Elgol is a fishing village of around a hundred people on the south-west edge of Strathaird, on the Isle of Skye. The postcode is IV49 9BL. There is one road in and the same road back out. This piece is about how to get to Elgol without any surprises.

The short answer

From Broadford, take the right turn off the A87 at the Co-op (signposted Torrin and Elgol) onto the B8083 and follow it for around thirteen miles, which is about a forty-five minute drive in good weather. The road is single-track for most of that distance, with passing places along the way. You’ll arrive at the small village of Elgol with a harbour at the bottom of the hill, and Coruisk House is the third building on the right as you come in, a white house with four thatched cottages beside it.

Where you are coming from

From Inverness: take the A82 west to Invergarry, then the A87 through Kintail to the Skye Bridge. From the bridge to Broadford is about eight miles. Total, around three hours from Inverness to Elgol. Three and a quarter if you do not rush.

From Glasgow: A82 north through Rannoch Moor and Glencoe, Fort William, then A87 west. Around five and a half hours to Elgol.

From Edinburgh: M9, A9, A86, then A82 and A87. Around six hours.

From Armadale ferry (Mallaig to Skye): A851 north to the Broadford junction at Isleornsay, then the A87 to Broadford, then the B8083. Around an hour and a half from arriving at Armadale.

The B8083, mile by mile

From the Broadford junction the first mile is wide enough for two cars, but it narrows fairly quickly after that. The road climbs out of Broadford onto open moorland and you lose any sense of traffic almost immediately.

Around three miles in, on the left, you pass the ruin of Kilchrist church, fifteenth or sixteenth century, the final resting place of many of Clan MacKinnon. There is a layby and a five-minute stop is worth it. Loch Cill Chriosd is just beyond the church.

Beyond you’ll reach the village of Torrin, which is small, just a handful of houses, with a calcite quarry at Kilbride that is still working. There is a tea room Amy’s Place with a car park at the entrance to the village if coffee and snacks are needed.

Five to six miles in, the road runs along the north shore of Loch Slapin. The view opens out to the north face of Blà Bheinn.

The last two miles into Elgol drop steeply. You come round a bend and the view opens out onto Loch Scavaig and the Cuillin horseshoe on the other side of the water. It is the view you have probably seen in photographs Of Skye

How to drive a single-track road

The single-track road has passing places. Most of them are marked by a white diamond sign. Some on the B8083 are just a widening of the verge. The rule: passing places are for letting oncoming cars through, and for letting cars behind you overtake. You do not reverse long distances on Skye single-tracks if you can help it.

A few practicals. Locals drive this road every day. They will be faster than you. If you have a car behind that is clearly trying to go quicker, pull into the next passing place on your left and let them pass. A short wave is standard. You will be thanked with a wave back. Do not take offence at being overtaken. You are on holiday. They are going to work.

Sheep on the road are common, and they do not move in a hurry. Slow down, wait a moment, and they will walk off in their own time. Do not sound the horn. In lambing season (March to June) the ewes are particularly reluctant to leave the tarmac because it is warm.

Cattle are less common but present, and the same rule applies: cross slowly.

Campervans are everywhere in July and August. Some are driven well, some less so. If you meet one coming the other way on a narrow section and neither of you has a passing place in sight, whichever driver has a passing place behind them, however recently, is expected to reverse to it. Take your time over it.

What you cannot do in Elgol

Buy petrol. The nearest petrol station in the south of Skye is at Broadford. Fill up before you turn off the A87.

Buy food, except what a café or restaurant will serve. No shop. The nearest Co-op is Broadford.

Use an ATM. None in the village.

Rely on mobile signal. Most networks are patchy. Coruisk House has reliable free Wi-Fi. The rest of the village is hit and miss.

What you can do in Elgol

Eat. There are a couple of local spots for daytime food, like The Creel on Elgol Harbour serving seafood boxes, Elgol Bistro and Cafe Elgol are also good lunch options during summer. In shoulder season its best to check opening time ahead of time.

Take a boat. Three operators work out of the pier: Misty Isle, Bella Jane, and AquaXplore. Sailings mostly April to October, weather dependent, with occasional winter sailings. Book ahead in season.

Walk. The coast path to Camasunary goes south from the harbour. The Camasunary-to-Coruisk walk, with the Bad Step, continues from there for experienced walkers only. The Spar Cave at Glasnakille is a mile east down the coast and is tide-dependent. The Elgol peninsula circuit is eight miles and passes two of the best Cuillin viewpoints on the island.

Sat nav, offline maps, postcodes

Put IV49 9BL into the sat nav. Most newer units will take you straight down the B8083 to the pier. If you are relying on a phone, open Google Maps or Apple Maps while you still have 4G in Broadford, download the offline map of the area, and proceed. OS Maps is the best app for serious walking. Download the area around Strathaird and Sligachan before you leave. It is best practise not to rely on your phone maps when hiking, you can buy walking maps locally, signal is poor and a reliable map is essential.

What to bring in the car

Full tank of fuel from Broadford. Paper map as backup (OS Landranger 32, Skye: Western). Warm layer (the weather changes in an hour). Waterproofs. Walking boots. A decent pair of sunglasses because the light on Loch Slapin in late afternoon will be in your eyes on the way home.

A winter note

The road is cleared by the council in winter but can be snow-covered or icy for short periods. It is rarely closed. From late January through February and March, the road can be wet, icy, or snow-dusted on any given day. Drive steadily. If the forecast is bad, leave earlier than you think.