Skye Trail Cost Guide: What It Costs in GBP

The Skye Trail can be cheap (wild camping is free under Scotland's access code) or comfortable (hostels and pub meals after brutal days). This guide breaks down what I spent and realistic £ budgets for a 5–6 day traverse.

Also read: Complete Guide · Accommodation · Trek overview

Model your trip: Trek Cost Calculator

Cost summary

Style	5–6 day total (approx.)
Budget wild camp	£150–200
Mixed camp + hostels	£250–350
Comfort (more hostels / B&Bs)	£300–500

Excludes flights to Inverness, gear purchases, travel insurance.

Accommodation costs

Type	Per night	Lee's trip
Wild camping	£0	Nights 2 & 4 on ridge / valley
Campsites (Elgol, Sligachan area)	£10–15	Recharge stop at Elgol
Hostel dorm	£20–50	Flodigarry, Portree, Broadford
B&B / hotel	£60–100	If you upgrade for recovery

My mix: 3 hostel nights + 2 wild camps + campsite break = moderate spend with free camping balancing pub splurges.

Food & drink

Item	Cost (approx.)
Supermarket resupply (Portree)	£15–30 per stock-up
Pub / hotel meal	£10–20
Fish & chips celebration	£12–18
Coffee / snacks	£3–8 per stop
Whisky sliders in Portree	Worth it

Strategy: Cook on camp nights; pub meals on hostel nights (Portree pizza, Sligachan hotel lunch, Broadford fish & chips).

On-trail food budget: £8–18/day groceries + £10–20 per pub stop.

Transport

Leg	Cost (approx.)
Inverness → Portree bus	£20–25 each way
Portree → trailhead bus	£5–15
Taxi to Rubha Hunish	£40–80 (split in group)
Car hire (optional)	£30–50/day + fuel
Broadford → Inverness return	£20–25

Lee flew Amsterdam → Inverness, bus to Portree, local buses to trailhead. Car is easiest for Rubha Hunish start.

See getting there.

On-trail extras (real receipts)

Item	Notes
Knee brace	Bought Portree hiking shop Day 4
Extra tent pegs + socks	Storm prep
Laundry	Portree hostel
Midge repellent	If you forgot to pack

Budget £30–50 for unexpected kit — Skye punishes under-prepared packs.

Budget scenarios

£150–200 — wild camper

• 4–5 wild camp nights
• Supermarket food only
• Buses, no taxi
• No pub meals

£250–350 — Lee's style (mixed)

• 2 wild camps + 3 hostels
• Pub meals on recovery nights
• One gear shop stop
• Bus transport

£400–500 — comfort

• More B&Bs / private rooms
• Daily pub lunches
• Taxi to trailhead
• Restaurant dinners

Where to save

• Wild camp legally under Scottish Outdoor Access Code
• Cook dehydrated meals vs eating out every meal
• Share taxi to Rubha Hunish
• Book hostels early in peak season

Where not to save

• Waterproof jacket and boots
• Tent pegs and guylines (storms are real)
• Navigation tools
• Emergency food

Related planning

• Food guide — resupply towns
• Packing list — gear investments
• Itinerary — hostel vs camp nights
• Getting there — bus vs car