Isle of Raasay Scotland
United Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions
Expedition ships anchor in the sound and land passengers by tender near Inverarish, the main settlement on the southwest coast, facing the Cuillin of Skye. Raasay has no cruise terminal: you land at the village's small pier.
The distillery and the woodland loops around Inverarish are more than enough. The Inver path drops through ancient woodland past waterfalls and narrow gorges and comes back round in one to two hours. Add the old iron-mine trail if time allows.
Yes, a few minutes' walk from the landing point. The Isle of Raasay distillery occupies a Victorian villa extended with contemporary glass and stone wings. Opened in 2017, it is the first legal distillery in the island's history. Tours take in the still house before a whisky or gin tasting.
Rarely. The full climb from the landing point takes a good five hours return, which only works for long calls and strong walkers. This 444-metre flat-topped volcanic plateau is recognisable from far out at sea.
A road built by hand by one man. In the 1960s, when the authorities refused to connect the north of the island, a crofter named Calum MacLeod set about building the missing three kilometres himself with a pick, a shovel and a wheelbarrow. It took him a decade. The road now winds towards Arnish.
Fewer than 200, along roughly twenty kilometres of island. You will pass more deer than cars. That quietness is precisely the point of the call: it is a world away from the crowds at Portree, directly opposite on Skye.
Very few: the distillery bar and shop, a community store and a hotel. Do not count on a choice of restaurants or a cash machine. Bring some cash and whatever you need in your daypack before leaving the ship.
Yes for families who enjoy woodland walking: the loops around Inverarish are short, shaded and safe. There is, however, no playground, no organised activity and no supervised beach, and the distillery obviously has little to offer younger children.
Pound sterling and English. Scottish Gaelic survives in place names and in the island's memory, but English is the everyday language. The distillery takes cards; elsewhere it is less reliable.
May to September, when the paths are walkable and the distillery is fully open. The Scottish midge makes itself felt in calm weather from late July to late August, so insect repellent saves a lot of grief in the woods.
