A Guide to Skye’s Hotels

There’s more to Skye’s accommodation than crofts and cabins. Across the island, from the quiet bays of the south to the long views of Trotternish, you’ll find hotels that offer more than just a bed for the night. Many are shaped by their history—former drovers’ inns, lairds’ houses, Victorian hunting lodges—now run by families, chefs, or islanders who’ve restored them with care. Some are still closely tied to the land and sea around them, with seasonal menus built on what’s landed, grown or foraged nearby. Others lean into comfort and design, adding firepits, saunas or sea-view tubs without losing sight of where they are.

Portree remains a popular base, and its hotels reflect that: Georgian townhouses with garden-facing rooms, whisky bars with serious collections, and restaurants serving Skye venison or gin-cured fish. Further out, places like Edinbane, Stein, and Elgol offer a quieter pace. You’ll find hotels where music plays by the fire, where menus change each day, and where you’re more likely to hear Gaelic at the bar than not. Some, like the Bracken Hide or Monkstadt 1745, have created something more distinctive—concept stays that link modern comfort with historical narrative or clever design.

You’ll notice the attention to detail. Skye Weavers blankets, Highland Soap Company toiletries, warm bread baked that morning, or local art on the walls—it all adds up to something that feels made, not manufactured. And while the rooms range from understated to grand, they rarely feel out of place. The best of them hold on to a sense of where they are, whether that’s a farmhouse near Loch Dunvegan or a whitewashed inn at the water’s edge in Sleat.

This guide includes a wide range—from family-run restaurants with rooms to hillside pods and restored mansions. It’s not exhaustive, but it covers the hotels we think stand out for one reason or another. Good food, warm rooms, thoughtful service, and something about them you’ll remember.

BROADFORD & SURROUNDS

Broadford is often seen as a waypoint — the first main stop after crossing the Skye Bridge — but there’s more here than just a place to pass through. Along the bay you’ll find the Broadford Hotel, once home to Drambuie, now quietly modernised with a vintage flair. Further west, at the foot of the Cuillins, the Sligachan Hotel has long served as a base for walkers and climbers, its whisky bar a destination in itself. And in Elgol, beyond the single-track, Coruisk House offers something different — low-key luxury and warm hospitality at the edge of the hills. This part of the island feels quieter than the north, more grounded, with open views across the water and fewer crowds. It’s a good base for exploring south Skye, for boat trips to Loch Coruisk, or simply for staying put and enjoying a slower rhythm.

Sligachan Hotel
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Where the road forks, left for Dunvegan and right for Portree, this legendary hotel dates back to 1830 and was once an old drovers’ inn before becoming a magnet for gentleman climbers set on conquering the mighty Cuillins. Today it’s still a popular pitstop, its 21 rooms recently given a contemporary makeover. Downstairs Seumas’s bar dishes up pub grub and is stocked with over 400 malt whiskies.
Sligachan

The Broadford Hotel
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As claims to fame go, ‘the home of Drambuie’, the iconic Scottish liqueur, a blend of whisky, heather honey and herbs isn’t a bad one for a hotel on Skye’s welltrodden tourist trail. The 11 bedrooms have Drambuie-inspired tartan textiles and a vintage vibe, while the bartenders in the Spinnaker Bar whip up Drambuieinspired cocktails. The hotel’s new drinking den, Gabbro Bar, also has a pool table and dog-friendly dining.
Torrin Road

Coruisk House
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Off Skye’s well-trodden tourist trail, the remote fishing village of Elgol is home to this small, whitewashed hotel with its handful of charming, rustic-chic rooms, one with a romantic Victorian half-tester, another a cream iron bed, in the lower steading suite a glamorous slipper bath, all with a peppering of antiques. There’s a cosy wood-burning stove in the lounge where you can curl up after a boat trip to Loch Coruisk from the harbour or a hike in the heather-sprung hills. For a romantic hideaway they also have a thatched cottage next door.

PORTREE & CENTRAL SKYE

Portree is Skye’s capital in everything but name — the island’s main town and transport hub, with a horseshoe harbour, shops, cafés, and access to the north, west and south. It’s the most practical base for first-time visitors and well placed for those who want to explore without moving hotels. In town, The Bosville offers a lively bar and bright rooms with a contemporary finish, while nearby, Marmalade pairs Georgian bones with clean modern lines and a hilltop view. On the edge of town, the Cuillin Hills Hotel has one of the best outlooks on Skye, with formal dining and a long whisky list to match. Just outside, The Bracken Hide rethinks the idea of a hotel altogether — grass-roofed pods, a sauna and a whisky bar perched above the bay. Further afield, Edinbane brings quieter surroundings, where both the inn and the lodge offer excellent food and a more rural feel.

