I am aware that Raasay (rhymes with grassy if you have a London accent) is an island in its own right. But you'll probably only visit in conjunction with a trip to Skye, and it would be such a shame to overlook this gem of an island.
Raasay, or Ratharsair, is Old Norse for "roe deer island", or even possibly "horse island". There is a distillery for whisky & gin, two hotels - Raasay House and Raasay Distillery, as well as other BnBs, two shops, and many local galleries and craft shops.
There are around 160 inhabitants, and you can't drive right to the top of the island, although thanks to Calum McLeod (more on him later) you can go as far as Arnish, and explore further north on foot.
We visited for the first time ever in December 2020; we'd been meaning to go for so long but something always kept interfering. We're so glad we finally got to go, because we fell in love with the island the moment we drove off the ferry. As we drove out of the port, we stopped to look at a herd of gorgeous heilan coos opposite the distillery, and to speak to the lovely crofters that they belonged to. They were so friendly, considering we had interrupted their working day and wanted to play with their dog and pet their cows, and they made us feel incredibly welcome.
Udderly amazing views over the Isle of Skye
Despite Raasay's diminutive size, there are many things to see and do. A very popular hike is to the peak of Dun Cana, an extinct volcano. We'd already done a few hikes by this point and were feeling fat and lazy from all the amazing food we had been gorging ourselves on (you need extra sustenance for winter hikes - see my blog about Skye in winter), so we didn't feel like tackling it on that occasion. However, I believe from my research that it takes around 2.5-3 hours there and back to the car park. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong - I have read a lot of conflicting information! The ideal solution is for me to try it myself, which I plan to do very soon.
I think the most famous thing, though, is Calum's Road - a road, built by Calum McLeod's own hands, to connect the remote village of Arnish, where he lived, to the rest of the island. He spent years lobbying for it to be done, and when it never happened, he stuck it to the man and did it himself. This is a very rudimentary history - there is a book written about him, "Calum's Road" by Roger Hutchinson (click on my link to buy from Amazon, or better yet - find it in any of the shops and even some cafes on Skye when you visit).
(Just in case you're interested, my husband will be doing a review of it on his blog, Andy's Book Club.)
The road itself is a bit bumpy, a bit pot holey, but unless you're driving a Ferrari, I think most cars would make it to the top. Yes, we drive a pickup truck but there was a Vauxhall Astra at the top of the road so...
The views are just so beautiful. Some parts of the road are a bit narrow, and I know Andrew was really wishing for a safety barrier, especially when a potential sheer drop into the sea was involved, but it's all part of the fun and there won't be anybody coming the other way.
Once at Arnish, you can walk the rest of the way to the top of the island, or even to Eilean Fladday - just check the tide times in advance. Again, this is something I plan to do at a later date.
Secret beaches, tidal islands, extinct volcanoes, beautiful forest walks, quaint villages - you name it, Raasay has it! Contact me for a personalised itinerary or read more in this book.
I think the thing we noticed the most, and LOVED by the way, was how foresty it is! I feel that a lot of Skye is pretty much treeless, so it was lovely to be in a forest for a while. And the island is so quiet! At least it was that day. The ferry wasn't full on our inbound crossing, and we came across only a handful of other people driving around the island.
The other thing that really impressed me was the diversity of wildlife. Apparently Raasay is one of only four of the Inner Hebrides where mountain hare breed! There are also Red Deer, otters, seals, dolphins, porpoise, basking sharks, Minke whales, and even Orca! Not to mention the abundance of birdlife.
Alas, both Raasay House and the distillery were closed when we visited - the only downside to visiting in winter. But we managed to procure a bottle of whisky from the local - very well stocked might I add, shop.
This was Andrew's verdict on the whisky:
"Raasay whisky has a subtle amount of peat, which gives it character, but means it's not overpowering."
In other words, I think he liked it.
Getting to Raasay
Quite simply, drive to Sconser on Skye, and catch the CalMac ferry. You can either go as a foot passenger or take your vehicle. For a 4x4 and two passengers, it would cost around £22 return, which I personally think is an absolute bargain. You don't even need to book in advance - you literally show up 15 minutes before departure, board the ferry, and pay for the ticket once you're on - simple.
The boat leaves from Sconser roughly every hour between 8;25am - 9pm Monday-Saturday, with a reduced timetable on Sundays. The crossing is only about 20 minutes, and you get outstanding views over Skye and the mainland.
The only thing I would say is if you're planning a day trip there, especially over winter, maybe pack some snacks and drinks just because the shops are not far from the ferry terminal, so it may be worth stocking up when you arrive so you don't find yourself far from food and getting hangry. And make sure you take a loo break before you drive off into the unknown. Realistically though, it won't take you too long to drive back to the public toilets at the ferry terminal.
In short, Raasay is well worth a visit and shouldn't be overlooked! I think because it doesn't have a bridge, people assume it takes more effort to get there. But it really doesn't, and if you don't go you're absolutely missing out.
Tioraidh!
PS If I'm telling everyone to pronounce Raasay incorrectly, please let me know in the comment below!
Views across to the Storr, Isle of Skye
(Note: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links)
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