Portree Harbour on Skye: getting there, harbour info and sailing destinations

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Portree Harbour lies on the east coast of the Isle of Skye, in a sheltered bay on the Sound of Raasay, the stretch of water between Skye and the island of Raasay. Here you can read how to get to Portree for the start of your sailing trip, where to park and shop, what sailing weather to expect, which destinations lie nearby and what skippers should bear in mind when approaching and mooring.

Where is Portree harbour?

Portree is the largest village on Skye and lies on the western side of Loch Portree, a bay that opens eastwards onto the Sound of Raasay. Portree harbour sits at the very head of this bay, directly in front of Quay Street with its row of brightly painted houses. The main pier juts out into the water here, and the moorings for visiting yachts lie to the north of it. From the harbour it is just a few minutes' walk up to Somerled Square, the centre of the village, with its bus stop, shops and pharmacy.

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The harbour authority is Highland Council, the administration of the Scottish Highlands. The harbour area covers the whole bay up to its mouth between Sròn a‘ Bhainne in the north and Udairn in the south. The bay is regarded as a deep, well-sheltered anchorage. In summer, cruise ships anchor off Portree, and fishermen and salmon farms also use the pier.

Arriving for the start of your sailing trip in Portree

Portree is the transport hub of Skye: long-distance coaches stop at Somerled Square, and from there it is only a few steps down to the harbour.

From Inverness Airport to Portree

The nearest airport is Inverness. There are direct flights from three London airports, among others, as well as from Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast, Dublin and Amsterdam. From the airport, the city bus routes 1 and 13 run to the bus station in Inverness, and a taxi takes around 20 minutes to the city. By hire car, allow about three hours from Inverness to Portree.

From Inverness bus station, the long-distance coach route 917 runs via Loch Ness, Kyle of Lochalsh and the Skye Bridge to Somerled Square in Portree. The fastest journey takes 3 hours 11 minutes. In the winter months there are up to three buses a day, with the last one leaving Inverness at 17:45 (as of November 2026).

By car, train, bus or ferry

By car, you reach the island via the Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh and drive along the A87 to Portree. In Portree, the A87 meets the A855, which leads north onto the Trotternish peninsula.

By train, you travel from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, the last place on the mainland before the Skye Bridge. From there, buses take you onto the island and on to Portree. There is also a direct long-distance coach from Glasgow to Portree; the fastest journey takes 6 hours 25 minutes.

From the south, you can reach Skye by ferry from Mallaig to Armadale. It runs daily all year round, less frequently in winter. In Mallaig, the ferry connects with the train to Glasgow Queen Street. It is best to book vehicles on this ferry in advance.

If you are travelling with a passport from an EU country (except Ireland), you generally need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for the UK. It costs £20 and is valid for stays of up to six months.

Parking

The nearest car parks are on Bayfield Road and Mill Road, each around 250 metres from the harbour. There are two more car parks at Somerled Square, around 300 metres from the harbour. In July and August the car parks in the village fill up quickly, and you are most likely to find a space before 10 am.

Shopping for the trip

Two food shops are around 200 metres from the harbour: a Co-op supermarket and the organic shop Jackson’s Wholefoods. You can reach a second Co-op after around 1.3 kilometres, on the north-western edge of the village.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

The GP surgery Portree Medical Centre is on Fancy Hill, around 200 metres from the harbour. Visitors who need help on Skye should first call the surgery by telephone. Without a valid European Health Insurance Card, treatment as a private patient may cost money. Portree Community Hospital is around 250 metres from the harbour but has no emergency department. The nearest emergency department on the island is at the hospital in Broadford, which lies on the route between Portree and the Skye Bridge.

The Boots pharmacy is on Wentworth Street, right next to Somerled Square. For complaints that cannot wait until the next working day, you can reach the telephone health service NHS 24 in Scotland on 111.

