Skye Trail, Kraig Adams's way

Numbers come from my own GPS files. How they're measured, and why apps show more climbing, is in Using the GPX files.

Getting to Skye

What I did

I flew into Inverness and rented a car for the whole trip. It cost $160 total. Being in the UK, I had to drive on the left-hand side and remind myself every single time I touched the steering wheel. It wasn't my first time driving on the opposite side, so it wasn't an issue. You just have to slow down and be more defensive.

The drive from the airport to Portree was about 3 hours. A lot of it toward the end is single-track road. Every so often there's a passing place, but a lot of times you're coming at the other car and you have to figure out who's going to yield. I thought the bus would take about 5 hours with a transfer or two, and renting a car was much easier, especially since it wasn't that expensive. The Citylink 917 is actually direct and takes about 3 hours 15 minutes (see below).

In Portree I parked in the square, which had 30 minutes of free parking. I got food at the Co-op, a gas canister at an outdoor shop called Inside Out, which has a lot of other hiking gear too, so it's a good spot to resupply, and a quick coffee and Wi-Fi at Birch. Then I drove north to the trailhead, parked at about 4 pm, and started walking.

Your options for 2027

By bus from Inverness. Citylink bus 917 runs from Inverness bus station to Portree in about 3 hours 15 minutes, direct. In September 2026 it left Inverness at 6:10, 8:30, 13:15 and 17:45. citylink.co.uk

By bus from Glasgow. Citylink bus 915 runs from Glasgow via Fort William to Portree and Uig.

Portree to the start. Stagecoach buses 57A and 57C loop around the Trotternish peninsula from Somerled Square in Portree, in opposite directions, and both stop at the Shulista road end, where I started. In the September 2026 timetable, Monday to Saturday, the 57A (via the Old Man of Storr, Staffin and Flodigarry) left Portree at 6:55, 9:10, 12:10 and 15:50 and took about 50 minutes; the 57C (via Uig) left at 10:10, 13:20, 15:50 and 17:50 and took about an hour. There were no Sunday buses. Plan a night in Portree and take a morning bus. Timetables: bustimes.org or Traveline Scotland.

By car. The start is at the north end of the Trotternish peninsula, on the A855 loop from Portree. The parking area is at the end of the Shulista road, next to the bus stop. If you leave a car there for the whole hike, you'll need to get back to it from Broadford at the end (see Getting home).

Watch it

Me on arriving in Skye and the drive to Portree

Getting home

What I did

Right as I ended my hike in Broadford, I ran into some subscribers who were just about to start. We became friends, took the bus back to Portree together, and grabbed drinks at the pub. Then I headed north and got back to my car, with zero issues. I drove south to the campsite at Sligachan and camped there for the night.

The next day, May 2, it started to rain for the first time as I was leaving the Isle of Skye. I drove back to Inverness past Loch Ness, and tent camped at a Caravan and Motorhome Club campsite, because it was close to the airport and super cheap. I'd wrapped up everything I needed to do, so I changed my flight to leave two days earlier, and flew home the next morning.

Your options

Broadford to Portree and Inverness. Citylink bus 917 stops at Broadford Post Office in both directions. In September 2026, buses toward Portree (about 45 minutes) left Broadford at 8:42, 11:02, 15:47 and 20:17, and buses toward Inverness (about 2 hours 40 minutes) left from opposite the Post Office at 9:45, 11:20, 13:45 and 18:25.

Back to a car at the start. Take the 917 from Broadford to Portree, then a 57A or 57C from Portree to the Shulista road end. There were no 57A or 57C buses on Sundays in September 2026, so don't finish on a Saturday afternoon and expect to reach your car the next day.

Ending in Elgol. Stagecoach bus 55 runs from Elgol to Broadford, Monday to Friday only.

What I paid

These are the costs I mentioned in the film. I didn't track the rest.

What to budget for your trip (2026 prices where known)

• Sligachan campsite: £12.50 per person for a tent pitch.
• Portree: a hostel bed or hotel room for the night before you start. Book ahead in spring and summer.
• Buses: Citylink 917 to Portree and back, plus the 57A or 57C to the start. Fares are on the operators' sites.
• Food: town resupply in Portree, and cafe meals where you pass them.
• A spare night somewhere in case of weather.

