Things to Do on Skye When It Rains: A Local's Guide
Let's be honest: if you're visiting Skye, there's a good chance you'll get some rain. The mist rolls in over the Cuillin, the Old Man of Storr disappears into the cloud, and that hike you'd planned suddenly looks less appealing.
The good news is that the island is full of brilliant places to spend a wet day. As locals who've had plenty of practice, here are our favourites. Pick your rainy day:
Before you set off: many attractions on Skye change their hours with the seasons, and some close over winter. Always check opening times before you travel.
In and around Portree
Isle of Skye Candle Co. Visitor Centre
Our Visitor Centre in Portree, home to the candle shop, Gasta and LAS Cinema.
Yes, we're a little biased. But our Visitor Centre in Portree (the old Aros Centre) was made for days like these, and there's enough under one roof to fill an afternoon.
Candle shop & workshopBrowse the full range and watch our candles being hand-poured through the workshop window.
Gasta Pizzeria & BarHandmade Neapolitan-style pizza, coffee, cake and drinks.
LAS CinemaFilms, theatre and events. Perfect when the weather really sets in.
An StiùideoYoga and wellness sessions you can book online.
Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre
Tucked away in Portree, the Archive Centre holds centuries of records, maps and photographs from Skye and Lochalsh. There are changing exhibitions on island life, and friendly staff who can help you dig into your family history if you have Skye roots. Worth booking ahead for research visits.
Shopping for local makers
Portree has a lovely mix of independent shops selling things made on the island and across Scotland. It's a great way to while away an hour and take a bit of Skye home with you.
Around the island
Whisky and distilleries
TaliskerCarbost, on Loch HarportSkye’s oldest working distillery, pouring since 1830 on the shores of Loch Harport. Book a tour and tasting ahead in busy months, and finish with a dram while the rain lashes the loch.
TorabhaigTeangue, Sleat · A851A newer distillery in a beautifully restored 1820s farm steading, looking out over the ruins of Knock Castle. Tours, a shop and a café to warm up in afterwards.
Isle of RaasayBorodale House, RaasayTake the 25-minute CalMac ferry from Sconser and the distillery is a short walk from the pier. Big windows look straight back over the water to the Cuillin, cloud and all.
Can't decide? Our Island Whisky candle is inspired by exactly that smoky, peaty island character. Read the story behind it.
Castles and museums
Dunvegan CastleDunvegan, on the lochHome of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod for 800 years and Scotland’s oldest continuously inhabited castle. Look out for the Fairy Flag inside, and the gardens are lovely even in a drizzle.
Armadale CastleArmadale, Sleat · by the Mallaig ferryThe romantic ruin of the Clan Donald seat, with woodland gardens and the Museum of the Isles telling 1,500 years of Highland history. Handy if you’re arriving or leaving on the ferry.
Museum of Island LifeKilmuir, north of UigA cluster of thatched cottages on the Trotternish hillside, furnished as they were for 19th-century crofters. Pop up the road to Flora MacDonald’s grave while you’re there.
Giant MacAskill MuseumDunvegan villageA wee thatched cottage devoted to Angus MacAskill, the 7ft 9in Skye giant. Quirky, charming and great for kids, with a life-size model to stand next to.
Staffin Dinosaur MuseumEllishadder, StaffinA tiny, much-loved museum of fossils and dinosaur footprints found right here on the Trotternish coast. Afterwards, head to An Corran beach to spot real footprints at low tide.
Watch the island's makers at work
Skye WeaversFasach, GlendaleTweed and blankets woven on bicycle-powered looms in a converted croft house at the far west of the island. Watch the weaving and take home a throw for the sofa.
Edinbane & Uig PotteryEdinbane on the A850 · Uig by the ferry pierTwo working potteries: Edinbane, on the Portree to Dunvegan road since 1972, and Uig, right by the ferry terminal. Shelves of handmade, wood-fired and salt-glazed pieces to browse.
SkyeskynsLochbay, WaternishScotland’s only traditional sheepskin tannery, a few minutes from the Stein Inn. Free tours show how it’s all done, and the rugs are as soft as they get.
Eat, drink and stay
Some of the best rainy-day memories on Skye are made over a big slice of cake, a pint by the fire or a special dinner somewhere memorable. These are a few of our favourites, plus the places we’d happily book for a cosy night away.
Cafés
BirchBayfield Road, PortreeMelbourne-style speciality coffee roasted in-house, a short walk from the harbour, and recently named among the best cafés in the world. Calm, Scandi-style and perfect with a cruffin.
SummerQuay Brae, PortreeA tiny, colourful coffee shop on the way down to the harbour, pouring Skye-roasted coffee with some of the best focaccia sandwiches on the island. Dog-friendly, with pop-up gigs and workshops.
Café CùilCarbostmore, just above CarbostChef Clare Coghill brought her café home from Hackney to Skye. Seasonal, foraged food, sheepskins on the seats and big windows over Loch Harport. A favourite of ours.
