Isle of Skye’s Best Cafes & Coffee Shops (For 2025)
Looking for Skye's best cafes and coffee shops? We’ve got you covered with the best places for brunch, lunch, sweet treats, and coffee on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
By: Lesley Stewart | April 2025
Birch, Portree.
My favourite thing to do on the Isle of Skye? I know it should be those dramatic landscapes (and yes, I love them), but if I’m honest, it’s immersing myself in the islands’ utterly brilliant cafes and coffee shops. After numerous trips to the island, I’m sharing Skye’s best cafes and coffee shops in this post to visit on your next trip.
For such a small place, the cafe scene on Skye is mindblowing—from sweet treats to boujee brunches and small-batch, island-roasted coffee, the list of amazing places to stop for a casual bite is impressive.
And with your Skye itinerary guaranteed to be action-packed, finding an excellent place to stop, rest, and refuel is essential.
Skye’s best cafes easily rival those in the Scottish capital and are a welcome sight on busy drives around the island. My favourite options are independent and unique, and offer friendly vibes alongside delicious food or frothy flat whites.
Unlike the island’s excellent restaurants, these coffee shops are perfect for a casual, daytime stop between walks and activities.
The best part? You’ll find Skye’s cafes and coffee shops scattered across every area of the island, so visiting them is easy!
Travel tip: You’ll find the locations of every coffee shop and their nearby attractions in our ‘Skye made easy’ map.
Quick guide: Skye’s best cafes & coffee shops
Here’s my favourite cafes to visit on Skye (full details on everything below):
Lean To Coffee, Broadford
Birch, Portree
Caora Dhubh, Carbost
Skyeskins, Portree & Waternish
Dunvegan Coffee Shop, Dunvegan
The Hungry Gull, Staffin
Bog Myrtle, Struan
Cafe Cùil, Carbost
Bûrr, Kilmaluag
Cafe 1925, Armadale
Glenbrittle Coffee Co, Glenbrittle
The Noost, Sconser
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Staying on Skye
Bosville Hotel (Portree): for the best boutique town centre stay.
Marmalade Hotel (Portree): for the best stylish stay.
Taigh Scalpaigh B&B (Portree): for the best boutique, town B&B.
Ullinish House (Struan): for the best stylish, remote B&B.
Edinbane Lodge (Edinbane): for the best culinary hotel stay.
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Getting around Skye
The best way to explore Scotland is by driving yourself. We use Discover Cars for our car rental in Scotland, choose full coverage insurance, and opt for trusted companies like Hertz, Enterprise, or Sixt. Book your car with Discover Cars here.
Driving in Scotland is easy, but first-time visitors should read my tips on how to drive Scottish single-track roads before starting your journey.
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Skye’s best cafes & coffee shops
These are our favourite cafes and coffee shops on the Isle of Skye, in no particular order:
Lean To Coffee, Ashaig nr Broadford
Best for: coffee, light bites, sweet treats.
I could waffle on about how amazing this Skye coffee shop is all day. One of the island’s best stops for coffee and an informal lunch, Lean To Coffee, located in the village of Ashaig, is a popular stop with travellers coming onto the island, and it’s easy to see why.
The menu focuses on local and organic ingredients, with a seasonally influenced selection that includes inventive sourdough toasties and an array of freshly baked treats. We highly recommend the cinnamon buns, but the cookies are an equal temptation.
Their coffee, sourced from roastery Birch, is excellent and complemented by hot chocolates, honey-soaked sticky chai, and matcha drinks. We ordered our usual flat whites, which were perfect, down to the seriously aesthetic on-brand mugs.
Speaking of aesthetics, operating from a converted, birch-clad shipping container, Lean To Coffee has buckets of rustic charm, accentuated by its outdoor seating area. You’ll find reclaimed tables and chairs nestled amongst the ruins of an old crofter’s cottage, with shelter courtesy of a perspex roof and flower installations from Skye Bloom.
