Luib

Traditional Houses and Loch Ainort

At 2 Luib a low cottage keeps the old Skye roof line: two rooms set either side of a central door, end hearths, a masonry chimney, and the hipped shape islanders call piended, once thatched with moor grass, rushes or straw. It is a Category B listed building, an example of the traditional Skye house type. Luib is a handful of crofts and cottages with scrubby woodland behind them, strung along the south shore of Loch Ainort where the A87 hugs the water.

The loch does most of the work. It is a long sea inlet, described in one assessment as "a long, fjord-like sea-loch," closed in by steep moorland ridges. At its head the scree-topped Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach and Glas Bheinn Mhòr rise together; the rougher Garbh Bheinn and Blà Bheinn stand behind them, and the island of Scalpay shuts off the seaward view. There is a fish farm off the north shore, opposite the houses. The name Luib is Gaelic for a bend or corner, which matches the long curve of the old Kyleakin–Portree road here beside the loch.

Nearby Food at Sligachan and Sconser

Don't expect a pub, shop or church in the village itself; you may need to drive or catch the bus for food, so check times before you go. A nearby option is Seumas' Bar at the Sligachan Hotel, at the foot of the Cuillin, which has poured pints for climbers, locals and travellers since 1987 and keeps more than four hundred whiskies behind the counter. The kitchen does Cullen skink, Skye venison, a haggis burger, Skye ale-battered haddock, a wild mushroom and chestnut pie, haggis fritters and a vegan haggis. There is a garden and a children's playground, and well-behaved dogs are welcome inside. The bar was built as an extension to the original inn and named after the previous owner's dog, Seumas.

For something quieter, Sconser Lodge Restaurant, a small family-run place a short way up the road, takes non-residents if you book. Its menu leans hard on what comes out of the water: hand-dived Sconser scallops, Loch Eishort mussels in cream and wine, Skye seafood chowder, creeled langoustines in garlic butter, Mallaig halibut, and venison with a port and redcurrant jus.

Broadford’s Practical Stops

Broadford, immediately south on the A87, is the practical hub. The Isle of Skye Baking Company, started in 2007 by Barry and Liza Hawthorne, began with island shortbread and oatcakes and now makes breads, cakes and preserves and packs advance-order lunches. Bùth na h-Abhainn, the shop everyone calls the Top Shop, has served Broadford and Strath for more than a century, with local produce, groceries and locally baked bread. The library there keeps children's books and Lego out for younger visitors.

The Old-Road Core Path

For walking rather than driving, the core path runs from Suisnish through Luib to Strollamus and Broadford Forest, an old-road route that keeps you off the traffic. Wear boots: walkers report wet ground here even after dry weather, and parking in the village is tight.

Bus Links and Evening Light

Stagecoach service 52 stops at Luib Road End and links you to Broadford, Sconser, Sligachan and Portree; the nearest railway is Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland. In the evening the light goes off the ridges last, and the water in front of the houses holds it a while longer.