1 Day Tour from Inverness - Isle of Skye, Fairy Pools, and Eilean Donan Castle
Description
Explore the magical Isle of Skye, swim in the Fairy Pools, view Eilean Donan Castle and Portree, enjoy a dram of Single Malt Scotch at Talisker Whisky Distillery, plus much more on this 1-day group tour from Inverness. Travel by coach to see the jewels of the Isle on this jam-packed bumper day journey.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Loch Ness is known as the home of the Loch Ness Monster (also known as "Nessie"). The earliest report of a monster in the vicinity of Loch Ness appears in the Life of St. Columba by Adomnán, written in the sixth century AD.
Once on the Isle of Skye we make our way up the east coast of the island. Take in the stunning views of the Red and Black Cuillin mountains, and the islands of Scalpay and Raasay as we head south west through many small villages, down single track roads towards the Fairy Pools.
Walk in the shadow of the Cuillin Mountains, with the supernaturals through fairy-sized landscapes and their most famous baths, the Fairy Pools. The pools are located in one of the most dramatic landscapes on Skye. The fairies regularly bathe here, in the crystal clear green pools of the River Brittle. Weather permitting, you can swim in the pools of the river, one of the UK’s best wild swimming spots. Have fun diving under natural arches and waterfalls, but please do not spy on the fairies, as they can easily take offence!
Talisker distillery based in Carbost was the only whiskey distillery on the Isle of Skye, the whiskey is a single malt Scotch, with a very distinctive Peaty-smoky taste. We shall go through the Visitor Centre and if available sample one of the fine whiskys produced here.
We will spend some time in the tiny harbour town of Portree, the capital of the Isle of Skye with its brightly coloured buildings beside a picturesque harbour, the name of the town of Portree commemorates the visit of King James the V in 1540, records have it that it was originally called Portray and was believed to have been inhabited as far back as the Mesolithic period.
Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most recognised castles in Scotland. Strategically located on its own little island, overlooking the Isle of Skye, at the point where three great sea-lochs meet, and surrounded by the majestic splendour of the forested mountains of Kintail, Eilean Donan’s setting is truly breath-taking.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Minimum age is 6 years
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- The duration of the journey is approximate, the exact duration will depend on traffic and weather conditions
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Not recommended for travellers with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair
Reviews(175)
We had a very pleasant trip with a friendly, very professional, fun guy as a driver and guide.
Thank you. Driver/Guide is a pro. Thanks again
This was our first visit to Scotland, and it was an unforgettable experience. Our small group departed on time, and Rab’s insights and candid commentary provided a superb introduction to the region, giving us a clear understanding of where we were going and what to expect along the way. Travelling alongside Loch Ness, we made our way to the stunning Eilean Donan Castle before continuing our journey through the breathtaking Isle of Skye. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the magical Fairy Pools, whose crystal-clear waters and dramatic scenery made for a truly memorable experience. Throughout the tour, the landscapes were spectacular, and Rab’s knowledge, humour, and storytelling brought Scotland’s history and culture to life. It was a fantastic introduction to the Highlands and a trip we will always remember.
So glad you enjoyed Rab's company and our beautiful country. Looking forward to seeing you again.
Bus never showed. Tried calling several times but never answered. Double, triple, and quadruple checked date, time, and location to make sure I did not miss anything. So not only did we miss out on the Skye tour our day was wasted.
Awful review. If you do not leave we can only contact you by email. You may be on holiday but need to check your email.
Our guide and driver was almost the best part of our whole day tour. Very interesting hearing about Skye, from rock formations, history and fairies to stupid tourists in rental cars:) We had perfect weather and a very enjoyable day.
The tour was wonderful and we saw everything we wanted to on the Skye. The highlight would be the fairy pools and Talisker Distillery. The only thing not so good was the tour guide. .
Oh, that is strange our driver guides are highly trained and are professionals, you can't keep everybody all the time. Glad you enjoyed the tour though.
Richard was the best tour guide! He knew so many stories and facts about Scotland and we loved every minute! And would recommend for anyone going to the area. We got to see so much and hear so many stories that we loved!
Tour cancelled on the morning of departure with unusable notice. I booked the “Best of Skye” tour from Portree for my only full day on Skye. I arrived at Somerled Square before 08:30 and waited at the pickup point. There was no Tour Skye bus, no driver and no representative. I called several times, but nobody answered. Only later did I find out that the tour had been cancelled because the driver/guide was sick. The cancellation email had gone to spam, and there was no phone call or usable warning before departure. By that time I had already lost the chance to easily join another tour. Tour Skye did issue a full refund, which is correct, but the communication and operational handling were poor. A refund does not fix the lost morning, the stress, the cold wait at the pickup point, or the fact that I only had one full day on Skye. The problem was not that a driver got sick. That can happen. The problem was the lack of clear, timely communication and no practical backup for customers already waiting at the departure point.
The tour was cancelled. You were sent an email the moment we knew about it and a full refund was issued immediately. Poor communication? we even hooked you up with another tour company so you could tour and not loose a day on Skye. We could not have done anything else but appologies for the inconvenience.
Amazing tour! Mitch was an amazing guide, tended to our every need, just amazing. Would do same tour again when back on Skye!
Thank you for taking the time leaving a review. Mitch will be so happy as that was his first ever tour. Safe travels.
We had a tour guide change up, an older gentleman from another company but he was great and enjoyable to listen to. He took us to a local eatery for lunch and was good with timing. The fairy pools don’t look like the picture but that could have been time of year. Regardless it was a beautiful hike and an enjoyable day!
The booked excursion was unfortunately cancelled at very short notice, one day before. This was very annoying as we could not book a new excursion at such short notice. Am a bit surprised TripAdvisor has no knowledge of the cancellation. I hope that at least the refund will be quick and hassle-free. Anyway, we were very disappointed. The trip was one of our highlights on our Scotland tour.
