Skye is ripe with beautiful, green and unusual landscapes. But it’s only in Talisker Bay where you’ll find the unique combination of stunning sea stacks, a beautiful beach, a tall slim coastal waterfall and mooing cows as far as the eyes can see. The hike (or “walk” as they often say in the UK) is definitely a hidden gem that will provide you with beautiful scenery with very little effort required on your end. It’s a very peaceful walk, we saw very few other people along the trail despite being there near mid-day. Below we present our Hiking Guide for Skye’s Talisker 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 (Talisker Bay: Hiking Guide to One of Skye’s Most Unique Beaches and Waterfalls) 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 TALISKER BAY TRAIL?
Taslisker Bay is located on the west coast of Skye near the village of Carbost, not far from where the famous Taslisker Distillery is located.
The trailhead parking lot is just 6km (15 min) from the Talisker Distillery, though most of the drive will be on single-track roads once you’ve passed the Distillery.
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 (located approximately here), about 300m before the trailhead, with only space for 5-6 cars. We arrived late in the morning and got lucky with the last available spot.
DO NOT park by the trailhead as this is a private drive.
Hours: The trail is also open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you can visit any time you like. However, note that the trail takes you past a private house and then farmland where livestock will be grazing. Keep dogs on a leash if there are any signs of sheep.
Costs: Both the hiking trail and car park are free.
Facilities: There are no toilets or facilities of any kind here.
TALISKER BAY TRAIL
Trail Details
Distance: 3.5 km
Route Type: Out & back
Elevation gain: 0m (cumulative elevation gain: 41m)
Start point: Trailhead; Talisker Bay Car Park (only a few spots) is 300m away from the trailhead
AllTrails rating: (4.4, 66 ratings (2023))
Duration: Most people complete the trail in 1h
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.
Trail Summary
This is definitely one of the easier trails you will find on Skye that will still provide you with such stunning scenery. The trail is mostly flat and is under 2km long each way, yet it will provide you with:
-Views of stunning sea stacks.
-Loads of trailside wildlife including sheep and cows.
-One of the most impressive coastal waterfalls you’ll ever see.
Because most of the trail is flat, it’s suitable in most weather conditions (though you still might have to avoid puddles).
The trail begins along the left-hand track from the road end; there is a sign reading ‘To the bay’. After passing a gate, the track emerges at the side of Talisker House.
The trail continues through a further gate beyond the house and this is where you will start encountering farm sheep and cows (in fact, we actually saw our first cows by the parking lot).
Eventually, the trail will meet the southern end of the beach. We suggest walking northward at least until you reach the middle of the beach so that you can admire both the Talisker sea stacks to your left and the Talisker waterfall to your right. It’s a wonderful place to linger and enjoy the views, or to enjoy a picnic if the weather is pleasant.
Note that at high tide the sandy portion of the beach might not be visible (covered by the sea).
If you don’t mind walking back (and driving back) in low-light conditions, Talisker Bay is a beautiful and quiet location from which you can admire the sunset. (This unfortunately wasn’t an option for us as it was quite overcast and drizzly that day).
Talisker Bay 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.
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
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 50-minute drive from the Talisker Bay trailhead.
A lesser-known coastal beauty favourite of ours – Camanusary Bay
The trailhead is about an hour away from the Talisker Bay trail.
A relatively easy hike with stunning mountain and waterfall vistas – The Fairy Pools
Another Skye classic, located only a 20-minute drive from the Talisker Bay trail.
To get your fill of green lush otherworldly landscapes – The Quiraing
Easily our favorite hike on Skye. Located about a 65-minute drive from the Talisker Bay trail.
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS
Sligachan Old Bridge and Waterfall – A more than worthy photo stop along Skye’s main road.
The bridge parking lot is roughly a 20-minute drive from Talisker Bay.
Dunvegan Castle – Visit Skye’s most impressive and well-preserved castle. The castle is about a 40-minute drive from Talisker Bay.
Talisker Distillery – Sample some whiskey at Skye’s oldest and most famous distillery. The distillery is surprisingly not in Talisker, but rather in Carborst, a short 10-minute drive away.
Town of Portree – Take a stroll through Skye’s largest town and its colourful harbour homes. Portree is about a 30-minute drive from Talisker Bay.
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 65-minute drive from Talisker Bay.
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 65-minute drive from Talisker Bay.
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 Talisker Bay Hiking Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Skye.
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