Last checked: October 2026. Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you book a hotel or tour through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects which places we include, and we say clearly where we couldn't confirm winter opening.
In summer, the hard part of a Skye trip is finding a free bed. In winter, the hard part is finding a bed near somewhere that will feed you. A good number of Skye hotels close between November and March. Others stay open but quietly stop serving dinner, and that matters when the sun sets at 15:40 in Portree on 15 December and the nearest open kitchen could be twenty miles of single-track road away.
This guide is about choosing a winter base that works: which area to pick, which hotels and inns we've confirmed are open (and which we haven't), what to look for in a cottage, and what to check before you pay. If you're still deciding whether to go at all, start with Isle of Skye in November: is it worth it?
Quick Answer
- Best base in winter: Portree. It has the most restaurants still open, supermarkets, fuel and buses, and the Storr is about a quarter of an hour's drive north.
- Best for cosy luxury: Sleat. Kinloch Lodge, Duisdale House and Hotel Eilean Iarmain all have log fires and their own restaurants, so you won't have to drive in the dark for dinner.
- Best value: The Portree Hotel, which advertises winter rooms from £75 a night including breakfast (October–March). For the tightest budgets, Portree Youth Hostel is open all year.
- Best for dark skies and aurora: a north-facing cottage in Staffin, Waternish or Glendale. Make sure it has a proper kitchen.
- Best with no car: Portree. The bus stop, taxi rank and most tour pick-ups are in or near Somerled Square.
Rabbie's Isle of Skye 3-Day Tour with Accommodation in the calendar above runs from Edinburgh through the winter and includes two nights in small Portree B&Bs, so the bed, the driving and the route are all settled for you. If you're planning the trip yourself, the areas below are where to start.
Best Areas to Stay on Skye in Winter
The island is bigger than it looks on a map, and in winter the drive from your bed to the first viewpoint comes straight out of six or seven hours of daylight. Services matter as much as distance: a village with no open kitchen means cooking or driving back in the dark.
| Area | Best for | Winter services | Drive to Storr / Talisker / Skye Bridge* | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portree | First visits, short trips, eating out | Best on the island: supermarkets, fuel, most open restaurants, buses | 15 min / 30 min / 50 min | Best all-round winter base |
| Broadford | South Skye, Elgol, Torabhaig, late arrivals | Supermarket, fuel, a handful of places to eat | 45 min / 35 min / 15 min | Strong second choice |
| Kyleakin & Kyle of Lochalsh | Budget stays, train travellers | Kyle has shops, fuel and the station; Kyleakin is very quiet | 55 min / 45 min / 5 min | Cheap, but far from the north |
| Sleat | Romantic breaks, Armadale ferry, Torabhaig | Few, but the main hotels have restaurants | 1 hr 10 / 50 min / 30 min | Go for the hotel, not the village |
| Dunvegan, Waternish & Glendale | Dark skies, Neist Point, special dinners | Shop and fuel in Dunvegan; many kitchens close | 50 min / 35 min / 1 hr 15 | Beautiful, but plan every dinner |
| Carbost & Minginish | Talisker, Fairy Pools | Very limited in winter | 40 min / on the doorstep / 50 min | Fine for a cottage, not for eating out |
| Staffin & North Trotternish | Quiraing, Storr, aurora | Minimal, so check everything | 15 min / 50 min / 1 hr 5 | Realistically, self-catering only |
| Sligachan | Cuillin views, central crossroads | The hotel itself; check winter dates | 25 min / 15 min / 35 min | Great position, uncertain winter status |
| Uig | Ferries to Harris and North Uist | Limited, and some kitchens close in October | 35 min / 45 min / 1 hr | Only if you're catching a boat |
*Rough driving times in good conditions. In the dark, in wind or on ice, add a generous margin. Our guide to driving on Skye in winter explains why.
Other Experiences You Might Enjoy
Guided tours of the Isle of Skye run through the winter from Inverness, Edinburgh and Portree, with stops at the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, the Quiraing and Eilean Donan Castle, and multi-day trips that spend the nights in Portree by way of Glencoe and Loch Ness. Browse live options below.
