The Isle of Skye in Winter: A well-kept secret

It’s fair to say that Scotland has a reputation for bad weather, and there’s no way of denying its ability to put on a theatrical display of all four seasons in a single hour let alone a whole day.

Nor is there much to excuse those dreich – Scottish slang for wet, dark and unpleasant weather – days that can settle in some days. Despite this, over the past year since we got the keys to Mint Croft it’s been January, in the depths of winter, that captured our hearts and spirits the most.

Easily the lowest point of the tourism year, we were left wondering why more people don’t bravely venture to Skye in winter more often and here’s why:

Crisp, cold and clear days

In the middle of January this year we woke up one morning to a winter wonderland following a hefty dump of snow overnight.

The storm had passed and given way to the crispest, clearest skies we’ve ever known on Skye. The low winter sun cast a pastel glow across the fresh snow and even had enough in it to warm you just momentarily if you caught it just right.

We spent some magical hours marking a breadcrumb trail of footprints over the nearby hills and gazing in awe at the white capped peaks of the Quirang and Trotternish Ridge opposite Mint Croft. Those winter days, of which we had many on Skye, even after the snow had gone, still shine brightest in our memory.

That feeling of coorie-ing in during a storm

January also brought with it roaring storms, the wind and rain waging a war on our cottages. Inside, the whistles, thrums and howls provided a tremendous chorus for the imagination.

Snug indoors on these days, we would light the woodburner in The Croft House and coorie in – a Scottish phrase that means to snuggle or nestle up to someone or something – around the coffee table with a hot mug of cocoa or a drop of Drambuie and a good board game or puzzle.

From our raised vantage point it was incredible to witness the storm rolling in and engulfing us, and nothing better than the feeling of being snug and cosy inside.

Your own private island

With tourism at its lowest levels and many establishments – restaurants, cafes, galleries – closed or operating on reduced hours Skye felt like our own private haven.

By summer standards it would at first appear that there aren’t so many things to do in Skye in winter, but that would fail to recognise the unique and even better things you can do. Hot spots like the Old Man of Storr and the Fairy Pools are suddenly magical again without the teeming carparks and long lines of visitors found at other times of year.

For the more adventurous, winter hiking offers up a wholly new way of experiencing this wild isle. Meeting and connecting with local people who live here year round is easier too and provides a more authentic insight into the culture and history of this place.

Spring, summer and autumn will always be wonderful times to visit, but the wild yet peaceful beauty of Skye in winter is easily one of the island’s best-kept secrets.