Caora Dhubh CoffeeCarbost, opposite TaliskerA tiny wood-and-tin coffee shack and roastery, whose name is Gaelic for “black sheep”. Perfect for a takeaway on the way to Talisker or the Fairy Pools.
Bog Myrtle CaféJust off the A863 near StruanA cosy stop near the Dun Beag broch, and something a little different from your usual café. Good coffee, cake and a window seat to watch the weather roll in.
Lean To CoffeeBreakish, near BroadfordCoffee from a converted shipping container on a family croft, with seats tucked among the ruins of an old crofter’s cottage. Try the chai and a sourdough toastie in what might be the most photogenic coffee stop on the island.
We love Café Cùil so much we even stock their cookbook. You’ll find it further down, with our other favourite island cookbooks.
Pubs, live music and a pint by the fire
The Old InnCarbost, on Loch HarportA whitewashed inn on the shore, a few steps from Talisker. Hearty food, a great pint by the fire and regular live music.
The Stein InnStein, WaternishDating from 1790 and one of the oldest inns on Skye, right on the shore of Loch Bay. Low ceilings, a real fire and seafood landed just along the road.
Hotel Eilean IarmainIsleornsay, SleatTucked away in the quieter south of the island, with a wonderful atmosphere in its Am Pràban bar. Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college, is just along the road, so you’ll often hear music sessions and Gaelic spoken and sung.
TongadaleWentworth Street, PortreeA proper local in the middle of town, where the shinty team heads after every match, win, lose or draw. Always lively at the weekend.
The Pier HotelQuay Street, on Portree harbourPortree’s truest local, right on the pier beside the colourful harbour houses. Small and friendly, it only takes two or three of you to make a good night of it.
Heading out for the night? Skye’s roads are dark and twisty, so plan a lift or a taxi home and enjoy yourself.
Fine dining
ScorrybreacBosville Terrace, PortreeChef Calum Munro’s intimate restaurant above the harbour, named after the cliffs around the bay. Inventive seasonal menus built on foraged and local produce, from seaweed to shellfish.
The Three ChimneysColbost, near DunveganThe restaurant that put Skye on the food map, in a whitewashed croft house on the shores of Loch Dunvegan since 1985. Book well ahead, and stay over in the House Over-By.
Kinloch LodgeSleat, on Loch na DalThe Macdonald family’s historic former hunting lodge on the shore, with roaring fires and a celebrated dining room serving the very best of Skye’s larder.
Our favourite places to stay
Cuillin Hills HotelAbove the bay, PortreeA former hunting lodge in private grounds, with views across Portree Bay to the Cuillin. A short walk into town, and a lovely spot for a dram as the sun goes down.
MarmaladeHome Farm Road, PortreeA boutique hotel in a listed Georgian manor on the leafy edge of town, named after the orange trees once grown here. Garden saunas, a chargrill restaurant and a short walk to the harbour.
Duisdale HouseIsleornsay, SleatA Victorian hunting lodge turned country-house hotel, in woodland gardens above the Sound of Sleat. Tartan, open fires and a cosy Chart Room bar, perfect after a wet day out.
Or get outside and embrace it
"There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing."
Rain is part of what makes Skye so beautiful. It's what keeps the hills so green, fills the waterfalls and brings the mist rolling dramatically through the Cuillin. Some of our favourite days on the island have been spent out in it, and the paths are often much quieter too.
The secret is simply being dressed for it. Your rainy-day kit list:
Waterproof jacket
Waterproof trousers
Good boots
A warm layer
Arrived without the right kit? Don't worry: Inside Out in Portree sells outdoor clothing and gear, so you can pick up whatever you need and head straight out. Then pull up your hood, enjoy the rain, and come back to a warm drink and a candle afterwards.
Stay safe: conditions can change quickly on the hills, so check the forecast and stick to lower-level walks when the cloud is down.
Or stay in and get cooking
The best kind of rainy afternoon.
Sometimes the best thing to do on a wet Skye day is stay put. Light a candle, put the kettle on and fill the cottage with the smell of something baking while the weather rolls across the hills. The Scots have a word for it: coorie.
A rainy day is the perfect excuse to cook your way through the islands. These are the cookbooks we stock in our Visitor Centre and online, all full of recipes from the Hebrides and beyond:
And to set the mood, light a candle that smells of the island. If you’re staying in a holiday cottage, a travel candle packs easily in a suitcase, and our Scottish Collection is the best way to bring the scent of Skye home with you.
Café Cùil Cookbook£25Seasonal, foraged recipes from our favourite café in Carbost.
Café Canna: Recipes From a Hebridean Island£25A celebration of the tiny island of Canna and the dishes its community is famous for.
Winter Warmers£12.9960 cosy cocktails, from mulled wine to hot toddies, for when the cooking’s done.
Island Whisky£26Smoky, peaty and warm, like a dram by the fire.
Hebridean Breeze£26Coastal, fresh and restorative.
Travel CandlesFrom £15Small enough for a suitcase.
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