Skye's Winter Bases, Area by Area
Portree: the obvious choice, for good reason
Portree is the only place on Skye that still feels like a working town in January. You can buy food, fill the tank, find a pint and, crucially, eat out most nights without driving. The Portree Hotel's own winter guide names Antlers Bar & Grill, Dulse & Brose, Chargrill at the Marmalade, the Cuillin Hills Hotel and the Isles Inn as winter options. It also warns that several of them close on a Monday or Tuesday. Book dinner when you book the room.
The trade-off is that Portree isn't remote or dark. If you want silence and stars from the doorstep, look further out. For a short trip, though, being central saves daylight, and with under seven hours of it in December, that matters more than anything else. Browse all stays in Portree.
Broadford: practical and well placed for the south
Broadford has a supermarket and fuel, is about fifteen minutes from the Skye Bridge, and is your launch pad for Elgol and the road to Torabhaig distillery. It's a sensible choice if you're arriving late from Inverness or Glasgow and don't want to tackle the full drive to Portree in the dark. Fewer restaurants stay open than in Portree, so check before you rely on one. Browse stays in Broadford.
Kyleakin and Kyle of Lochalsh: the budget option by the bridge
Staying on either side of the bridge usually costs less, and Kyle of Lochalsh has the railway station, which helps if you're coming by train. The catch is distance. The Quiraing and the Storr are an hour or more away, which takes a big bite out of a short winter day. One more thing: Skye Backpackers in Kyleakin is listed by Independent Hostels as open April to October only. Browse stays in Kyleakin or stays in Kyle of Lochalsh.
Sleat: for the hotel, not the nightlife
Sleat, the southern peninsula, is the gentlest, greenest part of Skye and home to its most romantic hotels. In winter that's the point: you check in, sit by a fire and have dinner without getting back in the car. It's also handy for the Armadale ferry and Torabhaig distillery. Don't expect to pop out for a takeaway. Browse stays in Sleat.
Dunvegan, Waternish and Glendale: dark skies, careful planning
The north-west is wonderful for big skies, Neist Point and some of Skye's best food. It's also where winter closures hurt most. The Three Chimneys confirms an annual closure from mid-December to mid-January, and other pubs and cafés here shorten their hours or close. Stay here if you want a dark, quiet cottage, and have a plan B for every dinner. Browse stays around Dunvegan.
Carbost and Minginish: Talisker on the doorstep
Talisker distillery and the Fairy Pools are close by, but winter services around Carbost are thin. A cottage here works well if you cook. If you want to eat out every night, base yourself in Portree, about 17 miles and around half an hour away. Browse stays around Carbost.
Staffin and North Trotternish: Quiraing and aurora country
Staffin puts you minutes from the Quiraing road, with the Storr a short drive south. The sea to the north and east is very dark, so for aurora hunting a north-facing cottage here is hard to beat (see our guide to the Northern Lights on the Isle of Skye). Services are minimal, so arrive with a full fridge. Browse stays in Staffin.
Sligachan: the best view, an uncertain winter
The Sligachan Hotel sits at the island's central crossroads beneath the Cuillin, about fifteen minutes from Portree and thirty-five from the Skye Bridge. Its winter status is confusing; see the hotel section below.
Uig: only if you're catching a ferry
Uig makes sense the night before an early sailing to Harris or North Uist, and not much otherwise. The Ferry Inn's website listed its last dinner service of the season as Saturday 24 October. Check the A855 road status before you plan a Trotternish loop from here. Browse stays in Uig.
Hotels Open in Winter
Here's what we could confirm for winter 2026/27, mostly from the hotels' own websites. Where we couldn't confirm something, we say so. Please treat "check winter dates" as an instruction, not a figure of speech.
Luxury and romantic
Kinloch Lodge, Sleat. A former Macdonald hunting lodge on Loch na Dal, with drinks by the fire before dinner and a well-stocked whisky bar. VisitScotland lists the restaurant as open all year, and recent guest reviews mention Christmas Sunday lunches in December and stays in January. This is our pick for a proper winter treat. Kinloch Lodge isn't on our booking partner's list, so book it direct, or browse other stays in Sleat.
Duisdale House Hotel, Sleat. A Victorian mansion with log fires, a garden hot tub and an AA two-rosette restaurant, which also serves dinner to guests from its sister hotel, Toravaig. Winter rates have historically been far lower than summer ones, so compare dates.
