Uig (Gaelic: Ùige) is a village in the north of Skye, with a population of 423 in 2011. "Uig" derives from Old Norse vík, a bay, and it's a port with ferries to the Outer Hebrides. Most visitors are just passing through for that reason; however it's an alternative to Portree as a base for exploring the scenic Trotternish peninsula. Those sights round as far as Staffin (such as the Quiraing) are therefore described on this page, whilst for those further southeast (such as Old Man of Storr) see Portree.

Get in

See Skye#Get in for transport from the Scottish mainland. By road follow A87, which is two-lane all the way from Portree.

Citylink Bus 915 / 916 runs twice daily from Glasgow, taking 7-8 hours via the airport, Glencoe, Fort William, Kyle of Lochalsh and Portree to Uig ferry pier. Buses from Inverness to Skye terminate at Portree.

Stagecoach Highland Bus 57 circles the Trotternish peninsula, with Bus 57C clockwise Portree > Uig > Flodigarry > Staffin > Portree, and 57A anti-clockwise the reverse route. It runs M-F every 3 hours or so, and Sa in summer.

1 Uig ferry pier has Calmac car ferries to Tarbert on Harris and to Lochmaddy on North Uist - see those pages for details. Both crossings take 1 hr 45 min, with two sailings most days Apr-Oct and one Nov-Mar. In 2024 building work at the harbour is disrupting facilities, so don't rely on the terminal toilets being open.

Get around

Uig straggles along the hillside around the amphitheatre of the bay, so from the Bunkhouse at the southern end to the ferry terminal at the other is about 1½ miles. On a nice day it's a pleasant 20-30 min walk. See bus routes above for Trotternish.

Uig Taxis are on +44 7770 710050.

See

• Uig Tower stands below Uig Hotel near the head of the inlet. It's a folly, built the 1860s in cod-Norman style to show off the landowner's wealth and feudal power. Major William Fraser was notorious for his part in the Highland Clearances, but he'd no sooner ejected his tenant farmers when his own mansion washed away. The tower was later adapted as a dwelling but now stands empty. It's on private land, just admire it from the road.
• An Iron Age Souterrain burrows into the hillside at Kilmuir, on A855 a mile south of the Museum of Island Life.
• 1 Skye Museum of Island Life, Kilmuir IV51 9UE (6 miles north of Uig), ☏ +44 1470 552206. April-Sep M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Preserved row of thatched cottages, displayed as at the turn of the 18th / 19th century. Adult £6, child free. (updated Jun 2024)
• The Grave of Flora Macdonald is in the cemetery 300 yards up the lane from the Museum, marked by a high Celtic Cross. Flora was born in 1722 on South Uist but grew up on Skye. In 1746 she was re-visiting South Uist when the fugitive Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived; she helped him escape to Kingsburgh near Portree disguised as an Irish maid. Next day he travelled on to Raasay, then doubled back and hiked across Skye to Elgol, thence sailed to the mainland. Flora and others were arrested and thrown in the Tower of London but she was bailed and later pardoned. In 1750 she married and came to live in nearby Flodigarry. The couple emigrated to North Carolina in 1774, but as loyalists were captured by the Americans and lost their lands there. She managed to returned to Skye in 1780 and died in 1790.
• 2 Duntulm Castle. Built from the 14th century as the stronghold of the Macdonalds, but abandoned in 1732 when their clan Chief built a new house 5 miles south and recycled much of the masonry. It's nowadays tumbledown and unsafe, you come for the views towards the cloud-wreathed Outer Hebrides. Free. (updated Jun 2024)

The Quiraing

• 3 Quiraing: The east coast of Trotternish was formed by a huge landslip 10,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age. The ice had been supporting the mountainside, which collapsed leaving strange exposed rock formations. The Quirang takes its name from Old Norse Kví Rand, "round fold", for its little plateau hidden by rock pillars, a natural pen for concealing sheep. You only get a limited view from the road, so unless the weather's foul, take the four-mile loop walk to get close.
• Rubha nam Brathairean ("Brothers Point") is a rugged headland a mile north of Kilt Rock.
• 4 Kilt Rock is a sea cliff that looks not very much like a kilt, but the basalt columns are supposed to be the pleats and the dolerite sills the plaid pattern. It's viewed from the point where Loch Mealt flows out, with a waterfall cascading almost 200 feet over the cliff towards the sea.
• Staffin Dinosaur Museum displays the fossils and footprints of creatures that once dragged their slithery tails across Skye. It's open Apr-Oct daily 10AM-4PM, adult £4, child £2.
• 5 Old Man of Storr and other sights southeast on the peninsula - see Portree.
• 6 Caisteal Ùisdein (Hugh's Castle) is the stump of a tower house. Hugh Macdonald (more snappily known as Uistean Mac Ghilleaspuig Chlerich) was an outlaw and pirate. He began building here in the 1590s but possibly never completed it, as he was pre-occupied with seeking revenge on all and sundry, then was captured and left to starve in a dungeon. A causeway, now washed away, led to the islet redoubt of Dun Maraig. Turn off A87 into the lane for Cuidrach, then it's a 1½ mile hike.
• 7 Carbost is at the junction of A87 to Uig and A850 to Dunvegan - it's not the Carbost with the Talisker distillery, which is south on Loch Harport. This particular Carbost was a major religious centre, the seat of the Bishop of the Isles from 10th to 16th century. St Columba's Island, a river islet, was the site of the cathedral, and the ancestral burial ground of Clan MacNicol. Clach Ard Symbol Stone half a mile north is of Pictish design. Clachan Erisco standing stones are a little group of three along the lane through Borve, a loop east off A87.