Edinbane Inn
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In the heart of this quiet village, just off the road between Dunvegan and Portree on the shore of Loch Greshornish, this 200-year-old inn has six contemporary rooms; think tartan carpets and smart tongue and groove headboards, up a steep staircase. There’s a cosy bar and restaurant downstairs dishing up good gastropub grub and local ales and regular traditional music sessions.

The Bracken Hide
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Perched above Portree, the Bracken Hide, a striking grass-roofed concept hotel is made up of the Hub, home to the restaurant, whisky bar, lounge, screening and games room and a peppering of 45 ensuite pods scattered across 53-acre hillside with views of the Cuillins or over to the Isle of Raasay. There’s also a couple of Nordic saunas, plunge pool and pond for wild dips.

Marmalade Hotel
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Set in leafy grounds – complete with outdoor sauna - just up the hill from pretty Portree this popular boutique hotel is in an old Georgian house and striking contemporary extension. The 34 rooms have a smoky grey and mustard palette with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the gardens and over to the mountains.

Cuillin Hills Hotel
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This old hunting lodge now a familyowned hotel, is cradled by 15 acres of mature grounds and looks down onto Portree’s pastel-painted harbour and over the Sound of Raasay to the Cuillin mountains beyond.
Built by the Macdonalds in 1865 as a shooting lodge, the family began to spend more time here in the early 20th century after their main residence, Armadale Castle, fell into disrepair. The property was sold in the 1950s, however, and briefly used to house workers from Holm Mills, before being converted into a country house hotel in the 1960s.
Today, it is a handsome hideaway with 39 contemporary rooms, some in turrets, many with dreamy views. The restaurant also looks out to sea and showcases the best of Scotland’s produce with starters such as local Misty Isle Gin-cured salmon on a bed of Orbost-grown salad and pickled samphire and mains including North Atlantic hake with a Dunvegan crab butter sauce. After dinner you can retire to the drawing room for a nightcap. The hotel has an ever-expanding collection of over 130 malt and grain whiskies and also offers a number of whisky flights.

The Bosville
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This small, friendly hotel overlooking the harbour in Portree is made up of three 19th-century cottages. The 20 rooms are bright and contemporary, dove grey tongue and groove, burnt orange throws and peaty grey cushions from Skye Weavers. Downstairs there’s a lively bar and restaurant showcasing local produce.

Edinbane Lodge
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Local chef Calum Montgomery and his family took on a derelict 16th-century hunting lodge in the leafy hamlet of Edinbane in 2018, turning it into an awardwinning restaurant with rooms. In the main house there are four comfortable bedrooms decked out in dark wood, earthy tartans and tweeds and artworks by local artists. In 2024 they added two luxurious riverside suites, each with a private decking area, fire-pit and views over the tumbling tree-fringed burn.

Monkstadt 1745
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A handsome house with history seeping out of the stonework, a smattering of four posters and bona fide Bonnie Prince Charlie credentials; Monkstadt 1745 is a luxury restaurant with rooms with a handful of smart self-catering cottages in a converted steading.
After the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie, fleeing government forces with the help of Flora Macdonald, landed on the shore below the house.

At the time, the house was the seat of the Clan Donald and Lady Margaret Macdonald, the laird’s wife and a Jacobite sympathiser, gave them provisions and helped them escape.
By 1798, however, the family had moved to the newly restored Armadale Castle in Sleat in the south of Skye and the house fell into disrepair. When it was purchased by the MacQueen family in the 1980s it was a ruin. They began a painstaking restoration and today you can sleep in one of the luxurious suites named after historic characters linked to the house - or the sunset suite in the garden with its sea view hot tub.

