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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Uig
Ùige
Base in Uig only for the Trotternish north coast and a ferry to the Outer Hebrides: 1–2 nights, car or bus 57, book ferries ahead.
Uig is a small ferry port on the north of Skye, 423 people, strung along the hillside above its bay. Most travellers pass through for the CalMac sailings to Harris and North Uist. It also works as a quieter base than Portree for the northern Trotternish sights: the Quiraing, Kilt Rock, Duntulm and the Museum of Island Life. One night covers the village and the ferry; two gives you the peninsula.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Ùige
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (short days, one ferry sailing most days), midges Jun–Aug
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–70 excl. bed · Mid £70–120 excl. bed · High £120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £14–22 |
| Pint of local ale | £5–6.50 |
| Museum of Island Life entry | Adult £6, child free |
| Campsite pitch | £26, hook-up £32 |
| Bottle of Skye gin or ale from the brewery shop | £15–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- INV · Inverness
- Buses from Inverness to Skye terminate at Portree; change there for Uig
- GLA · Glasgow
- Citylink 915/916 runs twice daily to Uig ferry pier, 7–8 h via Glencoe, Fort William and Kyle of Lochalsh
Typical fares
- Uig → Tarbert (Harris) or Lochmaddy (North Uist), CalMac
- 1 h 45 min; two sailings most days Apr–Oct, one Nov–Mar; book a car ahead
- Citylink 915/916 Uig → Glasgow
- 7–8 h, twice daily
- Uig Taxis
- +44 7770 710050
Get around
The village straggles around the bay: from the Cowshed at the south end to the ferry terminal is about 1.5 miles, a 20–30 min walk. Stagecoach Highland bus 57 circles Trotternish (57C clockwise Portree–Uig–Flodigarry–Staffin–Portree, 57A the reverse), roughly every 3 hours Mon–Fri and on Saturdays in summer. A car is far more practical for the Quiraing, Kilt Rock and Duntulm. Uig Taxis: +44 7770 710050.
See and do
Known for
- CalMac ferry pier to the Outer Hebrides
- Quiraing landslip walk
- Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls
- Skye Museum of Island Life at Kilmuir
- Trotternish north coast
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Quiraing | Drive A855 north, then the single-track loop road; or bus 57 to Staffin and walk in | About 30 min by car |
| Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls | A855 north, signed viewpoint | About 20 min by car |
| Skye Museum of Island Life, Kilmuir | A855 north, 6 miles | About 20 min by car |
| Duntulm Castle | A855 north past Kilmuir | About 25 min by car |
| Fairy Glen | Side lane from the A87 at the Uig Hotel, signed Sheader and Balnaknock | About 10 min by car |
| Portree | A87 south, or bus 57 | About 25 min by car |
Sleep
- Around the ferry pier
- Ferry Inn, Bakur Bar, the brewery shop and Uig Pottery; best if you have an early sailing.
- Head of the bay / Uig Hotel
- Uig Hotel, Cuil Lodge, Stones B&B and the lane up to the Fairy Glen; 20–30 min walk from the pier.
- South end (Cowshed)
- Cowshed Bunkhouse and pods, about 1.5 miles from the terminal; quiet, needs a car or a walk.
- Trotternish peninsula (Flodigarry, Staffin, Kilmaluag)
- Self-catering cottages, Flodigarry Hotel, hostel and pods, Staffin Campsite; you need your own transport.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Tapadh leatTAH-pah let |
| Good morning | Madainn mhathMA-ting vah |
| Cheers | SlàinteSLAHN-chuh |
| Where is the ferry pier? | Càite a bheil cidhe an aiseig?KAH-chuh vayl KEE-uh un ASH-ek |
| How much is it? | Dè a' phrìs?jay uh PREESH |
| Can I pay by card? | Am faod mi pàigheadh le cairt?um fuyt mee PYE-ugh leh karsht |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Harbour building work has disrupted terminal facilities at times: do not rely on the toilets being open.
- The Quiraing car park is small and fills early in summer; the single-track road needs care.
- Duntulm Castle is a tumbledown ruin on unstable ground: view it from a distance.
- Uig Tower stands on private land; admire it from the road.
- Mobile signal is patchy north around the peninsula; download maps and ferry tickets before you drive.
Very low crime; the real risks are single-track roads with passing places, weather that turns fast on the Quiraing, and midges in summer. Tell someone your route if you walk the coast.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Uig yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- CalMac ferry pier to the Outer Hebrides
- Quiraing landslip walk
- Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls
- Skye Museum of Island Life at Kilmuir
- Trotternish north coast
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- CalMac — Uig, Tarbert and Lochmaddy routes: www.calmac.co.uk
- Isle of Skye Brewery: skyeale.com
- Stagecoach Highland — Skye bus routes: www.stagecoachbus.com
- Citylink — Glasgow to Skye coaches: www.citylink.co.uk
- Wikivoyage: Uig, revision 5289723 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5289723
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
UigÙige
Chun an seòladh seo, mas e do thoil e
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on Skye; US, Canadian, Australian, Irish and most European embassies are in London, with US and other consulates in Edinburgh.
Ferry check-in: arrive at least 30 min before departure with a car, 10 min on foot.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/uig). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.