Isle of Skye Edinburgh Glasgow Scotland

The Isle of Skye is one of Scotland's most popular destinations. It may seem similar a long drive to get there, but past calculation in breathtaking pitstops along the way, you can turn the journey into a sightseeing hazard. In fact, the journey through Scotland is almost every bit practiced as the destination! Keep reading to learn how to make the well-nigh out of driving to the Isle of Skye.

Drive to Isle of Skye Scotland

Sights to See Forth the Fashion

Incredible scenery, old castles, whisky distilleries, hiking trails, and Scottish pubs are simply a few of the sights and places you can visit on a bulldoze to the Isle of Skye.

We recommend driving two different routes to and from the Isle of Skye. The "northern" road takes drivers through Pitlochry, past Loch Ness, past Eilean Donan Castle, and across the Skye Bridge onto the Isle of Skye. Our "southern" route involves taking the automobile ferry to Mallaig, visiting the Glenfinnan Viaduct, taking the breathtaking route through beautiful Glencoe Valley, and driving alongside Loch Lomond.

Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye (Northern Route)

If you were to bulldoze from Edinburgh directly to the Isle of Skye, information technology would have betwixt five and vi hours with 235 miles of driving.

If you want to turn this bulldoze into a scenic road trip, adding places like Edradour Distillery and Eilean Donan Castle, this drive will take ane full day. You lot will demand to get an early on outset in club to visit everything on the list.

Places to Visit:
  • Edradour Whisky Distillery
  • Inverness (optional)
  • Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle
  • Eilean Donan Castle

There are two routes to the Isle of Skye. You lot can either bulldoze through Invergarry or drive through Inverness. Driving through Inverness is simply worth it if y'all as well plan to visit Loch Ness, and you should know that this volition exist a very big twenty-four hour period.

First, learn virtually the bulldoze through Invergarry and then get details on how to do this through Inverness.

Via Invergarry

To drive direct to the Island of Skye, it is a five hour drive without detours, distillery tours, and lunch. You have the option to add in Loch Ness, which adds an boosted 50 miles to the drive for a total of 285 miles. You can visit Edradour Distillery, Loch Ness, and Eilean Donan Castle in one 24-hour interval, but you volition need to go an early start and you won't be able to stay long at Loch Ness or Edradour Distillery.

How to Apply This Map: Click the tab in the height left hand corner of the map to view the layers (points of interest and the driving route). You lot tin can click the check marks to hibernate or testify layers. If you click the icons on the map, you tin can get more than data nigh each bespeak of interest.

If yous click the star, this map will exist added to your Google Maps business relationship. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, get to "Your Places," click Maps, and you will come across this map on your listing.

Pitlochry

Edinburgh to Pitlochry: 71 miles, 1.75 hours

Program on starting the drive at 8 am so y'all arrive at Edradour Distillery past x am, opening time. From Edinburgh, head n on M90 towards Perth and Pitlochry. This first part of the drive will be one of the few times that you will drive on a divided highway (dual carriageway).

The pocket-size town of Pitlochry is your offset chance to exit and stretch your legs. Why visit Pitlochry? This quaint town is home to Edradour, Scotland's smallest whisky distillery.

Edradour

Guided tours and whisky tastings are offered Mon through Saturday (airtight Sundays). Or, just visit their shop and bring abode some whisky as a souvenir. A tasting at the bar costs £10. Tours with tastings cost £25 per person and last i hour.

Children under 12 years one-time are not permitted on the site. If you are doing this drive with kids, y'all might want to consider skipping the distillery.

Edradour Distillery is open to visitors from late-March to late-October, with limited hours during the winter months. Visit their website for total details.

Have an early tiffin in Pitlochry or continue on your way (we have another lunch recommendation nigh Loch Ness).

Pitlochry

Pitlochry Scotland

Pitlochry

Old Mill Inn Pitlochry

Pitlochry to Invergarry

Pitlochry to Invergarry: 84 miles, 2 hours

Continue your journey northwest from Pitlochry, on A9. Now you lot are driving along the southern border of the Cairngorms. The rolling hills are condign mountains, the roads are getting narrower, and your jail cell service is probably starting to fade. If you are renting a automobile, it's a keen idea to get a car with the built in navigational system. Once y'all are in the Highlands and on the Isle of Skye, it can exist very difficult to get a proficient signal on your cellphone.

At Dalwhinnie, take A889 to Laggan, so A86 to Spean Bridge. The road name changes again to A82, taking you lot to Invergarry.