WATERNISH, DUNVEGAN & DUIRINISH

The western edges of Skye feel more remote, even though they’re not far from Portree by road. Dunvegan, known for its castle and long sea loch, is the largest settlement, while places like Colbost, Stein and Roag dot the coastline with a rhythm all their own. This part of the island draws visitors looking for a slower pace, good food, and dramatic views across to the Outer Hebrides. The Three Chimneys is a well-known destination restaurant, with its next-door House Over-By offering refined coastal rooms. At Stein, the inn has held its place for centuries, now modernised but still full of character. In Roag, Hame Hotel blends Scandinavian style with Highland warmth, while The Dunvegan Hotel faces the loch with views across to MacLeod’s Tables. The west isn’t just quieter — it’s more settled, less shaped by tourism, and the hotels reflect that, with a confidence born from long connection to place.

The Three Chimneys
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What a destination restaurant in a farflung corner of the Hebrides needs is somewhere close by to bed down. Which is why next door to this legendary eatery you’ll find the House Over-by with its six contemporary, coastal chic rooms; pale wooden floors, Shaker-style tongue and groove headboards and sheepskin rugs. Breakfast is served in the relaxed lounge with its scattered seating, cosy woodburning stove and binoculars for sealspotting on Loch Dunvegan.

Stein Inn
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Charlie Haddock took over the legendary 18th-century Stein Inn in 2019 and it’s now very much a family affair; Charlie front-ofhouse, daughter Clemence working in the restaurant during the holidays, son Jack often swimming from the jetty. In 2024 the five bedrooms were given a makeover, think charcoal tongue and groove and dreamy sea views from the window seats.

Hame Hotel
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Hame is where the heart is’ – although this Hame from home is in the hamlet of Roag. A smart wood-clad boutique hotel, the restaurant’s glass doors open onto decking looking out over Loch Vattan. Inside the lounge has a contemporary vibe while the eight rooms are Scandichic simplicity with tweed headboards and sheepskin-strewn chairs.

The Dunvegan Hotel
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Tim and Blair Hunter Davies opened this family run restaurant with rooms in the north-west of the island in 2019. Dating back to 1850 the house was originally built for the factor of Dunvegan Castle. Today it has six smart contemporary rooms, decked out with Skye Weavers’ throws and Highland Soap Company toiletries, with views across Loch Dunvegan and the Macleods Tables or towards the Millenium Stone hillside.

MINGINISH & THE CUILLIN HILLS

This is the Skye of photographs — steep glens, jagged peaks, fast-moving weather. Minginish stretches south-west from Sligachan and includes Glen Brittle, Carbost and the road to the Fairy Pools. The area is all about the Cuillin mountains, which dominate the skyline and shape every route. Accommodation here tends to suit walkers, climbers, or anyone looking to stay close to the wildest parts of the island. Skeabost Hotel, at the mouth of the River Snizort, offers a more refined base within reach of the hills. Though just outside this region’s core, it provides comfort and space after a day out in the weather. It’s the contrast that makes Minginish compelling — hard terrain, soft beds, muddy boots beside fine food. And with few options for accommodation inside the glen itself, those staying nearby get the best of both worlds: access without the crowds.

Skeabost Hotel
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Sitting at the mouth of the River Snizort, the historic Skeabost Hotel offers luxurious accommodation in a Victorian mansion. The rooms are modern but inspired by Skye’s heritage while the food demonstrates the island’s incredible natural larder.

TROTTERNISH

The Trotternish Peninsula rises like a crooked finger along Skye’s northeastern coast, home to the island’s most photographed landmarks — the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing, Kilt Rock. It’s a wild stretch of land shaped by ancient landslips and long views. Most visitors explore it by day, driving loops from Portree, but a few stay out here and experience it differently. In Uig, The Ferry Inn faces the bay and offers thoughtful interiors in a traditional shell — a good place to watch the last ferry of the day slip away. Inland at Culnacnoc, The Glenview is something else again: part B&B, part creative space, with a feel that’s both personal and unusual. Trotternish isn’t heavy on accommodation, but what it does offer tends to attract those seeking something with more character — places with a quieter atmosphere that make the most of their setting.

The Ferry Inn
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This family run inn looks out over Uig Bay. Watch the ferries depart from the cosy window seats or fishing boats chugging out to sea. There are just three TV-free rooms, decked out with gorgeous fabrics and a smattering of antiques, while the lounge has a wood- burning stove, books to thumb and a record player and stack of vinyl.