• 999: Emergency number for police, fire brigade and ambulance service
• 999 and “Coastguard”: emergency at sea or on the coast; HM Coastguard will take the call
• At sea: VHF channel 16

What does Portree harbour offer?

Portree harbour is a working harbour with a main pier, moorings for visiting yachts and an anchorage in the bay. The key details at a glance (as of November 2026):

Feature	Details
Port authority	Highland Council
Moorings for visiting yachts	Portree Moorings Association, boats up to 8 tonnes
Pontoon at the main pier	for landing only, maximum 2 hours
Anchorage	57° 24,79′ N, 006° 09,64′ W
Diesel and water	at the fishing pier via the harbour office
Deputy Harbour Master Portree	+44 1478 612926
Harbour Master Portree and Uig	+44 1470 542381
Harbours email	harbours@highland.gov.uk

Equipment

The main pier is the central berthing area of the harbour and is used by everyone. During the day, fishermen and supply vessels bunker here, fish is landed and feed is loaded for the salmon farms. In front of the main berth there is an old berth that serves only as a mooring because the water is too shallow. Small passenger boats and fishermen use the slipway.

A floating pontoon hangs off the main pier, where visiting yachts can tie up to land. You may stay there for two hours at most. When a cruise ship is in port, the pontoon becomes a restricted area and is closed to everyone else. You can get diesel, water, lubricants and filters at the fishing pier via the harbour office. There is a collection point for waste oil.

What are the sailing conditions like around Portree?

On the Scottish west coast the wind mostly blows from the south-west, and the strongest winds almost always come from directions between south and north-west. When a low crosses from the Atlantic, the wind usually sets in from the south or south-west and then veers west to north-west. Lows are most frequent and most intense in the winter half of the year, especially from December to February. In spring the wind blows from the north-east more often than usual.

In its coastal waters forecast, the British Met Office warns of strong wind from force 6 and issues a gale warning from force 8.

Which sailing destinations are near Portree?

From Portree you first sail east out of the bay into the Sound of Raasay. Opposite lies Raasay, further north Rona, to the south Kyle of Lochalsh at the Skye Bridge, and to the west, beyond the Minch, the Outer Hebrides.

Raasay lies opposite Portree on the other side of the Sound of Raasay. Next to the island's ferry terminal there is a floating pontoon owned by the island community. It is open from Easter to October and floats at any state of the tide. At low water the innermost part is suitable only for boats with a shallow draught. As things stand (November 2026), the pontoon has fewer berths because of damage, berths cannot be reserved, and water is available at the pontoon again. The island's whisky distillery is a few minutes' walk from the ferry terminal.

Kyle of Lochalsh lies to the south on Loch Alsh, right at the Skye Bridge. The harbour has water depths of more than 7 metres and a pontoon for visiting yachts, available from 1 April to 30 September. The pontoon is exposed and not suitable in bad weather. Before mooring, contact the harbour master in Kyle. The train to Inverness also stops in Kyle.

Oban lies further south on the coast of Argyll. You can read everything about berths and getting there in the Profile of the harbours of Oban.

Outer Hebrides: West of Skye, beyond the Minch, lie the Outer Hebrides. The ferry from Uig in the north of Skye takes 1 hour 40 minutes to Tarbert on Harris and 1 hour 45 minutes to Lochmaddy. If you sail further north, you will find on the mainland coast the Ullapool harbour on Loch Broom.

What can you do on a harbour day in Portree?

Portree is the island's most important place for shops, restaurants and accommodation. Almost everything is within ten minutes' walk of Somerled Square.

Quay Street: The waterfront street right by the harbour is Portree's best-known sight. Brightly painted houses stand in a row above the pier, with the fishing boats moored below. The Gaelic name of the town, Port Rìgh, means “King's Harbour”.

Am Meall: The small hill directly above the harbour is known locally as “The Lump”. Every year in May it hosts the Skye Live music festival with traditional music.

