Travelling to Skye
If you’re flying in to either Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness airports, it’s easy to get from the airport to a rail or bus station. If you fly in to England’s Heathrow, Gatwick or Stanstead airports, then Scotrail has a Caledonian Sleeper Service from London (Euston Station) to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness or Fort William, from where you can change trains or connect to a bus service to finish your journey to Skye.
If you travel to Fort William, with the aim of catching the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale, on Skye, then why not take the "Jacobite" Steam train to Mallaig. Described as one of the "Great Rail Journeys of the World", this really is worth doing, whether you want to retrace Harry Potter's journey across the 21 arched Glenfinnan viaduct or just want to enjoy the awe-inspiring wilderness in every direction.
Any train journey to Kyle from Edinburgh or Glasgow will be via Inverness. The Kyle Line (Inverness-Kyle) is claimed to be Britain’s most scenic railway and achieved world fame when it appeared on Michael Palin’s Greatest Railway Journeys! When you reach Kyle, the bus stop is a very short walk from the railway station and you simply need to catch a bus or pre-order a taxi to bring you straight over the Skye Bridge into Kyleakin. The White Heather is only a short walk from the bus stop.
Don’t worry if you’re travelling up by car or bus - there are still opportunities to enjoy the Kyle Line while you’re here - whether it be a day trip to Inverness or a short 90 minute return trip to Strathcarron - and the railway station doubles up as a museum and visitor centre - well worth a visit!
If you decide to take the bus from Glasgow, Edinburgh or Inverness you need to contact CityLink for times and fares. The CityLink buses will bring you over the Skye Bridge to Kyleakin itself and then it’s just a short walk to the White Heather.
If you want to truly relax and enjoy the journey up, but want the convenience of a car while you’re here, then why not leave your car at home and hire a car when you get to Kyle - it’s cheaper than you may think - but always book with Kyle Taxi Company well in advance, especially if you’re coming in the summer months.
Skye and Lochalsh Bus Service
You may think a car is essential to the enjoyment of your holiday on Skye and although it certainly opens up the more remote areas of Skye and Lochalsh, there are various alternatives that enable you to have an equally memorable stay on the ‘Misty Isle.’ If you don’t use the local taxi/tour companies (which personally we would recommend as the best way to see the island if you don’t have a car yourself), then the local bus service from Kyle/Kyleakin, combined with CityLink also enables you to travel to the main towns and villages, with daily access to places of interest such as Armadale Castle, Eilean Donan Castle and Elgol to name just a few. You can purchase a Day Rover Ticket and then all you need to do is sit down with your timetable and start planning your days out. (The Day Rover does not include CityLink)