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Isle of Skye

Café Cùil

A red-roofed café on the shore of Loch Harport by Carbost, serving Hebridean brunch from a Skye chef who began in Hackney.

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Welcome

Just outside Carbost, on the shore of Loch Harport, stands a long barn-like building clad in red, with big windows on the water and picnic tables on the grass outside.

Visited and photographed by Simon Hird

Café Cùil is the café Clare Coghill, who grew up on Skye, brought home from London, and it has made this quiet shore a place people drive to for a long, late breakfast.

Inside, rattan lamps hang over blue chairs and dark tables, a neon Fàilte glows by the counter, and a corner of red leather sofas sits under the words Tha Gàidhlig Beò. The menu changes with the seasons and leans on Skye and Highland produce: dishes such as brisket rarebit with Lochalsh beef, smoked haddock kedgeree, haggis fries and Scotch pancakes, and a house Cùil-Aid made with bog myrtle. It is a short drive from the Talisker distillery, and a good stop before or after the Fairy Pools.

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

The Daily for 30 October, from Scotland with love. Aerial view of a teal-coloured lochan cupped in a forested hollow, a scree slope rising on one side and autumn-tinged pines ringing the shore.
Before you go

Brunch is served all day, with sandwiches, soups and small plates alongside, and a children's menu.

Hours
10am to 4pm (autumn 2026).
Where
On the shore of Loch Harport at Satran, just outside Carbost.
Menu
Changes with the seasons; the current one is on the café's website.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
10am–4pm
Thursday
10am–4pm
Friday
10am–4pm
Saturday
10am–4pm
Sunday
10am–4pm

Eaten here? Tell others what to order and when to go, and the best go on this page with your name.

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Did you know

A savoury tart topped with a poached egg sits on a plate beside a latte at Café Cùil.
Did you know

A win on My Kitchen Rules.

Clare Coghill entered Channel 4's My Kitchen Rules in 2017 with an old friend, and won. That was when she began to think cooking might be more than something she did for fun.

A red-clad building's glass corner reflects the hills, a painted welcome message on its door.
Did you know

From Hackney to Loch Harport.

The first Café Cùil opened in Hackney in 2019 and became a London brunch favourite, until lockdown sent it home. After a run of pop-ups on Skye, it found this building in 2022.

Red leather sofas and a low table furnish a lounge corner of Café Cùil beneath teal walls.
Did you know

Brewers, candles and television.

Her family owned a hotel on Skye for more than a hundred years, but Clare spent her twenties training brewers at Tennent's, pouring candles and working as a television researcher.

A sign defines 'Cùil' as Scots Gaelic for 'nook, nest or corner'.
Did you know

A nook, a nest, a corner.

Cùil is Scottish Gaelic for a nook, a nest or a corner, and a small sign by the counter spells it out.

A close-up shows a plated dish of toast topped with pulled meat, poached egg and a berry compote.
Did you know

Tattie scone tacos.

The cooking puts a Hebridean twist on dishes from all over: tattie scone tacos, Highland shakshuka, seaweed sauerkraut, and a Bloody Màiri to drink.

Blue chairs and rattan pendant lamps fill Café Cùil's dining room beside a 'Fàilte!' sign.
Did you know

Skye brunch in New York.

Café Cùil has cooked well beyond Skye, including at New York's Tartan Week, and its cookbook of 85 recipes is sold around the world.

A small vase of dried flowers sits on a dark table between blue chairs in a bright cafe.
What is on

What is new across Skye, day by day.

New places, news and stories, as we find them.

What is on on Skye
01 / 07
Where it is

On the shore of Loch Harport at Satran, just outside Carbost, in the west of Skye.

Close byThe places nearest the café, around Carbost.
  1. Talisker DistilleryTalisker DistillerySkye's oldest working distillery, on the shore of Loch Harport since 1830.2 miles 3 min by road
  2. Caora Dhubh Coffee CompanyCaora Dhubh Coffee CompanyA coffee shack and roastery opposite Talisker Distillery, over Loch Harport.2 miles 4 min by road
  3. The Old InnThe Old InnA free house pub on Loch Harport that welcomes walkers, and plenty of dogs.2 miles 4 min by road
  4. The Three Chimneys at TaliskerThe Three Chimneys at TaliskerDining on the edge of Loch Harport, with the Cuillin behind.2 miles 4 min by road
  5. Carbost Burn WaterfallCarbost Burn WaterfallA waterfall up a winding road inland from Carbost, at its best after rain.2 miles 3 min by road
  6. The Oyster ShedThe Oyster ShedLocal seafood, from oysters to lobster bisque, at Carbost.2 miles 6 min by road
  7. The Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle: white water spilling over dark rock into a clear pool, the jagged ridge of the Black Cuillin rising behind.Fairy PoolsClear pools and waterfalls at the foot of the Black Cuillin.5 miles 7 min by road
Directions
White painted building marked Talisker Distillery, with a footbridge crossing the burn belowAttractionsThe Bar at Talisker Distillery1.9 miles
Long timber-clad building with a dark metal roof and red-framed windowsPortnalongSkyewalker HostelSleeps 27 · 5.1 miles
A canyoner in helmet and drysuit coming through the fall of a gorge, water breaking white over the shoulders.AttractionsSkye Adventure5.2 miles as the crow flies
Cliffs and shingle beach curve around a blue sea inlet under distant hillsWalksBiod Ruadh and Preshal Beg5.4 miles
Sheep graze beneath a grassy cliff overlooking a rocky sea stackAttractionsTalisker Bay5.5 miles
Snow-covered road winding towards mist-shrouded mountains under a grey skyAttractionsSligachan6.2 miles
Grassy cliffs edge a rocky shoreline under grey skiesAttractionsDun Ardtreck and Ardtreck Point Lighthouse6.3 miles
The back bar at Seumas' lined with whiskies.BarsSeumas' Bar6.3 miles
A copper-clad brewing vessel.ShoppingCuillin Brewery6.3 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the café, and when each is next free.

Long timber-clad building with a dark metal roof and red-framed windowsSkyewalker Hostel
  • Sleeps 27
  • In Portnalong
  • 4 miles from Café Cùil
Check datesA white house sits beside a stone bridge over a river, misty mountains rising behind.Sligachan Campsite
  • To stay
  • In Sligachan
  • 5 miles from Café Cùil
Check datesWood-burning stove alight beside floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a hillside pathSligachan Blackhouses
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Sligachan
  • 5 miles from Café Cùil
Check datesGravel path curves through green fields towards mist-covered mountain peaksGlenbrittle Campsite
  • To stay
  • In Glenbrittle
  • 7 miles from Café Cùil
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay on SkyeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all

A day we have planned, with the drives worked out.

  1. Edinbane Pottery01Edinbane Pottery25 min by road
  2. Isle of Skye Candle Co02Isle of Skye Candle Co30 min by road
  3. Skio Pottery03Skio Pottery5 min by road
  4. Skyeskyns04Skyeskyns20 min by road
  5. Skye Weavers05Skye WeaversThe end of the day
See the whole day
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What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more on Skye.

ArticleThe Best Cottages on SkyeCollectionThe Isle of Skye's Best CafesCollectionRainy Day Activities on SkyeCollectionUnmissable Places on Skye
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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .