The Best Isle of Skye Campsites

For one of Scotland’s most visited islands, Skye has fewer official campsites than you might expect. Most cluster around three areas: Portree in the east, the Cuillin in the south and the Trotternish peninsula in the north. We’ve covered six of the main Isle of Skye campsites below, along with what you need to know about wild camping.

Portree and Kinloch take bookings through their own websites, where you can check availability for tents, campervans, motorhomes and caravans. If you’re coming between June and August, we’d strongly recommend booking ahead.

Yes. Camping on the Isle of Skye is perfectly possible, both at official campsites and, where the rules allow, in the wild.

Scotland’s right of responsible access is set out in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and guided by the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. It allows responsible wild camping on most unenclosed land, including moorland and many shorelines. Enclosed farmland, cultivated fields and private gardens are excluded.

One important distinction: car parks aren’t campsites. The car parks at the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing and the Fairy Pools are small, busy places and aren’t suitable for an overnight stay.

If you’re wild camping on the Isle of Skye, the Scottish Outdoor Access Code asks you to use a stove where possible and avoid open fires on peat or close to woodland. Take every bit of litter away with you, and move on after one or two nights.

Travelling in a campervan or motorhome? An official campsite is usually the more practical choice, particularly when you want showers, toilets and electric hook-up.

Skye sits just off the North Coast 500, so it makes a brilliant extension if you’re already tackling Scotland’s best-known driving route. Most travellers reach the island from Kyle of Lochalsh on an anticlockwise loop, spend two to four nights exploring Trotternish and the Cuillin, then head back to the mainland over the Skye Bridge or take the Mallaig ferry and continue south.

If you’re planning an NC500 trip, give Skye a proper leg of the journey. Don’t try to squeeze it into a day trip. Two nights gives you time for one of the Trotternish walks and a drive towards the west coast. Three or four is much more comfortable if you’re planning to tackle the Cuillin properly, visit Dunvegan or explore the quieter north-west of the island.

And if Skye is only one part of a longer adventure, our West Coast Scotland road trip guide covers the wider run from the Skye Bridge through Torridon, Applecross and Glencoe.

Getting to Skye in a larger vehicle is straightforward. Once you’re there, the more useful question is what sort of pitch you need: hardstanding with electric hook-up, or a simpler grass pitch without it.

You can reach Skye over the free Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh or by ferry. CalMac operates the Mallaig to Armadale crossing, with vehicle bookings required during summer. There’s also the seasonal Glenelg to Kylerhea community ferry. It only carries a small number of vehicles and has a length limit, so check before trying that route in a larger motorhome.

Among the six Skye campsites we cover here, Portree, Staffin, Glenbrittle and the Camping and Caravanning Club site at Loch Greshornish offer hardstanding or electric hook-up alongside grass pitches for tents. Portree has 40 hardstanding pitches with EHU and 50 grass pitches, while Glenbrittle has more than 35 hook-ups and around 120 tent pitches.

There’s something else we’d check before booking a remote campsite: the road getting you there. Some of Skye’s west-coast single-track roads become pretty tight, particularly the Glen Brittle road, Elgol road and the route towards Neist Point. Passing places are designed with cars in mind, so give yourself plenty of time if you’re driving something larger.

If this is your first Highland campervan trip, our Scotland campervan packing list also has some useful preparation tips before you set off.

You’ll find showers and toilets at all the campsites covered here. Beyond the basics, facilities vary considerably.

Portree has WiFi and coin-operated laundry facilities, while Glenbrittle has the Cuillin Coffee café right on site. If you need to stock the van properly, Portree, Broadford and Dunvegan offer the biggest choice of shops.

There isn’t one campsite on Skye that’s right for everyone. It depends on where you want to explore, what you’re travelling in and how much you care about facilities versus waking up somewhere spectacular.

These six Isle of Skye campsites give you bases right across the island, from the Cuillin in the south to the Trotternish Ridge in the north.

Sligachan sits at the head of Glen Sligachan, beside the A87 junction where the A863 turns towards Dunvegan. Hillwalkers and climbers have used this area as a base for generations. The Red Cuillin rise directly behind the campsite, and you can pick up the path into the heart of the range from the doorstep.

It’s a fantastic location if walking is high on your list, but come prepared. The nearest shop requires a drive, so stock up before arriving. And from June to August, midges can be heavy when the weather is still.

Rates and availability are on the Sligachan Campsite website.

The Camping and Caravanning Club site sits beside Loch Greshornish, near Edinbane on the road connecting Portree and Dunvegan. There are around 105 pitches, including hardstanding for motorhomes and caravans, and many have views straight across the loch.

It’s a good location if you want one base for exploring both northern and western Skye without packing up and moving every morning.

Check current rates on the Camping and Caravanning Club website.

Staffin puts you between two of Skye’s headline sights, the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing, right below the Trotternish Ridge. That makes it one of the most useful campsites on Skye if walking the north of the island is your priority.

An Corran beach is also nearby. Handy when the weather decides your mountain plans for you.

The campsite has hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up as well as grass pitches for tents.

Head to the Staffin Campsite website for current rates and availability.

Kinloch is a small, family-run campsite on the shore of Loch Dunvegan, looking towards the flat-topped MacLeod’s Tables. You’re also on the edge of Dunvegan village, so you can walk to shops and food without sacrificing that loch-side setting.