Wild camping and where to sleep

The rules

Scotland's access rights include wild camping, under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. In short:

• Lightweight camping only: a small tent, small numbers, and no more than two or three nights in one place.
• Camp well away from buildings and roads, and have a backup plan if a spot is busy.
• Stay out of enclosed fields of crops or farm animals.
• Take away all your belongings and litter and leave no trace.
• Cook on a stove, on a flat surface that won't burn. Don't light an open fire in dry weather, or near forests, farmland, peaty ground, buildings or historic sites. Most of this route is peaty ground.
• Pee at least 100 ft (30 m) from lochs, rivers and burns (streams). Poo far from buildings, paths, water and farm animals, and bury it in a shallow hole and replace the turf, or bag it and carry it out. Pack a trowel and bags.

Where I slept

I had a reservation at the Portree Independent Hostel for my arrival night. The weather window was good on arrival and was going to get worse in a couple of days, so I skipped the hostel and started hiking that afternoon instead.

• Night 1: in my tent just outside and up the hill from the Flodigarry Hotel, once it got a little quieter.
• Night 2: up on the smaller ridge past the Old Man of Storr, north of Portree. A wonderful spot, with sunset, sunrise and really good visibility.
• Night 3: a really nice, super isolated spot on a beach between Camasunary and Elgol. Right after sunset I could hear whales breathing out in the ocean, and I fell asleep to the sound.
• Night 4: after the hike I got back to my car and drove to the campsite at Sligachan, which I'd walked past on Day 3. Wi-Fi, bathrooms and a shower, and tacos for dinner.

I had dry weather all three nights. On the ridge and the beach you're exposed to wind and rain, so pick your spot for the forecast you have.

Beds and campsites on the route

The Portree Independent Hostel's 2026 terms: a 50% deposit, the balance in cash on arrival, check-in 4 pm to 9 pm (tell them if you'll be later), with kitchen, showers, linen and a drying room. hostelskye.co.uk

The Sligachan campsite has hot showers, toilets, drinking water, a charging area, free Wi-Fi and coffee. Check in 3 pm to 8 pm. glensligachan.com

Bothies are simple stone shelters kept up by volunteers from the Mountain Bothies Association. They're free and can't be booked, so they can be full. Always carry your tent.

Food, water and resupply

Food

I carried food for the whole of Day 2 and cooked backpacking meals on my stove. After a day and a half of backpacking meals and snacks, I was really ready for a proper breakfast in Portree. The meals are what I enjoy the most on these trips.

Opening days and hours for small cafes and takeaways change every season, so treat them as a bonus, not a plan. Carry enough to finish each section without them.

Water

There's plenty of water on Skye, but not always where you are. I carried a 1-liter BeFree bottle with a built-in filter and filled it at running streams. Up on the ridge on Day 2 I had really long sections without any water, and one stretch where I was so thirsty. On the ridge, carry at least 2 liters and fill up at every good stream before you climb. Treat or filter everything. The Sligachan campsite has drinking water.

Gas and gear

Inside Out in Portree sells gas canisters and other hiking gear. You can't fly with gas, so buy it on Skye.

What I carried

My 2026 kit

This is what I used on this trip. I've been using Hyperlite Mountain Gear packs for almost 7 years.

Hiking

• Pack: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35L
• Sleep: NEMO Hornet tent, Hyperlite Mountain Gear 20-degree quilt, Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT pad, AlpenBlow micro inflator, Klymit Pillow X
• Cooking: Jetboil Stash stove, a lighter, TiTo long-handle spork
• Water: Katadyn BeFree 1-liter filter bottle
• Clothes: PATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie (sun shirt), Senchi Designs A90 Half Zip Hoodie (fleece), Arc'teryx Cerium Hoody (puffy), Arc'teryx rain shell, Territory Run Co. Long Haul Short, PATH Projects Joyner Crew Sock
• Shoes: Oboz Katabatic LT Low GTX
• Other: Nitecore NU20 Classic headlamp, Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes
• Brought and never used: an umbrella, waterproof gloves, and Crocs in case of mud or water crossings. It was much warmer and drier than I expected.

Filmmaking

• Camera: Sony ZV-E1, Sony 16-35mm f/4, a Sennheiser shotgun mic, a rotating polarizing filter to cut the glare off the water, SmallRig tripod, Joby BallHead 3K, Peak Design strap

I only had a 1-liter bottle, and on the ridge I got really thirsty. Carry more water capacity than I did.

