Although Scotland’s Isle of Skye is particularly famous for its otherworldly landscapes like those seen along the Quairing and the Old Man of Storr trails, the views along the Camasunary Bay trail are no less beautiful, particularly once you reach Camanusay Bay itself. A bonus is that there are nowhere near the crowds that those other more popular trails are known for, so you will definitely feel like you have the trail and the scenery to yourself at times, if not most of the time. Below we present our Hiking Guide for Skye’s Camasunary Bay hiking trail, which includes information on how to get to the trailhead, how difficult the trail is, and where the best views are.
Disclosure: This page (Camasunary Bay: Hiking Guide to One of Skye’s Most Beautiful Locations) may contain product affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. More details can be found on our disclosure and policies page.
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 THE CAMASUNARY BAY TRAIL?
Camansuray Bay trail is located in southern Skye within the Elgol Peninsula. The trailhead and parking lot are roughly a 60-minute drive (60 km) south of Portree. Note that to get there you will have to drive a long stretch of single-track roads, the last 18 km of the drive starting when you exit Broadford on road B8083 (for advice and tips on how to navigate single-track roads best, check out our Isle of Skye Road Trip Driving Guide).
The easiest to reach the trailhead without a doubt is with your own vehicle. Getting there by public transport is a complicated and long journey involving multiple buses.
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.
Parking lot: There is a small roadside parking lot (lay-by) by the trailhead with only space for 10-12 cars. We arrived in the early afternoon and got lucky with the last available spot.
Hours: The trail is also open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you can visit any time you like.
Costs: Both the hiking trail and car park are free.
Facilities: There are no toilets or facilities of any kind here.
CAMASUNARY BAY TRAIL
Trail Details
Distance: 9.7 km (full trail), only 6km if you stop near the top of the pass.
Route Type: Out & back
Elevation gain: 160m (cumulative elevation gain: 392m, only 200m if you stop at the top of the pass)
Start point: Camasunary Car Park
AllTrails rating: (4.6, 73 ratings (2023))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in 2h30-3h
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.
Trail Summary
This is not a particularly challenging trail (AllTrails rates it as moderate), though it is lengthy and the path is often composed primarily of loose rocks and pebbles, making it occasionally difficult to keep stable footing. The ascents are for the most part neither very steep nor sustained over long distances.
The start of the wide track is signposted opposite the lay-by beside some bins. Go through the gate and follow the track as it winds its way gradually up to the top of the pass called Am Mam (Gaelic for ‘pass.’ )
The slope for the first portion of the trail is not very steep as you will be travelling over small undulating hills with sheep staring at you as you pass by.
The second portion of the trail is slightly more steep as you make your way to the top of the Am Mam Pass, which is where you will have fantastic views of Camansuray Bay and the Black Cullin Mountains in the background. This is a great spot to stop and savour the views (and snack too).
Once you’ve enjoyed the scenery, this is actually a great spot to turn back if you don’t to hike all the way down to the beach and then back up again. That’s what we decided to do after having hiked the Old Man of Storr earlier that day.
You can expect the hike to take about 2h30-3h if you make it down to the beach. If you stop near the top of the pass like we did, you can expect it to take about 1h30-2h.
If you are not looking forward to the return leg of the hike, worry not, as the views are quite remarkable and scenic on the way back.
Trail alternative
If you are a small group with two vehicles, you can turn this hike into a one-way 17km hike, finishing by the Sligachan Bridge. From Camasunary Bay to Sligachan the trail is relatively flat.
Camasunary Bay Hiking Tips
- Come early if you can to guarantee a good parking spot. Alternatively, aim for later in the day when people will have started to leave.
- 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.
- The top of the pass is a great spot to watch the sunset, but be aware that you’ll have close to an hour of walking to get back to the car park.
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.
OTHER SKYE HIKING TRAILS
To get your fill of green lush otherworldly landscapes – The Quiraing
Easily our favorite hike on Skye. Located about a 90-minute drive from the Camasunary Bay trail.
Another Skye classic with iconic otherworldly views – The Old Man of Storr.
The Old Man of Storr is the most popular hiking option along the Trotternish Peninsula Loop, roughly a 65-minute drive from the Camasunary Bay trailhead.
A less demanding hike with stunning mountain and waterfall vistas – The Fairy Pools
Another Skye classic, located a 60-minute drive from the Camasunary Bay trail.
To find yourself on a beach between sea stacks, cows and a stunning waterfall – Talisker Bay
Like Camasunary Bay, a very peaceful and tranquil trail. Located about a 65-minute drive from Camasunary.
NEARBY SIGHTS OF INTEREST
Sligachan Old Bridge and Waterfall – A more than worthy photo stop along Skye’s main road. As we mentioned you can actually hike to this point from Camanusary. The bridge is about a 40-minute drive from the trailhead.
Talisker Distillery – Sample some whiskey at Skye’s oldest and most famous distillery, located a 50-minute drive from the Camasunary Bay trailhead.
Town of Portree – Take a stroll through Skye’s largest town and its colourful harbour homes, located a 60-minute drive from the Camasunary Bay trailhead.
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 located about a 45-minute drive from the trailhead.
Trotternish Peninsula – Not a single attraction but rather a collection of several, including several waterfalls and hiking trails including the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr.
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
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e-Sim cards
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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 Camasunary Bay Hiking Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Skye.
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