How to survive as a vegan on the Isle of Skye

Before moving to the Isle of Skye for two months last January, I was worried about how to maintain my vegan diet while living on the island, especially since I’d be living in a place without a kitchen. But much to my surprise, I found that being vegan on Skye was easy. The restaurant that I worked at even had vegan dishes on their menu, including some with vegan cheese – in other words, I was in vegan heaven.

Food culture on the Isle of Skye

Traditional island cuisine includes seafood, lamb, mutton, venison, black pudding – and not to forget, whisky and beer. While whisky is usually vegan as well as many beers, the traditional food could not be less vegan, although it does include some hardy vegetables such as kale, turnips and potatoes. Thankfully, the modern cuisine is much more varied with influences from all over the world. However, I didn’t meet any local vegans during my two months on Skye, so I don’t think it’s anywhere near as widespread on the islands as in Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh.

What to eat as a vegan on the Isle of Skye

Supermarkets

There is not a great variety of supermarkets on Skye, in fact, the only chain is Co-op and they only have three shops on the entire island, two in Portree and one in Broadford. There’s an additional Co-op just over the bridge in Kyle of Lochalsh, as well as several small grocery stores in the smaller villages.

Go-to vegan brands found in Co-op

• Alpro (vegan milks, yoghurts, chocolate desserts, custard and cream alternatives)
• The Coconut Collaborative (vegan yoghurts and chocolate desserts)
• Gro (vegan sandwiches, wraps, falafel, salads, pizza and frozen vegan foods)
• The Tofoo Co. (tofu)
• The Green Butcher (vegan cold cuts)
• Pure (vegan butter and margerine)
• Flora (vegan butter)
• Violife (vegan cheese)
• Oatly (vegan milks)
• Koko (vegan milks)
• Sojade (vegan milks)
• Minor Figures (vegan milks)
• Amisa (falafel mix)
• Rude Health (vegan cereals)
• TREK (vegan energy bars)
• Swedish Glace (vegan ice cream)

Other brands that sell vegan foods in Co-op

• Linda McCartney’s (frozen vegan foods)
• Coop Free From (vegan cakes, vegan chocolates, vegan cookies, vegan ice creams and frozen vegan foods)
• The Vegetarian Butcher (vegan ready meals)
• Nature’s Store (hazelnut and cocoa spread)
• P K Foods (vegetable pakora)
• Kirsty’s (vegan butternut squash curry)
• Birds Eye (veggie bowls)
• Dorset Cereals (vegan cereals)
• Nature’s Path (vegan cereals)
• Kellogg (vegan cereals)
• Against the Grain (vegan cookies)
• Nairn’s (vegan oat cakes)
• Northern Bloc (vegan ice creams)
• Ben & Jerry’s (vegan ice creams)

Supermarket supplies

• Basic foods = Pasta, pastasauce, spaghetti, lasagne sheets, rice, bulgur, couscous, lentils, beans, some garlic baguettes, coconut oil, tinned coconut milk, vegetable oil, plant margarine, ketchup, peanut butter, frozen vegetables, fresh vegetables, tinned tomatoes, soups, frozen fruits, fresh fruits, mushrooms, tortillas, tacos and nachos. In addition, most breads are vegan.
• Vegan foods = Hummus, tofu, falafel, vegan cheese, vegan butter, vegan yoghurt, vegan sandwiches, vegan salads, vegan wraps, vegan pizza, vegan ready meals (spaghetti, chili sin carne, curries etc.), vegan cereals, vegan chocolate spreads, vegan cold cuts, vegan custard, vegan cream alternatives, veggie bowls, frozen fish alternatives, frozen vegan meatballs, frozen vegan burgers, frozen vegan pies and frozen vegan chicken.
• Vegan drinks = Soy milk, oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, soy chocolate milk, almond chocolate milk and soy vanilla milk.
• Basic snacks = Dried fruits, nuts, vegetables with hummus, digestive biscuits, rice cakes, oreos, crispbread, dark chocolate (some – check the ingredient lists), crisps (salt or paprika), popcorn and breadsticks.
• Vegan snacks = Vegan chocolate desserts, vegan cakes, vegan ice creams, vegan chocolates, vegan cookies and vegan energy bars.

TIP: If you’re going on an adventure and need a vegan snack, grab a meal deal (main + snack + drink), which is cheap and filling! The sandwiches, wraps and salads from Gro are all vegan, and there are plenty of vegan snacks to choose from including paprika or salt crisps, vegetables with hummus and fruits.

Plant-based stores

To my great surprise, I found three (almost) entirely plant-based stores on the Isle of Skye, one in Portree, one in Dunvegan (love the name of that place!) and one in Uig:

• Jackson’s Wholefoods, Portree = Located opposite the Co-op in Portree, this shop sells a variety of vegan snacks such as Panda liquorice and So Free chocolates, plus tofu, vegan cold cuts from Tofurky, vegan butter from Naturli’ and a variety of vegan cheese from Bonsan and Violife.
• Fruit & Nut Place, Dunvegan = This gem of a shop supplies predominantly locally sourced fruits and vegetables as well as several vegan products.
• Rankins Supermarket, Uig = This independent supermarket has a wide range of vegan products, including vegan milks from Oatly, Alpro, Sojade and Rude Health, a vegan cream alternative from Oatly and a variety of vegan cheese from Sheese and Violife.