The Glenview
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The Glenview was once an award-winning restaurant with rooms – until Australian chef Simon Wallwork retrained as a yoga teacher. Now a creative hub and eclectic B&B with three charming rooms – think brass beds and retro-chic vibe - it’s also home to Earth & Skye Yoga and Shilasdair Yarns.

SLEAT

Often described as the garden of Skye, Sleat has a softer landscape than the north — wooded glens, working crofts, and views across the Sound of Sleat to Knoydart. It’s here you’ll find two of Skye’s most established hotels. Kinloch Lodge, once home to Clan Macdonald, has built a reputation over decades as a place of comfort, cooking and Highland hospitality. Under Isabella Macdonald, the tone has shifted slightly — less formality, more connection to the land, but still rooted in tradition. Nearby, Hotel Eilean Iarmain sits right on the water in Isleornsay, with whitewashed walls, chintzy rooms, and a bar that feels made for wet-weather evenings. Sleat suits those looking for a quieter stay — there’s less through traffic here, and while it’s close to the ferry at Armadale and the mainland, it still feels separate. The hotels are part of that — settled, comfortable, and made to be returned to.

Kinloch Lodge
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Just over half a century ago, Godfrey, Lord Macdonald and High Chief of Clan Donald and Scotland’s legendary cookery book author, Lady Claire Macdonald, first opened the family home - and ancestral seat - to guests. Now the 17th-century hunting lodge on the shore of Loch na Dal, is one of Skye’s most famous gourmet hotels. There's a roaring log fire in the drawing room, family photos in the bar and ancestral portraits in the dining room. And the hotel’s ghillie on hand to help you explore the vast wilderness on your doorstep -from fly fishing to fungi foraging in the forest.
Kinloch Lodge prides itself on its Highland hospitality which has been fine-tuned over five decades. The hotel is now run by Isabella, their daughter, who is steering it in a more modern direction. The 18 rooms and suites, split between the main lodge, which dates back to 1676, and the newer South Lodge have recently been refurbished. Peppered with antiques and paintings from the family’s long history along with framed letters, some now boast bespoke tweed headboards, the cloth woven by Dunvegan-based Skye Weavers and decadent roll-top tubs.
Head chef, Jordan Webb has also taken a new approach, swapping the traditional tasting menu for a daily-changing dinner menu. Planting a vegetable, fruit and herb garden in the grounds and foraging for seaweed, sea vegetables and herbs down on the shore of Loch na Dal and meadowsweet, wild garlic and chanterelles on the hillside behind the hotel, his mouthwatering dishes showcase the best of Skye’s seasonal, sustainable and local ingredients.

Hotel Eilean Iarmain
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This traditional whitewashed hotel on the water’s edge on the lush, green Sleat peninsula has views out towards the hills of Knoydart and 16 charming, sometimes chintzy, rooms scattered through the main house, garden house and old stable block. Those in the main house ooze character; one’s in a turret, there’s a 19thcentury canopied bed from Armadale Castle and wood-panelled walls. Dinner is served by candlelight in front of a log fire in the restaurant, while the Am Praban bar is a cosy spot for late night dram.

RAASAY

A short ferry ride from Sconser brings you to Raasay — a quieter island still tied closely to Skye, but with a rhythm of its own. The journey across the sound gives you time to slow down, and that carries through to what you’ll find on arrival. There are only two places to stay here, and both offer more than just a bed. The Isle of Raasay Distillery is a striking modern conversion of an old villa, now home to six sleek rooms and a restaurant with views back to the Cuillin. A whisky flight here feels all the more special for the location. Just along the road, Raasay House has a different feel — more traditional, with a longer history and a focus on family stays and activities. Together, they reflect Raasay’s balance: wild in parts, deeply peaceful in others, with just enough comfort to make the adventure easy.

Isle of Raasay Distillery
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A short 25-minute hop on the ferry from Sconser, Skye’s quieter neighbour, the Isle of Raasay is home to a strikingly contemporary distillery with rooms. Borodale House was once an old Victorian villa but has been turned into a smart whisky hotel with six contemporary rooms. The restaurant downstairs has floor-to-ceiling picture windows looking across the water to the mountains of Skye beyond and a menu focusing on local produce including wild Raasay venison and seafood fresh from the Sound.

Raasay House Hotel
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The community owned grand historic house is just a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal. The building has had a rollercoaster history but is now a popular family - and dog-friendly hotel and outdoor activity centre.