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We recently went on a holiday to the Isle of Skye. The terrain is wild, rugged and breathtakingly beautiful. Mainly we explored the island by car and foot, but no trip to Skye is complete without a boat trip.

We took a 3 hour trip with Misty Isle Boat Trips, a family run business that has been operating boat tours to Loch Coruisk and the inner Hebrides for generations. 

We did this trip from our base for the week at Skye Yurts.

The crossing

We departed from Elgol, a pretty village where the white stone houses cling desperately onto the hills, and sailed to Loch Coruisk. Loch Coruisk is a lake which is enclosed right in the middle of the formidable Cuillin hills and it is only accessible by sailing and then walking to it. This was the most adventurous thing that we did with our children (aged 6, 4 and 2) while visiting Skye, and it was well worth it.

The crossing was atmospheric, with mist shrouding the tops of the Cuillins as we journeyed across the sea. Our children were thrilled to be going on a boat tour but were uncharacteristically serene as we travelled – I can only guess that they were drinking in the dramatic scenery around them.

Energy and decibel levels increased however when we approached a colony of seals relaxing on rocky mounds. The children loved watching these peaceful animals lounge about and strenuously flopping their blubbery bodies into the water. Our tour guide, local skipper Seumsas Mackinnon told us that we were visiting slightly too early to see the baby seals – who are usually born in Mid- June. But that would be a good excuse to go and visit again!

Loch Coruisk

Once we got off the boat, we were free to explore for approximately 90 minutes. This gave plenty of time to walk to Loch Coruisk (a 10 minute walk away). En route is a river which runs from the Loch to the sea, our children loved welly wading into it and admiring the waterfalls.

Families with older children could do a longer walk around the edge of Loch Coruisk or to a beautiful beach only accessible by crossing stepping stones.

If you fancy a real adventure, it is possible to hire the Loch Coruisk Memorial Hut, a bothy nestled by the foot of the hills. Your family would be the only people for miles around, and you would need to wait for a boat from Misty Isle Boat Trips to pick you up the next day! More information about the bothy can be found here.

http://mistyisleboattrips.co.uk/the-area/loch-coruisk-memorial-hut/

The details

It’s best to contact the owners directly to arrange your boat trip, as they can help you decide which trip (Loch Coruisk or an inner Hebrides island) would be best. They offer a variety of locations and durations of trips depending on if you would like to spot wildlife, go hiking, or even climbing.

Prices

To go on the 3 hour trip that we did, including 90 minutes to explore Loch Coruisk costs £28 per adult and £14 per child. We’d highly recommend it. Going to such a remote and beautiful place with your family is an incredibly memorable experience.