Scottish Highlands From Edinburgh
Discover the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye on this 5-day package trip from Edinburgh. Hunt for 'Nessie' at Loch Ness and stay in the pretty fishing village of Ullapool. Enjoy a trip into the northern Highlands, see the unusual palm trees in 'tropical' Plockton and spend a full day exploring the historic sites and hiking routes of Skye. Visit Fort William and learn about the tragic massacre at Glencoe before returning to Edinburgh.
For a detailed itinerary and information about visas, money, weather and more download our Trip Notes
Tour overview
Itinerary
Day 1 Loch Ness, Cairngorms & Ullapool
Day 1 Loch Ness, Cairngorms & Ullapool
Edinburgh - Dunkeld - Cairngorms National Park - Loch Ness - Ullapool. Setting off from Edinburgh this morning, our first stop is in the charming highland village of Dunkeld. We then pass through the ancient pine forests of the Cairngorms National Park to Loch Ness. Scotland's most famous loch is allegedly home to a fearsome monster. Keep your eyes peeled as we have some free time to look for Nessie!
We then complete our drive to Ullapool, a pretty whitewashed fishing village on the edge of Loch Broom.
Please note: Check-in closes at 08:45 on day 1 (tour departs at 09:00) - Edinburgh Bus Station Pick Up, Gate J and Gate K, inside Edinburgh Bus Station, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH1 3DQ.
Accommodation: Foinaven, Ullaviews, The Sheiling Guest House or similar
Day 2 Exploring the Northwest Highlands
Day 2 Exploring the Northwest Highlands
On today's day trip from Ullapool, we take in some of the north-west Scottish Highlands. Admire views of the mountains of Assynt and visit the 15th century ruins of Ardvreck Castle, which was once home to a powerful clan, the MacLeods of Assynt. We also see the picturesque white beach at Achmelvich Bay and the traditional fishing settlement of Lochinver, before returning to Ullapool for the evening.
Accommodation: Foinaven, Ullaviews, The Sheiling Guest House or similar
Day 3 Plockton & Isle of Skye
Day 3 Plockton & Isle of Skye
Ullapool - Applecross - Plockton - Skye. Leaving Ullapool behind, our first stop today is the Corrieshalloch Gorge, where we can see the River Droma plunge 60 metres over a precipice. We then drive past the mountains of the Beinn Eighe nature reserve and skirt around Loch Torridon. We stop for lunch in Applecross before taking one of Scotland's most scenic drives, Bealach na B, a twisting single track road.
We also make a stop in 'tropical' Plockton, where the palm trees rising on the edge of Loch Carron look slightly out of place. After a short visit, we make our way to the coast and board the ferry to the Isle of Skye. We're staying in the harbour town of Portree.
Accommodation: Caledonian, Duirinish, Dunborrodale or similar
Day 4 Exploring the Isle of Skye
Day 4 Exploring the Isle of Skye
Today we will be exploring the remote Isle of Skye, but there is no fixed itinerary for the day. The weather can be unpredictable, so your guide will choose the best highlights to show you in accordance with the conditions and any events that may be happening on the island during your visit. We are likely to be hiking, in order to enjoy the dramatic scenery of the island. Options include The Quiraing hill walk and the Old Man of Storr Walk, probably the most famous trail on the island. We can also see the Neist Point Lighthouse. Spend the day taking photos, sampling the view and enjoying everything this pristine environment has to offer. In the late afternoon, we return to our accommodation.
Accommodation: Caledonian, Duirinish, Dunborrodale or similar
Day 5 Eilean Donan Castle & Glencoe
Day 5 Eilean Donan Castle & Glencoe
Skye - Eilean Donan Castle - Fort William - Glencoe - Edinburgh. Leaving Skye, we travel by land to Eilean Donan Castle, a 13th century fortress, located on an island. We then journey south through Glen Garry and past Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. There's a stop for lunch in Fort William and we visit Glencoe in the afternoon. This picturesque area hides a turbulent history, as it was the location of the 1692 Glencoe Massacre. Around 30 members of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were slaughtered here for failing to pledge allegiance to King William III and Mary II. After our visit of Glencoe, we return to Edinburgh, where our tour ends.
Please note: This tour ends at 19:00 - Edinburgh Bus Station Drop Off, Gate J and Gate K, Edinburgh Bus Station, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH1 3DQ.
Tour Highlights
Included
Not Included
Prices & Dates
Accommodation
On this tour, you will stay in bed and breakfast properties (B&Bs). These are usually smaller residential properties, with just a handful of guest rooms. You’ll have a bedroom, bathroom and often, access to a communal dining room for breakfast. Rooms will always be clean and comfortable, with a private bathroom. Bathrooms are usually en-suite, but on rare occasions, access may be via a communal hallway. This means that the bathroom will still be private and only for your personal use, but it is not en-suite (located in the room). You will need to leave the room to use the bathroom.
This bed and breakfast is situated in the secluded area of Morefield in Ullapool, just a short walk from the village. It serves as an excellent base for exploring the Highlands of Scotland or simply relaxing and enjoying the local banter. Ullapool offers a range of facilities and is popular with hill walkers.
