The Trotternish Loop is one of the most scenic drives on the Isle of Skye, following a 50-mile circular route around the island’s northern peninsula. This drive is best experienced as a slow, stop-and-go journey, with frequent pull-offs for viewpoints, short walks, waterfalls, and iconic landmarks such as the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing.
This Trotternish Loop drive guide focuses on how to plan the route, where to stop, and which short hikes and viewpoints are worth your time, making it ideal for visitors who want to see Skye’s most dramatic landscapes without committing to long, multi-day hikes.
Trotternish Loop Drive – At a Glance
Typical starting point:
• Portree (the largest town on Skye and the most practical place to begin the loop)
Route type: Scenic circular drive around the Trotternish Peninsula with several attractions and viewpoints along the way, with the possibility of including hikes along the way
Route Distance: ~50 miles (80 km)
Time needed:
• Driving only: ~1h45
• With viewpoints & short walks: plan at least 4 hours
• With 2–3 hikes: easily a full day
Main Highlights of the Trotternish Loop Drive:
• Iconic stops such as the Old Man of Storr, Quiraing, and coastal viewpoints
• Waterfalls, seaside cliffs, and short scenic walks
• Optional hikes ranging from quick viewpoints to longer hill walks
• Museums, castle ruins, and dinosaur Tracks.
Loop driving direction:
• The loop can be driven clockwise or counterclockwise
• We recommend driving it counterclockwise, starting early in the morning, for:
-better light on the eastern side of the peninsula
-fewer crowds at popular stops
Short on time?
Focus on the eastern side of the peninsula (Storr ? Quiraing) and skip the northern loop past Staffin
Facilities along the route:
• Toilets are available at a few of the most popular spots
• A few cafés and small restaurants can be found in small towns around the peninsula
• Fuel, food, and services are easiest to find in Portree and select villages along the loop (all highlighted in this guide)
Disclosure: This page (Trotternish Loop Travel Guide) 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 other Skye Travel Guides:
Top Things to See and Do on Skye
4-Day Road Trip 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
Best Scenic Drives and Routes Through the Scottish Highlands
Trotternish Loop Drive – Location, Map, and Route Overview
Trotternish is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, spanning in length from Portree in the south to Rubha Hunish in the north, occupying most of northeastern Skye. The Trotternish Ridge (or escarpment) runs almost the full length of the peninsula, some 30 kilometres (20 miles).
The Trotternish Peninsula Circular Loop Drive starts (and ends) in Skye’s largest town, Portree.
Circular Loop Drive Time: If you were to drive nonstop, it would take you about 1h40 minutes to drive around the entire peninsula (link to Google Maps).
Loop Duration With Stops: At its shortest, including all the photo stops and viewpoints, this loop is a half-day road trip (about 4 hours), but it can easily turn into a full-day trip if you end up doing some of the many awesome hiking trails along the way. Don’t worry if you are not interested in hiking, as there are plenty of waterfalls and beautiful viewpoints worthy of a stop along the circular loop drive.
If you only have a few hours to spare, the drive time can be cut down from 1h40 to 1h25 if you skip the northern tip (link to Google Maps) of the peninsula, which is a good option to save some time. Although by doing so you’ll miss out on some are some attractions located along the northern tip, we don’t think they are as impressive as those you’ll see along the rest of the circular drive.
Loop Circular Drive: clockwise or counterclockwise?
We recommend driving the circular loop drive following a counterclockwise route, starting along the east coast from Portree, especially if starting the drive in the morning. This will allow you to experience the dramatic scenery of the eastern side of the peninsula in the morning light, which is ideal for photography. The counterclockwise direction will also allow you to hit the loop’s most popular attractions, which are located on the eastern side of the peninsula, before they get too crowded.
Car Traffic: Note that during the high season (summer), there will undoubtedly be more traffic than at other times of the year, which may slow you down at some points, especially if travelling around midday. The same applies to parking spots, where some places may be full at midday during high season.
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.
