Where to Stay in Portree Places to Stay on the Square,
the Harbour or the Outskirts
Portree is small. It is also steep in places, short of central parking, and pretty busy from May to September. Where you decide to sleep dictates whether evenings require a walk or a drive, whether restaurants and activities are genuinely walkable, and whether you need a car at all. Below is our guide to choosing where to stay in the town.
Check availabilityStay on Somerled Square, Portree
Stay with us on Somerled Square if you want to leave the car, walk to dinner, catch the bus or the tour outside the front door, and be back in a few minutes’ walk when it rains.
Everything below is the long answer: the three ‘levels’ of the town, the hills, the car parks and what they cost, buses and taxis, restaurants, noise, views, winter, and what to check on a listing before you book anywhere.
Where Is the Centre of Portree?
Somerled Square, outside our door. The buses stop there, the day tours leave from there, the taxi rank and the banks are on the square, and Wentworth Street, the main shopping street, runs off its corner and points out towards the water.
Portree is built on three levels. The harbour at the bottom, reached down Quay Street. The square and Wentworth Street on the flat shelf above it. Then the houses climbing the hill behind, Bosville Terrace and Fancy Hill, and out towards the Storr along the road to Achachork.
Everything appears to be within ten minutes of everything else on the map, but the map does not show the hills or the hazards, like no pavements, single-track driving and no streetlights, all with their charm, but not for everyone.
The Portree Hotel is on the square itself, on the flat, so the shops are outside the door, and the harbour is two minutes downhill.
How Far Is the Walk Back After Dinner?
“A short walk into Portree” means ten to twenty minutes, and you do it again on the way home.
From the square, dinner is a flight of stairs away and the pubs are across the road. Wheeled luggage rolls from the bus stop to reception without a kerb, and in October rain the walk home is thirty seconds from the car in the square.
The town sits in a bay with the square and the harbour in the middle, so from anywhere on the edge the evening ends on foot or behind the wheel. Street lighting stops at the edge of town and pavements stop soon after.
Where Do I Park in Portree?
There are three council car parks, all a few minutes from the square. Pay at the machine or with the RingGo app, well worth downloading before you visit, as it will come in handy for parking across Scotland and much of the UK.
The routine that works best from the hotel: pull up on the square at check-in, carry the bags in, then move it to Bayfield overnight for £5, or on the square after 6 p.m. for nothing, pay for a few hours in the morning to allow for a long lie, and collect it when you are ready to go on your next Skye adventure.
| Car park | Hours | Cost | Max stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somerled Square outside the hotel | Charged 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., free overnight | 30 mins free, then £3 for 2 hours | 2 hours by day |
| The Green | Charged 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., free overnight | £3 for 2 hours | 2 hours by day |
| Bayfield two minutes on foot | 24 hours | £3 for 3 hours, £4 for 6, £5 for 12 | 12 hours |
Fines are £100, halved if paid within a fortnight, so keep to the two-hour limit on the square by day.
Can I Stay in Portree Without a Car?
Yes. The Citylink coaches from Glasgow and Inverness (916 and 917) and the Stagecoach buses round Trotternish (57A and 57C) all stop in Portree. The day tours to the Storr, the Quiraing and the Fairy Pools meet on the square too; many do not collect from addresses out of town. Step off the bus and the hotel is in front of you.
There is no Uber on Skye. Taxis are a handful of local firms and are booked ahead, or from the rank on the square, though that depends on availability and is not a given. If you are staying in Portree, most places are walkable if you’re stuck. The Co-op on Wentworth Street covers anything you forgot, and there are walks around the village ranging from a few minutes to a few hours.
Portree without a car is easy; Skye without a car is hard. The buses do take you to the Storr, but on their infrequent schedule rather than yours. Ninety per cent of places on Skye need a car or a tour to reach, and though some hitch, it is not for everyone. Truthfully, Skye is best experienced by car.
Where Should I Stay to Walk to Restaurants and Pubs?
The restaurants are on the square, down Wentworth Street, around the harbour and a short walk along the road from the town centre. Nowhere else nearby. Many townships with Portree addresses are still a few miles out, and these do not have restaurants themselves.
From the hotel there is Antlers Bar & Grill on the ground floor, and around ten other places within a few minutes on foot: The Ridge at the Rosedale on the harbour for seafood with the boats outside the window, the Caberfeidh Bar & Restaurant across the square, and MacKenzie’s Bakery on Wentworth Street for a lunch to carry down to the harbour wall. The pubs with the live music are all within walking distance of the hotel. If you book centrally, nobody drives, nobody books a taxi, and if the first choice is full the second is round the corner.
In summer the good tables go a week ahead, so if possible book your restaurant when you book the room. Kitchens in Portree close early by city standards, most at 9 p.m.; back late from the hills, the Co-op is the fallback until 11 p.m. There are no shops open out of town at that time.
Is It Noisy Staying on the Square?
You can expect some noise, especially on summer Friday nights when people are still heading home after the pubs close. Rooms overlooking the square give you the view, but you’ll hear more of what’s going on outside. If you’re a light sleeper, ask for a room at the back when you book. You may hear the occasional delivery or bus as the town gets going in the morning. This is a small village rather than a city, so it is still quiet in comparison to major hubs.
The harbour tends to be quieter at night, though fishing boats and gulls can wake you early. Staying further up the hill usually means less noise, but you’ll have the climb home to consider.
If the square is your choice, a rear room on an upper floor may be a good compromise: less street noise, with everything close by when you head out in the morning.
Where Are the Views in Portree?
The harbour view is the painted houses and the boats, seen from the Rosedale Hotel and from Bosville Terrace above the water. The bay view is the wider sweep across Loch Portree to Raasay and the hills behind, from higher up or further out. For sea views the Rosedale is a great option; for ease of parking and central access, The Portree Hotel is very convenient.
