Once a busy port, Portree is now busy with tourists. The capital of the island is a busy hub full of craft shops, eating places, banks, a filling station, arts centre, swimming pool, hairdressers, chemist and supermarkets. If you need anything, you'll probably find it here.
Set round its natural harbour, Portree is the main town on Skye and an important centre, with an excellent range of shops and leisure facilities, including pony-trekking and boat cruises. It is very much a cultural focus for the island and the Aros Centre at the south end of the town has a programme of concerts, theatre and cinema, as well as an exhibition about the environment of Skye and Lochalsh and an RSPB exhibit with nest cameras for the rare sea-eagles.
Toravaig House Hotel is situated just under an hour’s drive from Portree and there are some beautiful sights along the way.
North of Portree the Trotternish Ridge - the edge of an ancient lava sheet - stretches for around 20 miles (31km) in a line of continuous cliffs west of the road. In places, landslips long ago have created fantastic rockforms and pinnacles.
The first of these, the Old Man of Storr, is approachable by a footpath and is easily seen against the skyline from the main road. Kilt Rock is a little way further north. Here, alternate bandings of two rock types on the coastal cliff have created a curious pleated effect like a kilt.
The Quiraing lies a few minutes further on. The rock formations here are perhaps the most extraordinary of all, with intriguing features such as the Needle, the Prison and the Table. (There are walks for the careful and sure footed).
Toravaig Hotel provides
small luxury accommodation in Sleat, the south eastern part of the Isle of Skye.