We highly recommend Airalo (eSIM card) for your connectivity needs when travelling abroad. Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide.
Roads of the Trotternish Circular Loop
Overall, the roads of the Trotternish Peninsula are easy to navigate and in good condition (though you might come across the occasional pothole, especially soon after a harsh winter). The main attractions are, for the most part, well sign-posted.
Although most of the loop drive is along 2-lane roads (as shown above), there are a few sections of the A855 road leaving Portree that are single-track (as shown below), as is the entire road connecting Brogaig to Uig, which is the road you need to take to get to the Quiraing. For advice and tips on how to best navigate these roads, check out our Isle of Skye Road Trip Driving Guide.
Food, Facilities, Parking, and Toilets
Toilets: There are a few public toilets along the loop: in Portree, at the Old Man of Storr car park, and The Skye Museum of Island Life. However, there are also several restaurants along the way where you will likely be able to use the restroom in case of emergency.
Food: For a lunch stop, we particularly enjoyed The Galley Cafe & Takeaway near Uig. They offer delicious hearty dishes and seafood plates for a quick lunch stop when looping around the peninsula (or after a good hike at the Quiraing or a nice stroll through the Fairy Glen). Occasionally, you will also find food trucks in some of the parking lots, but none of those were open when we visited Skye in September.
Parking: Most of the attractions highlighted below have dedicated off-road parking lots, many of which are paid parking lots, such as those for the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing. Don’t forget to pay for parking before leaving the lots; it’s usually a flat fee of around £3 for a 2-hour minimum stay (credit cards accepted). Many visitors who are only making quick stops for a few photos don’t bother paying for the parking.
Trotternish Peninsula Without a Car
Trotternish by Public Transport: Visiting the peninsula can be quite difficult by public transport. Although there is a city bus that circles the peninsula, the timing and frequency of the service will limit your ability to see multiple sites in one day. The Trotternish Peninsula is really meant to be explored by car and makes for a memorable road trip.
Trotternish by Organized Group Tour: If you are not visiting Skye with your own vehicle, your best option to see the sights of the Trotternish Peninsula is to join a Skye group tour that departs from Portree.
Alternatively, you can also join an organized tour from Inverness (1-day tour) or Edinburgh (3-day tour).
Trotternish Loop Drive – Best Stops and Scenic Viewpoints
The following attractions are listed in the order you will see them if you drive the circular loop counter-clockwise starting with the east coast of the peninsula, and skipping the northern tip of the peninsula by cutting across from Brogaig to Uig and stopping at the Quairing along the way (you will find a map highlighting of all these attractions at the bottom of this section).
We chose to omit from this list the attractions from the northern tip, as unless you’re only stopping briefly for a few photos, you won’t be able to see everything along the Trotternish Peninsula in only one day. We have, however, highlighted several northern tip sites of interest in another section further below.
Loch Fada & View of Storr
The first worthy photo stop is definitely a banger, where you can get a fantastic view of Skye’s most famous landmark, the Old Man of Storr, with the beautiful Loch Fada in the foreground.
To get here, you’ll have to drive along the A855 out of Portree, which at first gently ascends along an occasionally swirving single-track road. Eventually, however, the road becomes a two-lane road for most of the loop around the peninsula.
Drive Time from Portree: 10 minutes
Parking: There isn’t a proper parking lot here, only a small roadside lay-by (link to Google Maps) with space for 1-2 vehicles (free parking). If that lot is full, there are a few additional roadside lay-bys a few hundred meters further down the road, and, if you do park there, take care walking along the roadside to get to the viewpoint.
Bride’s Veil Falls
Although you can easily see the loop’s second attraction from the road, it’s worth a quick stop to better appreciate the scenic waterfall. You can also do a short hike/scramble up the side of the falls for better views of the surrounding scenery.
Drive Time from Loch Fada: 5 minutes
Parking: There is a small car park by the falls (link to Google Maps), with space for about a dozen vehicles (free parking). If that lot is full, there are a few additional roadside lay-bys a few hundred meters further down the road, and, if you do park there, take care walking along the roadside to get to the viewpoint.
