Sligachan is a tiny settlement on Skye, at the head of Loch Sligachan. For some, it’s just a road junction with a few accommodation options often used as a base for climbing the nearby Cuillin mountains. For many others, however, it’s a beautiful and worthy stop along Skye’s busiest road (A87) to admire the stunning old stone Sligachan Bridge. If you have more time on your hands and don’t mind a short scenic walk, you can make your way to the small but picturesque Sligachan waterfalls. Below we present our Sligachan Bridge and Waterfalls Travel Guide, which includes information on how to get to the location, where the best viewpoints are, and which trail to take to get to the waterfall.
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You might also be interested in these pages:
Top Things to See and Do on Skye
4-Day Roadtrip Isle of Skye Itinerary
Isle of Skye Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on the Isle of Skye
Skye’s Best Hiking and Walking Trails
ORIENTATION – WHERE IS SLIGACHAN?
Sligachan (along with its bridge and waterfall) is located in central Skye, roughly halfway between the isle’s two largest towns, Portree and Broadford. If you are coming from Portree it’s about a 15-minute drive south, and it’s about a 35-minute drive west from the Skye Bridge. The Sligachan Bridge is just off the main road (A87) connecting Portree, Broadford and the Skye Bridge.
For advice and tips on how to drive in Scotland, check out our Scotland Roadtrip Driving Guide. For advice and tips that are more specific to Skye with a focus on single-track roads, check out our Isle of Skye Road Trip Driving Guide.
If you haven’t booked your rental vehicle yet, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental in Scotland.
The Sligachan Old Bridge was built between 1810 and 1818 by engineer Thomas Telford. The nearby Sligachan Hotel was completed shortly thereafter, in 1830. Many early climbers chose this as a spot to start ascents of the Cuillin. Today there is also a campsite and bunkhouse adjacent to the hotel. There is also a small microbrewery that operates in the same building as the hotel.
Today, the bridge is for pedestrians and cyclists only following the construction of a new road bridge parallel to it on the A87. Before 1818, you had to fjord the river in order to get to the other side!
Legend has it that the waters under Sligachan Old Bridge are enchanted and are a gateway to the faerie world. Should you be brave enough to dip your face in the water of the Sligachan River for a full 7 seconds, supposedly you will be granted eternal beauty by the faeries! We didn’t test the legend out, but you should definitely feel free to do so if you don’t mind the cold waters!
Parking lot: There is a small and free roadside parking lot (located here), a few meters east of the bridge. Alternatively, we saw many people park in the Sligachan Hotel lot on the other side of the bridge, though technically those spaces are reserved for hotel guests.
If you haven’t booked your rental vehicle yet, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to get the best rates on your rental.
BEST VIEWS OF THE BRIDGE
The gorgeous Sligachan Old Bridge is arguably the most scenic bridge on the Isle of Skye. One of the best viewpoints of the old Bridge is from the newer A87 bridge, from which you can easily walk onto from the car park (there is a narrow sidewalk, but still be weary of oncoming traffic).
But don’t settle for just the classic shot from the new bridge, walk around along some of the walking paths on either side of the river to get to different vantage points. Doing so has multiple advantages, including distancing yourself from the A87 traffic so that you can feel more immersed in the natural beauty that surrounds you.
WALK TO SLIGACHAN WATERFALLS
Just a short 400-meter walk from the bridge lies the beautiful Sligachan waterfalls. It can actually be quite confusing to pick the correct path to the waterfalls as you’d think the paths along the river would take you there. Although they can get you there, you’d have to cross excessively damp and muddy terrain to do so. Instead, follow the AllTrails path shown below to get there, which starts further up the A836 road just beyond the hotel. This trail can get boggy after rain, but it definitely won’t be as bad as the alternative paths along the river.
Distance: 0.8 km
Route Type: Out & Back
Elevation gain: 19 m
AllTrails rating: (4.3, 68 ratings (2023))
Duration: 15 min
Not an AllTrails member yet? We highly recommend signing up for either their free or paid membership plans. The free plan allows you to find new trails and plan routes but can only be used while hiking if you have access to mobile data. The paid membership plan (AllTrails+) allows you to download trail maps for offline use and provides live progress updates and off-route notifications.
If you are still uncertain – you should know that the All Trails mobile application was voted the 2023 iPhone App of the Year by Apple.
The views of the area surrounding the waterfall are quite beautiful and scenic as well, particularly during moody and rainy weather. You will also be far enough removed from the main road to feel like you are truly in the middle of nowhere.
TIPS
- Come early in the day if you want to guarantee a parking spot. Otherwise, you might have to wait a bit to get a spot. If the lot is full, there is fortunately fairly quick turnover, as many just stop for a quick photo-op.
- Another reason to come early is to increase your chances of getting a shot of the bridge with no one on it.
- Check the weather before heading out. Our favourite weather app for the area is the Met Office app.
- If coming during the summer months, beware of the pesky little midges. You can check the midge forecast beforehand.
- Stick to the designated path to protect the surrounding environment.
Hiking Packing List
All Trails subscription – This comes in really handy for areas with little or no cell reception, as the annual subscription allows you to download trail maps for offline use.
External Battery – If you are using your phone to track your progress along the trail or to help with navigation, you certainly don’t want your phone to die on you. That’s especially true in the unlikely event that you might get hurt or need assistance.
Hiking poles – These can be particularly useful in steep trails or muddy/boggy trail conditions.
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
The Fairy Pools – A beautiful walk with stunning mountain and waterfall vistas.
A Skye classic, located only a 20-minute drive from Sligachan.
Dunvegan Castle – Visit Skye’s most impressive and well-preserved castle. The castle is about a 30-minute drive from Sligachan.
Talisker Distillery – Sample some whiskey at Skye’s oldest and most famous distillery, located a short 10-minute drive from Sligachan.
Town of Portree – Take a stroll through Skye’s largest town and its colourful harbour homes. The town is a short 15-minute drive from Sligachan.
Eilean Donan – Although it’s not quite on Skye, it’s without a doubt a worthy stop on your way in or out of Skye. The castle is about a 45-minute drive from Sligachan.
Neist Point Lighthouse – A beautiful drive along a long and winding road will take you to the stunning vistas of Skye’s most photogenic lighthouse. The lighthouse is about a 60-minute drive away.
Talisker Bay – Follow a short trail to find yourself on a beach between sea stacks, cows and a stunning waterfall. The trailhead is a 25-minute drive from Sligachan.
A lesser-known coastal beauty favourite of ours – Camanusary Bay
The trailhead is about a 45-minute drive from Sligachan.
Preparing a trip to the Highlands?
You might be interested in these pages:
Top Things to See and Do on Skye
4-Day Roadtrip Isle of Skye Itinerary
Isle of Skye Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go
Where to Stay on the Isle of Skye
Skye’s Best Hiking and Walking Trails
Preparing a trip to Scotland?
You might be interested in these Scotland pages:
10-Day Scotland Roadtrip Itinerary (Edinburgh and Highlands)
Scotland Driving Guide and Tips
7 of the Best Castles to Visit in Scotland
Best Things to See in the Scottish Highlands
Best Hikes to do in the Scottish Highlands
We also highly recommend these guidebooks:
Rick Steves Scotland
Lonely Planet Scotland’s Highlands
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
SafetyWing is a travel insurance company that offers comprehensive coverage for travellers. Includes Medical Insurance and Travel Insurance. Primarily geared towards long-term travellers, digital nomads, and expats.
e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Sligachan Bridge and Waterfalls Travel Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Skye.
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