Packing list for Skye

• Tent, sleeping bag or quilt, and pad, good for wind and rain
• Stove, gas (buy it on Skye), lighter, pot and spoon
• Water bottles for at least 2 liters, plus a filter or tablets
• Food for the ridge day and a spare meal
• Rain jacket and rain pants, a warm layer, hat and gloves
• Sun hat and sunscreen (I had a lot of sun)
• Midge head net and repellent from late May to September
• Trowel, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and bags to carry out waste
• Headlamp, phone, cable and power bank
• First-aid and blister kit, a tick remover, your medications
• Map and compass, and offline maps on your phone
• Cash and a card, your passport and driver's license if you rent a car

Scotland's access rights let you walk and wild camp on most land if you act responsibly: a lightweight tent, small numbers, no more than two or three nights in one place. Byelaws restrict camping in some areas (as of Nov 2026)

My trip. I hiked April 28 to May 1, 2026, at the end of April going into May. It was the perfect timing for dryness, beauty, things being open, and no bugs. By no bugs, I mean no midges. Midges are terrible. The weather was perfect the whole time, and it only started to rain on May 2, as I was driving off the island. It was also lambing season, and there were lambs everywhere. On Day 3 two of them came right up to me.

It's usually wet. I don't want you to plan around my weather. This is typically a wet hike with rain and fog and moisture in general. I packed an umbrella, waterproof gloves and Crocs for mud and water crossings, and brought extra layers for wind and rain. I just didn't need them.

Midges. Scotland's biting midges come out from about late May to early September, and they're worst in July and August on still, damp days, especially at dawn and dusk. They don't fly in a breeze. Late April and early May come before they appear. If you go in summer, bring a head net and repellent.

Long days. In late April the sun rises on Skye at about 5:45 a.m. and sets at about 9 p.m. By June it's light from before 5 a.m. to after 10 p.m. Long daylight is what makes a 4 pm start or a 25-mile day workable.

Seasonal things. Some places on the route only open in the warmer months. In 2026, the Sligachan campsite was open April 1 to September 30, Seumas' Bar at the Sligachan Hotel was open daily, and the summer bus timetable around the north of Skye ran April 3 to October 24.

Lambing. In April and May, give ewes and lambs a wide berth, close gates behind you, and keep any dog under close control.

Weather and safety

Weather. Skye weather changes fast, and wind and cloud matter as much as rain, especially on the Trotternish ridge. My dry, sunny trip was not normal. Check the mountain forecast every evening:

• Met Office mountain forecast, Northwest Highlands, which covers Skye
• MWIS, Northwest Highlands

If strong wind, rain or low cloud are forecast for the ridge, don't go up. Wait a day, or take the bus around to Portree and walk the southern half.

Emergencies. Call 999 or 112 and ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue. Have ready your location (a grid reference or a named place), how many people are hurt and how, and your phone number.

Emergency texts. If your signal is too weak to call, you can text 999, but only if you've registered first. To register, text the word register to 999 and follow the instructions in the reply. It takes two minutes. Do it before you go.

Signal. Mobile reception in the Highlands is often patchy or non-existent. Leave your plan with someone at home, check in when you can, and carry offline maps and a charged power bank.

Ticks. Ticks live in the grass, bracken and heather, and some carry Lyme disease. Wear long clothing in long vegetation, check yourself every evening, and remove any tick with a tick remover.

Going solo. I hiked the whole thing alone. Tell someone your plan and your expected finish, and let them know when you're out.

Where to take care

• The Trotternish ridge (Day 2): long, high and exposed, with cliffs on the east side and very little water. Hard to navigate in cloud.
• The Storr (Day 2): busy, and the path is steep in places.
• Road walking (Days 3 and 4): long stretches on narrow roads. Walk facing traffic and step onto the verge for cars, especially on single-track roads.
• Glen Sligachan (Day 3): remote, with no road or services between Sligachan and Camasunary. Streams cross the path, and after heavy rain they run high. If one looks unsafe, wait for it to drop or turn back.
• The coast paths (Days 1, 3 and 4): cliff tops and steep slopes above the sea. Keep back from the edge, especially in wind.

How many days do I need? I did it in four, and the first was really a half day. That's about 80 miles in three and a half days, with a lot of flat sections and road walking. About 21 miles (34 km) of my line is on public roads, mostly on Days 3 and 4. Most people take about a week: the Cicerone guidebook splits the Skye Trail into seven stages. Other ways to do it has a 7-day plan on my exact line, and a 2-day ridge-only option.

When should I go? I went at the end of April into May, and it was the perfect timing for dryness, beauty, things being open, and no bugs. It was not supposed to be like this: it's usually a wet hike with rain and fog. Midges come out from late May to early September.

Where do I sleep? Mostly in a tent. Scotland allows responsible wild camping, and I camped three nights. There are beds in Portree, a campsite and hotel at Sligachan, and more in Broadford, and two free bothies (basic shelters) on the route. See Wild camping and where to sleep.

