Welcome to our guide to the very best things to see and do in Glendale on the extreme North-Western corner of the beautiful Isle of Skye.
Glendale is an 18,956 acre estate that extends from Neist Point in the West, to Loch Pooltiel in the North, to Loch Dunvegan in the East. To the South it covers vast acres of moorland, skirting the slopes of MacLeod's Tables and extending almost down to MacLeod's Maidens at Idrigill.
The name 'Glendale' is the anglicised version of its gaelic name, Gleann Dail, which means 'valley with level fields by a river'.
Glendale experiences the most incredible sunsets in June.
The steep cliffs of Glendale are home to thousands of seabirds and this area is undoubtedly the best place on Skye for seeing whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking shark.
Seals bask on the skerries in Loch Pooltiel and Loch Dunvegan at low tide. Otters can be seen fishing for sea urchins.
Sea eagles, golden eagles, buzzards, merlins and kestrels all nest nearby.
Glendale is renowned for its striking displays of
wild
flowers, with meadows carpetted with bluebells, orchids, violets and
primroses.
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Waterstein Head and Moonen Bay from Neist Point
There is a beautiful, clean beach of black, volcanic sand at the head of Loch Pooltiel, the perfect place for a picnic.
This is a very peaceful and unspoiled corner of Skye that makes an excellent base for walking, fishing, birdwatching, cycling, climbing and diving holidays.
The scenery is quite simply breath-taking all year round.
A minke whale spent all morning close in at Neist Point, giving some good close passes.
There were three leucorhoa wheatears at Neist Point car park at 10am. There was a single golden plover on the point.
A small pod of common dolphins went north past Pooltiel Fish Farm, early evening and, at the same time, there were two larger dolphins off Dunvegan Head, probably bottlenose dolphins.
More recent wildlife sightings
Christmas Wreath Making
Christmas Market
At the heart of Glendale is the post office and village shop, together with a community centre.
Skye's finest restaurant, the Three Chimneys, which is amongst the top 100 in the UK, is to be found at Colbost, one of Glendale's Eastern-most townships.
The extremely popular Old School House restaurant at Dunvegan is just at 20 minute drive away.
Fresh sea-food can be bought directly from the local fishermen who operate out of Meanish Pier in Milovaig.
Glendale is only a 50 minute drive from the island's capital at Portree.
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Neist Point from Ramasaig Cliff.