Portree

Overview

The setting for Bonnie Prince Charlie's last days in Scotland, Portree is a bustling port and a thriving cultural centre.

Built around its natural harbour and fringed by hills, Portree is the island's main town and a popular destination for visitors. It boasts excellent leisure facilities, including a swimming pool, pony-trekking and boat cruises plus plenty of shopping opportunities. The VisitScotland Information Centre in the town in particular boasts an excellent display of locally produced arts and crafts.

Portree is also the cultural hub for Skye and one of its main attractions, the award-winning Aros Centre, runs regular theatre, concerts and film screenings. The centre also incorporates an exhibition capturing the drama of Skye's history, a spectacular RSPB exhibit with live and recorded footage of rare sea eagles plus an audio-visual presentation giving a dramatic aerial view of Skye's incredible landscapes.

The town is a popular base for exploring the rest of the island. Many visitors are drawn to the spectacular scenery of the Trotternish Ridge to the north: this is wild country dominated by weird and wonderful rock formations such as the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock and the truly extraordinary pinnacles of the Quiraing.