Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye Road Trip (5 Days)
A 5-day drive from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye — day-by-day route, where to sleep, real costs and the Highland stops worth making.
Rough estimate — fuel + nights at typical rates. Get an exact figure in the calculator.
Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye is one of the great drives of Britain: castles, glens, sea lochs and jagged Highland peaks packed into about 750 km. Remember you drive on the left, and there are no road tolls anywhere in Scotland — the Skye Bridge is free.
Day 1 — Edinburgh to Glencoe (177 km)
Pick up the car and head northwest past Loch Lomond into the mountains. Glencoe is the scenic highlight of the day — pull into the viewpoints and take a short walk. Sleep in Glencoe village or Ballachulish.
Day 2 — Glencoe to Fort William (30 km)
A short hop, so linger in the glens. In Fort William, stock up and — crucially — fill the tank, as fuel stations are sparse further north. Ben Nevis looms above town if you fancy a walk.
Day 3 — Fort William to Eilean Donan and Skye (170 km)
Take the A82 and the A87 through Glen Shiel, stopping at the iconic Eilean Donan Castle. Cross the free Skye Bridge onto the island. From here the roads are often single-track — use the passing places and be courteous. Base yourself in Portree.
Day 4 — Skye’s north: Storr and Quiraing
Spend the day exploring. Hike up to the Old Man of Storr early, then drive the loop to the otherworldly Quiraing. Weather is very changeable — pack layers and waterproofs. In summer, midges are fierce at dusk, so bring repellent.
Day 5 — Back to Edinburgh (377 km)
A long but beautiful drive back south. Return the car in Edinburgh.
Costs
Use the cost calculator to price fuel and nights for your exact dates. As a rough guide: ~£70–120/night for accommodation, plus fuel for ~750 km. There are no tolls to budget for. Booking a car and Skye beds early saves the most, especially in summer.
This trip is also in the free Roadcut trip planner: change the number of days and where you sleep each night, pick your vehicle to see the fuel cost, check the weather on the road, and open each day in Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze.
Where to stay on this route
Night by night, in the towns this itinerary sleeps in.
- Night 1Hotels in Glencoe →Hotels in Ballachulish →
- Night 2Hotels in Fort William →
- Nights 3–4Hotels in Portree →
The search opens with sample dates a month from today — change them to yours on Booking. Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The route on video
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⚡ By electric car on this route
108 charging stations within 1.5 km of the road.
For most of them OpenStreetMap does not record the power, so we cannot say where the fast chargers are — check your charging app before you set off.
According to OpenStreetMap and operators’ websites. Fast = a DC plug or 50 kW and more; not every station has its power filled in, so there may be more. See them on the planner map → · EV charging →
🚦 Know before you go
Bridges & tunnels · Good to know
Bridges & tunnels. The Skye Bridge is now free — its toll was abolished in 2004 — as are the Forth road bridges leaving Edinburgh.
Good to know. You can drive straight onto Skye across the free bridge; the Mallaig–Armadale car ferry is only an optional scenic alternative and should be booked ahead in summer.
Estimate your exact costs in the cost calculator. Prices are approximate — check official sites before you travel. Some links are affiliate links.
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Where to sleep
Hotels & B&Bs →Holiday homes & apartments →Campsites (bookable) →Campervan & overnight spots →Tours & tickets
Find things to do →Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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