What's on in Isle of Skye (Skye), United Kingdom through the year

Busy — Christmas holidays in United Kingdom, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Aurora season (15 Sep – 31 Mar (usually)), Half the island shuts (1 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — February half-term in United Kingdom, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Aurora season (15 Sep – 31 Mar (usually)), Half the island shuts (1 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Aurora season (15 Sep – 31 Mar (usually)), Half the island shuts (1 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))

Busy — Easter / spring holiday in United Kingdom, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in April.

Busy — Late-May half-term in United Kingdom, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Skye Live

  7–9 MayMajor festivalBook early

  Three days of music at Beluga Lagoon near Portree in early May. The date has moved around the calendar in past years, so check it before booking the ferry. Source ↗

• Hazard

  Midge season

  25 May – 15 Sep · usuallyInsect season

  Still evenings by the water from June to early September are the problem, not the days. Sligachan and the campsites are the worst of it; the exposed headlands stay breezy enough to sit out. Source ↗

Busy — Late-May half-term in United Kingdom, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Nature

  Minke whales and basking sharks

  1 Jun – 15 Sep · usuallyWhale season

  Minke, porpoise and basking sharks work the Sound through the summer and the boats go from Elgol and Portree. Sailings are cancelled for sea state more often than for rain.

Still on: Midge season (25 May – 15 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Peak summer on the single tracks, Summer holidays in United Kingdom

• Holiday

  Peak summer on the single tracks

  1 Jul – 31 AugSchool holidaysCrowdedBook early

  The Fairy Pools and Storr car parks fill by mid-morning and the single-track roads run on passing-place etiquette that half the traffic does not know. Start before nine or go in the evening. Source ↗

Still on: Midge season (25 May – 15 Sep (usually)), Minke whales and basking sharks (1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Peak summer on the single tracks, Summer holidays in United Kingdom

• Festival

  Isle of Skye Highland Games

  5 AugMajor festival

  A one-day games on the Lump in Portree in early August: hill race, heavies, piping and dancing, with the harbour below. It is a Wednesday, which catches people out. Source ↗

Still on: Midge season (25 May – 15 Sep (usually)), Minke whales and basking sharks (1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)), Peak summer on the single tracks (1 Jul – 31 Aug)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Aurora season

  15 Sep – 31 Mar · usually

  Dark skies and a northern horizon over the Minch make Skye one of the better bets in Britain, on the nights the Atlantic cloud lets it through. That is the catch, and it is a big one.

Still on: Midge season (25 May – 15 Sep (usually)), Minke whales and basking sharks (1 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Busy — October half-term in United Kingdom, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Aurora season (15 Sep – 31 Mar (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Closure

  Half the island shuts

  1 Nov – 15 Mar · usually

  Boat trips, a lot of the restaurants and many of the smaller places to stay close from November to spring, and bus services thin out. The Cuillin becomes a winter mountaineering venue rather than a walk. Source ↗

Still on: Aurora season (15 Sep – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Christmas holidays in United Kingdom, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Aurora season (15 Sep – 31 Mar (usually)), Half the island shuts (1 Nov – 15 Mar (usually))