Exactly How to Get From Edinburgh to Isle of Skye
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The easiest way to get from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye is to drive but you can also use public transport.
Edinburgh to Skye takes 5 – 6.5 hours by car or a full day using public transport. Therefore, it is not realistic to visit Skye on a day trip from Edinburgh.
Going by public transport, bus via Glasgow is the cheapest. A more comfortable option is to take the train to Inverness and the bus from here to Portree.
Whatever mode of transport you pick it is a long journey. The Isle of Skye is time consuming to get to but it is totally worth the journey. The scenery is fantastic and it is unlike anywhere else in Scotland.
Please note that all the distances and timings quoted below are for Edinburgh to Portree. Portree is a 50-minute drive from the bridge over to Skye.
How to Drive From Edinburgh to Isle of Skye
- Driving Time: 5 – 6.5 hours
- Distance from Edinburgh to Skye by car: 380 km / 236 miles
Driving from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye is by far the best option for getting to Skye. There is a bridge by Kyle of Lochalsh so there is no need to get a ferry. The bridge is free to cross and it is open 24 hours a day.
There are 2 main driving routes from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye.
The route I recommend is the one shown in blue on the map above. The reason this route is better is the other route goes through Glasgow and there is often heavy traffic.
I highly recommend renting a car with RentalCars.
Stops to Make Along the Way
It is a long drive to Skye so consider making it into a road trip. There are many excellent stops and detours you can make. Some of my favourites are:
- Blair Castle: The earliest parts of the castle are from 1269 and it has been home to 19 generations of Stewarts and Murrays of Atholl. 30 of the rooms are open to visitors, including a ballroom displaying 175 antlers! It is open from April to October from 10 am to 5pm.
- Cairngorms National Park: The scenery can’t quite measure up to that on Skye but there are plenty of activities such as getting up close with reindeer, cycling and rafting.
- Loch Ness: Make the short detour to Fort Augustus to see Loch Ness. To be honest it is not the most interesting or prettiest of the Scottish lochs but it is definitely the most famous.
- Fort William and Glencoe: The hiking opportunities such as Ben Nevis (the highest mountain in the UK) and Glencoe makes this a great area to stop in for a few days.
- Glenfinnan: Watch the Jacobite steam train cross what is often referred to as the Harry Potter train bridge.
- Arisaig: The beaches near Arisaig, such as Silver Sands in Morar bay, Camusdarach and Traigh Beach, are fantastic. Close by is Morar village where you can look out for a sea monster (supposes to be Nessie’s sister) in the loch of the same name. Or climb up to the Morar Cross for fantastic views out over the nearby beaches.
- Eilean Donan Castle: In a country full of castles, this is my favourite. The views from the far end of car park are amazing (the above photo is taken from there).
How to Get the Bus From Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye?
The cheapest route to Skye using public transport is by bus. However, there is no direct bus from Edinburgh to Skye.
There are two indirect options. One is through Glasgow and one is via Inverness.
Edinburgh to Skye via Glasgow
- Total journey time: 8-9 hours
- Number of daily departures: 5
The steps involved are:
- Edinburgh to Glasgow: Citylink and Megabus operate buses from Edinburgh to Glasgow’s Buchanen bus station. The journey time is 1 hour and 15 minutes. There is also a rail link between these two cities but it is a 1km (0.7 miles) walk from the train station to the bus station in Glasgow.
- Glasgow to the Isle of Skye: In Glasgow the bus to Skye departs from Buchanen bus station, north of the city centre. Bus numbers 915 and 916 travel to Uig on Skye, stopping on the way in Portree. Both buses are operated by Citylink and takes around 6.5 hours to Portree. The schedule is on the Citylink website.
Edinburg to the Isle of Skye bus via Inverness
- Total journey time: 8 – 10 hours
- Number of daily departures: 4
There are two or three steps depending on which bus you take from Inverness:
- Edinburgh to Inverness: Megabus operate direct buses from Edinburgh to Inverness a couple of times a day. The journey time is around 3.5 hours. This is nearly the same journey time as getting the train but travelling by bus is cheaper. In order to use the Explorer Pass (detailed below), Citylink operate buses to Inverness via Perth.
- Inverness to Skye: From Inverness there are two options:
- Direct bus to Portree: Bus number 917 runs a couple of times a day between Inverness and Portree and takes 3 hours and 15 minutes.
- To Portree via Spean Bridge: From Inverness take bus 919 to Spean Bridge where you can board the 915 or 916 from Glasgow to the Isle of Skye. The bus stop is at Seven Head Store in Spean Bridge and the total journey time is 4 – 5 hours.
- The schedule for both routes can be found on the Citylink website.
