The Quiraing hike is one of the most popular walks on the Isle of Skye. Located on the Trotternish Ridge, it’s known for dramatic cliffs, unusual rock formations, and sweeping coastal views. We’ve hiked in some of the most beautiful places in the world, including Nepal, Canada, Italy, the Andes, and Norway. So it’s high praise when, while hiking the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye, Celine turned to me and said, ‘This may be the most beautiful hike we’ve ever done‘. Wow!
The Quiraing walk is a very popular Isle of Skye hike and for good reason! It’s easily one of the best hikes on the Isle of Skye and should be on your list of things to do on the Isle of Skye with kids. Even if you aren’t able to enjoy the hike, the views near the Quiraing carpark are well worth the drive up!
Keep reading for all the details you need for the Quiraing hike, plus a short video from our family hike so you can see what it was like for yourself.
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The Quiraing Hike Highlights
Three rock pinnacles are the main attraction on this hike: The Table, The Needle and The Prison. These impressive rock formations are all really cool to look at and are worth the time to wander around and explore them a bit.
As amazing as they are, the rock pinnacles are only a piece of the scenic puzzle on this hike. The little valley the Quiraing hike goes through is magical. We must have said “wow!” at least a dozen times. All the elements of what makes the Isle of Skye a beautiful and special place come together perfectly on this hike.
The Quiraing Hike Stats
How Long is the Quiraing Walk?
The official distance of the Quiraing Circuit loop is 5.2 miles / 8.4 km.
How Steep is the Quiraing Hike?
The official elevation gain for the Quiraing hike is 1,280 feet / 391 m. My AllTrails data for our family hike showed it a little higher at 405 m. To be honest, I was a bit surprised at this number as it feels overstated. To me, the trail felt fairly gentle, with only a couple of short hills. There are only two hills which are a little strenuous, but they are pretty short.
How Difficult is the Quiraing Hike?
Due to the distance, we rate the Quiraing trail as a moderately difficult Isle of Skye hike. Effort-wise, there are only two small, steep hills and the rest is pretty easy. There’s a little bit of rock scrambling involved, but it was so easy, our 3-year old did it himself. Our kids walked the entire length of this hike themselves without any issues.
How Long Does the Quiraing Walk Take?
It took 4 hours for our family to hike the Quiraing, which is a typical pace for us. Without kids, we likely could have done it in about half the time. This is one of the most picturesque hikes on the Isle of Skye, so your pace may vary depending on how many pictures you stop and take.
Our Quiraing Hike With Kids Video
Want to see what our family hike on the Quiraing trail looked like? This short video gives you a better feel for the scenery, and what it was like hiking the Quiraing with kids.
After watching, keep reading for more Quiraing hiking tips, and links to our related Scotland posts.
We’re slowly adding more of our family travel videos to our YouTube channel, so feel free to subscribe if you’d like to follow along.
Quiraing Parking & Directions
The Quiraing parking lot is a 35 minute drive north of Portree. The final few miles of the drive to the trailhead is along a mountainside single-lane road. There are plenty of little pullouts to allow cars to pass each other, but this is a very busy hike, so bring a lot of patience.
If you get there early, as we did, the one-way road didn’t have much opposing traffic. The trailhead is right across the road from the car park.
There is a 40-car parking lot at the Quiraing trailhead. Parking fees are in effect.
Quiraing Trail Map
You can download the Quiraing trail map onto your phone using the AllTrails app. Due to its remote location, be sure to download the trail map in a location where you have Wi-Fi or a cell signal.
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What to Expect on the Quiraing Hike
The Quiraing is located in the northern Trotternish Peninsula. The peninsula has a long, dramatic mountain ridge formed by a massive landslip. The result is incredible scenery and unusual rock formations that are a pleasure to hike around.
The Quiraing trail is way up high on the mountain ridge, but the drive to the Quiraing car park takes care of most of the elevation gain. This allows you to enjoy great vistas without a strenuous uphill climb.
The views on this hike are simply breathtaking. Right from the start, you get views of towering cliffs, dramatic rock formations, inland lochs, and the Sound of Raasay (the ocean). There are no trees on this hike, ensuring that the scenery remains ever-present the entire way.
Sheep graze along the slopes of this path, giving it a distinctive Scottish feel. Just watch your step – where there are sheep, there is always sheep poop. You’ll pass several tall, skinny waterfalls and if you are hiking on the Isle of Skye in the summer, you’ll enjoy the sight of thousands of tiny little yellow and purple wildflowers.