Toravaig House Hotel, Sleat. An intimate nine-room house looking across to Knock Castle, with a log-fire lounge. Dinner is served at Duisdale, a five-minute drive away. Toravaig is part of the Sonas Collection's festive 2026 programme.
Skeabost House Hotel, near Portree. A whitewashed Victorian mansion on Loch Snizort, with log fires, a conservatory restaurant and a short drive into Portree. Its Christmas 2026 programme includes mulled wine and music by the fire, a Christmas Day welly walk and a three-course Christmas Day lunch at £125 per person (bookable separately).
Cuillin Hills Hotel, Portree. Fifteen acres above Portree Bay, about a ten-minute walk from town. It has The View restaurant and the Malt Embassy bar with more than 130 malts. The hotel's social media describes it as always open, but we couldn't find a winter statement on its main website, so check winter dates when you book.
Edinbane Lodge, Edinbane. A six-room restaurant with rooms in a 1543 hunting lodge. For winter it runs a festive two-night dinner, bed and breakfast "Winter Getaway" from Thursday 17 to Wednesday 30 December 2026. With six rooms, it will sell out early. Book it on the lodge's own website, or browse other stays in Edinbane.
The Three Chimneys & The House Over-By, Colbost. Skye's most famous restaurant with rooms. It's open every day except for its annual closure from mid-December to mid-January, so a November or early-December stay works; Christmas and New Year don't. Rooms are booked through the restaurant's own website.
Greshornish House, near Edinbane. A romantic white manor house on its own loch, with breakfast and afternoon tea served year-round. However, the hotel's own site says it does not serve dinner from 1 November to 28 February and suggests its sister property, the Edinbane Inn, about ten minutes away. Lovely for a hideaway; just plan your evenings.
Mid-range and cosy inns
The Portree Hotel, Portree. Twenty-four en-suite rooms on Somerled Square, breakfast included, and a bar where the fire stays on through winter. It advertises winter rooms from £75 a night (October–March) and says the restaurant and bar are open every day through winter. Things to know: the 1875 building has no lift, and booking sites say there's no on-site parking.
Hotel Eilean Iarmain, Sleat. A harbourside Gaelic hotel with a restaurant open seven days and an open fire in the Am Pràban bar in winter. It describes itself as open all year, though booking sites list a closure from 23 to 26 December.
Edinbane Inn, Edinbane. Seven rooms above a proper village pub. From 5 October 2026 to 3 January 2027 it serves dinner every evening (4–8pm) and lunch at weekends. It then closes from 4 January to 28 February 2027, reopening on 1 March. Ideal for a November or December stay.
Sligachan Hotel, Sligachan. Here's the confusion resolved as far as we can. The hotel's official site sells a two-night and a three-night Christmas package and a two-night Hogmanay package, with cosy fires and seasonal dining. Several booking sites, though, list some facilities as closed from 1 November to 28 February. Our reading: book Sligachan for the festive packages, and for any other winter dates get written confirmation from the hotel that rooms and dinner are available.
Broadford Hotel, Broadford. Ran a winter offer for stays between 1 November 2025 and 30 April 2026, which suggests it opens through winter. We haven't seen a 2026/27 offer yet, so check winter dates.
Borodale House and Na Bothain, Isle of Raasay. Rooms inside the Isle of Raasay Distillery, a 25-minute ferry ride from Sconser, plus five newer cabins just uphill, with a residents' whisky lounge and honesty bar. The distillery's Winter Island Escape is two nights in a Na Bothain cabin with breakfast, a two-course dinner on both evenings and a distillery tour and tasting, from £380 a night, on selected dates from November 2026 to March 2027. That solves the dinner problem on an island with very few options, but the same page says the distillery will be closed from 18 December to 11 February. Neighbouring Raasay House is closed from 26 October 2026 to 24 March 2027. You can also browse other stays on Raasay.
Other Portree hotels to check
- The Royal Hotel: third-party listings say it's open all year with a reduced winter menu. Its own site doesn't state winter dates.
- The Bosville (Dulse & Brose): booking sites list a closure from 24 to 27 December, implying it's open the rest of the winter.
- Rosedale Hotel: right on the harbour with lovely sunrise views. Guest reviews from previous winters say the restaurant and bar closed off-season, so assume you'll eat elsewhere.