Scorrybreac circular walk: The path on the north side of the bay is around 3 kilometres long with 164 metres of ascent. It starts less than a kilometre from the town centre, and you need one to two hours. After rain the paths are often muddy.

Old Man of Storr: The car park for the hike to the famous rock pinnacle is around 11 kilometres north of Portree. The hike fits nicely into a morning, leaving you the rest of the day in town.

For skippers: berthing and marine weather in Portree

In Portree harbour you lie at a visitors' mooring or at anchor in the bay.

Registration and Berthing

For all Highland Council harbours, the same applies: before arriving, contact the harbour master responsible, who will confirm whether a space is free and whether your boat fits. In Portree you can reach the deputy harbour master on +44 1478 612926 and the harbour master for Portree and Uig on +44 1470 542381. In writing, you can contact the harbour authority at harbours@highland.gov.uk.

The moorings for visiting yachts are operated by the Portree Moorings Association and are designed for boats of up to 8 tonnes. Use the floating pontoon at the main pier only for landing and for two hours at most. If you wish to anchor, you will find a safe anchorage in the bay at 57° 24,79′ N, 006° 09,64′ W. For yachts anchoring within the harbour area, the Highland Council charges 75 per cent of the usual berthing fee.

Approach

The harbour limit runs across the mouth of Loch Portree between Sròn a‘ Bhainne to the north and Udairn to the south. From there you sail west into the bay as far as the town.

In the inner part of the bay lies the rock Sgeir Mhòr, with a green flashing light to the south-west of it. At the head of the pier, two fixed red lights, one above the other, mark the landing. In summer, watch out for cruise ships as well as fishing boats and work boats serving the salmon farms. The current chart applies for navigation.

If you arrive in Scotland from outside Great Britain, including from the Channel Islands but not from Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man, you report the trip in advance to the British authorities with a Pleasure Craft Report. From the 12-nautical-mile limit you fly the yellow flag Q, and you only take it down once the report has been completed. Anyone who does not hold a British or Irish passport also needs permission to enter from the Border Force before going ashore, which can also be granted remotely.

Which marine weather forecast applies to Portree?

For Portree, the Met Office coastal waters forecast applies, with the sections “The Minch” and “Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath”. It is issued four times a day and each issue covers the next 24 hours. You can read it on the Met Office website.

For the open sea, the Met Office issues the Shipping Forecast. The broadcaster BBC Radio 4 transmits it at 00:48 and 05:20 on long wave and FM, and at 12:01 and 17:54 generally on long wave only. BBC Radio 4 also broadcasts gale warnings at the next break in programming.

Sailing trips from Portree on Törnfinder

You will find sailing trips around Skye, to the Hebrides and to other sailing areas in the trip overview.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from Inverness Airport to Portree?

Take the city bus from the airport to Inverness bus station, then the 917 long-distance coach, which takes a little over three hours to reach Somerled Square in Portree. By hire car, allow around three hours.

Where can I park at the start of the trip in Portree?

The nearest car parks are on Bayfield Road and Mill Road, each about 250 metres from the harbour, with more at Somerled Square. In July and August the car parks fill up quickly; you are most likely to find a space before 10 a.m.

Is there a supermarket near Portree harbour?

Yes. A Co-op supermarket and the organic shop Jackson’s Wholefoods are about 200 metres from the harbour, and a second Co-op is about 1.3 kilometres away on the north-western edge of the town.

Is there a marina in Portree with pontoon berths?

No. Visiting yachts in Portree harbour lie on moorings or at anchor. You may tie up at the floating pontoon at the main pier for two hours at most, for example to take crew or provisions on board.

How do I contact the harbour master in Portree?

By phone on +44 1478 612926 (Deputy Harbour Master Portree) or +44 1470 542381 (Harbour Master Portree and Uig), or by e-mail at harbours@highland.gov.uk. Contact details and current notices from the harbour authority can be found on the Portree harbour page.