The Best Isle of Skye Views are from Raasay!

We consider ourselves incredibly lucky here on Raasay: beautiful scenery, interesting historical sites, quiet rocky beaches and a variety of amenities all over the island for visitors to experience and enjoy. The hidden gem on the Isle of Raasay, however, is the spectacular Isle of Skye!

Raasay, positioned like a long sliver of land from north to south, stretches down Skye’s east coast and offers beautiful, panoramic views towards the Isle of Skye. We have compiled a list of the 5 best Isle of Skye views from Raasay, only a 20-minute ferry journey from Sconser on Skye, easily explorable by car, bike or even just on foot.

1. Bodach an Stòir – The Old Man of Storr from Glam

Travel Time: 20 minutes from the Ferry by car

The Old Man of Storr is arguably the most famous, and busiest of the Isle of Skye sites. Offering spectacular rock stacks and prehistoric landscapes, thousands of tourists rush to the stacks and cliffs each year to catch a glimpse of these beautiful formations. Viewed from the road to Raasay’s north, past a place called ‘Glam’, on the way to Calum’s Road and Brochel, the Storr stands against a background of cliffs and mountains, surrounded by dramatic landscape. At certain times of the day, when the light shines on the Storr, we see beautiful, distant views of this amazing rockstack, appearing almost as if a tiny diorama created in miniature of Skye’s most famous view.

2. Portree From Inver Beach

Travel Time: 15 minutes from the Ferry by car then 45-minute walk

Portree, Skye’s largest township, is a beautiful, picturesque community with a variety of shops, places to eat, sights to see and boat trips, such as the ‘Seaflower Skye’ that explore Portree Bay and the Sound of Raasay from the water. When on Raasay, the walk to Inver beach offers beautiful views of Portree bay, its busy harbour and surrounding hills. Inver is one of Raasay’s most beautiful and secluded bays, accessed by a walk through a beautiful ancient forest that winds down the hillside from the road. Inver is only a 30-minute walk if you park at Glam, taking you to beautiful, secluded beaches, Isle of Skye views and, if you’re lucky, spotting dolphins, whales or porpoises in the bay.

3. Glamaig from Eyre

Travel Time: 20 minutes from the Ferry by car

The most northern of Skye’s ‘Red Hills’, Glamaig, a formation of two hills: Sgurr Mhairi (Mary’s Peak) and An Coileach (The Cockerel) dominates the view from much of the south of Raasay, and towers high above the road at Sconser where the ferry to Raasay leaves from. This massive hill is also the scene of the famous ‘Glamaig Hill Race’, starting from the base at Sligachan every year. Some of the best views of the Isle of Skye’s amazing slopes, stretching from sea level to summit can be viewed from Eyre, one of the most southerly points on Raasay, whereby the shore you can walk to the beach, catching spectacular views down towards Kyle of Lochalsh and up the Sound of Raasay.

4. Skye Bridge From Hallaig

Travel Time: 20 minutes from the Ferry by car then 1 hour walk

For many, the Skye Bridge offers the first glimpses of Skye and Raasay as they cross over to the Inner Hebrides, and it has become a top Isle of Skye site and one of the Highland’s most iconic pieces of architecture. From Raasay’s east coast, you can explore the stunning cliff faces and steep slopes on the walk to Hallaig, where at the end of a well-developed path you will find the former village, now abandoned as a result of the devastating Highland Clearances. Looking out from this former township, far in the distance, the Skye Bridge looks like a bright strand of hair connecting the Isle of Skye to mainland Scotland. From here, not only do you get a great vantage point to look back over towards Kyle and the surrounding waters, but it gives a great perspective of the scale of the surrounding mountains and hills. If timed right, you can catch spectacular sunset views over the Cuillin mountain range.

5. Everything from Dun Caan

Travel Time: 4 hours walk from the ferry or a 40-minute walk from the car park.

Dun Caan (Dùn meaning fortress, hill or heap in Gaelic) is one of Raasay’s most distinctive features: a near perfect flat-topped plateau and volcanic plug that sits atop the island. Walking to the summit, there are wonderful views the entire way up, and at the summit you are greeted with one of the most spectacular panoramic views found anywhere in the world. From this near 450-foot vantage, those on top of Dun Caan will look across to the Isle of Skye, the Scottish mainland and, on a clear day, all the way across The Minch, to The Western Isles and beyond.

From Dun Caan, you can see the distinctive Storr and Portree Bay, Applecross, the Skye Bridge, the Cullin range and a view of the north of Raasay that stretches across to the islands of Rona and Fladda in the distance. Some of Raasay’s most distinctive sites, such as Brochel Castle, the village of Hallaig and Calum’s Road can be spied from Dun Caan’s summit.

Visiting the Isle of Raasay

So, when looking to visit Skye and researching the best places to see the sights, Raasay should be top of the list. A stunning 25-minute crossing on the ferry takes you to the magical Isle of Raasay to explore the sights away from the crowds, and best of all, experience the delights of the Isle of Raasay Distillery – Scottish Whisky Awards Tourism Destination of the Year 2019! We hope to see you soon!