HOW TO ELOPE IN THE ISLE OF SKYE

The Isle of Skye is one of the most beautiful places in Scotland to choose to elope to. The scenery is dramatic and feels like you are a million miles away. If you are considering an adventure elopement and what to incorporate beautiful scenery into you day, then the Isle of Skye is a fantastic choice. I’ve put together a little guide to help you with your elopement planning.

Why elope?

Elopements bring the focus of a wedding day back to you two without your day being a performance or a production of a traditional wedding. You can create the best day for the two of you from start to finish with or without guests. You can check out my elopement guide here.

There are many ways you can make your elopement unique. You could hand-fast, which is where the phrase ‘tying the knot’ came from. Write your own vows, celebrate with a picnic, hike and fizz. The possibilities are endless and Skye is the perfect adventure spot for an elopement.

Locations 

The Quiraing

Not only is The Quiraing dramatic, the views are stunning making it one of the most beautiful spots in Skye. You don’t have to hike too far from the carpark to enjoy the stunning views & beautiful spots to say your vows. If you’re feeling really adventurous, then there’s the option to hike up to the top which takes about 2 hours. The Quiraing is about a 30 minute drive from Portree, situated in the north of Skye.

The old man of Storr

Located in the north of Skye about 10 minutes drive from Portree, Storr is about a 45 minute moderate hike, but my goodness it’s worth it! Storr, is rugged, dramatic with beautiful views. It’s the perfect spot to say your vows, then enjoy watching the sunset. The weather here can be extremely changeable, so be prepared to bring a waterproof jacket and hiking boots.

The Sligachan

The Sligachan is a great option as it’s a central location in the Isle of Skye & has the Sligachan hotel with great food! The surrounding area overlooks the Cuillin Mountains and there’s plenty of beautiful spots without a long trek to say your vows.

Fairy Glen

Located in the north near a village called Uig, Fairy Glen offers a magical and quieter location. Think grassy hills, caves and pools.

Other great locations in The Isle of Skye

Elgol
Coral Beach
Fairy Pools
Loch Coruisk

Creating an elopement timeline

Elopements aren’t a photoshoot, you deserve way more out of your wedding day and have your whole story told from start to finish. Your experience of getting married is still a full day, just like a wedding day. Your activities might be different but it’s more than taking pictures of just your vows and some portraits after. It’s a chance to capture the essence of what you really love doing as a couple. What would your perfect day look like? If you’re having a late afternoon ceremony, then how would you spend your morning? There’s so much to capturing your full story like the getting ready, first look, ceremony, portraits, evening dinner.

HERE’S AN EXAMPLE TIMELINE…

10:00 am: GETTING READY-  Document you both in a relaxed way.

12/ 1pm: LUNCH -Have some lunch, maybe find a lovely cosy pub.

2:00pm: HEAD TO CEREMONY

3 pm: CEREMONY – The Quiraing. A short walk from the car park.

3:30pm: Pictures after your ceremony at the Quiraing

4pm: THE OLD MAN OF STORR – 45-minute walk to have some sunset pictures. Think dramatic moody skies and scenery.

6pm: End with a picnic/ dinner

Accommodation

Skye Red Fox Retreat 

The Hen House

The Black Shed

An Airigh

Skye Eyrie

The Studio

Sligachan hotel

You can find some lovely places in The Isle of Skye to stay on Air Bnb & places to stay on Booking.com

Travel

The nearest airports are Inverness which is nearly a 3 hour drive. Glasgow airport is 5 hours and Edinburgh airport also 5 hours. You can will need to hire a car, which is available at the airports, or Skye itself here.

The Legal side

You can marry anywhere outside in the Isle of Skye as long as it’s authorised by your humanist or local registration. You can find a link to some awesome humanists in Scotland here and information about the legal side of things here.

If you’re thinking of planning an elopement in The Isle of Skye and would like to talk about my elopement photography packages, I would love to hear from you.