Private Isle of Skye 4 Day Tour From Edinburgh or Glasgow

Day 1 Loch Lomond National Park, Glencoe, Glenfinnan Viaduct, Inverlochy Castle Ruins

1. 1

   Luss

   30 min

   Our first stop from Edinburgh will be a photo stop at Doune Castle followed by a 30 minute stop at the beautiful highland village of Callander gateway to the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. *Glasgow departures will enjoy aa stop on Loch Lomond in the gorgeous conservation village of Luss.

2. 2

   Glencoe

   15 min

   After refreshments and photos we will continue North going deeper into the North West Highlands into Glencoe making photo stops as we pass through & take in the most photographed Mountain in Scotland "Buchaille Etive Mor" & the famous Three Sisters.

3. 3

   Glenfinnan Viaduct

   45 min

   Lunch will be in the Lochaber area before going out to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct made world famous with the Harry Potter series. This area has more to it than Hogwarts and Wizards which your guide will tell you. Loch Shiel is where Hogwarts was computer generated onto the side of the Loch but it was also famous for the start of the most famous Jacobite rising of 1745.

4. 4

   Old Inverlochy Castle

   15 min

   We will then make our way up to back to Fort William stopping for photos at the ruined Inverlochy Castle which is one of the best preserved ruins from the 12 century. Burnt to its current state by Robert the Bruce one of Scotlands most famous Kings in 1306.

Day 2 Isle of Skye Full Day Tour, Whisky & Fairy Folklore

1. 1

   Sligachan Old Bridge

   20 min

   Today you will experience the magnificent Isle of Skye voted the 4th best island by National Geographic. What better way to enjoy it with a guide who grew up on the Island. We will have our first stop at Sligachan where we can marvel at the Black & Red Cuillin Mountains. Possibly wash our faces in the river Sligachan (Legend says its gives eternal beauty!) & your guide will tell you about the famous mountains and where the name Cuillin comes from.

2. 2

   Fairy Pools

   1 hour 30 min

   We will then drive the short distance to the Fairy Pools where there is the option to hike up to the main pools and capture that spectacular photo which has made the Fairy Pools so popular. We will learn about some of the clan rivalry on the island and some of the battles. One fought here at the site of the pools called the battle of the one eyed lady.

3. 3

   Talisker Distillery

   45 min

   After a hike the best way to relax is with a "Wee Dram" so we can visit the famous Talisker Whisky Distillery for a taster if you like or just explore the distillery visitor centre which has just completed a huge renovation. Talisker is one of the most prestigious distilleries in Scotland and "officially' opened in 1830.

4. 4

   Portree

   1 hour 15 min

   We will lunch in the capital of the island Portree just a small town of 3000 it has lots to offer in terms of views, shopping and eateries. The Harbour designed by Thomas Telford makes a great photo with the colourful houses, church and the lump (The Meall) in the background.

5. 5

   Kilt Rock

   20 min

   After lunch in Portree we will complete the impressive Trotternish Ridge circuit taking in famous sights such as the Old Man of Storr & Mealt Falls which is an impressive Sea waterfall with Kilt Rock as its back drop. This area has had various Dinosaur footprints found and there is even a Dinosaur museum in the nearby village of Staffin.

6. 6

   Quiraing

   20 min

   The Quiraing is Britains largest landslide and the landscape in this area is like no other you will find in the United Kingdom. Used as a film location for many movies including Transformers, BFG & Stardust to name a few you will see why they chose to film in this magical area.

7. 7

   Fairy Glen

   45 min

   We will end the day in Fairy Glen which has a fairy like feel to it. Spelt Faerie Glen it is full of cone shaped grassy hills and interesting rock formations one being called Castle Euan as it looks like an old ruined castle. Your guide will tell you about some stories of the fairy folklore on Skye and where the connection to Fairies and Skye comes from.

Day 3 Isle of Skye Full Day Tour, Whisky & Fairy Folklore

1. 1

   1 hour 30 min Admission ticket not included

   This extra day on Skye gives us the opportunity to get to one of the finest Lochs and views in all of Scotland, Loch Coruisk. The drive over to Elgol is truly stunning and we are rewarded with our efforts with the view from Elgol Pier with a different aspect of the Black Cuillins. There is the option to book on to the Misty Isle boat cruise which will give us access to Loch Coruisk and also likely we will spot some marine life. The Elgolian Langoustine roll is one to try if we are lucky enough to time it right with the local seafood shack.
   *Sailings are weather dependent and availability at the time of booking

2. 2

   Dunvegan Castle & Gardens

   3 hours Admission ticket not included

   Home to the Clan Macleod, Dunvegan Castle is one the greatest Hebridean castles and the only Highland fortress to have been continuously occupied by the same family for 800 years. We will have plenty of time to stop here so the castle visit is not rushed and there is time to enjoy the award winning Castle Gardens. This can be the lunch stop depending on time.

3. 3

   Neist Point

   1 hour 30 min

   Neist Point is the most Westerly point of Skye and is breathtaking in its beauty. It is a hike down to the Lighthouse but totally worth it for the views and the chance to see how the Lighthouse keepers would have lived living in such a remote part of Skye. Supplies were landed by boat and there is an aerial cableway used to take goods from the road to the lighthouse and cottages. The Basalt cliffs are busy with sea birds and looking to the sea we may see whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks if we are lucky.

4. 4

   1 hour 30 min

   You may have heard of Harris Tweed but Skye has its own version made locally and to traditional processes. You may get the chance to pedal the bicycle powered loom and learn about how the products are woven all on site.

5. 5

   Dun Beag

   30 min

   Dun Beag Broch is an Iron Age fort of over 2000 years old. There are over 700 of them in Scotland and this one is not to be missed. There were constructed of an inner and an outer wall and were said to be the dwellings of wealthy heads of family.

Day 4 Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness, Cairngorm National Park & Highland Perthshire

1. 1

   Eilean Donan Castle

   1 hour Admission ticket not included

   We leave Skye behind & still have so much to see as we travel South. Our first stop of the day will be the "biscuit tin castle" Scotlands most photographed Castle Eilean Donan. This has featured in movies such as Bridesmaids and Highlander and is a popular location for those wanting to tie the knot.

2. 2

   Loch Ness

   2 hours Admission ticket not included

   We will arrive at Loch Ness just an hours drive from Eilean Donan at a little town called Fort Augustus where there is an option to go onto the water and do the cruise on the Loch. Loch Ness is one of the most famous of all the Lochs in Scotland with nearly double the volume of water than all of the Lakes in England & Wales combined and is rumoured to have a famous resident in the waters called "Nessie" We will have time to do the cruise and explore the town which will also be the lunch stop of the day.

3. 3

   Pitlochry

   30 min

   After Loch Ness we will drive towards Spean Bridge and the Ben Nevis viewpoint (Commando Memorial) taking in the grandeur off the Nevis Range before heading East and South via the Laggan road entering into the Cairngorm National Park. Gradually making our way through the Cairngorms down towards "Big Tree Country" Perthshire passing by Dalwhinnie Whisky Distillery & Blair Castle. We will have a final stop of the tour in the beautiful town of Pitlochry which is the gateway between Highlands and Lowlands made famous through Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who would regularly visit.

4. 4

   Forth Road Bridge

   30 min

   As we make our way back to Edinburgh we will cross over the famous forth road bridge and the Firth of Forth which has three famous bridges one being a World Uniseco heritage site (Forth Railway Bridge) The tour will end at your chosen destination.