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This weeks Hidden Scotland Weekly is an Isle of Skye special to celebrate the launch of our second guide book ‘The Best of Skye - Curated by Hidden Scotland’.

This guidebook showcases our selection of the best that Skye has to offer, helping you plan your visit to this beautiful island. Inside, you'll find our hand-picked list of places to explore, eat, drink, shop, and stay, along with stories, tips, and recommendations from the residents and business owners of Skye. Every pre-order comes with an illustrated map by @emilyhogarth and a Skye postcard set. Only available for a short amount of time, all pre-orders will be sent mid August.

To secure your free gifts, pre-order today.

Have a great Sunday!

Our Isle of Skye book has arrived!

Be the first to get your hands on The Best of the Isle of Skye, Curated by Hidden Scotland and receive a free gift.

The Isle of Skye is a place of rare wonder, a wildlife-rich spread of bays, peaks, cliffs and ridges. The views are big, but the prospect of adventure is even bigger. We hope this curated Hidden Scotland guide – which takes in everything from the best walks to the finest restaurants – helps you to have your own unforgettable island escape.

Seren and Lorenz of Lean to Coffee

It is hard, on fine mornings, for Seren and Lorenz to pull themselves away from the red sunrises that blaze over the hills behind their croft close to Ashaig. “Or to just take in the beauty of the skyline, including Beinn na Caillich (‘mountain of the old woman’) at the heart of southern Skye,” says Seren. But there’s coffee to make, and as Seren and Lorenz know, coffee is not just coffee.

“A good cup of coffee is different for everyone,” says Seren, “but for us there are some real fundamentals: perfect strength, a hint of sweetness and something that gets your imagination going.” Theirs is a technique honed while travelling Australia and Canada, and the fact of both growing up with parents with “particular rituals and fussiness” around coffee.

The couple knew they wanted to bring their love of coffee to Skye, but the idea for Lean to evolved from the setting, in a ruin on Seren’s father’s croft. “Lorenz, having grown up in Australia, was not afraid to embrace the idea of bringing the outdoor living vibe to the Highlands,” says Seren. The result is outdoor seating in roofless rooms, exposed stone walls and eaves draped with dried local flowers from Skyeblooms. 

As well as really good coffee, customers – “typically locals and adventurers ready to explore Skye with a killer coffee in hand” – queue up for toasties, NYC-style cookies fresh from the oven, and sourdough cinnamon and cardamom buns, which “have a pretty strong following”. Organic and local are the priorities, which is not always easy given the location. But, says Seren, “there are some great producers in Skye and the Highlands”. They source their spinach and herbs from Skye, and organic flour and eggs from Highland Wholefoods. 

And the perfect way to spend a day on Skye? “We recommend picking an area that you would like to explore,” says Seren. “Once you’ve decided, go and climb one of the amazing hills in that area. You get a great sense of achievement and the views on a good day cannot be beaten.”

Interview taken from The Best of Skye, Curated by Hidden Scotland - one of many interviews within the book. Click here to pre-order.

Follow Lean to Coffee’s journey here.

Legends From The Old Man of Storr

The Old Man of Storr is one of Skye's most iconic landmarks and most popular hikes. It’s no surprise that more than one folk story has grown around this uniquely shaped pinnacle of rock.

The most popular legend tells us that Skye was once a land of Giants. These enormous figures roamed the island from the Cuillins to the Quiraing, the sound of their constant fighting filling the air. During one of these regular battles, a particularly large giant was slain on the Trotternish Peninsula.

Abandoned where he fell, the land eventually swallowed up all but this one point, left poking above ground. Some say the Old Man of Storr was the giant’s thumb, while others know it as a slightly more intimate part of his body.

Another folk story attributes the landscape to Skye's mischievous fairies. A local couple once climbed to the top of these hills every single day of their long and happy marriage. As the years passed and the couple grew older, the wife began to struggle with their daily hike.

Her husband refused to break the tradition and when she just couldn’t climb any longer, he carried her on his back. It wasn’t long before the old man wasn’t strong enough anymore, but he still didn’t want to leave his love behind.

The fairies had taken an interest in the strange sight of the couple plodding up the hill daily. When they heard the man wish that his wife was able to go everywhere that he went, they decided to pay him a visit. The fairies agreed to grant his request, all he had to do was carry his partner up the hill one more time on his back.

Once they had reached the top, the devious creatures turned the couple into this huge stone pillar. As promised, the husband would no longer go anywhere without his wife, joined together forever.

The last story relates to a much friendlier creature from Skye. A farmer who lived at the foot of the slope had once saved the life of a kind and honourable Brownie. These small creatures were well sought after, usually helping with chores around the house at night. This farmer didn’t want free labour though and instead, the two became close friends.

Years later, the farmer's wife fell ill and tragically passed away. With a broken heart, the farmer died the very next day leaving the brownie all alone. Devastated at the loss, he decided to honour his friend in a lasting memorial. The brownie carved a rock above their home into the shape of his good friend, creating the Old Man of Storr.

The appearance of this landmark has changed greatly since these stories were first told. So much of the pillar’s rockface has crumbled away that it takes a good imagination to see the shapes that made the legends. Not as many people believe in giants, fairies or brownies anymore, but you can’t deny that there’s something very special about the Old Man of Storr.

Visiting Skye Responsibly

Skye is a magical place... It’s home to a vibrant community, Attenborough-worthy wildlife and some of the most spectacular views in Scotland. Standing on the cliffs or hilltops it feels rugged and wild, windswept and raw.

Yet, there’s a fragile balance at play here. Amidst the volcanic hills you’ll find delicate and diverse ecosystems. Alongside the nature you’ll notice the quiet buzz of busy island life.