Is wild camping legal? Yes, if you follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: a small tent, small numbers, no more than two or three nights in one place, well away from buildings and roads, and leave no trace.

Am I fit enough? My days were 10, 24, 29 and 19 miles. Day 2 was the big one, with more than half of the trip's climbing, and Day 3 was 29 miles, probably one of my ten biggest days ever. Try this at home: hike 12 to 15 miles with the pack you'll carry, two days in a row, including some rough ground. If you feel fine on the second morning, the 7-day plan will work. My 4-day pace is for people who already do 20+ mile days.

Is there water? Not much on the ridge. I carried a 1-liter bottle and filled it at running streams, and on Day 2 there were long sections with no water. At one point I was so thirsty. Carry more than I did on the ridge, and treat what you drink.

Where do I buy food? Portree is the only real town in the middle of the route. I carried all my food for Day 2 and cooked with my stove. On Day 3 I had breakfast in Portree and bought more food at the Co-op. There's food at Sligachan, a cafe in Elgol, a takeaway near Torrin, and shops in Broadford.

Can I do it without a car? Yes. Citylink bus 917 runs from Inverness to Portree, and Stagecoach buses 57A and 57C loop around the north of Skye from Portree, past the start at the Shulista road end. From Broadford, the 917 goes back to Portree and Inverness.

Where do I leave a car? I parked at the lot at the start at about 4 pm, left my car there for the entire hike, and had zero issues: no tickets.

Is there phone signal? Sometimes. People were messaging me on Instagram during the hike, but mobile reception in the Highlands is often patchy or non-existent. Download everything before you go, and register your phone for emergency texts (see Weather and safety).

Is it OK to go solo? I hiked it alone. I met people along the way: at the Lookout on Day 1, a viewer named Brian on Day 4, a Swiss couple near Torrin, and more subscribers in Broadford who were just starting. On the smaller ridge past the Storr I found absolute isolation.

Is it waymarked? No. The Skye Trail is an unofficial route with no signs or waymarks of its own. You follow paths where they exist, open ridge and glen where they don't, and roads in between. Carry the GPX files, offline maps and a paper map and compass, and know how to use them in cloud.

Is this the same as the guidebook route? Mostly. I started from the parking at the Shulista road end and walked out to the Lookout above Rubha Hunish, without going down onto the headland itself, and on the last day I took an alternate escape: I walked the road from Torrin to Broadford instead of the usual finish around the coast past the abandoned village of Boreraig. The GPX files are what I actually walked.

I walked the route in four days. Most people take about a week, and unless you're used to 20+ mile days, plan on that. I didn't walk these versions. They use my GPS line and the places I passed, with distances from my files.

Seven days on my line

The ridge night on Day 2 is the hard one: there's little or no reliable water up there, so fill up before you climb and carry enough for dinner and breakfast. If the forecast is bad for the ridge, wait a day in Portree or at Flodigarry rather than going up anyway.

The ridge only, in two days

The Trotternish ridge is the wildest part of the hike and works on its own. From Flodigarry, follow Day 2 along the ridge and down to Portree: about 29.7 miles (47.8 km) on my line, with one wild camp on the ridge. Take the 57A or 57C bus from Portree to Flodigarry in the morning to start, and you finish in town.

Four days like me

If you want to do it my way, the biggest thing is daylight and weather. My long days worked because it was dry and the days were long. Start early, not at 4 pm like me, unless you only want a half day.

Before you go, check these

These change every year. Everything else in this guide stays the same.

Weather

• The Met Office and MWIS mountain forecasts, every evening, especially for the ridge day
• Whether you'll be there in midge season (late May to early September)

Buses

• Citylink 917 Inverness to Portree, and back from Broadford
• Stagecoach 57A and 57C from Portree to the Shulista road end (no Sunday buses in September 2026; check whether a summer Sunday bus runs when you go)
• Stagecoach 55 from Elgol, if you finish there (Monday to Friday)

Places to stay and eat

• Your Portree bed for the night before you start
• The Sligachan campsite season (April 1 to September 30 in 2026) and price
• Seumas' Bar and the small cafes and takeaways: opening days change every season

Rules

• The Scottish Outdoor Access Code and any local notices where you plan to camp
• Parking signs at the start, if you drive

Your stuff

• This PDF, the GPX files and offline maps on your phone
• Emergency SMS registration (text "register" to 999)
• Gas canister: buy it on Skye