Glendale is on the B884, 7 miles (15-20 minutes drive) from Dunvegan and 28 miles (50 minutes) from Portree, the island's capital.

It is interesting to note that Glendale is an area (an estate) not a village. Glendale's Shops, Restaurant and Community Hall are actually located in the township of Lephin.

Skinidin, the Three Chimneys restaurant (at Colbost) and Neist Point (at Waterstein) are also in Glendale, together with most other townships in between, excluding the townships on the Dunvegan Head peninsula which actually lie on the Martin Estate. Although they are often loosely referred to as being 'in Glendale' because it is necessary to drive through Glendale to reach them.

The approximate extent of the Glendale Estate is shown as the shaded area on the map.

Driving Through Glendale

All of the roads in Glendale are single-track with passing places. There are few road markings, no street lighting and most sections run through unfenced common grazing areas where sheep and cattle roam freely along the road.

Single-track roads require a great deal of co-operation and courtesy between drivers to ensure that traffic moves freely. It is obviously essential that you give way to on-coming vehicles but it is also equally important that you allow cars behind you to overtake.

Do not pull into passing places that are on your right. Wait opposite them instead until the oncoming or over-taking vehicles have passed. It is courteous to flash your headlights to signal to an on-coming vehicle that you are waiting at a passing place for them to come through. Indicators should only be used at passing places to signal to vehicles behind that you are stopping to allow them to over-take. General protocol is to stop at a passing place, allow on-coming vehicles to pass, then indicate left and allow cars behind to over-take you, before continuing your journey.

At night, it is customary for the vehicle that waits at the passing place to switch to side-lights, so that the on-coming vehicle is not dazzled by their headlights. This also makes it easier for the on-coming vehicle to navigate around you in the dark confines of the passing place.

Sheep are very accustomed to cars and generally it isn't necessary to slow down for them, as you would for a horse & rider. However, if they are standing  at the kerb, admiring the grass on the other side, it is advisable to slow down in case they decide to wander across. If they are happily munching away, with their backs to the road, they won't budge as you whizz past them at normal driving speed.

Sheep often like to sit or stand in the middle of the road, as the surface absorbs the sunshine, making it a lovely, warm, dry place to sit. Don't destroy the peace and tranquillity by tooting your horn at them, it won't make any difference. Just slow down to a snail's pace and move very, very slowly towards them. Most will generally shift before you make contact but persistent ones will move the second your car touches them. If they still won't budge, jump out of the car and shoo them off.