How I would Spend 2 Days on the Isle of Skye (the Classic One)
- May 27
- 4 min read
Over the years I spent living in the Scottish Highlands, I've noticed that the vast majority of people who are visiting the Isle of Skye tend to be visiting for two days. Although I've spoken before about how I wouldn't recommend trying to squeeze in a visit to the Isle of Skye in one day, if you are limited on the amount of time you have to spend on the island, it'd highly recommend taking two days to explore the island.
In the end, I decided to create two different lists. This one is the classic list, the one with the places that the majority of people want to see. I've also made an alternate list, with places I love that you maybe have never heard of or even considered. I'd recommend checking out both lists before your trip, to discover all of the incredible things you can see and do on the Isle of Skye.
Day 1 on the Isle of Skye: Arrival, Portree and then Trotternish
I'm going to assume you're making the most of your day by leaving your previous destination early in the morning. With that being said though, even if you are leaving Inverness or Fort William at 9am, the likelihood is probably only be reaching Portree around midday.
Arriving around about lunchtime, I'd recommend grabbing some lunch before heading out for a day of adventures. One of my favourite places to get lunch in Portree is at Gasta. Serving pizzas with a Scottish twist, this spot located in the Isle of Skye Visitor Centre serves delicious food throughout the day.
If the weather is looking better, you could also head down to the harbour to enjoy some fish and chips from the Harbour Chip Shop. It's a place I visited a couple of years ago now, but I still think about how much I enjoyed eating fish and chips by the sea in this lovely wee village. Nothing says being by the coast in the Scottish Highlands quite like enjoying fish and chips by the sea. Make sure you bring along cash for this spot and check the timings on Google before visiting.
Another one of my favourite things to do in Portree is take a wee wander around some of the incredible shops here. There are so many cool, interesting and beautiful independent shops in Portree, so if you're looking for a gift for a loved one back home or a piece of the island to take back home yourself, make sure you take time to visit the shops in Portree.
After a mooch around Portree, it's time to hit the road again to head up to one of Skye's most beautiful regions: the Trotternish Peninsula. For many people, the highlight of that is visiting the incredible Old Man of Storr. Hiking to this place is high on a lot of people's bucket lists. Just be aware that this is definitely not an "easy" hike (as I have seen it being called a lot online) and it would definietly consider it to be a moderate hike.
After hiking up the Old Man of Storr, I'd head around the rest of the Trotternish Peninsula, stopping along the way (at safe places of course) at whatever tickles your fancy. The part of the island is well known for incredible scenic landscapes that make you feel like your living in another world.
Day 2 on the Isle of Skye: North-West Skye
After getting some rest for your adventures the day before, make sure you get up bright and early to be able to enjoy the best things Skye has to offer.
If you really want to see the Fairy Pools, I'd recommend heading there as early as possible. This is probably the busiest tourist attraction on the island, so if you want to see it at it's quietest, I'd recommend visiting as early as possible.
Another spot I'd recommend visiting if you're heading down the single track road to the Fairy Pools is Glenbrittle Beach. This beach has black and white sand, making it a really interesting beach to visit. Although we haven't tried it ourselves, I have heard fantastic things about the coffee at the campsite here, so make sure to try it out if that's your thing.
After an early morning visit to the Fairy Pools, you'll certainly have worked up a bit of an appetite, so I'd recommend stopping to enjoy brunch (my favourite meal of the day) at one of my favourite spots on the island: Cafe Cuil. This spot with its iconic red roof has really become very popular over the last few years, but for good reason. The food here is incredible, with some of most interesting Scottish twists on classic brunch food.
As with many people visiting the Scottish Highlands, visiting a whisky distillery might be high up on your list of places to visit. Nearby Cafe Cuil, nestled in the village of Carbost, is Talisker Distillery, the oldest distillery on the Isle of Skye. I'd highly recommend taking part in their Made by the Sea experience (make sure you book in advance) if you're wanting to learn more about the history and legends that make up this incredible dram.
North-west Skye is one of my favourite regions on the island to go for a walk on the island. There are just so many interesting walks in this part of the island. Some of my favourites include:
To finish the day, why not stop at one of my favourite (and, in my opinion, one of the most underrated) restuarants on the island. The Dunvegan incorporates exceptional ingredients with a kitchen that cooks over fire. We went a couple of years ago when the menu was slightly different, but overall the experience was so memorable and the food was so good.
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