A warm and friendly spot, Lean To Coffee perfectly blends the history of the original croft and its beautiful surroundings with creative dishes and excellent coffee.
Conveniently situated near the Skye Bridge, visit on your journey onto or off the island.
Birch, Portree
Best for: coffee connoisseurs, pastries, and light bites.
For a perfect coffee in Portree, head straight to Birch. This coffee shop has become a destination in its own right, and now has two coffee shops in the harbour town.
Inside, both cafes are refined and minimalist, with Scandi vibes that keep the vibe calm yet inviting.
The town centre offering is the most convenient for travellers. The coffee is excellent and the small but carefully considered food menu includes crowd-pleasing favourites like fluffy scrambled eggs on sourdough with choriz and moreish pastries. Inside is small, so be there early to guarantee a seat!
On the outskirts of the harbour town, Birch's second shop doubles as its specialist roastery; Birch also supplies many of Skye’s other cafes with its small-batch, hand-roasted beans.
There’s an array of sweet treats and baked goods on offer, too, with tempting options like custard tarts and tiramisu sponge (I can confirm the latter was excellent). Plus, you can buy their beans online.
Caora Dhubh Coffee Co, Carbost
Best for: coffee lovers and sweet treats.
Caora Dhubh is another one of my favourite coffee shops in Skye. Caora Dhubh (pronounced coo-ra doo and meaning black sheep) is a seriously hip little cafe in charming Carbost village.
The cafe, with its distinctive tin and wood shed, serves excellent coffee, and a small covered terrace with seats and waterfront views offers a serene experience away from the crowds.
Alongside takeaway coffee, it offers gooey baked goods (I highly recommend the millionaire’s shortbread), trendy merch, and bags of beans from their onsite roastery (we brew these at home; they’ll also grind beans for your accommodation).
A must-visit on a day trip alongside our favourite Skye whisky distillery.
Skyeskins, Portree & Waternish
Best for: coffee fans, coastal views, and sweet treats.
Best known for their luxury sheepskin rugs, Skyeskins is a gem of the Skye coffee shop scene. They have two coffee spots: the small but perfect outpost in Portree with glorious coastal views, and their main location, a quirky yurt in Waternish.
Serving coffee from Skye Coffee Roasters, homemade cakes, and (in Waternish) a small lunch menu, Skyeskins is a warm, friendly, and lovely place to grab a brew and breathe.
Their Portree locale tucks away nicely inside the store, with an outdoor seating area that is a genuine suntrap in summer. Rarely busy, this is a real hidden spot in the busy town. The yurt in sleepy Waternish takes pride of place in the tannery garden and is a destination in its own right.
Both locations cover their seats in cosy sheepskins from the store (you will want to buy one!) and are staffed by the warmest people.
Dunvegan Coffee Shop, Dunvegan
Best for: coffee, cakes, and deli-style sandwiches.
Tucked away inside The Dunvegan hotel you’ll find the perfect place for a coffee break north of the island. The vibe is cosy, with comfy, cushion-laden sofas and lochside views.
Proper coffee heaven, barista Tony is a master at crafting the perfect brew. We loved the flat whites so much that we visited twice on our trip. When it comes to food, the menu is small, but the focaccia sandwiches are delicious, and there’s a brilliant choice of freshly made cakes.
Nearby places include Dunvegan Castle, Neist Point Lighthouse, Waternish, and Edinbane.
The Hungry Gull, Staffin
Best for: flavoursome brunches and lunches.
The Hungry Gull is the best Skye cafe if you’re road-tripping the popular Trotternish coastal loop in the island’s northernmost region.
A community-run Skye cafe in the quaint village of Staffin, The Hungry Gull has gained a serious reputation among foodies in the last few years. It’s little wonder, as the food here is excellent—expect big and bold flavours alongside inventive twists on traditional favourites.
We especially loved the venison chorizo tattie hash (so good), highland Turkish eggs (excellent), and black pudding eggs beni (another level).
