Third Ridge Climbing Wall on Skye Has Closed - but there is hope for a return
The climber-run wall in Portree shut in June 2026, but the structure is in storage while a new venue is sought - and there's a survey shaping what comes next
Third Ridge Has Closed
Third Ridge, the climber-run indoor wall in Portree and the only indoor climbing venue on the Isle of Skye, has closed. The team announced it on the wall's Facebook page on 23 June 2026:
“Sad to let you all know that Third Ridge will be closing it's doors, effective immediately. Our efforts are currently focused on demounting and salvaging as much as possible in a limited time frame.”
The closure was immediate, and the wall's Google listing now shows it as permanently closed. No reason has been made public, and the team has asked that it not be gone into. We've updated Third Ridge's listing to show that it's closed.
What Third Ridge Was
Third Ridge sat in the Portree industrial estate, next to the Skye gym, run by the instructor team behind the local outdoor guiding outfit Skye Adventure. For its size it packed a lot in: separate lead and bouldering rooms, routes from a few metres up to around 10m, a MoonBoard, showers and a small shop. Membership was £35 a month.
More than that, it was the hub for indoor climbing across the whole of Skye and a good slice of the northwest Highlands — the nearest alternative was always a long drive away. The operators put it plainly: “We're aware that there are a great number of folk whose support networks and social groups revolve round the place.” They've pointed members at a moderated “Belay Buddies” group chat to keep in touch — message the Third Ridge page to be added.
What Happens Next: “The Fourth Ridge”
This is not the end of the story. The wall structure and holds were dismantled rather than scrapped, and are in storage while the team looks for a suitable new venue. The working name for the next chapter is The Fourth Ridge — “hopefully, like the phoenix, it will rise from the ashes.”
To shape what that looks like, Matt Urquhart is running a short public survey, and it's open now:
“We're looking for feedback from people on Skye, or who visit Skye and are interested in a community space for climbing, general fitness, and/or social events.”
If you live on Skye or climb there when you visit, please fill in the survey — it takes a few minutes and it genuinely helps make the case for a new wall.
Where Skye Climbers Can Go in the Meantime
Until The Fourth Ridge finds a home there is no indoor wall on Skye. The closest options are all on the mainland:
- The Ledge, Inverness — the nearest full-size wall, with roped climbing and bouldering. Roughly two and a half hours from Portree.
- 3 Wise Monkeys, Fort William — a bouldering centre a similar distance to the south, handy if you're heading for Glen Nevis or Glen Coe anyway.
- Gairloch Leisure Centre — the closest by road, but a small leisure-centre wall rather than a dedicated climbing venue. Check session times before travelling.
You can see all of these on our Highland climbing walls page.
Outdoors on Skye
Third Ridge's own sign-off had the best advice for anyone staying on the island: “Remember we live on a rocky Island.” The team recommended Staffin and Neist for introductory trad, and the small bolted crag at Struan for something harder. Skye is also, of course, home to the Cuillin — the most serious mountaineering terrain in Britain, and a different proposition entirely.
Our thanks to everyone who ran and volunteered at Third Ridge. We'll update this post as The Fourth Ridge develops — if you have news, let us know.
For indoor climbing walls across the Highlands and the rest of the UK, see our UK Climbing Wall Finder.
Header photo: “Sunshine on the Cuillin Hills” by James Allan, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.