• London: You’ll need Essential Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)From?January 8, 2025, UK law means that if you’re entering/transiting through border control in the United Kingdom (UK) and Northern Ireland you’ll need an?Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)?before you travel. Confused? Don’t be – just read on here.

• Dunkeld: Dunkeld is a wee charming town! We’ll take a guided tour through the pretty Perthshire town, passing cute 18th century houses leading to Dunkeld Cathedral. Our tour ends under the shadow of this striking partial ruin, dating back hundreds of years.
• Scottish Highlands: Take a guided walk through the Clava Cairns, a prehistoric burial grounds dating back to the Bronze age. We’ll recount stories of famous people buried here and see the eye-catching remains of a medieval chapel.
• Loch Ness: Take a scenic drive across the North Coast to John O’ Groats; the very top of mainland Britain. This coach tour will be full of stunning seascapes and insta-worthy moments.
• Dunrobin: Explore a fairytale-like castle on Scotland’s east coast and wander through its grand gardens overlooking the Moray Firth. It’s easy to see why Dunrobin is one of the Highlands’ most impressive landmarks.
• John o’ Groats: Walk to Scotland’s north-eastern tip and look out across the towering sea stacks of Duncansby Head. Carved by wind and waves, these dramatic rock formations make a memorable stop on the Highland coast.
• Kirkwall: Ramble around the Viking-influenced capital of the Orkney Islands. And watch the world go by at the harbour. 
• Skara Brae Prehistoric Village: Visit this Neolithic village to get a glimpse into life in prehistoric Scotland.
• Orkney Islands: Follow Orkney’s rugged shoreline and keep an eye out for wildflowers, seabirds and marine life. It’s a relaxed way to experience the islands’ spectacular coastal scenery.
• Orkney Islands: Bake bread over an open fire, hear Norse tales and try traditional crafts and games as you step into Orkney’s Viking past. Led by costumed Viking experts, this hands-on experience brings local history to life.
• Kirkwall: Follow part of Scotland’s legendary road trip route as it winds past fishing villages, dramatic coastlines and rugged Highland landscapes. Bring your camera. The views don’t let up.
• Orkney Islands: Want to step inside the mouth of a natural sea cave? Smoo Cave’s 50ft high entrance is one of the biggest in Britain. Watching the salt crystals glitter and shine within Smoo Cave is a gotta-be-there kind of moment, for sure.
• Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve: Walk through one of Scotland’s most unique landscapes at Knockan Crag. Part of a UNESCO Global Geopark, this dramatic spot combines epic Highland views with fascinating geology that helped change the way we understand the Earth.
• Ullapool: This dainty coastal village in the Scottish highlands is the definition of a hidden gem! Think stunning waterside views, green valleys, and charming locals when it comes to Ullapool.
• Ullapool: Cross the waters of the Hebrides by ferry and watch Scotland’s island scenery unfold around you. Keep an eye on the horizon as you make your way to the Outer Hebrides.
• Ullapool: This mysterious Neolithic stone circle was built around 3000 BC for rituals and to observe the stars. Pretty cool eh?   
• Stornoway: Step back into 17th-century island life at Gearrannan Blackhouse Village. Wander through this traditional crofting settlement, discover how island communities once lived and worked, and learn how the Atlantic weather helped shape daily life in this remote corner of Scotland.
• Stornoway: Learn how to make Harris Tweed from a local crofter who uses wool from his own flock of sheep.
• Isle of Harris: Wander along white sands, admire turquoise waters and enjoy the wild beauty of the Outer Hebrides. Luskentyre’s scenery feels a world away, whatever the weather.
• Isle of Harris: Get a tour of an award-winning socially responsible whisky distillery.
• Isle of Skye: Spend a full day exploring one of Scotland’s most spectacular islands. Follow your Local Guide to dramatic coastlines, scenic viewpoints, waterfalls and lesser-known corners of Skye, with the day’s route shaped by local knowledge and conditions.
• Glenfinnan Viaduct: Heads up ‘Potterheads’. Keep your eyes peeled for the Hogwarts Express. Watch the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct curve across the Highlands above Loch Shiel and tick off one of Scotland’s most famous filming locations.
• Mallaig: Visit the stunning landscape of Glen Coe and find out why it’s a sought-after filming location.
• Mallaig: Be transported to another world in the Scottish wilderness. Bogs, rivers, lochans and a mountainous backdrop make this a magical place.  

Explore Dunkeld’s historic streets on a guided walk through this Perthshire town. Pass 18th-century houses and follow the route towards Dunkeld Cathedral, where medieval stonework stands beside the River Tay.

The cathedral’s partly ruined fabric reflects centuries of change, while the surrounding streets retain the feel of a small Highland gateway. The walk offers a close look at the town’s heritage rather than just a passing view.

Ride the Cairngorm Mountain funicular for an elevated view across the Cairngorms National Park, where broad glens give way to Scotland’s high mountain plateau. The ascent offers a different perspective on this vast Highland landscape.

Look out across the surrounding peaks and the ancient Caledonian pinewood country below. Mountain conditions can change quickly here, making the shifting light and weather part of the experience. The funicular ride is offered as an opportunity during the visit.

Walk among the Bronze Age burial chambers of Clava Cairns at Balnuaran of Clava, near Inverness. A guided visit brings you close to the stone-built tombs and standing stones of this prehistoric ceremonial landscape.

Hear stories associated with the site and see the remains of a medieval chapel nearby. The cairns have endured for roughly four millennia, offering a tangible connection to the communities who lived in the Highlands long before written records.

Explore Dunrobin Castle on Scotland’s east coast and wander its formal gardens overlooking the Moray Firth. Turrets rise above terraces and lawns, creating a striking contrast with the open coastal setting.

Long associated with the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland, the castle reflects layers of Highland aristocratic history. Time among the gardens reveals the scale of the estate and gives space to take in the sea views that frame this distinctive landmark.

Follow sections of the North Coast 500 on a hosted scenic journey through the far north of Scotland. Watch fishing villages, open hills and rugged shores unfold along a route celebrated for its changing coastal views.

The eastern and northern stretches reveal different sides of the Highlands, from settled communities to exposed headlands. This is a chance to appreciate the region’s scale and character from the road, with coastal scenery providing a backdrop throughout.

Visit John o’ Groats on mainland Scotland’s far northeastern coast and take in the exposed landscape at Duncansby Head. Walk to a viewpoint over its sea stacks, where steep rock pinnacles rise from the water.

Wind and waves have shaped this dramatic stretch of shoreline over immense spans of time. The open views towards the Pentland Firth give the stop a strong sense of Scotland’s northern edge, with seabirds and changing weather adding to the coastal atmosphere.

Ramble around Kirkwall, Orkney’s island capital, and spend time by its working harbour. Explore streets shaped by the town’s Norse heritage, with St Magnus Cathedral standing as its most recognisable historic landmark.

Founded in the 12th century, the cathedral speaks to Orkney’s long links with the wider Scandinavian world. The harbour offers another view of island life, where boats, waterfront buildings and everyday activity make Kirkwall more than a collection of historic sites.

Discover Orkney’s Neolithic landscape around the Ring of Brodgar and visit Skara Brae, a remarkably preserved prehistoric village. At Skara Brae, explore the remains of stone-built homes and see how their inhabitants organised domestic life.

These sites belong to a landscape recognised for its outstanding prehistoric heritage. The village was inhabited thousands of years ago, yet its surviving rooms and furnishings make daily life unusually easy to picture. The monumental stone circle adds a sense of the wider ceremonial world.

Walk a stretch of Orkney’s rugged shoreline, taking time to observe the islands beyond their archaeological landmarks. