Each part of the isle has its won charm to attract you for your fist visit here and the appeal that will make you want to come back here again.

Location

Off the west coast in Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides, is the Isle of Skye, the largest of the Inner Hebrides islands and the second largest Scottish island, after the island of Lewis and Harris. It spreads to about 1,656 square kilometers of land.

How to reach

The Skye Bridge links Scotland to the Isle. From Mallaig, you can reach Armadale in Skye by a ferry and from Glenelg to Kylerhea. Tarbert on the Harris Island, North Uist’s Lochmaddy and Rassay too have ferries connecting them to Uig and Sconser respectively.

There are bus services between Inverness and Glasgow and on the island too. You can also take a train in Scotland, from Kyle of Lochalsh that’s at the end of the Skye Bridge to get to Inverness in the Isle of Skye. Trains also serve between Glasgow to Mallaig and from there, there are ferries to Armadale. Private Aircrafts use the small aerodrome at Ashiag near Broadford.

There are trunk roads that connect the Skye Bridge to other surrounding areas of the Isle of Skye.

Climate

The isle enjoys a mild ocean climate under the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream. Temperatures are cool, with an average of about 6.5 degree Celsius in January and about 15.4 degree Celsius in July. In comparison to Scotland, frosts are fewer here and snow is seldom owing to its sea level.

Like most of islands off the western coasts of Scotland, the Isle of Skye too records a high rainfall of about 1500 to 2000 millimeters on an average annually. There are considerable differences between the north and the south, with the areas in the north like Broadford being comparatively dry.

The Scottish islands are worth a visit throughout the year, though April to September is the peak tourist season.

Attractions

In Armadale, you must check out the seal island, the forest trail, The Shed; a seafood takeaway /café, The Bay pottery as well as art galleries like the Nigel Grounds gallery full of his paintings.

You could try out the boat trips here to places like Rum & Canna.   The Armadale Castle Gardens and the Museum of Isle are major attractions.  The ruins of knock castle on way to Aramdale are worth a watch.

At Isle Ornsay here is the An Talla Dearg Gallery, displaying sculptures of wild life like otters by Laurence Broderick in stone and bronze. There’s also the Heaven’s Ocean, an art studio with paintings, sculptures and other works on display and the Gaelic Whisky shop. .

On the southern coast of the Isle of Skye, to the north of Kylerhea, is the Kylerhea Otter Haven.

The village of Kyleakin has ruins of the 14th century Castle Maol. The name of the village comes from Kule- a narrow water strait between Skye and Scotland that Haakon IV, the Norwegian king sailed through in the 13th century when defeated by Hebrides at the Battle of Largs.  For a good view of the place, there is a hillock here.

To get an insight of the local lighthouse and wildlife through displays, you should visit the Bright Water Visitor Centre here in Skye. From here, you can go for a boat trip to the island of Eilean Ban which has the Maxwell museum, named after Gavin Maxwell.

There are underwater tours from Kyleakin and Kyle of Lochalsh with extended cruise to the World War II shipwreck, a 500 feet long minelayer that sank in 1940 and other such ruins, for a breathtaking diving experience.

Broadford in Skye is a good place to stay with numerous restaurants like Creelers, shops etc. In the Old Mill here is the Skye Serpentarium, a reptile exhibition and breeding centre. There are boat trips you could enjoy here too.  Just outside Broadford is The Dancing Dolphin, an organic aromatherapy body centre that offers care products as well as therapies like Reiki and Reflexology.

The 45 minutes drive away from Broadford to Elgol, has panoramic view such as that of Blaven Mountain about 3000 feet high, a ruined Pre-Reformation church at Kilchrist and the Skye marble Quarry at Torinn. Kilmarie, also on way, is home to the ruins of Dun Ringill, a stronghold of the Mackinnons.

The Elgol village is known for its pebble beach, the Camasunary Bay; a little far away, the Suidhe Biorach cave to its south and the Spar cave to its east.  On a boat trip from here, you could explore Loch Coruisk or the isles of Rum, Canna, Sanday and Soay when you can also spot dolphins, whales and sharks.

