2027 Orkney Isles, Isle of Skye & the North Coast

From a morning pickup in your local area, we travel by coach to our overnight hotel, where we stay on a bed and breakfast basis.

2027 Orkney Isles, Isle of Skye & the North Coast

After breakfast, we follow the shores of Loch Lomond, the largest loch in Great Britain and one of Scotland’s most iconic beauty spots. From here, we travel through the dramatic landscapes of Glencoe, where towering mountains and sweeping valleys create some of the most spectacular scenery in the Highlands. We continue to Fort William, nestled beneath Ben Nevis, where there is time to purchase lunch and explore at leisure. Later, we journey along the Great Glen, a stunning natural corridor stretching through the heart of the Highlands, before pausing for photos at the iconic Eilean Donan Castle. Set on a small tidal island where three sea lochs meet, it is one of Scotland’s most recognisable landmarks. We then cross to the enchanting Isle of Skye for our overnight stay.

2027 Orkney Isles, Isle of Skye & the North Coast

This morning, we explore the enchanting Isle of Skye, taking in some of the island’s spectacular scenery before visiting its colourful capital, Portree. Set around a picturesque natural harbour, this charming town is the perfect place to browse the shops, relax in a café or simply enjoy the views. We then continue to Wester Ross, travelling alongside the beautiful Loch Maree, one of the Highlands’ most scenic lochs. Later, we visit the bustling harbour town of Ullapool, set on the shores of Loch Broom and surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery. After time to explore, we make our way to our overnight hotel in Ullapool.

2027 Orkney Isles, Isle of Skye & the North Coast

Today we experience a spectacular section of the North Coast 500, one of the world’s most celebrated touring routes. Prepare for breathtaking scenery as we travel past dramatic cliffs, rugged headlands, shimmering lochs, secluded bays and beautiful white-sand beaches. Along the way, we journey through the historic counties of Caithness and Sutherland, renowned for their wild landscapes, rich heritage and magnificent coastal views. We pause for an included lunch at the Smoo Cave Hotel before continuing our scenic drive through some of the Highlands’ most awe-inspiring scenery. Later, we arrive at our hotel in either Thurso (April and July departures) or Wick (October departures), where we stay for the next two nights.

2027 Orkney Isles, Isle of Skye & the North Coast

A highlight of our holiday awaits as we journey by ferry to the Orkney Isles for a guided tour of this unique archipelago. After crossing the famous Churchill Barriers, we visit Skara Brae, the remarkable Neolithic village that predates both Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, with included admission. We also stop at the beautiful Italian Chapel, created by Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War and renowned for its ornate interior. Our tour continues to Kirkwall, Orkney’s historic capital, where there is time to explore its charming streets, browse the shops or admire the magnificent St Magnus Cathedral before returning by ferry.

2027 Orkney Isles, Isle of Skye & the North Coast

After checking out of our hotel, we board the coach and begin our journey southwards, staying overnight at Glasgow Airport.

2027 Orkney Isles, Isle of Skye & the North Coast

After checking out of the hotel, we board the coach for our journey home.

Explore the Isle of Skye highlights tour, with shifting views of the Black and Red Cuillin and the sea-sculpted Trotternish. Visit Portree harbour to browse craft shops or simply soak in the island atmosphere beside its painted waterfront.

Skye blends Gaelic culture with Norse echoes; Portree grew around Thomas Telford’s pier. Expect quick-changing light and crisp sea air that sharpen viewpoints across cliffs, lochs and inlets favoured by seabirds and, on good days, eagles.

Journey through Wester Ross, past Torridon’s red sandstone peaks and long sea lochs. Trace the wild shoreline of Loch Maree, its islands cloaked in ancient Scots pines, then continue to Ullapool to stroll the waterfront by whitewashed cottages.

This route skirts the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve and deep glens carved by ice. Founded in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society, Ullapool’s working harbour and small galleries reveal daily life on Scotland’s Atlantic edge.

Experience the North Coast 500, where rugged headlands, quiet bays and white-sand beaches line the far north. Around Durness, admire Sango Bay and the Smoo Cave coastline, with chances to pause for photos where cliffs meet turquoise shallows.

Caithness and Sutherland blend peat moors, crofting townships and big-sky horizons alive with seabirds. The route reveals centuries of resilience in remote communities while the Atlantic and Pentland Firth set a constant, salt-tinged backdrop.

Cruise the Pentland Firth on an included ferry crossing, watching gannets arc above the fast-running tidal races around Stroma. Low islands and skerries slip by as Orkney’s green fields gather on the horizon.

These waters guard approaches to Scapa Flow, once a key Royal Navy anchorage. Land at St Margaret’s Hope on South Ronaldsay, gateway to wartime causeways, prehistoric sites and sweeping coastal views.

Join a guided circuit of Orkney to cross the Churchill Barriers and step back millennia at Skara Brae with included admission. Continue to the Ring of Brodgar, pausing within its great stone circle set between lochs and open moor.

Visit the Italian Chapel, the delicate place of worship built by Italian prisoners of war and famed for trompe-l’œil detail. Your guide connects Neolithic ritual with World War II ingenuity amid wind-brushed heather and Atlantic light.

Explore Kirkwall, Orkney’s historic capital, and step inside St Magnus Cathedral to admire its red-and-yellow sandstone and soaring Norman arches. Wander Broad Street and the harbourfront, browsing for Orkney island crafts and woollens.

Founded in 1137 by Earl Rognvald, the ‘Light of the North’ reflects Norse heritage and maritime prosperity. Compact lanes, small museums and weathered piers make it easy to absorb the town’s mood before returning by ferry.

Travel the length of the Great Glen, tracing the Caledonian fault beside long, narrow lochs. Arrive at Eilean Donan Castle and step out to photograph its stone walls mirrored on tidal waters where three sea lochs meet.

Once a Jacobite stronghold and restored in the 20th century, this iconic fortress sits amid peaks and sea air. The drive links Fort William with Inverness along a natural corridor of forests, moorland and wide Highland views.

Discover the Highlands as you follow the shores of Loch Lomond, passing wooded islands and distant Ben Lomond. Continue into Glencoe, where cliffs, waterfalls and peat-dark lochs crowd the road, and pause for photos and reflection in this brooding valley.

Loch Lomond is Great Britain’s largest inland loch; Glencoe was shaped by ice and remembered for the 1692 massacre. A short stop in Fort William beneath Ben Nevis adds a lively contrast to these wild landscapes.