- Kings Haven, The Skye Inn and the Marmalade: we couldn't verify winter 2026/27 status.
Hotels with conflicting or unconfirmed winter status
- Dunollie Hotel, Broadford: booking sites disagree on its winter closure. Check winter dates directly.
- Flodigarry Hotel, Staffin: closed last winter. Assume it's closed unless the hotel says otherwise.
- Uig Hotel and Stein Inn: no 2026/27 winter dates found. The Stein Inn has closed from early January to early March in past years.
Budget
Portree Youth Hostel is listed by Hostelling Scotland as open all year. It has 60 beds, from private en-suites to dorms, in the centre of town, and it's the cheapest way to get Portree's winter convenience. Broadford Youth Hostel has a drying room and laundry, which are very useful in winter, but check its winter dates. As noted above, Skye Backpackers in Kyleakin lists April to October opening, and we couldn't confirm winter status for Saucy Mary's.
Self-Catering Cottages and Cabins
For many couples and families, a cottage is the best winter option on Skye. You aren't tied to restaurant hours, you can dry your kit properly, and you can choose somewhere dark and north-facing for the aurora. What to look for:
- A real heat source. A log burner is lovely, but check that there's also central heating or decent storage heaters, and whether logs are included or extra.
- Somewhere to dry things. A utility room, heated airer or boot room makes a wet week bearable.
- A north-facing outlook if the Northern Lights are part of the plan, ideally away from street lights in Staffin, Waternish, Glendale or along the Trotternish coast.
- A kitchen you'd actually cook in, and a supermarket stop planned on the way in (Broadford or Portree).
- Phone signal and Wi-Fi. Some glens are patchy, which is fine for a digital detox and less fine if you need forecasts and road updates.
- Hot tubs. They're a wonderful winter treat, but ask if the tub is kept heated through winter and whether there's an extra charge.
- Access. A steep, unlit track to the door is a different proposition in frost.
Winter minimum stays and changeover days vary by owner, and short breaks are often easier to find outside the festive weeks. Big agencies such as Sykes and Cottages.com, along with Airbnb and Vrbo, list hundreds of Skye properties. Local agencies and owners' own sites sometimes offer better winter flexibility. To compare holiday homes and apartments on Booking.com, browse Staffin, Waternish, Glendale or Carbost.
Campervans and Campsites in Winter: the Reality
Most Skye campsites close in autumn. Glenbrittle runs from 1 April to 15 October, Staffin from Easter to mid-October, and Portree's campsite from March to October. Camping Skye in Broadford takes motorhomes from March to November. Kinloch Campsite at Dunvegan has conflicting listings, so ring first. For year-round motorhome stops, South Skye Motorhome Park in Sleat is the one most often cited, and Auchtertyre Farm Parking on the mainland, about ten minutes from the bridge, is a basic fallback.
Wild camping in a van in a December gale is miserable. If you do it, have a booked pitch with hook-up for every night.
Christmas and New Year on Skye
The festive fortnight is the one time in winter when Skye gets busy again, and the places doing packages are small. Confirmed options for 2026 include:
- Sligachan Hotel: two- and three-night Christmas packages and a two-night Hogmanay package.
- Skeabost House: a full Christmas Eve to Boxing Day programme, with Christmas Day lunch at £125 per person.
- Toravaig and Duisdale (Sonas Collection): festive 2026 offers.
- Edinbane Lodge: two-night dinner, bed and breakfast stays between 17 and 30 December.
Remember the closures: the Three Chimneys closes from mid-December, Eilean Iarmain is listed as closed from 23 to 26 December, the Bosville from 24 to 27 December, and the Raasay distillery's rooms from 18 December. Book festive stays as early as you can, and expect premium rates and minimum stays. Our Isle of Skye in December guide covers Christmas and Hogmanay packages. For what else opens over the holidays, see what's open on the Isle of Skye in winter.
What to Check Before You Book
- Is the property definitely open on your dates? Email if the website is vague.
- Is dinner served on site on those nights? If not, where's the nearest open kitchen, and does it close on Mondays or Tuesdays?
- Heating: what type, and is it included?
- Drying room or space for boots and waterproofs.
- Parking: on site and free? Not a given in central Portree.
- EV charging: on site or nearby, and does it work in winter?