From the square the view is the town itself: the bank, the bakery, the buses, the tour groups gathering at nine. The harbour and its colours are two minutes downhill for the walk before breakfast.
Is Portree Easy with Children, Luggage or Limited Mobility?
The flat part of town is the square and the top of Wentworth Street, with dropped kerbs, benches and disabled parking bays. Everywhere else has a gradient to consider and pavements to negotiate: Quay Street down to the harbour, Fancy Hill up to the medical centre, the steps up from the pier. A pushchair or a wheelchair is fine on the square and the main street, and hard work anywhere off it.
Skye is a somewhat challenging place for people with limited mobility, although a car can always get close to the things guests want to see. Portree is perhaps the best place to stay with these considerations in mind.
Is Portree a Good Base for Seeing Skye?
Yes. The village has all the amenities you would expect from a town: food, drinks, experiences, walks, and access to hospitals and services. It is in the centre of almost anywhere you would likely visit.
The A855 north out of the square is the road to the Storr, fifteen minutes, and the Quiraing, thirty-five. The A87 south is Sligachan and the Cuillin, fifteen minutes, the Fairy Pools, forty, and Talisker at Carbost, thirty. Dunvegan is half an hour west. Nothing on the island is more than an hour from the square, and from here adventures can run in any direction the weather allows. Though the island is small, it is often raining at one end and not the other.
One person can stay in town with the shops and the walks while the other takes the car to the hills. And you can come back at one o’clock for a rest, food and a recharge before heading thirty minutes in another direction.
Does Where I Stay Matter More in Winter?
Winter mornings on Skye can start at a civilised hour. With sunrise around 8.30 a.m. in midwinter, there’s time for a coffee before the short drive from Portree to the Storr. You can be on the path as the light comes up, with far fewer people around, and back in town for lunch.
Staying in Portree makes it easy to work around the weather, too. Head out when the skies clear, then have a wander around town between showers. There’s no pressure to stay out all day when your room is nearby.
Some restaurants across Skye close for the season, but Portree still has places to eat and spend an evening. There’s dinner in the building when you’ve had enough of being outdoors, the Co-op opposite, or a pizza and a pint after a wet afternoon on the hills.
For a romantic escape, somewhere like Greshornish House is lovely in winter: quiet walks, long evenings together and little reason to rush anywhere. If you’d prefer a little more happening around you, Portree puts pubs, restaurants and shops a few streets away, with an easy drive out for an early morning hike or a few hours exploring between showers.
Is It Worth Paying More to Stay in the Centre?
It depends on the kind of stay you want, and Portree isn’t necessarily more expensive. Guesthouses such as Greenacres and The Pink House are worth including when you compare prices.
Being central means you can walk out for dinner, stop for another drink or pop back to your room during the day. If you stay further out, factor in any taxi fares or parking costs alongside the room rate.
For some people, a quiet evening somewhere remote is exactly why they’ve come to Skye. Others prefer restaurants and things to do on their doorstep. The centre earns its higher price if you’ll use that convenience.
| At The Portree Hotel | Outside town | |
|---|---|---|
| Evening transport | Walk | Taxi, £15 to £30 return, booked ahead |
| Daytime parking | Bayfield, £5 for 12 hours | Bayfield, £5 for 12 hours |
| Breakfast | Included | Varies |
| Bus and tour pick-up | Outside the door | Drive to the square first |
What Should I Check Before Booking Anywhere in Portree?
The Portree Hotel: Somerled Square, on the flat, rooms with breakfast, Antlers Bar & Grill and the West Highland Bar in the same building, the harbour two minutes on foot, and the car at Bayfield for £5 a day. The rest of Skye is within the hour.
- The path on foot, not always a straight line. Penifiler is two kilometres across the water from the pier and six by road, and there is no pavement from halfway. Booking sites measure distance as the crow flies, not as the cars drive, sadly.
- “Near the harbour” means where? Down on Quay Street, with the climb to the shops, or up on Bosville Terrace, with the steps to the boats.
- Parking. If the listing does not mention it, there is none. Then it is Bayfield, and the walk from Bayfield with the bags.
- Reviews. Search them for three words: hill, parking, noise.
- Dinner. Book the table with the room in summer.
Where to Stay in Portree, in Short
The questions people ask before they book a room in Portree.
Where is the best area to stay in Portree?
The level ground between Somerled Square and Wentworth Street, if you want to walk to everything. The harbour is prettier and quieter, with a climb back up; the hill streets are quieter still and further from dinner.
Is Portree walkable?
The centre is, in about ten minutes end to end. The catch is the gradient between the harbour and the square, and the lack of pavement once you pass the last streetlight.
Is Portree doable by public transport?
Yes. Coach, local bus and most day tours all use Somerled Square, so a bed near it makes the whole trip possible on foot.
Where can I park overnight in Portree?
Bayfield, £5 for the night, or Somerled Square and The Green free between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. Move the car before the wardens start in the morning.
Is the town centre noisy at night?
Summer weekends can be, around the square. Rooms at the rear of most buildings are quieter, and a higher floor helps.
Does a Portree address mean it is in town?
Not always. Achachork, Penifiler and Braes carry Portree addresses and sit a drive away. Drop the pin on a map before paying.
How far is the Old Man of Storr from Portree?
Fifteen minutes north on the A855. The Quiraing is about thirty-five, the Fairy Pools forty and Talisker thirty.
A Hotel Bed in the Heart of Portree
Breakfast included, the harbour two minutes on foot and the Storr fifteen by car. Open all year for Portree stays of one night or a week, and for visitors from overseas looking for lodging in Portree, Scotland, the lowest rate is on this website.
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