About halfway through the first leg of the hike, you’ll pass through a stretch of incredible rock pinnacles: the Needle, the Table, and the Prison. There are many spur trails around these formations to explore them from up-close or from different angles.
The trail then turns left, and you get a whole new set of views. It’s not quite as dramatic as the first half of the Quiraing hike, but the hills, rock formations, and ocean views are still beautiful.
Alternate Access Point – Fingal’s Pinnacles
The Quiraing hike is a relatively easy hiking trail as you gain elevation by driving up the mountain and then basically walk sideways without any real elevation gain or loss. I enjoyed the novelty of having excellent views with little effort, but it felt kinda wrong at the same time – shouldn’t we have to work for these views?
If you feel the same way (or simply can’t find a parking spot at the trailhead), here is an alternative access point for the Quiraing hike.
Fingal’s Pinnacles is a hike that begins off the A855 below the Quiraing. It is technically a loop trail and does not officially connect with the Quiraing trail, but you can bypass part of the loop and follow the main path up toward the Quiraing.
The Fingal’s Pinnacles hike was beautiful, passing two small lochs, winding up the rolling hills, passing many sheep grazing in the fields with amazing views of the Quiraing rock formations above and the ocean below.
The hike from the highway to the main Quiraing trail is approximately 1.6 miles / 2.5 km long and gains about 650 feet / 200 m in elevation. We made it almost all the way up in an hour, but we turned back due to some dark skies (there was a weather warning that day).
Quiraing Hike with Kids
Based on our experiences, here are some tips for hiking the Quiraing with kids:
Make sure everyone uses the bathroom before you leave. There are no bathrooms in the parking lot and this is a very popular hike with no trees anywhere to hide behind. You can find the odd hill or rock to duck behind, but these are few and far between.
There are no water stations either, so be sure to fill your water bladders before leaving home.
The trail surface on this hike is mostly gravel with small rocks sticking out. The trail has a few very small rock scrambles and can get muddy in spots, so we recommend wearing waterproof hiking shoes.
As always, be prepared for all kinds of weather when hiking in Scotland. Wear layers and bring plenty of water, sunscreen, rain gear, and something to repel the midges. It was a calm morning at the start of our hike, and the midges were out in full force. Thankfully the wind picked up as the hike went on and the midges went away.
Some hikers swear by Avon Skin So Soft for Scottish midges, but I’d treat it as a lighter option. For more reliable protection on a hike like Lost Valley, a purpose-made repellent such as Smidge is usually a better choice (readily available in stores in Scotland).
This trail is not stroller accessible, but we saw some parents carrying their babies or toddlers in backpack carriers.
Dogs on a leash are allowed on this hike.
If your kids like to climb rocks, there are plenty of good kid sized rocks for them to tackle along this hike, especially on the second half of the first leg.
Before you head out, read our best tips for hiking with kids and see what we actually pack in our guide to hiking gear for kids.
Where to Stop for Lunch or a Break
Nearly the entire hike has grassy slopes above and below the trail, so you can literally plop down anywhere and enjoy a sandwich and the views. We stopped for lunch at the end of the first leg as it was at the top of a hill and there were great ocean views to enjoy.
Important Cautions
There are a few spots along the Quiraing trail where the drop-off feels a bit uncomfortable. Hold a hand in these spots, especially if the wind is blowing. We don’t recommend doing this hike with kids on days with heavy rain when it can get extra muddy and slippery.
The trail has loose gravel on it and during the steep sections, kids always tend to lose their footing and fall on their bums. We carried our 3-year old down a very small section with loose gravel to avoid this.
Follow Along our Family Trip to Scotland
We arrived in the Isle of Skye after we had spent 5 amazing days in Fort William with kids, the outdoor adventure capital of the UK. After the Isle of Skye, we stopped briefly in Pitlochry (where we loved the Hermitage Woodland walk in Tay Forest). We concluded our family road trip to Scotland with 3-days in Edinburgh with kids.
If you are planning a family trip to Scotland, check out our comprehensive Scotland packing list for families. For inspiration, don’t miss our favorite things to do in Scotland with kids.
Our Travel Journal for Kids
Based on our family travels, our kids helped us design this Travel Journal for Active Kids! This engaging travel journal encourages kids to document their adventures, spark creativity, and stay entertained on the go – grab yours now on Amazon!
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