The largest and most northern of Scotland’s major islands, Skye’s picturesque natural beauty draws thousands of visitors to its shores every year. And when you’re finished exploring the fifty miles of the island, you’ll want something delicious to eat and something hot to drink. Here are our favourite cafes on Skye.
Birch is a speciality deli, coffee house and eatery found in the beautiful town of Portree. Established in 2020, the café was inspired by the coffee culture of Melbourne, aiming to bring the artisanal vibe of Australia to the Scottish Highlands.
A family-run café in Glendale, Café Lephin is just on the main road to Neist Point. Serving fresh home baking, light meals and even local ales, the café is a big supporter of the local community and local business and are often at the heart of the island’s charity fundraising.
Bog Myrtle Skye isn’t just a family-run café – they’re also an independent bookshop and a gift emporium. Halfway between the Dunvegan Castle and the Talisker Distillery on the West Coast, you’ll find handmade gifts, speciality tea and coffee and Bundaberg drinks.
Translating from the Sanskrit meaning ‘abode of peace’, Chidakasha is a fully vegetarian restaurant in Glendale. Offering a tranquil experience to eat and drink, the restaurant is just a few miles from Neist Point, with a menu influenced by the flavours and aromas of Eastern cuisine.
The Red Brick Café’s menu is uncomplicated but packed full of taste and good-for-you ingredients. Found in Portree, the café is something of a hidden gem amongst locals – mainly, because it shares a location with a DIY shop.
First opened in a former mill in Broadford, Deli Gasta has been serving Skye residents for six years. Their team make simple, good food, showcasing the best local produce that Scotland has to offer. Considered one of the best spots to eat in the North of the island, it was named a 2021 Traveller’s Choice.
A social enterprise café on Skye operated by charity Columba 1400, this café is found towards the North of the island. Acting as a central hub for the local community, as well as acting as a library, meeting area and space for internet use, it also serves delicious, hearty meals throughout the day.
Bring your four-legged friend to Café Arriba near Quay Brae in Portree, where the food is made with plenty of goodness and plenty of love. The menus are changed daily, so every time you visit, you’ll always find something new to try – might we suggest the all-day breakfast?
Dine with a view over the Skye Mountains and the Mainland at An Crùbh. A place for the community to meet and relax, this café serves wonderful dishes that are made using the best of local produce. Their vegetarian menu and rich desserts are a particular highlight of their selection.
Otherwise nicknamed a ‘food shop with seats’, this baking company was established in 2007 and is now a popular spot in Portree. Their lunch breads are famous around the island, with their family-friendly café serving cakes, biscuits, speciality teas and jams and chutneys.
Served in a yurt (hence the delightful name), this unique café serves seasonal hot drinks seasonally in Lochbay. Their coffee is freshly ground, the teas speciality and their home baking made nearby using entirely local produce.
A key part of Scotland’s thriving coffee scene, Coara Dhubh creates top-quality coffee. Focusing on ethical trading and sourcing so the coffee has a positive impact on the community, the company is named for the Gaelic for ‘Black Sheep’ – signifying how it does things a little differently to the rest.
Serving everything from pizza and chips to homemade baked scones and cakes, Dunvegan Bakery serves delicious, fresh-baked dishes each day. Currently operating as a takeaway, their cakes and breads are a particular highlight for visitors.
Café Sia creates artisan, drum-fire coffees that are all roasted in-house. On top of that, Siaway – their fish and chip shop – is also a hotspot for local foodies, especially since their seafood is all caught locally, from scallops to langoustines.
Combining a café, gallery and apartment space, OldByreSkye is just seven miles from Dunvegan. Alongside their gorgeous prints of Atlantic and Arctic photography, their café serves deliciously light lunches which change daily, Scottish cheeses and coffee that is ground and roasted nearby.
A takeaway spot by day, a street food place by night, Relish serves a variety of cakes, coffees and, of course, their famous brunches!
Named for Skye’s Cuillin mountains, this coffee company create artisanal coffees, roasted and brewed at the foot of the mountain range. Alongside their speciality blend, they serve freshly baked breads and croissants, sourdough pizzas and a hot chocolate that’ll have you always coming back for more.
A seasonal café and deli, Blas offers a taste of the Isle of Skye. Based in Dunvegan on the west coast, the café serves traditional Scottish breakfasts and many other treats, sourced from the nearby Lochalsh Butchers and the Inverness Coffee Company.
From Skye to Hackney and back again, Café Cuil fuses delicious Hebridean produce with contemporary cuisine to create an inventive and exciting menu. Now, the café exists in a weekly pop-up at the beautiful Sligachan Hotel, serving brunches created with local, sustainable produce.
