Isle of Skye Scenic Drive Self Guided Audio Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Kyleakin, Skye Bridge, Armadale Castle
14 stops
1
The Skye bridge, simply continue along this road, the A863, for about half a mile, then turn right onto the A87. This will take you directly into Kyleakin. From there you can take the Skye bridge back to the mainland. Note: The tour is over 216 Miles long per tour, with more than 150+ audio stories per tour, and takes about 48 hours to complete. Buy once, use for one year! Ideal for extended visits and return trips over the next 12 months.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
2
Long before all the warring clans of old, Skye was part of some of the most remarkable geological changes in the history of the planet. The amazing scenery you’ll see on your tour is the result of millions of years of land being raised above the ocean, flooded, pulled together and ripped apart, and completely remade by immense lava flows and volcanic eruption, followed by ice sheets further shaping everything they covered.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
3
The Sleat Peninsula hosts the ruins of a MacDonald stronghold known as Armadale Castle, where the clan lived through the 18th century.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
4
Armadale Castle sits far out on the Sleat Peninsula. This narrow piece of land is sometimes called “The Garden of Skye” thanks to its fertile land.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
5
These small farms are called crofts. Historically, crofters were tenant farmers, paying rent to their landlords but with a familial claim to the land they farmed that meant they usually couldn’t be evicted.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
6
If you want to walk to Leitir Fura, turn left onto the side road ahead, following signs for Kinloch Forest and Leitir Fura Road. This access road ends in the public parking area after about a mile.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
7
The navigable sounds and sea lochs made the Hebrides an attractive spot for Norse adventurers in the 8th century, with the first Viking raid on Skye recorded in 794.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
8
Dunscaith Castle is the original seat of the MacDonalds of Sleat. Dunscaith has been fortified, destroyed, rebuilt, captured, and re-captured so many times over the centuries that its origins are lost to the mists of history.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
9
This castle is now in ruins and part of the fairytale-like scenery on Skye. We will be able to see the castle up ahead on our left. Look for a brown sign for Torabhaig Distillery on our left. If you look out past the distillery, you can see a stone tower perched on a hill, overlooking the sea.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
10
Broadford
We’re also approaching the optional side trip to the coastal village of Elgol, which is about 40 minutes away from Broadford on a rather narrow road. Elgol is a popular spot to take a boat tour through the glacial lochs and visit the seal colonies.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
11
Elgol is a seaside village that has been thriving since the middle ages. The village is perfectly situated for fishing and crofting, and grew where Allt Port na Cullaidh flows into Loch Scavaig.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
12
Boreraig offers a hauntingly scenic hike through the abandoned village. The hike begins up ahead at the Church of Kilchrist and covers a little over 6 miles round-trip.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
13
This area is famous for its marble and limestone quarries. As we drive, we’ll see the marble quarry ahead on our left. It looks like a line of silver-white stone jutting up over the farmland.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
14
Even though Blà Bheinn is closer to the Red Cuillins range, it’s composed of the same igneous rock - called gabbro- that forms the Black Cuillins range to the west, so many geologists theorize that it’s actually an outlier of that range.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Scalpay, Eas a’ Bhradain, Glamaig
15 stops
15
Sligachan Old Bridge
The Sligachan Old Bridge, a 19th-century stone bridge that offers a storybook view of the bridge over the rocky river with the majestic Black Cuillins rising in the background.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
16
Portree
Portree, which is the unofficial capital of Skye and a great home base for visitors exploring the island. There is a visitor center on Bayfield Road, just off the Village Square.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
17
A beautiful freshwater loch that is the perfect place for a picnic, birdwatching, fishing, or just snapping some photos of Skye’s ever-changing landscape.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
18
Bride’s Veil Falls is coming up ahead. Wondering why it has the name Bride’s Veil? When the waterfall is at full capacity, it cascades down the rocks in a number of narrow rivulets. The channels connect in random spots to evoke the image of a web or net - kind of like a lacey bridal veil.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
19
The Old Man of Storr
The Old Man of Storr was once part of this plateau, but much of the surrounding rock has been worn down around it from later erosion.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
20
Rigg Viewpoint, a scenic view that overlooks the North Atlantic. It is a favorite spot for photographers, especially at sunrise and sunset, when the complex interplay of light provides some stunning images.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
21
Lealt Falls
A powerful waterfall plunging down into a deep, cold-water pool at the bottom of a gorge. A visit to these falls is quick, so I highly recommend stopping.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
22
Brother’s Point is a narrow finger of rocky land jutting out from Trotternish. There are paths out to notable sites, but they can be steep and slippery. Only attempt them if you have sturdy shoes and good footing.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
23
Staffin is the home base for several sights that are well worth your time in this section of Trotternish. You can choose from hunting for dinosaur footprints at An Corran beach, touring the Jurassic Skye Museum, hiking the Quiraing cliffs - or all three!
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
24
Mealt Waterfall crashes 196 feet over basalt cliffs down into the Sound of Raasay below. Just past the waterfall is Kilt Rock, which looks like it’s formed out of pleats. The stone slips of dolomite and basalt give the pleated look, similar to a kilt.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
25
An Corran Beach is coming up next, a favorite place to hunt for fossilized dinosaur footprints. We’ll drive through Staffin first, so this is a good place to stop if you need to before venturing onto the beach.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
26
The Quiraing loop takes a little over four miles across rough and rocky terrain. Thanks to the prehistoric geological slips, this route is both difficult and visually stunning.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
27
Duntulm Castle is the ruined remains of a Pictish Iron Age dun, meaning a small fortified structure built out of dry stone.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
28
The Vikings raided, then settled the Hebrides in the 8th and 9th centuries. At the time, Norway was facing overpopulation and many Norse-style longhouses sprouted across the islands.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
29
Kilmaluag Bay is best known as a scenic viewpoint, but it also shelters a bit of religious history. The ruins of St. Molaug’s Church remain tucked away in the grassy hills, seemingly protected from time.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email and text with instructions: • Download the separate tour app by Action • Enter the password • Download the tour MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular Works offline after download
• How to start touring: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction.
• Go to the starting point No one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided Enter the first story’s point and the audio will begin automatically Follow the audio cues to the next story, which will also play automatically. Enjoy hands-free exploring. If you face audio issues, contact support. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
• Travel worry-free: Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace. Skip anything you don’t care about or explore bonus content for everything that interests you

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