Travel Itinerary: 4 Days in the Isle of Skye, Scotland

When we found a flight deal for London, we immediately jumped on it and booked our flights for a week in the UK. But as we started planning, we realized that we weren't really city people - instead, we really wanted to go out and see the wild landscapes of the UK. So we quickly booked flights from London to Edinburgh, and took an epic adventure to the Isle of Skye. It was our first time taking a campervan, so it was certainly a learning curve, but it was so worth it!

Here's our itinerary below, and the Google Maps directions if you want them!

​Day 1

• Drive through the epic Glencoe Highlands
• Nerd out at the Harry Potter train, aka the Glenfinnan Viaduct

Day 2

• Wake up early and catch the sunrise over the many waterfalls of Fairy Pools
• Hike down many steps to the Neist Point Lighthouse
• Escape into the fantastical trees of Fairy Glen

Day 3

• Hike up the steep mountains of Old Man of Storr
• See the Scottish cows in Elgol
• Transport to the medieval times of Eilean Dornan Castle

Day 4

• Return to Edinburgh

Travel Tips:

• Download Google maps offline, which will give you pretty accurate directions on how to get from place to place. We also printed directions in case, but didn't really need it.
• We originally were going to go to Elgol first on our way up, but didn't realize we had to take a ferry to cross. Instead, we went on the way back down so that we could just drive through it. This was much easier, as we didn't have to depend on the ferry times. It did take us longer to drive to our first stop in the Isle of Skye though.
• Wild camping is pretty common. We parked our campervan at the carparks of where we intended to hike in the morning, making it much easier to get up early in the morning.
• Only take a campervan if you're a pretty confident driver! Getting used to the big van in addition to driving manual stick shift on Scotland's narrow, one way streets wasn't the easiest. Almost all the roads require you to look ahead for passing zones when a car is heading directly toward you in the opposite direction.
• Rent a campervan with a bathroom! We did not see many public bathrooms around, but were so thankful that we had one in our van.
• Buy groceries before you leave and cook while you're there. Aldi's in Edinburgh is super affordable - we spent about $25 for food for 2 our entire trip! And not bad food, we were so pleasantly surprised at how good all our meals were. Scotch pies for breakfast, pulled pork sandwiches for lunch, and beef stew for dinner.
• Many places are closed during the winter and only reopen in April (for example, Armadale Castle, certain restaurants, Misty Isle Boat Trip). Be prepared to be self-sufficient in your campervan.
• Keep your camera out! The roads all take you through breathtaking views, so be prepared! We found ourselves often turning back to get a quick shot.

GLENCOE HIGHLANDS + GLENFINNAN VIADUCT
The first day, we met up with these awesome Scottish photographers who took a day off just to adventure with us! They suggested visiting the Glencoe Highlands on the way up - we hadn't realized how close it was - and we were certainly not disappointed. Every stop was just absolutely stunning, with the mountains just capped with snow. Just note that the ground may be muddy - while the grass may look dry - a lot of it is marshland causing you to sink into the wet ground if you're not careful. It was so much fun just hanging out with them, shooting each other, laughing about the differences between photography in the UK and America - definitely one of our favorite parts of the trip!

FAIRY POOLS
We parked overnight at the Fairy Pools carpark, and woke up early the next day to beat the sunlight. Unfortunately we took the wrong way out the first time, going past the gate rather than across the road to the signs. Use these directions to make sure you find your way there - though we probably wouldn't have missed it if it had been daylight instead of dark haha! The entire path is dotted with waterfalls, so bring a tripod if you have one to get those long exposures.

NEIST POINT LIGHTHOUSE
​Though seemingly fun at first, the Neist Point Lighthouse is not for the lighthearted. Getting to the lighthouse is a very, very steep downhill walk - which is not bad until you're coming back up. But it is a short hike down, where you can explore the abandoned lighthouse. Personally we loved just the architectural design of it, which was beautiful to capture from the viewpoints!

FAIRY GLEN
While popular with visitors, Fairy Glen does not actually have a parking lot but rather just passing lanes on either side of the road. Be prepared to squeeze your way in with tour buses - we saw one just blocking the road while we were there! It is an easy walk along the path, where you can walk through magical trees and tower ruins atop a hill.

OLD MAN OF STORR
​Another early sunrise hike took us up to the Old Man of Storr, another steep uphill climb. We were huffing and puffing all the way up (not to mention it was very early in the morning), but the views were certainly worth it. We would suggest try to go on a cloudy day, or making sure to get up early enough to catch the view before the shadows hit! As we hiked back down, we also noticed that the lochs were partially frozen over where the sun had not touched the surface - incredible!

ELGOL
​I admit, we drove to Elgol purely to see the Scottish cows. They were just grazing on the side of the road with their fluffy bangs drifting over their eyes. Note: We didn't get to go on the boat trip in Elgol unfortunately, but definitely would suggest going during peak season when they are running!

EILEAN DORNAN CASTLE
​Of course we couldn't leave without seeing a castle, and had to see this one that sits over the water. With its picturesque location, we couldn't resist these Game of Thrones vibes.

​GLENCOE HIGHLANDS (ON THE WAY BACK)
​Don't miss all the beautiful views driving back! The lochs are absolutely breathtaking, with the clear mountain reflections dancing over the water.