Do

Skye Museum of Island Life

• Whitewave is an outdoor activity centre at Linicro 5 miles north of Uig.
• Falls of Rha are a few hundred yards off A855 as it begins its hairpin ascent of the hill behind the village. Great views, and any walk which gains height above Uig will be rewarded by the vista over the Minch to Harris.
• Fairy Glen is a little valley of grassy hillocks, gnarled old trees, quick-running streams and a turret of rock known as Castle Ewen, which you can easily climb. It's a good picnic spot. From A87 at the Uig Hotel take the side lane for Sheader and Balnaknock. Parking is limited and it can become congested.
• Rubha Hunish is the headland at the north tip of Skye. It can be hiked from Kilmaluag or Duntulm, or as a loop using the bus along the road between.

Buy

• Stock up at the co-op in Portree before you reach Uig. The options in the village are the shop at the filling station near the ferry pier (M-Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 11AM-5PM), and Rankins store near the Ferry Inn (M-Sa 8:30AM-6:30).
• Uig Pottery, next to the pier, is a pottery and shop open M-Sa 9AM-6PM and Su 11AM-4PM.

Eat

Flora Macdonald is buried by the museum

• The bar and hotels in Uig, and the Flodigarry Hotel, serve meals. Advisable to book a table at the hotels as they have limited capacity.

Drink

• Bakur Bar is by the ferry pier, open daily 11:30AM-11PM and does food.
• Isle of Skye Brewery and distillery is in Uig a few yards uphill from the ferry pier. You can buy their gin and ales throughout the island or at the shop here (M-F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-4PM, Su noon-4PM). Main products are Black Cuillin (a dark porter), Red Cuillin (an amber), Hebridean Gold (a golden ale) and The Storr gin. The shop is simply an off-licence not a pub so you can't sample before buying, and they don't offer brewery tours.

Sleep

• Abhaig B&B two miles south of the village gets rave reviews.
• 1 Cowshed Bunkhouse, Uig IV51 9YD, ☏ +44 7917 536820. Open all year, with dorm bunks and double pods. Dogs welcome in pods. Bunk £30 ppn, pod £120. (updated Jun 2024)
• 2 Uig Hotel, Uig IV51 9YE, ☏ +44 1470 542205. Coaching inn founded 1831, open all year. 11 rooms plus restaurant and public bar. Dog-friendly. B&B double £150. (updated Jun 2024)
• Cuil Lodge B&B is below Uig Hotel near the tower.
• Stones B&B is 200 yards north of Cuil Lodge.
• Glenconon B&B is on the lane above Rankin's Supermarket.
• 3 The Ferry Inn, Uig IV51 9XP, ☏ +44 1470 542300, theferryinnskye@yahoo.co.uk. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 10PM. A refurbed 19th century inn, with three boutique ensuite rooms, popular small plates restaurant and lively bar selling local beer, spirits and cocktails. (updated Jun 2024)
• Woodbine House is a B&B at the head of the bay, on the old road above A87.

Kilt Rock, not much like a kilt

• Uig Bay Campsite, Uig IV51 9XU (100 yards west of ferry pier), ☏ +44 1470 542714. Open March-Oct, it's a sloping site, top end is for tents, lower part is hard standing for tourers. Decent facilities though the toilet block is elderly. Well-run, dog friendly. They also have self-catering apartments for up to six, and bike rental and repairs. (updated Jun 2024)

On Trotternish peninsula self-catering cottages and B&Bs are strung along the A855, with clusters at Kilmaluag, Flodigarry and Staffin.

• Dun Flodigarry Hostel, Flodigarry IV51 9HZ (near Hotel), ☏ +44 1470 552212, info@flodigarry-hostel.scot. Open May-Aug with 6-8 bed dorms and twin or double rooms en suite, but they no longer offer camping. Bunk £29. (updated Jun 2024)
• Flodigarry Pods (sleep 4) are half a mile south of the hostel and hotel.
• 4 Flodigarry Hotel, Flodigarry IV51 9HZ, ☏ +44 1470 552203. Upmarket hotel and restaurant open Dec-Oct. B&B double from £300. (updated Jun 2024)
• 5 Staffin Campsite, Staffin IV51 9JX, ☏ +44 1470 562213. Basic camping and caravan site site open April-Oct. Pitch £26, hook-up £32. (updated Jun 2024)

Connect

As of June 2024 Uig and A87 from Portree have 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone, and a basic mobile signal from Three. The signal is patchy further north around the peninsula. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• The road around Trotternish peninsula leads past The Storr to Portree.
• The road south from Uig is the quickest way to Portree, or you can branch west for Dunvegan.
• Ferries sail to North Uist and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. They'll feel sparse and lonely after touristy Skye.

Routes through Uig

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