- Cancellation terms: strong winds can close the Skye Bridge to high-sided vehicles and, in extreme gusts, to all traffic (check Traffic Scotland on the day).
- Check-in times: a late arrival after a dark drive needs a key safe or late reception.
- Phone signal and Wi-Fi if you'll rely on forecasts.
- Outlook: north-facing and away from lights if you're hoping for aurora.
Winter Booking Tips and Price Expectations
Outside Christmas and New Year, winter is the cheapest time to stay on Skye. You'll see headline winter rates like The Portree Hotel's £75 with breakfast, and country houses that cost several hundred pounds in July become far more reachable. Prices still rise around the festive weeks and some weekends.
A few rules of thumb:
- Stay at least two nights. With under seven hours of light in December, one night gives you almost no full day.
- Book dinner when you book the bed. With fewer kitchens open, the ones that are open still fill up.
- Pick one base, not three. Packing and unpacking in the dark wastes a lot of a short day.
- Choose free cancellation where you can, and keep a spare day before any flight home.
- Hire a car if you're not on a tour. Buses are thin in winter, and our guide to driving on Skye in winter covers the roads.
If you'd rather not drive at all, our guide to Isle of Skye winter tours from Inverness and Edinburgh covers the options. If you need a ready-made plan, try our 3-day Isle of Skye winter itinerary, which uses Portree as its base.
Tours That Include Your Beds, or Skip Them
If arranging hotels, dinners and a hire car for dark single-track roads sounds like too much, these tours run through the winter. The first two include or offer two nights in Portree; the third is a long day trip from Inverness for readers staying on the mainland.
Both nights are in small en-suite Portree B&Bs and are in the price, so the where-to-stay question is answered for you, a short walk from the town's winter restaurants.
Check availability
Also two nights in Portree, but beds are only included if you choose that option, which suits travellers who want to pick their own hotel from the list above.
Check availability
Staying in Inverness instead? This day trip passes Eilean Donan, stops in Portree for lunch and takes in the Storr, Kilt Rock and the Quiraing before driving you back.
Check availabilityWhere to Stay on Skye in Winter: FAQ
Where is the best place to stay on Skye in winter?
Portree, for most people. It has the most restaurants open, shops, fuel and transport, and it's central for the Storr, the Quiraing and the Fairy Pools. Sleat is better for a romantic hotel stay with dinner on site.
Are hotels open on Skye in winter?
Yes, but fewer of them, and some that stay open don't serve dinner. Confirmed examples include The Portree Hotel, Hotel Eilean Iarmain, Kinloch Lodge and the Edinbane Inn (until 3 January). Our list of what's open on Skye in winter covers restaurants and attractions too.
Is Portree or Broadford better?
Portree, if you want to eat out and spend most of your time in the north of the island. Broadford, if you're arriving late, exploring Elgol and the south, or want to be nearer the bridge.
Is it cheaper to stay on Skye in winter?
Generally, yes. Outside the festive period, rates drop sharply. The Portree Hotel, for example, advertises winter rooms from £75 a night with breakfast. Christmas and New Year are the exception.
Can you stay at the Sligachan Hotel in winter?
Over Christmas and Hogmanay, yes: the hotel sells festive packages. For other winter dates, booking sites suggest some facilities close from November to February, so confirm directly with the hotel before you book.
Should I stay on Skye or in Kyle of Lochalsh?
Kyle is cheaper and has the train station, but the north of Skye is an hour or more away. On a short winter trip, staying on the island, ideally in Portree, saves daylight you can't spare.
Are there hotels with restaurants open in winter?
Yes. The Portree Hotel, Kinloch Lodge, Duisdale House and Hotel Eilean Iarmain all advertise or list winter dining. Greshornish House doesn't serve dinner from 1 November to 28 February, and the Three Chimneys closes from mid-December to mid-January.
The Bottom Line
In winter on Skye, choose your bed by where you'll eat. For most first-timers that means Portree. For a cosy splurge, choose a Sleat hotel with its own dining room. For dark skies, choose a well-heated north-facing cottage with a full fridge. Check opening dates directly, book dinner early, and give yourself at least two nights.
Before you go, read our Skye winter packing list, and plan a wet-day dram with our Isle of Skye whisky and distillery guide for winter visitors. Or browse every stay on the Isle of Skye.