56 Portree – Lonmore

This is a trip in ‘Wow Factor’ scenery linking Portree, a vibrant and beautiful fishing location with the idyllic Lonmore and the Glendale region, nestled inland from steep cliffs that are home to thousands of seabirds and undoubtedly the finest place on Skye for seeing whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking shark.

Leaving Portree behind, it’s an open road, almost bleak but certainly atmospheric ride over the River Toa at the point at which it is the gateway to the River Snizorf. Through Bernisdale the bus travels, close to Loch Snizort Beag, the winding round the coast , through lonely terrain to Arnisort. A further meander round to Dunvegan, passing close to the crofting settlement of Feolig and then it is tantalisingly near to Loch Vatten. Longmore has been passed and it’s a desolate, mountainous road, straddled with wild flowers and shrubland, through Colbust, the scattered hamlet overlooking Loch Dunvegan. The journey enters its ambient finale, over the Hamra River, past grazing horses, ponies and sheep, then approaching Glendale with its seals basking on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel and Loch Dunvegan at low tide and otters fishing for sea urchins. There is a beautiful, clean beach of black, volcanic sand at the head of Loch Pooltiel, the perfect place for a picnic.

The bus makes its way close to where sea eagles, golden eagles, buzzards, merlins and kestrels all nest nearby. There’s meadows with adorning bluebells, orchids, violets and primroses in this unspoilt corner of Skye, where the scenery is simply breathtaking. Glendale is a peaceful and unspoiled corner of Skye that makes an excellent base for walking, fishing, birdwatching, cycling, climbing and diving holidays. The scenery is quite simply breath-taking all year round.

There are only 3 buses a day, so our advice is either to stopover and make a couple of days or more of the trip to this paradisical setting, or possibly enjoy the places of interest at each end of the route, possibly stopping off at Dunvegan Castle.

At Portree, there’s paddling, pony trekking, boat cruises, a swimming pool and great shopping in Portree as well as coach tours around the Isle of Skye. The award-winning Aros Centre also runs theatre, concerts and film shows. The journey on the bus is simply stunning, though disembarking at Dunvegan Castle is highly recommended. The home of the chiefs of MacLeod for nearly 800 years, this is believed to be the oldest inhabited castle in the UK and home to an array of fiction and scary facts. There’s a torturous dungeon, water garden and the opportunity to enjoy seal boat trips as well as shops and a great restaurant before getting back on the bus to Glendale.

Lonmore and the Glendale region is great for wildlife walks, with bird watching on the cliffs and shore – whales, porpoises and dolphins are often visible form Neist Point and there’s lovely fields to ramble through around Milovaig and Glendale with fabulous wild flowers. The fresh air and serenity of Glendale makes it an incredible place to watch the Night Sky, with the Milky Way very clear after dark and Shooting Stars streaking overhead. On Autumn and Spring nights, the Aurora Borealis offers an unforgettably glorious sight over Loch Pooltiel. Close by are the MacLeod’s Tables, fantastic flat-topped mountains, Healabhal Mor and Healabhal Beag with their more gentle rise contrasting with the rugged and jagged peaks of the Black Cuillins (fondly known as ‘The British Alps’)!

Gateway to 56

From Inverness on Stagecoach’s 917 service