Experience the best of Portree

Portree is the largest settlement on Skye, built around a sheltered harbour where brightly painted houses face the water along Quay Street. Its name is said to recall a visit by King James V in 1540. Small boats fish out of the quay, and the main square is the hub for shops, galleries and cafés.

The Old Man of Storr, a tall rock pinnacle on a hillside, stands north of town, with Kilt Rock and its waterfall dropping into the sea farther along the coast road. The Quiraing, a landslip of pinnacles and cliffs, lies farther north, while the Cuillin range, a jagged ridge famed among climbers, rises to the south-west. Farther west, the Fairy Pools at Glenbrittle, Dunvegan Castle and the Neist Point lighthouse can fill another day.

Skye's menus lean on langoustines, scallops, mussels and venison, and whisky from the island's distilleries is poured in the village bars. The weather can switch from sun to rain in an hour. The long June evenings give light until late, and the island is quietest in early spring.