Fairy Retreat Skye

Small buildings on the hill above the ferry port

Uig is where the road down the west side of Trotternish reaches a horseshoe bay with a working pier at the end of it, and Fairy Retreat sits on the slope at Idrigill looking over the whole thing. The decks face the water, so the bay and the pier are the view, and the site is quieter than the middle of the island.

Each of the three buildings is one room. A sofa pulls down into a double bed for the adults and a second sofa converts into bunks for the children, so the same floor is a living space by day and a bedroom at night. The bathroom is private and separate, with a walk-in shower, a rainfall head, and a towel warmer. There is a heater for the colder half of the year, a TV with cable channels, and free wifi. A luggage compartment and a small closet are built in, which is what keeps a room this size workable for four.

Tiny home means what it says. The cooking is done on an air fryer and a microwave, which makes this a base for simple meals and for eating out in Uig and Portree. The upper bunk carries a 70kg limit and neither bunk suits an adult, so the four it sleeps is two grown-ups and two children rather than four of any size.

The three are built to the same plan, so the choice is availability rather than layout.

Good to know

Features

Location

Where it puts you

The Fairy Glen is the nearest of the island's landmarks and the one the site takes its name from, a cluster of small grassy cones and rock towers just outside the village. Uig Bay has shoreline paths for a morning walk, and the owners list shared beach access for guests.

The pier is why a lot of people end up in Uig in the first place. Ferries run from here to Harris and the Uists, so a week on Skye can take in a couple of days in the Outer Hebrides without moving base twice. North and east, the Trotternish ridge viewpoints run the length of the peninsula, while Neist Point and Dunvegan Castle are a full day out rather than an evening drive.