For Skye folk the landscape is a home, a workplace and a place to find peace. But, like many rural destinations, its increasing popularity means that it’s especially vulnerable to environmental damage and disruption.

This makes it important to know how to ‘visit responsibly’ - this means making mindful travel choices to protect the environment, be respectful of local heritage and help to support communities.

Here's a brief guide with some tips on how to do this when visiting Skye....

Eat, Shop & Spend Local

The easiest (and very enjoyable!) way to support the island community is to spend money with local businesses. You don’t need to stock up with supplies en route. Skye is filled with plenty of hidden gem galleries, makers studios and eclectic village stores. At many restaurants and cafés you can sample incredible local produce.

Single Track Driving

Single track roads can be alarming if it’s your first time but being aware of the rules will help you feel more comfortable.

There are plenty of online guides that will give you detailed instructions so that you can familiarise yourself with how to use passing places, who has the right of way, etc.

Once you’ve learned the rules it’s also handy to remember: Always pull over to let cars behind overtake. People might be rushing for a ferry or appointment.

Be prepared to reverse! Whilst not an official rule of the road, everyone appreciates a “thanks” or polite acknowledgement when they’ve stopped for you to pass - friendly waves are the norm here!

Keep dogs on leads

There are a lot of sheep in Skye and it’s important to keep dogs on leads when near them. Although it might be a game to your dog, chasing sheep can cause them to miscarry or badly injure themselves. Always heed the advice on any signs in the area.

Leave No Trace

Most people wouldn’t dream of dropping litter but there are some things that you might not consider as leaving a trace...

Campfires: Never light a fire on bare ground, it’s a huge wildfire risk and will leave ugly black ‘fire scars’. These kill the soil and take years to heal. Fireboxes and stoves are great alternatives that raise the flame off the floor and keep them contained.

Toilet waste: Everyone gets caught short sometimes but please always clean up after yourself (nappy and dog poo bags are handy!) Many people discard wet wipes, which are usually made of plastic, or loo paper, unaware that it doesn’t dissolve quickly in the rain. Similarly, human waste left exposed isn’t just gross to see, it’s also dangerous to humans, dogs and livestock. That ‘remote’ place is often croftland that someone works each day, a route for dogwalkers or a secret camping spot.

Litter pick: Go one step further than #LeaveNoTrace and leave an area better than you found it. You don’t need to do a whole beach clean, if everyone picks up just a handful of rubbish as they go it can make a huge difference. You get some feel-good karma too!

Words by Katie Tunn

As you’ll no doubt be aware, visitor numbers here can be high in peak season. With this in mind, we’ve also made an effort to spotlight a whole host of lesser-known attractions within our guide book, championing the places and people that truly make Skye what it is. It’s somewhere to explore at length, a destination where the choicest rewards are often found in the quietest, most unexpected places – and we hope this guide allows you to enjoy this very special island to the full.

You could forgive Skye for having an ego. It’s said that Scotland’s top three tourist destinations are Edinburgh, Loch Ness, and the 50-mile-long rhapsody of moors and mountains that we know better as the Isle of Skye. But while the second largest of Scotland’s islands (behind only Lewis & Harris – but you knew that) is emphatically no secret, it’s popular for very good reason.

Here are 5 lesser known spots…

Dinosaur Prints at An Corran

The dark, sandy An Corran beach might be small but it packs a big punch. The seaweed-covered rocks here are famous for their dinosaur footprints, dating to the Jurassic Period. Only visible at low tide, the three-toed prints were made when Skye was close to the equator!

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Caisteal Maol

Looming over the coastline east of the road bridge – and walkable from Kyleakin when the tide’s right – these tall fingers of masonry are what remains of a 15thcentury fortress that controlled activity on the strait of Kyle Akin.

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Spar Cave

It’s not straightforward to visit this well concealed cave – reachable only when low tide allows, and even then requiring a steep descent and a rocky scramble – but it has a magic of its own. History and legend are thick in the air here, and on a more modern note, it’s where Bear Grylls brought an overawed Ben Stiller for his TV show.

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Brothers’ Point

If you’re looking for one of those iconic Skye views – a geologically spectacular green headland reaching out into the blue wilds of the sea – follow the track to this remarkable point, also known as Rubha nam Brathairean, on the Trotternish peninsula.

Brochel Castle

Few ruins on the Scottish islands can top Brochel Castle for mood and majesty. Located along Calum’s Road as it veers towards Raasay’s east coast, the castle occupies the summit of an improbably tall volcanic crag, from where it once held sway over the comings and goings on the water. Its design, dating back to around 1510, is ingenious.

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Harlosh Point

Only a mile southwest of the town of Harlosh, the headland of Harlosh Point sits at the end of a peninsula, separated by a narrow channel from Harlosh Island. A walk to the headland sees the Cuillin rising dominantly to the south, MacLeod’s Tables and the Maidens to the north, and the Isle of Rhum to the west. Seals gather on Harlosh Island when the tide is out, while the area is also rich with caves, ruins, and plenty of sheep.

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Neist Point - Taken by Simon Hird

We are also launching a limited edition Skye Gift Box

We are also excited to announce the launch of an exclusive Isle of Skye Gift Box with this issue. This special collection includes a tumbler from Skio Pottery, Birch Coffee, an Old Man of Storr print and the Best of Skye Guide Book, all packaged in a gift box. Only 100 boxes are available, stay tuned for this in the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading. If you're interested in our brand new Isle of Skye guide, pre-order today to receive our Isle of Skye postcard set and pull-out illustrated map by illustrator Emily Hogarth. Pre-order here.

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