A SEASIDE town in the UK has been likened to a fairytale, with colourful houses and stunning countryside views.
Portree in Scotland is one of the highlights of a trip to the Isle of Skye, with the small port town surrounded by stunning landscapes and wildlife.
AlamyPortree has been compared to a fairytale by those who have visited[/caption]
GettyThere are plenty of breathtaking views around the town including sea and mountains[/caption]
AlamyThe Isle of Skye is a great place to see the northern lights in the winter[/caption]
Its harbour is surrounded by brightly painted toy-town-looking houses, shops and restaurants that stare out at a vista of the loch and its striking mountains.
Visitors are so endeared by their trips to the town, that plenty of them say they didn’t want to leave, including Tiktoker Hana (@hanaventures) who shared footage from her trip online.
In a video of her dangling her feet off the harbour walls over the loch, staring out at the view, she said: “Never wanted to leave this spot in Portree on the Isle of Skye.”
Many of the thousands of people who’ve seen her video agreed, with one saying: “Wishing we were there, so beautiful!”
Another wrote: “I worked up there when I was a teenager over summer and didn’t wanna leave.”
A third added: “I need to get back here.”
It’s not only people who can’t get enough of visiting Skye either, with whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea eagles and basking sharks among a number of creatures that can be seen around the isle’s waters.
Sea tours leave from Portree’s harbour, including the Seaflower Skye, which won a TripAdvisor travellers’ choice award this year.
It has 441 reviews on the site overall, 440 of which are the full five stars.
One reviewer wrote: “The whole trip was perfect. It was terrifically well organised and managed and the weather managed to be on top form too.
“As well as stunning scenery we saw sea eagles and dolphins as well as a minke whale and a basking shark.”
On land there are other animals to hang out with too, with highland cattle regularly spotted around Skye, while pony trekking is also a popular activity.
Someone who tried it out was travel blogger Jiayi, who runs the Diary of a Nomad blog.
She wrote: “The colourful and bustling town of Portree is one of the best places to stay on the Isle of Skye. In fact, this town boasts tons of restaurants, shops, and tourist facilities.
“The most unmissable things to do in Portree are pony-trekking and dining with a view.”
Jiayi also wrote about the best place to find a view in the town, with an old apothecary tower overlooking the harbour.
The tower stands on an outcrop of rock which is known either as ‘Fancy Hill’ or ‘the Lump’ depending on who you talk to.
Either way, it can be climbed and offers a fantastic vantage point over the town.
Jiayi continued: “You’ll see a 19th-century Apothecary’s Tower amidst a quiet garden. Climb up the tower for a bit of a fairytale vibe and a great view of Loch Portree and the surrounding hills.”
The views are even better in the evening, particularly in winter when Skye is often treated to the Northern Lights.
Connolly Cove recommended Skye, and a hotel in Portree, as on the best places to see the aurora in Scotland.
A night for two in a b&b in Portree can be found online for around £74.
Meanwhile, this tiny UK coastal village will sound an alarm whenever the northern lights show up so you can see them.
And these are the best deals on early autumn short-haul breaks.
GettyLots of visitors have said they didn’t want to leave Portree[/caption]