Tables are first come, first served, so get in early to avoid the queues. My favourite thing is to hike the Old Man of Storr at sunrise and head straight to the Hungry Gull for a well-deserved brunch before heading up the Quiraing.
In addition to bigger plates, there are delicious cakes, simpler daytime takeaway options, and coffee from Caora Dhubh.
Cafe Cùil, Carbost
Best for: Hebridean-inspired brunch & lunch.
If I had to choose just one Skye restaurant for a casual daytime bite, it would be Cafe Cùil. This Hebridean-inspired cafe is, in a word, excellent - and the perfect place to eat on Skye for brunch or lunch.
The menu changes with the seasons, but expect dishes like Scottish smoked mackerel on sourdough, Highland shakshuka, and poached eggs with parma and wild garlic pesto. The star of the show? The slow-cooked Lochalsh beef brisket rarebit (pictured below).
Made with Orkney cheddar sauce, poached egg and onion jam, it’s seriously delicious.
But we also debated (and regret not ordering) the Scotch pancakes with highland rhubarb, gingernut crumble & gorse mascarpone which come highly recommended.
We also devoured some pastries that were almost too pretty to eat (can we take a moment to appreciate the mini berry pavlova above?), followed by really good flat whites.
Inside is bright and airy, with big windows letting those gorgeous Skye views flood in. Outside, the now iconic red roof is a welcome beacon amongst Skye’s wild landscapes and often wild weather. I recommend visiting after an early morning trip to the Fairy Pools or Talisker Bay; nearby picturesque village Carbost is a foodie heaven so arrive hungry!
Bog Myrtle, Struan
Best for: brunch, lunch, coffee & cake.
Perhaps the prettiest Skye café on our list, we stopped at Bog Myrtle for a coffee and a cini bun (both excellent), but wish we’d been hungry enough to sample the bigger plates.
Inside, this eclectic, leafy café is a treasure trove of vintage charm.
Think reclaimed tables, velvet sofas, mismatched but cosy furniture, and high stools positioned to take in the coastal views from the big windows. The stained glass feature window is a striking focal point (if you can tear your eyes away from the homemade cake selection).
The menu also includes delicious offerings like fruity-loaded waffles, hearty soups, and chunky sourdough sandwiches. One we’ll return to.
Bûrr, Kilmaluag
Best for: coffee in the remote north.
Perhaps the most remote and scenic coffee shop on our list, Bûrr offers speciality coffee and sweet treats to take away. Located in Skye’s most northern parts, visit as you drive around the Trotternish coastal loop towards Rubha Hunish and Duntulm Castle.
Nestled by the roadside, this Skye cafe is set inside a funky wooden cabin. Although small, there is a scattering of outdoor seats for sunny days and incredible views over the grassy farmland to the coast beyond.
We loved the coffee here, and it’s a welcome stop in a very remote part of the island with few amenities.
Cuillin Coffee Co, Glenbrittle
Best for: excellent coffee and breakfast pastries
One of my favourite places for breakfast is this tucked-away Skye coffee shop. Located within the Glenbrittle Campsite (and open to non-residents), Cuillin Coffee Co serves one of the smoothest coffees on the island alongside a range of pastries.
You can order sourdough pizza at night, but we think it’s a great daytime stop before or after visiting the nearby Fairy Pools or Glenbrittle Beach.
Cafe 1925, Armadale
Best for: super good coffee in the south.
Cafe 1925 is a local cafe that has been here for a long time, and I love coming for their coffee. It’s a classic Skye establishment that’s taken up residence in the old post office and caters to the Sleat community and travellers using the nearby ferry from the mainland.
They also offer a simple but tasty breakfast menu, cakes, and toasties.
The Noost, Sconser
Best for: coffee and cake.
A waterside takeaway at the Raasay ferry terminal, The Noost has a growing reputation as an excellent spot for coffee, cake, and deli-style stuffed sandwiches. A takeaway cabin located on the waterfront with glorious coastal views, there are picnic tables out front to enjoy.
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