The Cuilin mountain ranges in Scotland have about 20 Munros and the Red Cuilin and the jagged Black Cuilin.

Portree is a busy port and the Isle’s capital with the Portree Craft Gallery, The Aros Experience that is a cultural center and a number of entertainment evenings.

The Trotternish Peninsula, the Strorr Lochs, the Bearreraig Bay are other attractions nearby.14 miles to the north of Portree is Lealt which has the magnificent The Mealt Waterfall, 300 feet high and the Kilt Rock at the same site. There is a fossil museum nearby at Ellishader.

At Staffin, 19 miles north of Portree is a Corran dating back to 8,500 years and beach.  Further north is the Quiraing Mountains, the ruined Duntulm Castle.

The Skye Museum of Island Life at Kilmuir, illustrate highland life a century ago. The Waternish Peninsula in the Skye has a number of craft centers and shops.

The Dunvegan Castle belonging to the Chief of Clan Macleod dates back to about 9th century and is said to be the oldest castle in Scotland. On display here are family portraits, antique furniture, weapons, relics such as lock of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s hair, trophies, the famous fairy flag etc.

At Glendale are the Colbost Croft Museum; a black house that depict the life in 19th century and a well-preserved old illegal whisky. Other cultural centers around this place include the Raven Press Gallery, the Toy Museum, the Borreraig Park Museum and the popular Glendale Watermill.

The Carbost village has the Talisker whisky distiller, the Talisker Bay and a waterfall.

For excursions, you could go to Isle or Raasay, off the east coast of Skye. The Dun Cann here is 1,456 feet high extinct volcano with a flat top. You could spot wildlife like golden eagles, buzzards, red deer and orchids as well here. A number of historical places can be explored here, like the Dun Borodale, the 13th century St. Mouluag’s Chapel, the Brochel Castle and the cave of the oars. Inverarish is village here that dates back to World War I, originally built as a POW camp.

Other good excursions are to Isle of Rona, Isle of Harris and Lewis and Uists.

The Isle of sky has everything to make it a picture-perfect destination.

The Great Barrier Reef is the sole natural wonder formulated out of living organisms, comprising of billions of tiny organisms called as coral polyps. The year 1981 proved to be a golden moment as it was designated in the prestigious “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO. Even, CNN awarded it the tag of “One of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.” It is been referred as “State Icon of Queensland” by the Queensland National Trust. Nurturing innumerable species of marine life and corals, this peerless structure outshines rest of the others as no one can emulate its supremacy and uniqueness. The Great Barrier Reef is an unparalleled coral entity that shelters countless coffers of coral mishmash.

When I was enlightened with these unique facts and figures, I couldn’t stop myself from visiting this out-of-the-world spot. I did extensive research on The Great Barrier Reef and went ahead for a magnificent encounter with this natural wonder. There, I came across the expansive breathtaking islands and enthralling diversity of abundant marine species. The Great Barrier Reef’s crystal clear waters are in its best round the year, except the period of coral spawning or after storm. Grabbing the fabulous opportunity, I dived in famous diving spots around Townsville such as Wheeler’s reef, Davis reef, Broad Hurst reef, Bowden reef and many others. After all the enchanting diving experiences, I personally preferred diving outside the main barrier reef. The underlying reason behind this was water visibility was much clearer than inside. The diving experience is completely indescribable; the reef stretching from 15 kilometers to 150 kilometers off shore possesses a treasure of stupendous and stunning coral. The entire diving experience is similar like a visit to a fairyland, glimpsing the world’s marvelous and vivid species underwater is something that makes me speechless.