Campervans, motorhomes, caravans and tents are all welcome, and the season runs from March to October.

You can check availability and current rates directly with Kinloch Campsite.

If you’re coming to Skye for the Cuillin, Glenbrittle takes some beating for location. The campsite sits on Loch Brittle at the foot of the mountains on the rugged west coast, with more than 35 electric hook-ups and around 120 tent pitches. You’ll also find the Cuillin Coffee café on site.

The setting is exactly why Glenbrittle gets busy during summer. You’re right beneath the Cuillin and beside Loch Brittle, rather than driving in every morning.

There’s no mobile signal at the campsite, though. Get your booking and anything else you need online sorted before heading down the road.

Check the Glenbrittle Campsite website for current rates.

Portree Campsite is at Torvaig, about a mile north of town on the Staffin road, with views towards the Cuillin. It has 40 hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up for campervans, motorhomes and caravans, plus 50 grass pitches for tents. Showers, toilets, WiFi and coin-operated laundry facilities are all available on site.

But the real advantage is Portree itself. Shops, restaurants, fuel and bus connections are all a short drive or a decent walk away. That makes this one of the most convenient Isle of Skye campsites if you don’t want to be completely remote.

You can check availability and book directly through Portree Campsite.

Camping Skye at Broadford is another useful option, particularly for your first or final night on the island. It sits on the edge of the village with Beinn na Caillich behind it and shops within walking distance. That location makes sense if you’re working around a ferry crossing or have a long drive south the following day.

You’ll also find smaller croft and farm campsites opening around Skye during summer. Some have only a handful of pitches and fairly basic facilities, and plenty never make it onto the major booking platforms.

If the official campsites are full, responsible wild camping on unenclosed land remains possible, provided you follow the access rules we covered earlier.

The best campsite on the Isle of Skye for you might not be the one with the longest facilities list. Think about price, season, dog policies and, crucially, where you actually want to spend your days.

A grass tent pitch without electric hook-up is generally the cheapest way to camp on Skye. Hardstanding pitches with EHU for campervans, motorhomes and caravans cost more.

Rates change between seasons, so we’d always check the campsite’s own booking page. Don’t rely on an old price you found elsewhere. Even so, camping remains the most affordable overnight option on the island compared with hotels and B&Bs.

Most campsites on Skye welcome dogs on leads, although policies aren’t always clearly published online. A quick phone call or email before booking can save an awkward arrival.

If you’re travelling with children, having something close to the campsite can make a wet-weather day much easier. Portree gives you the town on your doorstep, Glenbrittle has the Cuillin Coffee café, and Staffin puts An Corran beach within walking distance.

Dogs need a little extra thought out on the hill too. Livestock and ground-nesting birds are common, so keep them close. If your dog is joining you for the whole road trip, our guide to dog-friendly campervan hire in Scotland covers what to pack and what you can expect along the way.

Most Isle of Skye campsites are seasonal, generally operating from spring through to October. None of the six sites we’ve covered here stays open year-round, and exact opening and closing dates vary.

If you’re travelling outside the main season, check with the campsite directly before building your route around it. Winter closures can sometimes last longer than published dates suggest.

Portree, Staffin and the Camping and Caravanning Club site at Loch Greshornish all offer hardstanding pitches. These give you firmer, flatter ground if that’s important for your stay.

None of the six campsites publishes detailed information about accessible facilities, so we’d contact the site directly before booking if you have specific accessibility requirements.

Travelling as a group? Phone or email the campsite directly instead of using an online booking system. Most booking systems allocate pitches individually, which means several separate reservations won’t necessarily put you next to each other.

On Skye, we’d choose location before chasing a long facilities list.

Glenbrittle puts you right at the Cuillin and within reach of the Fairy Pools, and Staffin works beautifully for the Quiraing and Old Man of Storr. Loch Dunvegan and the drive towards Neist Point are best worked from Kinloch. Sligachan and Portree are both central enough to cover several parts of the island if that suits your plans better.

It comes down to the trip you have in mind. If your days are going to be spent hiking Trotternish, there’s little point choosing a campsite on the other side of Skye just because it has one extra facility.

Portree and Kinloch both accept direct bookings through their websites, where you can check availability for tents, campervans, motorhomes and caravans. Have a look at the cancellation terms before paying your deposit, as policies differ from one campsite to another.

For group trips, we’d contact the campsite directly by phone or email. Online systems tend to allocate pitches separately and may not keep several bookings together.

And if you’re planning Isle of Skye camping between June and August, book as far ahead as you reasonably can. It’s also worth checking individual campsite websites to see when reservations open for the following season.

A campervan suits Skye rather well. You can spend one night near the Cuillin, wake up somewhere around Trotternish the next and keep exploring without unpacking and repacking your entire trip every time you change base.

At Compass Campers, we hire campervans from our base near Edinburgh, and our vans are set up for exploring Scotland. If it’s your first campervan trip, we’ll walk you through how everything works before you leave.

We know choosing the van is only half the job. You still need to decide where you’re going. So if Skye is part of a bigger Scottish adventure and you’re still piecing the route together, our guide to the best campervan routes in Scotland is a good place to start, or get in touch if you’ve got questions about availability for your Skye trip.