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Portree is a the largest Town on the Isle of
Skye, 33 miles north of the Skye Bridge,
42 miles north of the Ferry Port village of
Armadale, popular for the Aros Visitor Centre,
Boat Trips, Walk to the Lump for views over the
town, and as a base for exploring the
Island.
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Attractions
List
The Skye Live Music
Festival takes place at Portree in May.
Boat Trips from Portree can be taken with
skyeboat-trips.co.uk.
The image top is of the Aros Visitor
Centre on the south side of Portree, with a
Cinema, Restaurant, Kids Play, Shop, and Venue
for Entertainment.
The second image is of Portree Market
Square, known as Somerled Square, named after
the Viking Somerled that was King of the Isles
in the 1100s. The Square has parking, a larger
car park close by, and the Portree Hotel is the building
overlooking the Square.
The third image is of the Granary Diner
overlooking the Square.
The fourth image is of Wentworth Street with
most of the towns Shops, leading to the Harbour
area.
The fifth image is of Bosville Terrace from
where you get high views over the Harbour.
The Harbour area has a number of Seafood
Restaurants, Guest Houses and where you can
take Boat Trips from.
The Lump is a Park high above the Harbour
with a Tower for views over Portree, where the
Skye Live Music Festival takes place. This is a
popular place for Sun Bathing on warm days.
Bank Street leads from the Harbour back to
the Square, also with good views over the
Harbour.
Portree History
1540 - King James V visited Portree with a
Fleet of Warships in an attempt to persuade the
Island Clans to support him. Kings at this time
had to travel around Scotland's Castles and
Islands the ensure they had the support of all
the Clans.
1746 - after the Jacobite defeat at the
Battle of Culloden, Flora MacDonald
and Bonnie Prince Charlie had their last
meeting at MacNab's Inn at Portree, where the
Royal Hotel is today,
on Bank Street.
1740s - after the failure of the Last
Jacobite Rebellion and the Highland Clearances
began, Portree was used as a Departure Point
for Islanders sailing to America.
1771 - the Town expanded through Fishing
after Sir James Macdonald developed Portree
Harbour.
1820s - Thomas Telford built Roads on Skye
between Portree northwest to Uig, and south to Kyleakin where
the first Ferries ran between the Mainland and
Skye, where the Skye Bridge is today.
1826 - weekly Steamers from the Mainland
began visiting Portree.
1840s - Portree was again used as a
Departure Point for Emigrants due to the Potato
Famine on the Islands and Highlands of
Scotland.
1851 - Steamers traveling between Glasgow
and Stornoway on the Outer Hebrides began
calling at Portree.
1894 - regular Steamer Services ran between
Portree and Ullapool, Oban, Lochinver, and
ports in the Western Isles.
1958 - the last of the Steamers MV
Lochnevis (1934) was withdrawn from service
after Car Ferries operating on the short
crossing between Kyle of
Lochalsh on the Mainland and Kyleakin on
Skye began taking most of the trade.
Today - Portree is the largest and busiest
Town on Skye attracting many visitors from
around the world. There is a large car and
coach park in the town centre.
The area around Portree contains Shale,
being a possible site of Oil or Gas extraction
in the future.
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