How to find us
The Bungalow at Aird is almost at the end of the road across Sleat, ' the Garden of Skye', although its not as remote as it would seem. We are just 4 miles down a windy single-track road from Armadale Ferry Terminal, for services to Mallaig on the mainland, and just 25 miles from the Skye Bridge, yet close by to some great restaurants, shops and visitor attractions. Skye being the largest of the Inner Hebrides islands, is almost 60 miles from north to south but the experts say you are never more than 5 miles from the sea, with outstanding scenery, wonderful beaches and majestic mountains, the perfect place for a Highland Holiday.
To help you plan your holiday to Aird, we have shown below some of the main ways of getting here, with some links that we hope you will be useful. Please let us know if you need further information, we'd be happy to help.
By Road
Aird is the very last village on south Skye, and at the end of the A851 which leads from Broadford to the Aird of Sleat, so quite simply one road in and one road out.
Directions from the Skye Bridge:
- From the Skye Bridge take the A87 towards Broadford and Portree, passing the airstrip at Ashaig on your right
- After 7 miles turn left on the A851 which will be signposted Armadale and Ardvasar, soon after which there is a large digital sign giving the time of the next ferry to Mallaig
- Carry on the A851 passing Kinloch Lodge on the left, Isle Ornsay on the left, through the townships of Toravaig, (the Torabhaig Distillery is on the left) Saasaig, Ferrindonald and Kilmore
- After about 12 miles you will pass Sabhal Mor Ostaig on the left which is Scotland's Gaelic College, followed soon the entrance to Armadale Castle and Gardens on the right
- 200m further on is Armadale Stores and Post Office, and just thereafter is a right turn towards Ardvasar and Aird. Turning left will take you to the Armadale Pier Ferry Terminal
- Drive on through the village of Ardvasar passing the Ardvasar Hotel,
- Once past the Forest there are some spectacular views of the Sound of Sleat, Arisaig and Ardnamurchan, and after 3 miles there is a red phone box on the left. You are now in Aird
- Carry on for another 250m and the Bungalow is on the right set in its own grounds. It has a sign on the fence adjacent to the gate. 'The Bungalow at Aird'
If you are coming by the CalMac Ferry from Mallaig turn left just 250m from the ferry slip and follow the directions above.
Click here for the AA Route Planner which gives full information, or type IV45 8RN on a sat-nav.
By Ferry
Many people still prefer to travel 'over the sea to Skye', and Aird is ideally placed for visitors to use the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service from Mallaig to Armadale, a short half-hour crossing with wonderful views of Skye, the Small Isles, Knoydart and Ardnamurchan. In the summer there are up to 8 sailings a day Monday to Saturday with a reduced service on Sundays. Full details of the services offered by CalMac, together with prices and timetables are shown on their website. In Winter there are generally just two services a day Monday to Saturday, with a single crossing on Sundays.
If you are looking for a more adventurous crossing to Skye then the Skye Ferry operates a small six vehicle service from Glenelg to Kylerhea from Easter to October. This can save a few road miles when coming from the South as it cuts off the journey to Kyle and the Skye Bridge. Turn off at Shiel Bridge on the A87, and follow the signs to the Ferry. It takes just 5 minutes to cross and you will be on the Glenaclulish, the last turntable operated ferry in Scotland. From Kylerhea on the Skye side it is 7 miles across a pass, meeting up with the A87 between the Skye Bridge and Broadford. For Aird turn left after 4 miles on the A851, and follow directions in By Road above.
By Train or Coach
Without doubt you do need a car to enjoy Skye and the Highlands as public transport is often infrequent and finishes early. There is no bus service to Aird. However if you do prefer to come by train or coach then there are excellent services from the main cities in Scotland.
Mallaig is served by train from Glasgow and Fort William and most services connect with the Armadale Ferry. Alternatively the Scotrail service from Inverness operates to the Kyle of Lochalsh, close by to the Skye Ferry. Rental car facilities are available in both Mallaig and Kyle, although in some instances you may be able to pick up a car at the Armadale Ferry Terminal. For full details of train services to the west coast click on the Scotrail website here.
Coach services operate from Glasgow, Fort William and Inverness with connections from all over the UK. The Citylink service travels via the Skye Bridge and north to and from Broadford, Portree and Uig for the ferry services to the Western Isles. Local buses serve Ardvasar and Armadale from Broadford, although the services are infrequent.
By Air
It is over 600 miles by road from London to Skye so many people prefer to fly to Scotland and hire a car locally. Inverness is the nearest airport to Aird, some 2.5 hours by road. There are frequent services to the major cities of the UK, operated by British Airways, Easyjet, Eastern Airways and Flybe. These are reduced in winter and full information can be found here on the Inverness Airport website.
Alternatively Edinburgh and Glasgow are the other two major airports, these being 5 hours and 4.5 hours from Skye respectively.