A Weekend in Skye Recommendations

OK so I thought it might be useful to note down all the great places I tried in Skye – there are still loads of places I didn’t get to try but that just means another visit is on the cards

Cafes:

Café Cuil

I loved this little cafe as the food was amazing, had good parking and is dog friendly. Café Cuil is located in Carbost and you will literally drive by it on the way to the Fairy Pools, Glenbrittle Beach and Talisker Bay (or distillery). You should spot its red roof and it had signs outside.

I had been following them on Instagram and so already had my heart set on trying the Scotch Pancakes with rhubarb and ginger crumble and it was delicious. 4 fluffy pancakes stacked high with bits of rhubarb and crumble which was warming and tasty. The other dishes also looked delicious!

Follow them on Instagram @cafecuil for more information

Deli Gasta

Deli Gasta is situated in Broadford just off the main road – I nipped in as a lunch stop before heading back across the Skye Bridge and to my next stop. It’s in a gorgeous old stone building where they have made use of the architecture for window seats and a great display of Isle of Skye Candles.

They have a great breakfast and lunch menu as well as a table filled with cakes – I had the Croque Bodach which had thick slices of deli ham, melted gruyere cheese with red onion and mustard and it was just what I needed on a cold, wet afternoon!

I couldn’t leave without a cake or two so had a slice of carrot cake and lemon drizzle cake to take away! I also noticed they had some vegan and gluten free cakes which is good to see.

Also, they were very dog friendly!

Follow them on Instagram @deligasta for more information

Lunch / Dinner

The Dunvegan

The Dunvegan is, unsurprisingly, in Dunvegan situated on the main street as if you were heading out to Dunvegan Castle within the Hotel. I had dinner at the Fire Restaurant which specialises in locally sourced ingredients cooked over fire and is influenced by Argentinian cuisine.

There was a dinner set menu which I thought was great value – 2 courses for £29.95 and 3 courses for £38.95 including bread served with dulse butter and a few other snacks.

I thought 2 courses would be more than enough (and I was correct) so went for the dry aged highland rump steak for mains and the sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

The rump steak was delicious – beautifully charred and perfectly cooked – it was served with a chimichurri sauce, charred baby gem lettuce topped with an anchovy crumb and Argentinian potatoes.

The sticky toffee pudding was great – how can you go wrong with a sticky toffee pudding.

As well as the restaurant they have a small number of rooms and a café / deli for a coffee and cake during the day.

Again, they are super dog friendly – even offered to get Ellie a bed to sleep in whilst I had dinner!!

Follow them on Instagram @thedunvegan for more info

The Three Chimneys

The Three Chimneys have always been somewhere I have wanted to visit due to the long standing ethos of showcasing the produce of Skye.

I was lucky enough to get a table for the Saturday night and I am so glad I did – it is located about 5 miles away from where I was staying @hameonskye but the 5 miles are, of course, down a single track road. When I arrived, the restaurant was picturesque, sitting looking at Loch Dunvegan with the sunsetting behind it.

The restaurant offers a 4 course al a carte menu with options you can add on if you wish – I could resist the option of 2 oysters encased in a light crispy batter (option) and then went on to have the cheese fondue, scallops, venison and a honey poached pear and rice pudding. As you would expect each course was beautifully presented and tasted delicious – showcasing the local produce of Skye and Scotland.

I was also very impressed with the alcohol free options – they had several lovely mocktails and some AF wine options which made the meal even better (in my opinion)

There is a reason this restaurant is world renowned and I loved every second of it.

Follow them on Instagram @thethreechimneysskye for more info

Accommodation

Hame on Skye

I actually booked Hame on Skye through an itison deal last year – I had been to Skye in July and was keen to return.

The hotel was great, it was beautifully decorated and had a lovely social living room / bar area with a log fire to sit by. The room was a good size with comfy bed and, most importantly, it was dog friendly.

Breakfast each morning was a delight – a bowl of fruit followed by a dish of the breakfast menu. The breakfast was tasty and set me up for a day of exploring.

The hotel has a pizza oven so you can get pizzas along with other dishes on the specials menu – I had a bacon and cheeseburger on evening when it was cold and wet and Ellie and I were happy keeping cosy in front of the fire. The burger was delicious.

If you are looking for dog friendly accommodation near Dunvegan, I recommend heading here.

Follow them on Instagram @hameonskye for more information