Skye & the Small Isles

Skye divides into two completely different places, geographically and experientially. The Black Cuillin in the south is a gabbro ridge of twelve Munros — the only ridge in Britain where every summit requires scrambling or climbing to reach, and where the magnetic rock means compasses are unreliable. The rest of Skye — the Trotternish peninsula in the north with the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr, the Waternish and Duirinish peninsulas in the west, the Sleat peninsula in the south — is gentler, coastal, and equally dramatic in different ways. These are two separate destinations sharing an island.

The Cuillin is not for everyone. Sgurr nan Gillean, Bruach na Frithe, and the Inaccessible Pinnacle cannot be reached on foot without using hands on rock — the question is not whether to scramble but how committed that scrambling needs to be. The Inn Pinn (Sgurr Dearg) requires a genuine rock climb to summit. The full Cuillin Ridge Traverse — all twelve Munros in one continuous push — is a multi-pitch climbing undertaking that the fastest parties complete in under three hours and most guided trips take two days. If your experience is walking rather than climbing, stick to the north of the island and save the Cuillin for when you've developed the skills.

The Small Isles — Rum, Eigg, Muck, and Canna — are reached by CalMac ferry from Mallaig. Rum is the wildest: a mountain wilderness run as a National Nature Reserve with a small population and the magnificent Kinloch Castle (now in disrepair). Eigg has the best general walking, a thriving community, and the extraordinary Singing Sands beach. Muck is tiny, friendly, and relaxing. Canna has seabirds. All four are worth a night at minimum.