Situated in the heart of Portree, this unpretentious, family-run hotel is just a 3-minute walk from the harbour and 28 kilometres from the Talisker Distillery. The modest rooms feature en suite shower facilities and are equipped with flat-screen TVs, tea and coffee making equipment, and Wi-Fi. A full Scottish breakfast is served in a cosy, country-style dining area.
Tour Reviews
Scottish Highlands From Edinburgh - 5 daysDiscover the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye on this 5-day package trip from Edinburgh. Hunt for 'Nessie' at Loch Ness and stay in the pretty fishing village of Ullapool. Enjoy a trip into the northern Highlands, see the unusual palm trees in 'tropical' Plockton and spend a full day exploring the historic sites and hiking routes of Skye. Visit Fort William and learn about the tragic massacre at Glencoe before returning to Edinburgh.Handpicked51673I really enjoyed the tour My tour guide was great He shared his vast knowledge well — loved the anecdotes The places we stayed at were clean and warm and the hosts friendly My one suggestion would be that it would have been good for us all to be in the same accommodation —
Scottish Highlands From Edinburgh - 5 daysDiscover the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye on this 5-day package trip from Edinburgh. Hunt for 'Nessie' at Loch Ness and stay in the pretty fishing village of Ullapool. Enjoy a trip into the northern Highlands, see the unusual palm trees in 'tropical' Plockton and spend a full day exploring the historic sites and hiking routes of Skye. Visit Fort William and learn about the tragic massacre at Glencoe before returning to Edinburgh.Handpicked51673The tour of the Scottish Highlands was all that we hoped for. Duncan, our guide was knowledgeable in the history and geography of the region. He also had just the right blend of information, music and humour (we had to be on our toes to sort out the tall tales). He is proud of the company he works for because of their total support of their guides. The coach was in excellent condition, cleaned daily and was the perfect size at 16 seats to afford attention to each of the guests. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend the tour to anyone.
Scottish Highlands From Edinburgh - 5 daysDiscover the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye on this 5-day package trip from Edinburgh. Hunt for 'Nessie' at Loch Ness and stay in the pretty fishing village of Ullapool. Enjoy a trip into the northern Highlands, see the unusual palm trees in 'tropical' Plockton and spend a full day exploring the historic sites and hiking routes of Skye. Visit Fort William and learn about the tragic massacre at Glencoe before returning to Edinburgh.Handpicked51673Excellent! Very enjoyable indeed. The guide was knowledgeable and fun, something everyone on the tour would agree. A bold statement but nonetheless true, I believe. Thank goodness my trip was delayed for a week, because the weather was perfect; sunshine and blue skies. The accommodation booked through the tour was very good, in particular the B&B., where the breakfast was especially delicious. Thank you.
Scottish Highlands From Edinburgh - 5 daysDiscover the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye on this 5-day package trip from Edinburgh. Hunt for 'Nessie' at Loch Ness and stay in the pretty fishing village of Ullapool. Enjoy a trip into the northern Highlands, see the unusual palm trees in 'tropical' Plockton and spend a full day exploring the historic sites and hiking routes of Skye. Visit Fort William and learn about the tragic massacre at Glencoe before returning to Edinburgh.Handpicked51673We had a fantastic tour. Graeme was so knowledgeable and accommodating. His stories made the tour outstanding. It helped that we were with a great group of people who were so polite and respectful. Personal thoughts: - Would have liked some time to explore Ullapool and Portree. - Next time we'll request ground floor rooms. We were on a European holiday so had suitcases. Carrying these up stairs was very tricky for these two slightly senior citizens. 😋 - Finding somewhere to eat on Sunday night in Portree proved impossible. Found the supermarket, though.
Scottish Highlands From Edinburgh - 5 daysDiscover the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye on this 5-day package trip from Edinburgh. Hunt for 'Nessie' at Loch Ness and stay in the pretty fishing village of Ullapool. Enjoy a trip into the northern Highlands, see the unusual palm trees in 'tropical' Plockton and spend a full day exploring the historic sites and hiking routes of Skye. Visit Fort William and learn about the tragic massacre at Glencoe before returning to Edinburgh.Handpicked51673An excellent tour and a remarkable driver/guide. I know the Highlands quite well but we went to many interesting and scenic locations of which I had no knowledge. Our driver, Graeme (I'm sorry I don't know his surname), not only drove exceptionally well, but also delivered entertaining 'mini lectures' on what next we were about to see. Graeme was great. He also offered advice and guidance during the tour, for instance on where to stand to take the best photographs and where best we might eat in the evenings. The standard of B&B accommodation throughout the tour varied slightly: from very good to superb, so no complaints there, either! At our first stop, in Ullapool (one of my favourite towns), our B&B room, the view of Loch Broom and our breakfast were all particularly exceptional. Congratulations to hosts Maureen and Michael at Sheiling. The pick-up and drop off point at Edinburgh bus station was easy to find and convenient to get to. The coach we travelled in was relatively comfortable (I could have done with an on-board loo) and each morning arrived spotlessly clean. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our tour and would recommend it to anyone. PS: the weather during our trip was surprisingly good; the midges not too bothersome.
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