Old Man of Storr
The Old Man of Storr, a towering pinnacle and an iconic landmark of the Isle of Skye, is where you can experience one of Scotland’s most spectacular hiking trails. Although you have probably seen many pictures of the area before, there is definitely something special about seeing it with your own two eyes. Most people can complete this out-and-back hike in under two hours.
For more information on this trail, check out our Old Man of Storr Hiking Guide.
Drive Time from Bride’s Veil Falls: 5 minutes
Parking: There is a large paid (£5 for 6 hours) car park by the start of the hiking trail (link to Google Maps). Despite its size, the car park can fill up quickly on busy days, as the Old Man of Storr is Skye’s most popular hiking trail.
Old Man of Storr Viewpoint
If you don’t want to do the hike or don’t have the time, you can go ahead to this spot (link to Google Maps), which is along the road side near the car park and is where the tour buses stop briefly so that people can take photos of Storr and the surrounding cliffs from below.
Admittedly, the view won’t be as impressive as from above, but then again, you won’t have to climb the short but steep trail (with lots of steps) to get to the top viewpoint.
For those who do not intend to hike up to the Old Man of Storr, the best views of the pinnacles, in our opinion, are from the Loch Fada viewpoint highlighted above.
Lealt Falls
More than just a quick photo-op, the Lealt Falls area offers many short walking trails to better view the falls from both above and below, in addition to short trails offering spectacular views of the peninsula coastline.
Drive Time from Old Man of Storr: 10 minutes
Parking: There are two medium-sized car parks by the falls (link to Google Maps) (free parking).
Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls
Here you will find two attractions for the price of one, both visible from the same observation point. One of these is Mealt Falls, one of Scotland’s most beautiful, plunging down off a sharp cliff straight into the sea. The other is Kilt Rock, the 105-meter (344-foot) basalt columns that look strikingly similar to a pleated kilt. Although both attractions are located north of the car park, don’t forget to look on the other side of the parking lot (to the south), the coastal views are quite spectacular there too.
Drive Time from Lealt Falls: 5 minutes
Parking: There is a large paid car park by the falls (link to Google Maps). The parking lot is actually surprisingly large, considering that you can visit the site rather quickly (few people linger on here more than 10-15 minutes).
The Quirang
The second most popular area of the Trottenish loop is the Quirang. A history of landslides has transformed the area into some of the most otherworldly landscapes you will have ever seen.
Although the area is the site of one of Skye’s best hiking trails, you can still fully enjoy the Quiraing by walking with little effort a short distance from the car park, where you can get some of the best views of the Quiraing.
That being said, we still highly recommend the Quiraing hike as it was one of our favorites in all of Scotland! The full circuit is a more challenging hike than the Old Man of Storr trail, requiring, on average, about 3 hours to complete. For more information, check out our Quiring Hiking Guide.
Drive Time from Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls: 15 minutes
Parking: There is a large paid car park by the falls (link to Google Maps). Much like the Old Man of Storr car park, despite its size, it can fill up quite quickly on busy summer days.
Note that the final portion of the drive to reach is on a single-track, unnamed road with sharp turns and elevation changes. It is a perfectly safe road that is in great condition, but it can be a nerve-wracking experience for some drivers and might not be ideal in bad weather conditions. If you missed it earlier, check out our Isle of Skye Road Trip Driving Guide that focuses on single-track roads.
Fairy Glen
The next stop on the Trotternish loop drive is the Fairy Glen, a small area made up of round, unique-looking hills and ponds where you can take a leisurely stroll. It will take about 30 minutes to cover the area on foot, but you can definitely stay longer if you enjoy the scenery at the fairy-like atmosphere.
There is a tall basalt rock standing on a hill, giving it the illusion of a castle (it’s in fact called Castle Ewen). You can climb to the top for some stunning views of the surrounding area. For more information on this area, check out our Fairy Glen Guide.