The Great Barrier Reef is home to diverse life that includes endangered species and some of which are endemic to the reef system. The Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples have set Great Barrier Reef in a momentous stature, also the indigenous group of people have attached with it tremendous amount of spiritual and cultural significance. Its diverse marine life comprises of world’s largest collection of corals figuring up to more than 400 distinct types of corals, coral sponges, molluscs, rays, dolphins, tropical fishes exceeding 1500, more than 200 different birds¸ about 20 kinds of reptiles consisting of sea turtles and giant clams, whose existence can be traced from the past 120 years.

The 400 different types of corals include both hard and soft corals. The most striking attraction that is a must-see is coral spawning. One can experience it live in the Great Barrier Reef. The living species of corals reproduce every year for a couple of nights, wherein all the corals let their eggs and sperms go freely underwater packaged in bundles. Large huddle of corals act in the same manner and the sea is flooded with millions of bundles of eggs at simultaneous point of time. However, these mass spawning events are affected by the escalating temperatures of spring, summer, lunar cycle and diurnal cycle. When the spawning period is concerned, the inner Great Barrier reefs spawn after the full moon in October, whereas the outer moon spawns between November and December. The experience is totally exceptional; no other spot in the world can provide such an exotic experience. The inner reef shelters five hundred species of marine algae or seaweed which includes thirteen species of Halimeda genera. They accumulate calcareous stack up to 100 meters. All this formulates to a kind of mini eco-systems on the surface, which is somewhat similar to rainforest cover.

The Great Barrier Reef is a home to diverse species comprising of humpback whales, Indo-pacific humpback dolphin, dolphins, porpoises, dwarf minke whale. There are six species of six turtles that come up to the reef which include green sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, flatback turtle and olive ridley. Also, the island shelters seven different species of frog, 215 different bird species that includes 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds. The Northern and Southern terrains of the Great Barrier Reef are enriched with most of the diverse species. Amidst the regions, the Whitsunday can be referred as the most diverse one.

The Great Barrier Reef boasts natural treasures both above and below the waters, which has made it one of the most looked after location amidst tourists. Over two million tourists crowd this natural marvel annually for experiencing its underwater diving, snorkeling and glass-bottom boating. This region is inundated with large cluster of tourists, which can trigger adverse repercussions on the island. But the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has adopted essential measures and precautions to alleviate the impact of tourism. It protects certain part of reef against human concentration and human activities like fishing. Not only this, this reef suffers from other ecological pressures like climate change, water quality from runoff, mass coral bleaching and cyclic outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.

The Great Barrier Reef is an elaborate as well fragile wonder that needs to be handled with care. This delicate wonder can be damaged by harsh approach. The large influx of tourists is perceived as a severe threat by the Great Barrier Reef conservationists as there actions are contributing pollution and deteriorating this natural wonder. Other damaging threats include boats, farms, ranches, industrial pollution, over fishing and large number of tourists. Even, many scientists predict that Great Barrier Reef’s existence will come under danger if the water temperature rises by 5% or beyond its current average.

In today’s times, when global warming, climate change and many such environmental and human related issues are posing strong threat against the existence of such magnificent natural wonders, it should be seen as a responsibility by each individual to protect their mother nature. Because it is true that human existence can’t be perceived without soothing nature. So, when you are moving to the Great Barrier Reef, indulge in activities that have a minimum impact on nature. As someone has rightly said “Give respect and take respect” which clearly states that if we care for our nature, it will ultimately care for our well-being.

Get there and enjoy the divine beauty of Great Barrier Reef, as it is the world’s most spectacular and impeccable spot.

Best time to visit

The Great Barrier Reef witnesses warmth round the year. Its southern region Rockhampton is cool during the mid-winters and gets hotter during the summers. So, the best time to visit here is March, May, September and November. These islands fall under summer cyclone belt, so you can delight yourself by indulging in diving between August and November.

How to reach

For reaching in Great Barrier Reef, you can catch a flight to Cairns. It is by far accessible easily from the regions of Cairns, Prosperine and Townsville. Cairns is the mainland port and accessible by 15 major Australian countries, Bali, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore.

Accommodation

It offers a wide-range of accommodation ranging from camping grounds to bungalows to grandeur resorts.