Restaurants and cafés

Base yourself in Portree and you won’t have any problems finding vegan food in the town’s restaurants and cafés (even in the winter time), however, there are also options outside of Portree. Here’s a list of the restaurants and cafés on the Isle of Skye that offer vegan dishes:

Portree

• The Isles Inn = One of the best restaurant in town for vegan options. For starters, they have sweet potato falafel balls or vegetarian haggis, which is actually vegan (ask in case they change the ingredients though). The soup of the day is also usually vegan. For mains, they have a vegan burger and a large portion of vegetarian haggis. Side dishes include chips (on which you can add vegan cheese!) and seasonal vegetables. For dessert, they offer a vegan torte and vegan ice cream. In addition, they also have a “specials of the day” menu where there are often vegan options.

• The Granary = My go-to place for lunch in Portree. They have a delicious vegan sandwich and flatbread or rolls with jackfruit or vegetables, plus fries. They also often sell vegan cakes, and you can get your coffee or hot chocolate with a vegan milk alternative.

• The Tongadale Hotel Restaurant = They serve tomato and basil bruschetta, a vegetable burger and soup of the day, which is often vegan. Many of their side dishes, including onion rings and sweet potato fries, are also vegan and they are enormous, so ordering a few of these could easily be a meal. For dessert, they serve vegan churros and vegan ice cream.

• Cuillin Hills Hotel = The prettiest restaurant in Portree offers a separate vegan menu (ask the waiter!) with posh dishes including barbecued leek, juniper poached beetroots, chargrilled cauliflower and treacle baked celeriac.

• The Portree Hotel = They serve a chickpea and spinach burger with fries, chickpea falafels, vegetable tempura and vegan gnocchi.

• Sea Breezes = This cute restaurant by the harbour offers a beetroot risotto, lentil and walnut loaf and soup of the day, which is often vegan. Side dishes such as baby potatoes, side salad and seasonal vegetables are also vegan.

• Taste of India = This Indian restaurant serves vegetable samosa, vegetable pakora, chana ghugni (chickpeas and potatoes) and sabzi naga mirchi (spicy vegetable curry).

• The Rosedale Hotel = They offer a separate vegan menu upon request.

• Café Arriba = The menu here changes daily, but it often includes vegan dishes.

• The Royal Hotel = The menu changes daily, but it sometimes includes vegan dishes.

Dunvegan

• The Dunvegan = This cute restaurant serves a vegan platter and vegan soup for lunch and spiced roast butternut squash for dinner. They also often serve vegan cakes, and you can get your coffee or hot chocolate with a vegan milk alternative.

• Waterside Café Bistro and Gallery = They serve a few vegan dishes such as vegetable curry, jacket potatoes with beans and vegan side dishes.

Uig

• Bakur Bar = This bar offers a few vegan dishes, including a vegan chili.

• The Sheiling & Ella’s Café = They offer quite a few vegan dishes, such as hummus and olives with bread and a vegan salad.

Broadford

• Café Sia = This café has vegan ciabatta, pasta with vegetables, zucchini fries and sweet potato fries. It’s also possible to order the vegetarian pizza with vegan cheese!

• Siaway Fish & Chips = They have a vegan menu with a vegan burger, vegan haggis, vegan sausage, vegan sausage roll, vegan fishcake and vegan nuggets.

• The Harbour Restaurant = This restaurant has a small vegetarian menu, which includes a vegan bean stew and a vegan salad.

Elsewhere on the Isle of Skye

• Ellishadder Art Café, Culnacnoc = Open seasonally, this cozy vegetarian café offers vegan lunch and cakes, plus vegan milk alternatives for coffee.

• Red Roof, Holmisdale = A small vegetarian teahouse that offers many vegan dishes such as bean soup, hummus with vegetables, spiced potatoes and moong dhal (lentil dish).

• Café Lephin, Glendale = A cozy café near Neist Point Lighthouse, which serves a vegan toastie and has vegan milk alternatives for coffee.

• Sligachan Hotel, Sligachan = This atmospheric restaurant has a small vegan menu with vegan risotto, falafel burger and vegan nuggets.

Other restaurants and cafés around the Isle of Skye usually serve fries, salads and soups that are often vegan.

NOTE!: I haven’t tested all of these restaurants and cafés, so some of the information is based on info found online, and their menus may have changed. If you notice any mistakes, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Vegan-friendly accommodation

While most hotels and b&b’s will probably be happy to provide you with a vegan breakfast, there are two places on Skye where your vegan self will be more than welcome. The Old Croft House Vegetarian B&B and Clachamish House only serve vegan and vegetarian foods, so you’re sure to eat well there!

Other places that accommodate for vegans include Minnie’s Room in Dunvegan and the Isles Inn in Portree.

Prices for vegan foods

Due to the lack of competition in supermarket chains as well as the rise in tourism, buying groceries and eating out on the Isle of Skye is generally more expensive than the rest of Scotland.

However, there isn’t much different between animal-based foods and plant-based foods when it comes to pricing, although if you want vegan substitutes that you can’t find in Co-op (but can find in the plant-based stores), expect to pay a bit more than you’re used to.

Can I travel to the Isle of Skye as a vegan?

No problem at all – you will be just fine! For the best vegan options, base yourself in Portree and travel out from there. Bring a vegan meal deal from Co-op on your day trips and you’ll be good to go!

Veganism (and vegetarianism) is more common on the Isle of Skye than you’d think, and the restaurants and cafés are very used to catering for vegans. I did get some funny looks from people when I told them my dietary choices, but that happens everywhere in the world and more so outside of cities. Expect this to happen, but don’t worry, people will accept you and your choices if you accept them and their choices!

I hope that this guide will be useful to you if you’re vegan or vegetarian and planning to travel to the beautiful Isle of Skye! Please let me know in the comments if there’s anything I’ve missed or a restaurant/café that has been overlooked!