Drive Time from the Quiraing: 25 minutes
Parking: There is a medium-sized paid (£2 for 2 hours) car park next to the Glen (link to Google Maps). Due to the car park’s size and the easy nature of the walk through the Glen, parking can become difficult during peak hours, but fortunately, the turnover is quite quick.
Portree
Although the loop starts in Portree, Skye’s largest town, we recommend leaving your visit here either at the end of the loop or saving it for another day (especially if you are based in Portree). It’s a great place to relax, wind down and explore at a leisurely pace. You’ll find a fair number of restaurants, pubs, eateries and gift shops. For more information on visiting Portree, check out our Top Things to See and Do in Portree.
Drive Time from the Fairy Glen: 30 minutes
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).
Beyond the named attractions: the beauty of the Trotternish Peninsula
In between the stops, Trotternish won’t stop to impress. The scenery is stunning all around the peninsula, so much so that you might just want to continue looping around it. The circular drive is definitely one of the most scenic drives to do in Scotland.
Map of the Trotternish Loop Attractions
Other Sites and Attractions Along the Trotternish Loop
We highlighted above the main sights and attractions of the peninsula, which can also easily be seen within a day, even if you plan on doing a hike or two. If you have more time to dedicate to the peninsula, however, you might also be interested in some of these additional attractions (not listed in any particular order):
Skye Museum of Life (northern tip of the peninsula)- Less of an outdoorsy adventure, the museum is a great place to go if you want to learn more about the history of the Isle of Skye and its people. More information can be found on the museum’s website.
Duntulm Castle – The crumbling ruins of a castle, abandoned since the 1730s, are perched here atop a cliff near the northern tip of the peninsula (link to Google Maps). Built in the 15th century, it served as the seat of the chiefs of Clan MacDonald of Sleat. Note that there isn’t much left of the original castle, a 400-meter walk is required from the road to get there, and there is no dedicated car park.
Staffin Dinosaur Museum and An Corran Beach (east coast) – We were quite surprised to find out that there is evidence of dinosaurs on Skye. There are a few different spots where fossilized dinosaur footprints in the rocks can be seen along the peninsula, but most can be found along An Corran Beach (link to Google Maps) where you can find around 20 – however, to the untrained eye they can be quite hard to find, not to mention that they are also often covered by sand and/or seaweed, or are just plain invisible during high-tide. For more context and history, be sure to check out the Staffin Dinosaur Museum (link to Google Maps).
Brothers Point – Here lies a dramatic headland that juts out into the sea and marks the easternmost point of the Isle of Skye. To get to the eastern tip, you’ll have to hike (likely through very boggy terrain) just over 1.5km from the small lay-by off the main road where you can park (3km return trip – so plan about an hour to give yourself some time to enjoy the coastal views).
Planning your Trotternish Loop Drive Itinerary
This road trip is great because it can be easily customized depending on how much time you have on Skye and whether or not you want to do some of the amazing hikes along the way.
We recommend doing the loop counterclockwise and starting in the early morning. This is because most of the sights of interest are on the eastern side of the peninsula, and the light will be better for photography and enjoying the scenery — not to mention that the roads won’t be as busy, and finding parking will be much easier early in the day.
As highlighted above, we propose an itinerary that bypasses the northern tip of the peninsula. Following this proposed itinerary, in addition to hiking the Quiraing trail, will likely take you 6-7 hours, which we feel makes for a good but not overly demanding day of exploration. Adding the northern peninsula sites (including stops) would likely add another 2 hours to the loop.
Also, notice that we only mentioned the Quiraing hike and not the Old Man of Storr hike, which we did on a separate day. Including the Old Man of Storr hike means adding another 90-120 minutes to your Trotternish Loop itinerary.
So, if you would like to keep your Trotternish loop under 7 hours, we recommend seeing all of the main attractions listed above except for the Old Man of Storr hike and keeping it for another day, as it’s only a 15-minute drive from Portree. Alternatively, you could include the Old Man of Storr hike within the itinerary, but keep the Quiraing hike for another day. This would likely keep your Trotternish loop adventures to under 6 hours.
