Skye Trail Itinerary: 5-Day Stage Guide

The Skye Trail is flexible — Lee hiked it in 5 trail days (plus a travel day to Inverness) after weather forced an early start. This page is the scannable hub: daily stages, distances, elevation and where I slept from Rubha Hunish to Broadford.

Also read: Complete Guide · Accommodation · Trek overview

Route at a glance

Official length	~128 km (79 mi)
Lee's staged hike	5 trail days (+ Day 0 travel to Inverness)
Direction	North (Rubha Hunish) → south (Broadford)
Marking	Largely unmarked — GPS required
Style	Wild camping + hostels

Lee's 5-day itinerary — overview

Day	Route	Distance	Elev. gain	Time*	Overnight
0	Fly to Inverness	—	—	—	Inverness hostel
1	Portree → Rubha Hunish → Flodigarry	13 km	345 m	~5 h	Hostel (Flodigarry)
2	Flodigarry → Storr (Trotternish Ridge)	27.5 km	1,630 m	~12 h	Wild camp (ridge)
3	Storr → Portree	18.5 km	700 m	~7 h	Hostel (Portree)
4	Portree → Sligachan → beyond	31.5 km	640 m	~10 h	Wild camp (loch)
5	Camp → Elgol → Broadford	20+ km	800 m	~8 h	Hostel (Broadford)

*Including breaks; Lee's actual times from the trail.

Stage notes

Day 0 — Inverness

Late flight from Amsterdam. Weather forecast showed two clear days — pivoted to start trail one day early instead of extra Portree rest day.

Day 1 — Coastal start

Bus Inverness → Portree (3.5 h) → fish & chips → bus to red phone box trailhead at Rubha Hunish. Unmarked coastal cliffs, boggy ground, epic views. Midge swarm at hostel — camping closed for season.

Highlight: Edge-of-the-world coastal walking; whisky at hotel pub.

Day 2 — Trotternish Ridge (crux)

Started 7 a.m. for weather window. Solitude on the ridge — drone shots, golden eagles. Then brutal heat, no water, knee pain, heavy pack. Camped on the ridge behind rocks — tent's first storm test.

Skip only if: You avoid the ridge entirely (you'd miss the best of Skye).

Day 3 — Misty Storr to Portree

Woke in cloud and rain. Nearly missed Old Man of Storr in fog. Boggy misery into Portree — knee forced hostel not camp. Laundry, pizza, whisky recovery.

Day 4 — Road slog + fairy-tale valley

Gear shop: tent pegs, socks, knee brace. ~10 km road walking from Portree (skippable if tight on time). Sligachan pub lunch, then stunning valley — storm camp with midges, held tent up with hiking pole all night.

Tip: Consider skipping Portree–Sligachan road section.

Day 5 — Finish Broadford

Exhausted push through rain to Elgol (campsite recharge), then long haul to Broadford. Hostel, fish & chips, lightning outside, dry inside.

Classic 7-day alternative

Many walkers split the route into 7 shorter days — especially Day 2 (ridge) and Day 4 (road + valley). Add a rest night in Portree or Sligachan if new to multi-day hiking.

Weather-driven changes

Lee started a day early for Trotternish Ridge clear skies. Build flex days into your plan — Skye weather owns your schedule.

Key landmarks

Landmark	Day
Rubha Hunish (start)	1
Trotternish Ridge	2
Old Man of Storr	3
Portree harbour	3
Sligachan Hotel	4
Elgol / Cuillin views	5
Broadford (finish)	5

Related planning

• Difficulty — 27.5 km Day 2
• Navigation — unmarked coastal sections
• Getting there — reach Rubha Hunish
• Cost guide — hostel vs camp nights