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Pendant lights hang above a blue-painted counter in a small cafe.
Isle of Skye

Caora Dhubh Coffee Company

A tin-roofed coffee shack on the shore of Loch Harport, across the car park from the Talisker distillery.

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Welcome

At the end of the single-track road into Carbost, where the big white Talisker distillery stands on the shore of Loch Harport, a small wooden shack with a tin roof sits across the car park at the water's edge.

Visited and photographed by Simon Hird

Caora Dhubh is a takeaway coffee shop.

The space is tiny: a blue-painted counter under pendant lights, a gleaming espresso machine, a glass case of cakes, traybakes and toasties, and shelves of its own roasted beans in branded bags. There is nowhere to sit inside, so take your cup out to the picnic tables by the loch and watch the boats and the light on the hills. It makes a good pause before a distillery tour, or a warm start to a day heading on to Glen Brittle and the Cuillin.

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Before you go

Caora Dhubh is a takeaway: there is no room to sit inside, but there are picnic tables by the loch and a bench outside.

Where
On the shore at Carbost, across the car park from the Talisker distillery.
What
Espresso coffee, cakes, traybakes and toasties, all to take away.
Beans
Caora roasts its own coffee on Skye; bags are for sale to take home.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
9.30am–4pm
Tuesday
9.30am–4pm
Wednesday
9.30am–4pm
Thursday
9.30am–4pm
Friday
9.30am–4pm
Saturday
9.30am–4pm
Sunday
9.30am–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

Bags branded 'Caora, Isle of Skye' are lined up on a wooden shelf.
Did you know

The black sheep.

Caora dhubh, said roughly coo-ra doo, is Scottish Gaelic for black sheep.

A barista fits a portafilter into an espresso machine beside a colour calibration card.
Did you know

From oil rigs to espresso.

Jamie Fletcher, who grew up on Skye, was a design engineer in the oil industry and found his taste for coffee on trips to Edinburgh. When the oil downturn brought cutbacks, he came home to open a coffee shop.

Pendant lights hang above a blue-painted counter in a small cafe.
Did you know

Pitched in a scramble.

He had meant to build on his grandmother's land by the distillery, but found the pier company had just won permission for a food outlet here. He rushed out a business plan and pitched to them instead.

A cafe counter with a blue base and glass display case is lit by pendant lights.
Did you know

Showers before coffee.

The shop takes up half of a building shared with public showers and toilets. When the owner won the lease, part of the deal was cleaning them every morning before he opened.

Bags branded 'Caora, Isle of Skye' line a wooden shelf beneath a black picture frame.
Did you know

Roasted on the island.

At first the beans came from Artisan Roast in Edinburgh. Caora now roasts its own on Skye.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Skye

A location on the water’s edge and a devotion to sourcing the best Scottish-roasted coffee beans makes this cracking little café one of Skye’s best. Set in a wooden café, the attention to detail is immaculate (chocolates come from small-batch organic makers Coco Chocolatiers, while teas come from Edinburgh loose-leaf specialists Eteaket), and the name – which translates as ‘black sheep’ – hints at the fact that they do things a bit differently.

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A barista works at an espresso machine beside stacked cups in a bright cafe.
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Where it is

On the shore of Loch Harport at Carbost, beside the Talisker distillery.

Close byThe places nearest the coffee shack, around Carbost.
  1. Talisker DistilleryTalisker DistillerySkye's oldest working distillery, on the shore of Loch Harport since 1830.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. The Old InnThe Old InnA free house pub on Loch Harport that welcomes walkers, and plenty of dogs.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. White painted building marked Talisker Distillery, with a footbridge crossing the burn belowThe Bar at Talisker DistilleryWhisky flights and seasonal cocktails at the Talisker distillery bar.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. The Three Chimneys at TaliskerThe Three Chimneys at TaliskerDining on the edge of Loch Harport, with the Cuillin behind.Under a mile 1 min by road
  5. The Oyster ShedThe Oyster ShedLocal seafood, from oysters to lobster bisque, at Carbost.Under a mile 3 min by road
  6. Carbost Burn WaterfallCarbost Burn WaterfallA waterfall up a winding road inland from Carbost, at its best after rain.1 mile 2 min by road
  7. Café CùilCafé CùilA red-roofed café on the shore of Loch Harport, serving Hebridean brunch.2 miles 3 min by road
Directions
Long timber-clad building with a dark metal roof and red-framed windowsPortnalongSkyewalker HostelSleeps 27 · 3.4 miles
Poached egg on toast with tomato relish, coffee and cake behindCafeBog Myrtle Café4.5 miles as the crow flies
Grassy cliffs edge a rocky shoreline under grey skiesAttractionsDun Ardtreck and Ardtreck Point Lighthouse4.6 miles
Cliffs and shingle beach curve around a blue sea inlet under distant hillsWalksBiod Ruadh and Preshal Beg4.7 miles
Sheep graze beneath a grassy cliff overlooking a rocky sea stackAttractionsTalisker Bay4.7 miles
Sheep resting on a grassy slope above coastal cliffs and seaAttractionsOronsay Island, Ullinish4.8 miles as the crow flies
Frost-tipped grass on a rocky headland beside calm coastal watersWalksOronsay, Loch Bracadale4.9 miles as the crow flies
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.AttractionsFairy Pools5.2 miles
A copper-clad brewing vessel.ShoppingCuillin Brewery7.8 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

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

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