On the road Scotland Road Trip

Beautiful Scotland

Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle

Invergarry to Urquhart Castle: 50 miles round trip, 1.25 hours

Now yous have a choice to brand. Continue directly to the Isle of Skye or have a detour to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle. To go to Urquhart Castle, the detour takes an hour and 20 minutes with 50 miles of driving (round trip).

For us, the detour to Loch Ness was worth it. Seeing Urquhart Castle against the backdrop of one of Scotland's most famous lochs was wonderful. And of course, if you get lucky, maybe you volition spot Nessie, the Loch Ness monster.

Urquhart Castle Loch Ness

For a late lunch, consider dining at the Glenmoriston Arms Hotel, located in Invermoriston. Stop here on your way to Urquhart Castle.

Urquhart Castle is open daily. In order to bout the castle, y'all have to pay an entrance fee. Allow approximately one 60 minutes for a visit to the castle, although speed demons can encounter it in a half an hr or less. For full details on hours of operation and ticket prices, visit the Urquhart Castle website.

Eilean Donan Castle

Invergarry to Eilean Donan Castle: 41 miles, one hour

From Invergarry, you are but one hour away from the highlight of the day, Eilean Donan Castle. This castle gets our vote for coolest castle in Scotland.

Eilean Donan

Yous can just see it from land, for costless, or pay the archway fee to enter the castle.

The castle is open from 9 am to half-dozen pm (last admission at 5 pm) during the summer months, with shorter hours during other times of the yr.

Tickets are £10 for adults, £29 for families.Visit the Eilean Donan website for yr-round operating hours and to become updated pricing.

Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle Scotland

Isle of Skye

Eilean Donan Castle to the Isle of Skye: 10 miles, 15 minutes

From Eilean Donan Castle, you are merely 15 minutes away from the Skye Bridge, the gateway to the Isle of Skye. Continue on A87 through Kyle of Lochalsh and cross the Skye Bridge (there is no toll to cross the bridge).

Skye Bridge

Welcome to the Island of Skye!!

Go along on to your accommodation. Nigh people stay in Portree, just nether an 60 minutes driving away.

Three Potential Itineraries: Edinburgh to the Island of Skye

The Full Itinerary

eight am: Exit Edinburgh
x am: Edradour Distillery Bout
11:xxx am:   Drive to Invermoriston
ane:45 pm:   Tardily dejeuner at Glenmoriston Arms Hotel
2:45 pm:   Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness
iii:30 pm: Drive to Eilean Donan Castle
4:45 pm: Eilean Donan Castle
half-dozen pm: Bulldoze to the Isle of Skye
7:15 pm:   Get in in Portree

On this itinerary, you can visit everything, but there's non a lot of contingency time, should you go a late start, striking some traffic, or accept some other mishap occur. Also, you can't linger a long time at Urquhart Castle. Nosotros only spent nearly 45 minutes and for us it was more than enough fourth dimension.

If y'all don't plan on inbound Eilean Donan Castle and only seeing it from the outside, there's less of a rush to get here before the last admission at 5 pm.

Option #ii: Skip the Edradour Distillery (Perfect for Families)

8 am: Leave Edinburgh, skip Edradour
12:xxx pm:   Lunch at Glenmoriston Arms
1:30 pm:   Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness
3:00 pm:   Drive to Eilean Donan Castle
4:00 pm:   Eilean Donan Castle
v:00 pm:   Bulldoze to Portree
6:fifteen pm:   Arrive in Portree

Choice #3: Skip Loch Ness

8 am: Leave Edinburgh
10 am: Edradour Distillery Tour
eleven:xxx am:   Drive to Invermoriston
1:45 pm:   Late lunch in Ivergarry
3:15 pm:   Drive to Eilean Donan Castle
4:15 pm: Tour Eilean Donan Castle
5:45 pm: Drive to the Isle of Skye

Via Inverness

If you drove directly to the Isle of Skye the fastest road (through Invergarry), it takes but over 5 hours. Adding on Inverness adds an additional hour of time. It'due south actually the same corporeality of driving every bit the higher up route with the detour to Loch Ness. However, y'all are now adding on another destination, so you will have to pick and cull what yous desire to do today. There is no way to tour Edradour Distillery, explore Inverness (fifty-fifty quickly), bout Urquhart Castle, and tour Eilean Donan.

If you prefer to drive through Inverness, my recommendation is to skip the tour of Eilean Donan Castle. Information technology's even so wonderful to see it from the outside. By skipping the tour, you have much more time for Inverness, Loch Ness, and Edradour Distillery.

