Isle of Skye in August

[Brewgirl1]

Hi, we are stopping at Portree in August. Does anyone have any recommendations on what to do for a short day? Our ship will be there from 10-5 only.:)

[gaelsail]

Lots to see on Skye. What excursions are being offered? they may be the best option.

[Brewgirl1]

Hi, there are 2 excursions one is a boat ride and the other looks like fun it goes to a distillery and for a drive. I was just wondering if it was a walkaround kind of town and if there were things to see without taking the ship tour. There is the Dunvegan castle not on any tours is that easy to get to?

[cliffykangaroo]

Dunvegan castle is a bit away from Portree and, to be honest, there are many castles in Scotland which are more interesting. The scenery in Skye is beautiful - even if the weather is bad. If you've never been to a distillery then that's a good option as it's really quite interesting - it will be to Talisker distillery I imagine which gives you a good tour and the drive to it is really picturesque. Talisker is also one of the best malts (in my opinion).

 

Hope this helps.

 

Oh, what was the boat trip?

[gaelsail]

Hi, there are 2 excursions one is a boat ride and the other looks like fun it goes to a distillery and for a drive. I was just wondering if it was a walkaround kind of town and if there were things to see without taking the ship tour. There is the Dunvegan castle not on any tours is that easy to get to?

You can certainly walk around Portree. It depends on what you want to see but if I'd never been to Skye before I'd be inclined to go with one of the ship's excursions you mention. The distillery/drive sounds good.

[tartanexile81]

Portree is a small town (about 2000 pop) so not a lot to do to fill in the whole day and few options for private hire / public transport. Agree with others and would def go for excursion.

[camNaud]

Hope this link helps....

 

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/attractions_portree.shtml

[Brewgirl1]

Thank you all for the info, that is all helpful!

I think we will take the ship's tour on the bus ride and that will give us a bit of time to check out the town afterward.

The boat ride is a sea safari.

I am slowly being convinced that I don't have to see EVERY castle on the Islands.

It gives me excuses to go back again!:)

[gaelsail]

I am slowly being convinced that I don't have to see EVERY castle on the Islands.

It gives me excuses to go back again!:)

Great reasoning. :D

[AmoMondo]

watch out for the midgies - they are a bit of a pest in the highlands - usually worse in late afternoon. You may want to bring insect repellant with you 9either that or smoke a pipe as that used to work really well when we lived in nearby kyle of Lochalsh!).

[camNaud]

The tiny Scottish midge, Culicoides Impuctatus, appears between mid May and early September. Each year is different depending on the previous year’s weather conditions. Generally they are only a problem in June through to August (basically when there are no over night frosts) and even then there are a number of strategies which should mean you can enjoy your walking regardless of the midges. Midges prefer damp, overcast, and windless days and are most active early in the morning and around sunset. The midge cannot fly in even a small breeze and therefore you can often get away from them on walks especially coastal and hill walks. They also hate direct sunshine and are attracted to dark clothing and pools of water. So avoid taking breaks in the shade or sitting next to pools and wear light coloured clothing to deter them.

 

Only the female midge bites, as she needs a meal of blood to feed her eggs. Midges have the ability to detect carbon dioxide which may account for the fact that you can’t seem to out walk them as more are attracted the harder you breathe.

 

When a midge has bitten it releases a chemical signal which attracts other females to the all you can eat buffet. Most people only have a very mild reaction to the bites, it tends to be the tingle on the skin and irritation of them buzzing that drives people to distraction.

 

People are divided over the best midge repellents. There is no doubt that a net midge hood will stop the midges biting if the mesh is fine enough but it will also stop you eating, communicating and seeing properly. In our experience midge hoods are best for sitting around when camping or fishing rather than walking. There are a number of chemical repellents available, most effective are the ones containing deet, although these do smell bad and not everyone wants to slather such a strong chemical on their skin. Some people swear by the natural repellents containing bog myrtle or citronella and the citronella-based coils that you burn can be effective when camping or having a picnic. Avon’s Skin so Soft is also on sale in many outdoor shops and chemists on Skye. It has a pleasant smell and if you don’t mind the slippery sheen left on your skin, it does work for many people. Other people swear by ingesting copious amounts of whisky, garlic or marmite!

Edited March 5, 2010 by camNaud

[Brewgirl1]

You're not going to scare me away! I live in Minnesota- the mosquito is our state bird!! and we have midges too we call them no see ums.:D

I will get some Avon before I come!!

[AmoMondo]

You're not going to scare me away! I live in Minnesota- the mosquito is our state bird!! and we have midges too we call them no see ums.:D

I will get some Avon before I come!!

 

Now I certainly would never want to scare anyone away from my beautiful country. Hope you have a fantastic time and that the weather is kind to you. It certainly is a beautiful area that you will be heading to.

 

If you are interested in jacobean history, one of the hotels on the Island has Flora macDonald's cottage in it. My brother took his in laws there last year, when they were over for a visit

[camNaud]

You're not going to scare me away! I live in Minnesota- the mosquito is our state bird!! and we have midges too we call them no see ums.:D

I will get some Avon before I come!!

 

No real need to be scared - 'the wee blighters' shouldn't be so bad this summer - following what has been the coldest winter in Scotland for decades......

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article7044805.ece

[Gourmet Gal]

How difficult is it to just catch a taxi from Portree to the Tallisker Distillery? Any other transportation options to go there?