on the island with a better view!
Rooms at the hotel are luxurious and spacious, and have everything you need for a great stay. The location of the hotel is perfect for exploring the island, as being based on the edge of Portree means a number of attractions are less than an hours drive away. Free parking is conveniently available on-site.
Click here to reserve your room at the wonderful Cuillin Hills Hotel on Booking.com!
Alternatively, VRBO have some fantastic accommodation options if you want to rent a property instead of staying at a hotel! Click here to see the amazing options on the VRBO website!
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