Dunvegan

Dunvegan (Gaelic: Dùn Bheagain) is a small village on Skye in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, with a population of 386 in 2011. The main draw is the castle. Dunvegan is also a base for exploring Duirnish, the peninsula to the west.

Get in
By car take A87 then A850.

Stagecoach Bus 56 runs 3-5 times M-Sa from Portree via Skeabost and Edinbane to Dunvegan (50 min) and Lonmore, with a couple continuing west to Colbost and Glendale.

Get around
The castle and village are a mile apart with a road and walking track between. You need a car to reach the lighthouse or the start of the hike to the Maidens.

See

 * St Mary's church is a ruin at the main village junction.
 * Duirinish Stone behind St Mary's is a modern megalith, erected in June 2000 to mark the millennium.
 * is a broch, an Iron Age fortified settlement, overlooking the coast two miles north of the castle.
 * is reached at the end of the lane north, then a one mile path. It glitters white with marl, best seen at half-tide. At low tide you can walk to the double-islet of Lampay.
 * is another broch. It's not deliberate camouflage, but you could easily mistake it for a heather-clad natural knoll as you drive past towards Colbost.
 * See Colbost for sights further west on that road, which ends at Neist Point Lighthouse.
 * is another broch. It's not deliberate camouflage, but you could easily mistake it for a heather-clad natural knoll as you drive past towards Colbost.
 * See Colbost for sights further west on that road, which ends at Neist Point Lighthouse.

Do

 * or Healabhal Mhòr is a plateau at 471 m, an easy hike from Dunvegan. Its partner Healabhal Bheag is slightly higher but not as bulky, and is a longer tramp.
 * are sea stacks near the south tip of the peninsula, a 5-mile (9-km) hike each way, see Walkhighlands for a trail description.

Buy

 * Fruit & Nut Place is a greengrocer opposite the Stores, open M 10AM-4PM, W-Sa 10AM-6PM.
 * Craft shops include Skye Silks, Croft Studio and Hebridean Alpaca Company.
 * Fuel: Atholl Filling Station is on the main road through the village, open M-F 8AM-8PM, Sa 8AM-6:30PM, Su 9:30AM-5PM.
 * Fuel: Atholl Filling Station is on the main road through the village, open M-F 8AM-8PM, Sa 8AM-6:30PM, Su 9:30AM-5PM.

Eat

 * Blas Inn is at the junction opposite Dunvegan Hotel, open W-Su noon-7PM.
 * The Misty next to Blas Inn is open M-Sa noon-9PM, Su 11AM-6PM.
 * Dunvegan Bakery & Coffee Shop is by Skye Lodge, open M-Sa 10AM-2PM. They have rooms.
 * Waterside Cafe Bistro is a pleasant little place by the Post Office, open M-Th noon-3:30PM, 5:30-8PM, Su noon-PM.
 * Three Chimneys restaurant and House Over-By accommodation: see Colbost.
 * Three Chimneys restaurant and House Over-By accommodation: see Colbost.

Drink

 * Dunvegan Hotel (see Sleep) has a lounge bar open to non-residents.

Connect
As of June 2024, Dunvegan and its approach roads have a basic mobile signal from O2 and Three, and 4G from EE and Vodafone. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * The lane west runs to Colbost, Glendale and Milovaig to end near Neist Point.
 * The obvious onward route is towards Portree, taking in the other peninsulas of northern Skye.
 * You can also wind along the west coast, passing near Carbost (for the Talisker distillery) and rejoining the main road at Sligachan.