Driving from the Isle of Skye to Glasgow or Edinburgh (Southern Road)

Places to Visit:
  • Glenfinnan Viaduct
  • Glencoe Valley
  • Loch Lomond

How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (points of interest and the driving route). You lot tin can click the check marks to hibernate or show layers. If you lot click the icons on the map, you can get more than information near each point of interest.

If you click the star, this map will exist added to your Google Maps account. To view information technology on your telephone or figurer, open Google Maps, click the bill of fare push button, go to "Your Places," click Maps, and you will see this map on your list.

This route requires a ferry crossing from the Isle of Skye to the mainland. This route takes drivers by the Glenfinnan Viaduct, through gorgeous Glencoe Valley, along Loch Lomond, and on to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

View of Sleat Peninsula, Isle of Skye

Isle of Skye

Ferry Crossing: Armadale to Mallaig

From Portree, it takes between an hour to an 60 minutes and a half to drive to Armadale. From here, y'all will have the ferry to Mallaig, on the mainland. It is highly recommended that yous book your ferry tickets at least several days in advance, especially during the busy summer months.

The ferry is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne. The journey takes twoscore minutes and ferries run all day. For a family of 4 with one automobile, a 1-way ticket costs £19.60. Tickets can be purchased directly on the Caledonian MacBrayne website.

Mallaig Ferry

Glenfinnan Viaduct

Mallaig to Glenfinnan: 26 miles, 40 minutes

From Mallaig, have A830 to the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Park in the very small-scale car park (during peak visiting hours information technology tin be nearly impossible to find a spot here!). A short walk uphill takes you to a viewpoint over the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

For Harry Potter fans, this is well worth information technology. The Glenfinnan Viaduct was used in the filming of the Hogwart's Express.

We were here under less than platonic weather condition conditions. The Viaduct looks rather dreary in rainy atmospheric condition. Hopefully, you lot will have ameliorate luck, but it is Scotland, and wee bit of rain here and there is expected.

Glenfinnan Aqueduct

Glencoe Valley

Glenfinnan to Glencoe: 33 miles, one hour

Now it is time to visit the gorgeous Glencoe Valley. This identify blew usa away!

Glencoe

From the Glenfinnan Viaduct, continue on to Fort William and then drive southward on A82.

Glencoe Valley Drone

Glencoe Scotland Drone

Loch Lomond

Glencoe to Glasgow: 94 miles, 2 hours

From Glencoe, continue south on A82 towards Glasgow. This drive takes you along Loch Lomond. Information technology is some other scenic spot in Scotland, although later what y'all take already seen on the Island of Skye, in Glencoe, and near Kyle of Lochalsh, Loch Lomond may not seem that thrilling. Even so, it is a very squeamish drive.

Loch Lomond

From Glencoe, it takes about two hours to reach Glasgow. If you are continuing on to Edinburgh, it'south about i more than hour of driving.

Timeline: Portree to Glasgow & Edinburgh

9:15 am: Go out Portree
10:40 am:   Ferry Armadale to Mallaig
11:25 am: Arrive Mallaig, drive to Glenfinnan Viaduct
12:fifteen pm:   Glenfinnan Viaduct
1:15 pm: Drive to Glencoe
2:15 pm:   Belatedly Lunch in Glencoe, see Glencoe
half dozen pm: Bulldoze to Glasgow or Edinburgh

There is an earlier ferry that leaves Armadale at viii:40 am. If y'all want to spend a full afternoon in Glencoe, catch this earlier ferry.

With More Time

Hither are some recommended side trips.

Whisky Trail

Whisky lovers may desire to add two days into this itinerary to drive the whisky trail. On our northern route, from Dalwhinnie, continue n on A9 and and so A89 to Glenlivet. You tin spend several days here touring the whisky distilleries.

Isle of Mull

From Glencoe, caput south to Oban and take the ferry over to the Isle of Mull.

Tips for Driving in Scotland

If you accept a valid license in your abode land, you can drive in Scotland.

In the United kingdom, they bulldoze on the left. Roundabouts are very common and can be intimidating to first time drivers in the UK, peculiarly if you are accustomed to driving on the right. Information technology takes a piffling getting used to!

In rural areas, it is not uncommon for sheep and other livestock to cross the roads.

In the almost remote areas, including much of the Isle of Skye, you will bulldoze on singletrack roads. These one-lane roads are only broad plenty for one auto. There are frequent passing zones, areas of the road that have been widened for two cars to pass. At times, this may require that you put your machine in reverse, backing into one of these spots, to let oncoming traffic pass.

Slower drivers are expected to pull over into these passing zones in society to allow faster traffic pass them.

Exercise you lot have plans to drive to the Isle of Skye? If you have any questions, annotate beneath!

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