Scenic Islands of Scotland

Make your way to your selected gateway airport for your international flight to Edinburgh. Enjoy inflight meals and services.


Overnight on board

Welcome to Scotland! Upon arrival at Edinburgh International Airport, you will make your own way to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure exploring the capital city of Scotland.




Overnight in Edinburgh

Breakfast at the hotel. You will make your way to Edinburgh bus station as you escape from the city of Edinburgh and travel north past Stirling Castle and to the region of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Venture through the impressive mountains of the West Highlands and the magnificent, whitewashed 18th-century town of Inveraray, home to the Campbell Clan and the Duke of Argyll. The afternoon will be spent in the heart of Argyll before arriving in the bustling town of Oban for your two-night stay.



Check-in closes at 08:45 (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




Overnight in Oban

After breakfast, today, you have an early start, beginning the day by crossing on the ferry to Mull for a chance to explore dramatic coastlines and wild beauty. Take the small ferry to Iona, the birthplace of Celtic Christianity and the ancient burial ground of Scottish Kings. Here, you can visit the historic abbey with its intricately carved crosses in the churchyard or explore rocky headlands and sandy coves. Theres an opportunity to take a small boat for an optional trip to the island of Staffa and view the dramatic basalt columns immortalized by Mendelssohn in his Hebridean Overture \"Fingal's Cave.\" Then, return on the ferry to Oban for your second night.




Overnight in Oban

Breakfast at the hotel. You journey north along the west coast, passing by the impregnable Castle Stalker in Appin. Next, you visit the stunning 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 share with you the tragic tale that has haunted this valley for over 300 years. You then continue through Fort William, passing under the shadow of Ben Nevis, which, at 1,344 meters, is the highest mountain in the British Isles. Continuing through the Great Glen, a natural fault in the earths crust that runs through Scotland, you travel north to the picturesque fishing village of Plockton. You will be dropped off at your accommodation in the early evening. *If your tour departs after 1st April 2024, you will spend this night either in Plockton or in Balmacara.




Overnight in Plockton

After breakfast, today is a very flexible day on Skye, and your driver-guide ensures you take a unique route that suits the weather, local events, and your group's interests. You may ascend the Quiraing along Trotternish Ridge and be rewarded with spectacular views. Alternatively, you could soak in the scenery at Loch Corruisk or drive through the dramatic Red Cuillin to the little hamlet of Elgol. We will return you to your accommodation in Plockton* in the late afternoon for you to enjoy a free evening in the village. *If your tour departs after 1st April 2024, you will spend this night either in Plockton or in Balmacara.




Overnight in Plockton

Breakfast at the hotel. You are 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 traveling companions. With your new crew, you continue north, following the Great Glen, traveling along the famous loch and passing by Urquhart Castle. You arrive in Inverness, the Highland Capital, in the early evening.




Overnight in Inverness

Breakfast at the hotel. Its 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, traveling 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. Its a short drive to the famous Italian Chapel where you stop for a visit before continuing to the Viking stronghold of Kirkwall, the Capital of Orkney. Here you can visit Kirkwall's magnificent Viking Cathedral and its historic winding streets.




Overnight in Kirkwall

Breakfast at the hotel. Today is your chance to explore this archipelagos 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. Then you travel onto Maeshowe, where in the 12th century the Vikings left one of the largest collections of Norse runic inscriptions. After that, its back to Kirkwall for your second night after what is sure to be a memorable day.




Overnight in Kirkwall

Breakfast at the hotel. 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. Then, you visit the far northwest Highlands and the wilderness of the mountains of Assynt before stopping to view the 15th-century ruins of Ardvreck Castle. Finally, you travel to Ullapool, situated at the mouth of Loch Broom, a beautiful, whitewashed fishing village where you spend your last night on tour.




Overnight in Ullapool

Breakfast at the hotel. Leaving Ullapool behind, you take in the drama of the River Droma as it plunges 60m down into Corrieshalloch Gorge. Then, you 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 traveling through The Big Tree country of Perthshire, the Kingdom of Fife, and back to Edinburgh. Later you will make your own way to your hotel in Edinburgh.




Overnight in Edinburgh



Finishes (approx.)



19:00 - Edinburgh Bus Station Drop Off, Gate J and Gate K, Edinburgh Bus Station, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH1 3DQ

Today after breakfast, you will make your own way to Edinburgh International Airport for your flight home.