From Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye is about 236 miles to Portree, a little over five hours at the wheel without stops, by the A9, Glen Shiel and the Skye Bridge. By Glencoe and Fort William it is about 245 miles and six hours; by Loch Ness, about 270 miles. With stops, every route is a full day, so we split it with a night on the way. There is no direct train or coach.
Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye by car: three routes
There are three sensible ways to drive from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye, and the right one depends on what you want to see on the way. We measured each of them on the road, without stops. In practice, add two to three hours for lunch, fuel and the places below.
| Route to Portree | Distance | At the wheel |
|---|---|---|
| By the A9, Glen Shiel and the Skye Bridge | 236 miles / 380 km | about 5 h 10 |
| By Glencoe, Fort William and the Skye Bridge | 245 miles / 394 km | about 5 h 50 |
| By Inverness and Loch Ness | 270 miles / 435 km | about 6 h |
| By Glencoe and the Road to the Isles, ferry from Mallaig | about 227 miles plus the crossing | about 6 h plus the ferry |
The fastest route: the A9 and Glen Shiel
The quickest road from Edinburgh to Skye surprises most people, because it uses neither Glencoe nor Loch Ness. It runs north on the A9 past Pitlochry to Dalwhinnie, then west along Loch Laggan to Spean Bridge, where the Commando Memorial looks over the hills where the commandos trained in the Second World War. From there, the road climbs through Invergarry and down Glen Shiel.
Eilean Donan Castle stands at the foot of the glen, on its island in Loch Duich, about a quarter of an hour before the bridge. Tickets cost £13 and are sold only at the castle, on the day, and it closes in January. The Skye Bridge, which starts at Kyle of Lochalsh, has been free to cross since 2004.
By Glencoe and the Road to the Isles
The western route is the one we would choose for the drive itself. From Stirling and Crianlarich, the A82 crosses Rannoch Moor and drops into Glencoe; the National Trust for Scotland visitor centre there is free, with a £4 car park. Fort William is half an hour further on.
From Fort William you have a choice. Either continue north by Invergarry to Glen Shiel and the bridge, or take the A830, the Road to the Isles, west by Glenfinnan to Mallaig. At Glenfinnan, the monument to the 1745 rising stands at the head of Loch Shiel, and the viaduct behind it carries the Jacobite steam train in season: in 2026, from 1 June to 23 October. From Mallaig, the CalMac ferry crosses to Armadale in the south of Skye.
Book the Mallaig ferry
Book the crossing in advance, even on foot. In winter, a smaller ship runs the route, and it takes no caravans, trailers or motorhomes; the winter timetable runs from late October to late March.
By Inverness and Loch Ness
The longest route goes up the A9 to Inverness, about three and a half hours, then down the shore of Loch Ness to Invermoriston and west to Glen Shiel. It suits a trip that already includes Inverness or Culloden.
Urquhart Castle is the stop on this route. Book ahead: tickets cost £14 online and £16 at the castle, and once they are sold out online, none are sold at the gate. Its car park is guaranteed only with an online booking.
Should you drive Edinburgh to Skye in one day?
You can, but we never plan it that way. Five to six hours at the wheel, after a long-haul flight or a morning in Edinburgh, leaves you arriving on Skye tired and in the dark for half the year, with Glencoe and Eilean Donan seen through a windscreen.
Instead, we break the journey with a night on the way, in Glencoe, Fort William or by Loch Ness, and arrive on the island with an afternoon to spare. Our Highlands and Skye itinerary spends two nights by Loch Ness before Skye; Skye and the Road to the Isles goes in by Glenfinnan and the Mallaig ferry, and out over the bridge.
On your own, you handle
- The route and where to break it
- The ferry, Urquhart tickets and a room for the night
- Arriving on Skye before dark
On our self-drive tours, we handle
- A night on the way, booked
- The ferry and the entry fees, included
- A travel book with each stop and the drive times
Edinburgh to Skye without a car
No train or coach runs from Edinburgh to Skye without a change. The usual way is by train to Inverness, then the Citylink coach to Portree, about three and a quarter hours. Alternatively, the Kyle line runs from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh in about 2 hours 40; the bridge starts there, and Skye is a short bus ride beyond.
From Glasgow, the Citylink coach reaches Portree by Fort William in about six and a half hours, and the West Highland Line runs to Mallaig in about five and a half, for the ferry. Either way, count on a full day, and on a car or a tour once you arrive: Skye's best places, the Storr and the Quiraing among them, are not on a bus route you can rely on.