When to Buy Your Edinburgh to Skye Bus Tickets
Tickets are released 3 months in advance. For the cheapest prices book early and consider whether to get the Citylink Explorer Pass.
The Explorer Pass allows for unlimited travel across all of their Scottish routes for a specific duration:
- The 3-day pass allows unrestricted travel for 3 days within a span of 5 days, priced at £56.
- The 5-day pass permits unlimited travel for 5 days within a 10-day duration, priced at £84.
- For a more extended period, the 8-day pass grants 8 days of limitless travel within 16 days, costing £112.
How to Get the Train From Edinburgh to Skye?
You might wonder if there is a train from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye. The short answer is no, you cannot travel all the way from Edinburgh to Skye by train. There is no train network on Skye.
However, you can get the train to Kyle of Lochalsh which is next to the Skye Bridge. Another possible route by train is Edinburgh to Mallaig.
Both routes are described below.
Edinburgh to Portree via Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh
- Total journey time: 10 – 12 hours
- Number of daily departures: 4
There are three steps involved:
- Edinburgh to Inverness: There are a couple of direct trains each day from Edinburgh to Inverness which take around 3-3.5 hours. Other trains require a change in Perth or Stirling which adds about 45 minutes to the journey.
- Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh: To Kyle of Lochalsh there are a couple of departures a day from Inverness. The journey takes 2 hours and 35 minutes.
- Kyle of Lochalsh to Portree: All the buses described above (the 915, 916 and 917) stop in Portree. However, the problem with trying to travel by train from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye is that you often have a long wait for the bus to Portree in Kyle of Lochalsh. Check the schedule before booking your train ticket.
Better option: Rather than taking the train from Inverness to Skye take the direct bus to Portree (917, see details above). The lunch time train from Edinburgh to Inverness corresponds with the afternoon bus to Portree, making the journey only 7.5 hours.
Insider tip: Should you have a long wait in Inverness have a look at the castle in the city centre. The train station has luggage lockers where you can leave your bags but they only accept cash.
Edinburgh to Portree via Mallaig
- Total journey time: 13+ hours
- Number of daily departures: 2
I only recommend taking this route if you want to stop in Mallaig or Fort William for a few days on the way. There is plenty of things to see and do in Arisaig and Morar and many beaches close to Mallaig to explore.
If you are not stopping here it is a long and complicated trip. The other options detailed above are better. Also, be aware that this route will likely require you to stay overnight in Mallaig.
There are four steps:
- Train from Edinburgh to Mallaig via Glasgow: There is no direct train from Edinburgh to Mallaig, you have to travel via Glasgow. The total travel time is around 6 hours.
- Ferry from Mallaig to Armadale: From Mallaig to Armadale on Skye there is a frequent ferry service. Ferry tickets can be booked in advance at the Calmac website. However, for foot passengers, tickets are unlikely to sell out and can be purchased on the day.
- Bus from Armadale to Broadford: There are few buses running along this stretch. Check the bus schedule before deciding which ferry to take. At the time of writing the 8.15 am and 4.10 p.m. ferries have the best bus connections.
- Bus from Broadford to Portree
How to Buy Your Edinburgh to Skye Train Tickets
Trains in Scotland are operated by ScotRail. Tickets can be booked via Trainline. Always buy tickets in advance. Buying tickets on the day is very expensive in the UK.
Think about whether you should buy one of the many railcards available. They are not only valid for train travel in Scotland but also in England and Wales and last for one year. They cost £30 but give you 1/3 of the cost of train tickets.
The most useful rail cards are:
- 16-25 or 26-30: For individuals aged between 16 and 30 years old.
- Two Together: You must be two people travelling together (both individuals’ names are required on the card application).
- Family and Friends: Allows up to four adults who can use the card while only paying for two. Additionally, the card provides a 60% discount for up to 4 children aged 5-15.
How to Get the Ferry From Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye?
There is no ferry from Edinburgh to Isle of Skye.
How to Get Flights From Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye?
It is not possible to fly from Edinburgh to Skye. The closest airport is Inverness which is a 3-hour drive from Portree.
Edinburgh to Inverness is a relatively short drive so there is no point in considering flying.
Book your car hire with Rental Cars
Final Thoughts on How to Get to the Isle of Skye From Edinburgh
Driving is the quickest and most straightforward way of getting to the Isle of Skye from Edinburgh. Given there are no rail options all the way to Skye it is better to travel by bus if your preference is to use public transport.
The long journey from Edinburgh to Skye means you need at least 3 days to make the journey worthwhile. However, don’t leave this amazing part of Scotland out of your itinerary.
Although Edinburgh is an interesting city, in my view, the countryside is what makes a trip to Scotland so special.
LOOKING FOR MORE ON THE AREA AROUND ISLE OF SKYE?
Exactly How to Get to Isle of Skye