Best Time of Year to Drive the Trotternish Loop
While July and August are typically the warmest months, they are also peak tourist season, where you can expect large crowds at the main attractions and difficulty finding parking spots at certain attractions. Another important summer annoyance is the highland midge, Scotland’s version of the mosquito, which reaches peak numbers during July & August.
We generally recommend visiting during the shoulder season months, in particular May, June or September. The weather will likely be pleasant, crowds will be significantly reduced, and you might not see any midges (or at least far fewer of them). October can be a good month to visit with some nice autumn colors, but the days are getting shorter quickly, reducing the amount of time for outdoor activities.
Technically, Sky can be visited year-round, but off-season daylight hours will be very short, rain is more likely, and several accommodation options will be closed. It’s not uncommon to see snow on the Isle of Skye, but most of it falls in the hills and mountains rather than the lowlands. Roads can, however, still get icy all over Skye.
Nearby attractions on Skye
Sligachan Old Bridge and Waterfall – An ideal stop roughly halfway between the Skybridge and Portree, Sligachan is where you’ll find Skye’s most beautiful stone bridge, backdropped by the stunning Black Cuillin mountains. A short walk from the bridge, you can find an idyllic waterfall in a beautiful natural setting. We highly recommend taking this short walk to truly immerse yourself in nature, away from the busy road by the bridge.
The Sligachan Old Bridge and Waterfall are a 15-minute drive from Portree and the southern tip of the Trotternish Peninsula.
Dunvegan Castle – The ancestral seat of the MacLeods on Skye is the isle’s most stunning castle, and it is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland: over 800 years and counting. It’s also the only castle in Skye where you can tour the interior and learn about the rich history of the Clan Macleod. The castle’s gardens are also quite spectacular and vast, you can easily get lost in them for an hour or more.
The Dunvegan Castle is a 30-minute drive from Portree and the southern tip of the Trotternish Peninsula.
Talisker Distillery – Sample some whiskey at Skye’s oldest and most famous distillery. Even if you are not a Whisky aficionado, the experience and the beautiful setting on the banks of Loch Harport make it a worthwhile trip. It’s also easily combined with a visit to either the Talisker Bay walk (see below) or the Fairy Pools walk.
The Talisker Distillery is a 30-minute drive from Portree and the southern tip of the Trotternish Peninsula.
Eilean Donan Castle – Though not technically on Skye, it is a must-visit for anyone visiting Skye via the Skye Bridge. It is without a doubt one of Scotland’s most photogenic Castles. Sitting beautifully at the intersection of three lochs, this castle was originally built to protect the region against Viking invasions several centuries ago; however, the version you see today was reconstructed as a family home in the early 20th century.
The Eilean Donan Castle is a 60-minute drive from Portree and the southern tip of the Trotternish Peninsula.
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. You can also go for a short 2 km hike to visit the lighthouse up close (the interior is closed to the public, however).
To get the views seen in the pictures below, you only need to walk a few hundred meters from the parking lot. The landscape around the lighthouse is beautiful, even if you view it from afar.
The Neist Point Lighthouse is a 60-minute drive from Portree and the southern tip of the Trotternish Peninsula.
Where to Stay to Explore the Trotternish Peninsula
The best base from which to explore the Trotternish Peninsula is no doubt Skye’s largest town, Portree. It’s not only conveniently located to serve as the start and end point of the circular loop drive, but it’s also where you will find the most accommodation options and the most options for dining out.
These are some of the best mid-range accommodation options in Portree:
The Rosedale Hotel & Restaurant
If you would prefer to be somewhere a little more secluded without being too far from town, we highly recommend looking into Berninsdale and Skeabost. Both townships are only a 10-15 minute drive from Portree (and you are definitely surrounded by more sheep than people there).
These are some of the best mid-range accommodation options in Berninsdale and Skeaboast:
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 Trotternish Loop Travel Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip to Scotland’s beautiful Isle of Skye.
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