There are no large cities, per se, located on Isle of Skye. Towns and villages are all relatively small in size; however, you will find all basic facilities and amenities available for an extremely enjoyable vacation.
Portree is Skye’s liveliest and largest town, it has a scenic harbor with amazing views of surrounding hills and lined with colorful and brightly painted houses. Its name, Portree, is a Gaelic for King’s Harbor, to commemorate James V, who arrived in 1540 to pacify nearby clans. The current population is approximately 2500 and 40% can speak Gaelic. There are several ways to get to Portree: from the Western Isles through Uig, the Mallaig to Armadale ferry; Skye Bridge; and the (seasonal) Kylerhea ferry. Buses are the only available public transport services. Portree has a few modern and comfortable B&Bs, yet most are bland and often lacking in character. In early August the annual Isle of Skye Highland Games is held.
Broadford (Gaelic: An T-Ath Leathann) is a service community village for nearby communities in Skye. This long and straggling village has a 24-hour gas station, a bank with ATM, a big co-op department store, a tourist office and small hospital. Three miles east of Broadford is the Ashaig airstrip, in May, it is the venue of the annual Skye Music Festival. You will find a lot of B&B around Broadford. The village has been expanding and evolving significantly in the past five years, with a number of new shops opening in this period.
Dunvegan (Gaelic: Dùn Bheagain) is the location of Dunvegan Castle and the seat of the Clan McLeod chief. The town has been expanding and evolving significantly in the past five years, with a number of new shops opening in this period. Dunvegan is now home to four medium sized B&B’s/hotels, a restaurant, a bakery, two general stores, a cobbler, tourist information, two gas stations, a fishing store, a gun shop, a vegetable and fruit ’shack’ and a cake shop. The town also has a recycling facility and other smaller facilities. It sits on the edge of the big ‘Loch Dunvegan’, while The School House is a famous restaurant for delicious dishes, made from freshly caught fished from the loch itself.
