Iona, Mull, Skye & Orkneys 2024

Today you have an early start, beginning the day crossing on the ferry to Mull for a chance to explore dramatic coastlines and wild beauty.

You take the small ferry to Iona, the birthplace of Celtic Christianity, and ancient burial ground of Scottish Kings. Here you can visit the historic abbey with its intricate carved crosses in the churchyard, or explore rocky headlands and sandy coves.

There’s an opportunity to take a small boat for an optional trip to the island of Staffa and view the dramatic basalt columns immortalised by Mendelssohn in his Hebridean Overture “Fingal’s Cave”.

You then return on the ferry to Oban for your second night. (B)

You ramble north along the west coast around Appin, passing the impregnable Castle Stalker. Next, you head to the gorgeous Glencoe, one of the most famous natural landmarks in all of Scotland. This beautiful area boasts steep slopes and photogenic peaks. Your driver-guide may reveal to you the tragic tale that’s haunted this valley for over 300 years.

You then venture through Fort William and under the shadow of Ben Nevis, which at 1,344 meters is the highest mountain in the British Isles.

We continue through the Great Glen, a natural fault in the earth’s crust that runs through Scotland. From here, you travel north to the picturesque fishing village of Plockton. You’re dropped off at your accommodation in the early evening. (B)

*Please note that if your tour departs on a Friday, you stay in Portree instead of Plockton. Also, during busy periods, the same change may take place.

Today is a very flexible day on Skye; and your driver-guide ensures you take a unique route that suits the weather, the local events, and your group’s interests.

You may ascend the Quiraing along Trotternish Ridge and be rewarded with spectacular views. Alternatively, you could drink in the scenery at Loch Corruisk or drive through the dramatic Red Cuillin to the little hamlet of Elgol.

We return you to your accommodation in Plockton* in the late afternoon for you to enjoy a free evening in the village. (B)

*Please note that if your tour departs on a Friday, you stay in Portree instead of Plockton. Also, during busy periods, the same change may take place.

You’re collected from your accommodation for the short drive to the famous stronghold of Eilean Donan Castle.

Then, you travel east taking in the stunning views over Loch Duich and the Five Sisters of Kintail. You continue to Loch Ness for lunch and the possibility of spotting “Nessie’.

Half an hour south of Loch Ness you will stop in the village of Spean Bridge and join a new bus for the continuation of your tour to Orkney. Your guides will help you transfer your luggage and introduce you to your new travelling companions.

With your new crew you continue north following the Great Glen travelling along the famous loch and passing by Urquhart Castle.

You arrive in Inverness, the Highland Capital, in the early evening. (B)

It’s an early start, leaving behind the ‘Capital of the Highlands’, crossing over the Black Isle, and continuing past Dunrobin Castle.

From here, you drive along the northeast Highland coastline, travelling into some of Scotland’s most dramatic scenery. Onwards through Scotland’s most northerly mainland village, John o’ Groats, and then to Gills Bay, where you board the ferry, and cross the Pentland Firth into the Orkney Archipelago.

It’s a short drive to the famous Italian Chapel where you stop for a visit before continuing to the Viking stronghold of Kirkwall, Capital of Orkney. Here you can visit Kirkwall’s magnificent Viking Cathedral and its historic winding streets. (B)

Today is your chance to explore this archipelago’s fertile green pastures fringed by shores of golden sands washed by waters of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

You visit the 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae, the mystical prehistoric stone circle at Brodgar and the Druidic standing stones of Stenness.

You stop in Stromness and then travel onto Maeshowe, where in the 12th century the Vikings left one of the largest collections of Norse runic inscriptions.

Then it’s back to Kirkwall for your second night after what is sure to be a memorable day. (B)

After a relaxed start, you leave Orkney and sail the Viking waters back to the mainland. From here, you travel the old road right across the very top of Scotland, driving past the stunning Ben Loyal and Ben Hope mountains, following the rocky cliffs and stunning golden sand beaches.

You then visit the far northwest Highlands and the wilderness of the mountains of Assynt before stopping to view the 15th-century ruins of Ardvreck Castle.

From here, you travel to Ullapool, situated at the mouth of Loch Broom, a beautiful whitewashed fishing village where you spend your last night’s stay on tour. (B)

Leaving Ullapool behind, you take in the drama of the River Droma as it plunges 60m down into Corrieshalloch Gorge. You then admire the beautiful Loch Glascarnoch, on the way past the ‘Capital of the Highlands’, Inverness.

You can visit Culloden Moor, the site of The Battle of Culloden in 1746, one of the bloodiest events in our history and the last battle to have been fought on the British mainland. Next, you take a short drive to the ancient standing stones at Clava Cairns, made famous by Diana Gabaldon in the ‘Outlander’ books.

From here, you travel through the ancient Caledonian Pine Forest, hugging the Cairngorm mountain range. You enjoy lunch in these beautiful surroundings before travelling through The Big Tree country of Perthshire, the Kingdom of Fife, and back to Edinburgh. (B)