A pretty UK coastal town where King Charles once enjoyed fish and chips has been crowned for offering incredible coastal views. Tucked away on the beautiful Isle of Skye lies Portree, which secured the spot among the most breathtaking coastal scenes in the UK.
The town was visited by King Charles and Queen Camilla in 2021 where they enjoyed fish and chips from local fisherman Dan Corrgiall’s harbourside shop. A survey conducted by Haven holidays asked 2,000 people to choose from the most breathtaking British coastal scenes. Portree was ranked fourth in a national poll by Haven Holidays, thanks to its charming harbour, vibrant seafront, and stunning natural scenery—making it one of the UK’s most beautiful coastal spots.
Cornwall’s St Ives took the top spot, followed by Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire, and Padstow, also in Cornwall.
Tenby in South West Wales completed the top five behind Portree, whose inclusion in the list cements its reputation as one of the country’s most beautiful and tranquil coastal spots.
Portree is the largest settlement on Skye and is known for its charming pastel-painted buildings that line the waterfront, as well as its peaceful harbour, nestled beneath steep cliffs, Scottish Daily Express reports.
From the quay, you can see Loch Portree and the striking 413-metre hill, Ben Tianavaig—known as a “Marilyn” because of its standout height.
One of the travellers who has been to the town wrote on TripAdvisor: “Portree is a fairly compact town with two areas. The harbour is the one you will see in most of the photographs, with pastel-painted buildings along the waterfront. It is as nice in person as you will see in the pictures.2
Another traveller commented: “Portree is a fairly compact town with two areas. The harbor is the one you will see in most of the photographs, with pastel-painted buildings along the waterfront. It is as nice in person as you will see in the pictures.
“The buildings house mostly restaurants and tourist-type shops. There are also areas where you can sit around the harbour and we saw most people just enjoying the atmosphere.
“If you go up the hill (it isn’t far) there are more nice shops and a public square with more restaurants. Along the way you will come across a pretty good bookshop (which also has plenty of maps and guides) and some nice gift shops.
“This is worth a pleasant hour or two and is a good place to grab a meal if you are traveling around the island.”