Hidden Gems Near Portree
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The hidden gems near Portree are Loch Fada, Loch Leathan Dam, The Old Man Of Storr, Allt Daraich, Amar River Viewpoint, Gesto Bay Viewpoint, Rigg Viewpoint and Dun Ardtreck.
Portree, the main town on the Isle of Skye, sits at the centre of some of Scotland's most striking scenery, with wild lochs, rock pinnacles and sea views scattered along the roads in every direction. Head north along the Trotternish peninsula and you will pass Loch Fada, the reservoir dam at Loch Leathan and the towering pinnacle of the Old Man of Storr, with the coastal Rigg Viewpoint a little further on.
Turn south toward the Cuillin and the hidden waterfall pool of Allt Daraich waits near Sligachan. Strike out west toward Struan and Dunvegan for the roadside Amar River Viewpoint and the quiet shore of Gesto Bay, while the Minginish coast near Carbost holds the ruined Iron Age dun of Dun Ardtreck.
None of these lie far from town, yet each opens up a different corner of the island. Here are eight hidden gems to seek out near Portree.
Loch Fada
Photo: John Allan via Geograph.org.uk
Photograph Loch Fada Just a few miles north of Portree beside the A855, Loch Fada lies on the east side of the Trotternish peninsula. It is best known as the foreground for the view of the Old Man of Storr, the tall rock pinnacle standing on the ridge behind, and on a still day the loch mirrors the pinnacle and the crags.
The ground by the shore is rough and boggy. The loch forms part of the Storr Lochs hydro scheme, linked to nearby Loch Leathan to share its water.
Loch Leathan Dam
Photo: Rudi Winter via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Loch Leathan Dam A few miles north of Portree on the east side of the Trotternish peninsula, this dam holds back the main reservoir of the Storr Lochs hydro scheme. Built between 1950 and 1952, the scheme gave Skye its first general supply of electricity.
From the loch, water drops to a power station on the coast at Bearreraig Bay, reached down a steep private railway of six hundred and forty-seven steps. The dam and lochs sit just off the A855 near the car park for the Old Man of Storr walk.
Loch Leathan and neighbouring Loch Fada are the scheme's two reservoirs, linked to share their water.
The Old Man Of Storr
Photo: John MacKenzie via Geograph.org.uk
Climb to the Old Man of Storr One of the most photographed sights in Scotland, this tall rock pinnacle stands on the Trotternish ridge around ten miles north of Portree. It is part of a great landslip, a jumble of spires and crags below the cliff of the Storr, with the fifty-metre pinnacle rising above them.
A popular there-and-back walk of about three miles climbs to the foot of the pinnacles from a roadside car park, steep and rocky higher up, with wide views over the sea to Raasay and the mainland. The pinnacle itself was first climbed in 1955.
Allt Daraich
Photo: Richard Dorrell via Geograph.org.uk
Swim at Allt Daraich This burn runs down a small rocky gorge beside Sligachan, at the northern edge of the Cuillin and around 14km from Portree. A short way up it, a waterfall drops into a deep pool with a grassy bank alongside, dark and cold with peaty hill water.
Getting there takes only a few minutes on foot from the old stone bridge at Sligachan, up a path along the gorge and then down to the water. The pool is deep enough to swim in properly rather than just paddle.
All around is open moor, with the black peaks of the Cuillin and the sharp point of Sgurr nan Gillean rising behind.
Amar River Viewpoint
Photo: Richard Dorrell via Geograph.org.uk
Pull over at the Amar River Viewpoint About 14km from Portree on the Dunvegan road near Struan, this is a stop for the view rather than a walk. A raised layby on the west side of Skye looks down to where the short River Amar threads through rushy green flats toward Loch Harport, the sea loch opening beyond its mouth.
Low, rugged hills frame the scene, and picnic benches on the grass make it an easy place to break the drive and watch the water wind out to sea.
Gesto Bay Viewpoint
Photo: Darren Haddock via Geograph.org.uk
Take in Gesto Bay A quiet bay on the north shore of Loch Harport near Gesto Farm in the Struan area, roughly 15km from Portree. From the shore the view runs across the loch toward the jagged line of the Black Cuillin.
It is a scenic, out-of-the-way spot rather than a built-up viewpoint. The bay sits below open croft and farm land on this stretch of the Skye coast, a peaceful place to pause on a drive west.
Rigg Viewpoint
Photo: Helmut Zozmann via Geograph.org.uk
Stop at Rigg Viewpoint This roadside viewpoint with a small car park sits on the coast road of the Trotternish peninsula, on Skye's east side about ten miles north of Portree. It looks out east across the Sound of Raasay to the islands of Raasay and Rona and the mainland hills beyond, with the crags of the Trotternish ridge rising behind, a favourite for sunrise and sunset.
It is a quick stop rather than a walk, a few miles north of the separate car park for the Old Man of Storr.
Dun Ardtreck
Photo: John Allan via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Dun Ardtreck On the Minginish coast near Carbost, around 17km from Portree, this ruined Iron Age dun perches on a rocky crag above the sea. It was built as a D-shaped, half-round tower backing onto the cliff edge rather than a full ring, its thick galleried wall still standing a couple of metres high in places.
An entrance with a guard cell survives on one side, while part of the wall has fallen away down to the sea. It sits on open moorland reached on foot.
FAQs
Which viewpoints near Portree are best for sunrise?
Rigg Viewpoint on the Trotternish coast faces east across the Sound of Raasay, making it a fine sunrise spot just north of Portree, while Loch Fada offers a classic dawn view of the Old Man of Storr.
How far is the Old Man of Storr from Portree?
The Old Man of Storr lies around ten miles north of Portree along the A855, with a roadside car park and a there-and-back walk of about three miles to the foot of the pinnacles.
Are there any wild swimming spots near Portree?
Yes. Allt Daraich, a waterfall pool beside Sligachan at the edge of the Cuillin, is deep enough for a proper swim and lies a short walk from the old bridge, around 14 kilometres from Portree.
Conclusion
Few places offer so much within a short drive as Portree, where the roads out of town lead straight into some of Skye's finest scenery. North along Trotternish you can take in Loch Fada, the Loch Leathan dam, the soaring Old Man of Storr and the coastal Rigg Viewpoint.
South toward the Cuillin, the hidden pool of Allt Daraich rewards a short walk from Sligachan. West toward Struan and Dunvegan lie the Amar River Viewpoint and the peaceful shore of Gesto Bay, while the Minginish coast holds the ancient dun of Dun Ardtreck.
Lochs, waterfalls, viewpoints and ruins all lie close to hand, ready to fill a day or several, because these are the hidden gems to seek out near Portree.
