The Wild Wonders of Skye

Typical Itinerary

1. Day 1: Transfer from Inverness to Skye

   At around 2pm we are collected by minibus from Inverness airport and/or train station as necessary. From here we begin our journey west, to the Isle of Skye.

   We travel via Loch Ness, taking a quick stop to view the famous Castle Urquhart and loch from a roadside viewpoint. This scenic drive takes us through the dramatic highland scenery of Glen Shiel and the Five Sisters of Kintail, through the Kyle of Lochalsh and over the Skye Bridge onto the Isle of Skye.

   We travel to our hotel to check-in and relax a little before dinner.

   Accommodation: Duisdale House Hotel, 3-nights

2. Day 2: Sound of Sleat

   After breakfast we take the tiny single-track road up over the hills that leads down to Kylerhea with its beautiful view over the Sound of Sleat to the magnificent mountains of the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands. Here we stop along the way to look for red deer, otters, seals, and white-tailed eagles.

   We then take the short trip across the Sound of Sleat to Glenleg on the mainland, from where we head towards the nearby beautiful sandy beaches and islets of Sandaig Bay. We take a gentle walk down to the bay where we can stop to watch out for any coastal wildlife that's around before re-tracing our steps back to the hotel and dinner in the evening.

3. Day 3: Boat tour to the Small Isles

   Today we head for the sea and drive to the quiet little coastal village of Elgol on the shores of Loch Scavaig with its views across to Skye’s famous Cuillin mountains in the distance.

   From the small harbour we take a day’s boat trip out over the cetacean-rich waters hoping for sights of harbour porpoise, common dolphins and maybe even minke whales on our way to the Small Isles, and the island of Canna in particular. This is a National Trust for Scotland reserve and is an important breeding colony for seabirds, including puffins, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, and shags, with kittiwakes nearby and white-tailed eagles possible too. We spend time on the island to enjoy this spectacle of nature and watch the comings and goings of the inhabitants.

4. Day 4: Glen Brittle and on to Skeabost

   Glen Brittle is home to both impressive white-tailed eagles and Scotland’s iconic golden eagles. We may even be lucky enough to see them in the sky together as their territories overlap here, offering a chance to compare plumage and size. There are also some likely otter haunts along the way so we will stop to check them for any signs of activity.

   Continuing to the end of the road we reach the shallow waters of Loch Brittle and the large sandy beach there where we can check for any shorebirds that might be feeding along the tide or strand lines.

   From here we continue to our next hotel and after an early dinner, we head back out and take a drive to the Waternish peninsula. Here, amongst stunning scenery we spend some time listening out for the distinctive “crrek-crrek’ of the dimunuitive and high secretive corncrake. With the aid of the thermal imaging camera, we hope to catch sight of one of the UK's most elusive species.

   Accommodation: Skeabost House Hotel, 3-nights

5. Day 5: Glendale and Neist Point

   Today we head towards the 7,000 hectare estate of Glendale on the west coast, full of stunning scenery and sea views from the cliffs. Along the way we pass by Dunvegan, famous as home to Dunvegan Castle, where the Chiefs of Clan Macleod have had their ancestral home for 800 years. Here in Loch Dunvegan, we can view the mixed colony of greys and common/harbour seals that some estimate at around 500 animals in total. It's also a great place to spot otters if we're lucky and wading birds such as greenshank that come down off their breeding areas on the moorland above to feed along the shoreline.

   We continue from there towards the finger of land sticking out into the sea known as Neist Point, with its iconic lighthouse at the end. We turn away from the usual tourist route, and instead head towards a quieter clifftop vantage point where the great views out to sea give us good chances of spotting any passing cetaceans and seabirds. Eagle sightings are also always of course very possible too.

6. Day 6: White-tailed eagle boat tour, Portree & Staffin

   This morning we head out on a half-day trip in search of close-up encounters with white-tailed eagles, although marine mammals may also be spotted too of course.

   In the afternoon we take you back in time, 170 million years to be precise, to the mid-Jurassic (yes THAT Jurassic) period! Driving up the east-side of the Trotternish peninsula, the road follows the high coastal cliffs, passing the Old Man of Storr rock formation on the landward side, and then reaching the Meallt Falls which tumble into the sea, and Kilt Rock, named for the pleated appearance of its basalt columns – also a well-known and official shore-watching location on the Hebridean Whale Trail.

   Our last stop will be at Staffin for a visit to An Corran beach where you can stand next to footprints of dinosaurs on the flat rocks found down along the water. The size and shape of the imprints has led scientists to believe these were made by a large predatory dinosaur, similar to a Megalosaurus.

7. Day 7: A scenic return to Inverness

   After a final breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we drive back across the Skye Bridge on our way towards Inverness. We take a northerly route this time, passing along Loch Carron and up Glen Carron past the tiny hamlet and remote train station at Achnasheen. From here, the road passes through the desolate moorland of Strath Bran. We take a few minutes along here to stop and admire the engineering skills of some local ospreys that have constructed a huge nest on a pylon in sight of the road - it got so large in past years that a team had to move the nest to a purpose-built platform.

   Arriving back in Inverness in the afternoon we say our farewells.