Portree, Skye’s colorful capital, is not just a welcoming gateway for discovering the rest of the Isle but is also a beautiful and quaint little town well deserving of some of your time. If you don’t base yourself in Portree during your time in Skye, we still highly recommend that you pencil in some time to enjoy the town’s coastal charm. Below we present our guide to the Top Things to See and Do in Portree to help you get the most out of your time both in the city and in the surrounding areas.
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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
About Portree
Pronounced Port Righ (it is also often spelled this way on signage), Portree is the largest town on, and capital of the Isle of Skye, with a population of just over 2300. The current name, Port Rìgh translates as ‘king’s port’, possibly from a visit by King James V of Scotland in 1540. However, this etymology has been contested since James did not arrive in peaceful times. The older name appears to have been Port Ruighe(adh), meaning ‘slope harbour’. Before the 16th century, the settlement was known as Kiltaraglen.
In the 1700s, the town was a popular point of departure for Scots sailing to America to escape poverty. This was also the case during the famine in the 1840s. Both times, the town was saved by the influx of boats and passengers that used Portree’s pier as a rest point. The town also began exporting fish at this time, which contributed greatly to the local economy.
Orientation – Where is Portree?
Portree is located in east-central Skye, 54 km from the Skybridge (a 50-minute drive).
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.
By public transit, you can reach Portree from either Glasgow (Citylink Bus 914/915, with stops in Loch Lomond, Glencoe and Fort William, runs twice daily, 7hrs) or Inverness (Citylink Bus 916/917, with several stops along Loch Ness, runs twice daily, 3h30hrs)
Parking: There are three public parking lots in the town center: The Green, Somerled Square and Bayfield West. Both Green and Somerled Square are free between 6 pm and 8 am and are thus great overnight options, but they are small lots and are limited to two-hour stays between 8 am and 6 am. If you just want to spend a few hours here during the day, your best bet is the Bayfield West parking lot, which is a very large lot and only costs £4.00 for 12 hours (free between 8 pm and 8 am).
What to do in Portree
Explore the city and enjoy the various shops
The town isn’t very large and you can easily walk most of the main streets within half an hour or less. So take your time and go into some of the cute local shops you will see along the way. Two anchor points to guide your Portree exploration are Someled Square and Quay Street (the end of the harbour), which are only 6 minutes apart.
Go to the color houses’ viewpoint
Make sure you take the time to take the gentle ascent up Bosville Terrace all the way to the Color House Viewpoint, where you’ll find the best view in town. Notice where the viewpoint is on the map, as it won’t be advertised as such once you are there in person. It’s a short walk from pretty much anywhere in the town.
Take a lovely coastal walk along the Scorrybreac Trail
The trailhead is a short 5-to-10-minute walk from the town center. Though there is a car park (free) right by the trailhead, there is only space for 4 or 5 cars. The trail follows an easy and mostly flat loop that first hugs the coastline before eventually cutting back through the forest bringing you back to your starting point. The trail boasts expansive views of the Raasay Sound and Island, and most will complete this easy and mostly flat trail in 45 minutes to an hour.
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 it 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.
Go on an Isle of Skye Tour
If you don’t have your own vehicle, joining an organized tour might be the way to see what else the Isle of Skye has to offer. This tour includes stops at the Fairy Pools, Talisker Distillery, the Neist Point Lighthouse, Dunvegan Castle, Fairy Glen, Quiraing, and Old Man of Storr.
Go on a Boat Tour
Stardust offers fantastic wildlife sightseeing boat trips from Portree. They offer several different tours depending on your interests and how much time you have available.
Climb to the “Lump” viewpoint
For great aerial views of Portree, climb the small hill behind the colorful homes. You can get there by going up Bank Street from the town center and then turning left when you see a footpath that goes into the forest. Once you arrive at the Lump, you’ll also see the ancient Apothecary’s Tower amidst a tranquil garden.
Where to Eat in Portree
Dulse and Brose – Refined but unpretentious, it serves delicious modern takes on traditional Scottish cuisine. Our favourite restaurant in Portree. (4.4 Google Maps rating, 2023)
Restaurant Rosedale – Warm, laid-back pick with harbour views offering seafood dishes & Scottish tapas. We had a great time with delicious food at Rosedale’s. (4.4 Google Maps rating, 2023)
Cafe Arriba – Fun and welcoming space that offers great dishes for breakfast or lunch. (4.5 Google Maps rating, 2023)
The Lower Deck Seafood Restaurant – Great food right by along the harbour – the only drawback is the waiting line that can occur as reservations are not possible here, so arrive early. (4.2 Google Maps rating, 2023)
Scorrybreac Restaurant – If you want to splurge on a fine dining experience in Portree, this is the place to go. (4.6 Google Maps rating, 2023)
Top things to see and do near Portree
Take a Roadtrip
Trotternish Peninsula – There are many sights to discover along the road that loops around the Trotternish Peninsula, such as the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing, and several waterfalls. This is the perfect roadtrip to do from Portree. Plan for at least half a day, and more time if you want to do one of the hiking trails.
Hike at least one of Skye’s two iconic Trails
Both Trails are within a 30-minute drive from Portree.
To get your fill of green lush otherworldly landscapes – The Quiraing.
Easily our favorite hike on Skye.
Another Skye classic with iconic otherworldly views – The Old Man of Storr.
Visit Nearby Attractions
The Fairy Pools – A beautiful walk with stunning mountain and waterfall vistas. A classic Skye attraction. Located about a 30-minute Drive from Portree.
Sligachan Old Bridge and Waterfall – A more than worthy photo stop along Skye’s main road connecting Portree to the Skye Bridge. A short walk will take you to a scenic waterfall.
Dunvegan Castle – Visit Skye’s most impressive and well-preserved castle, which is located about a 25-minute drive from Portree.
Talisker Distillery – Sample some whiskey at Skye’s oldest and most famous distillery. A great stop on your way to or from the Fairy pools.
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. If you are using the Skye Bridge to enter or exit Skye, you can’t miss it.
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 50-minute drive from Portree.
Talisker Bay – To find yourself on a beach between sea stacks, cows and a stunning waterfall. A true hidden gem on Skye. A short walk will take you to this scenic beach.
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 Top Things to See and Do in Portree page and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Skye.
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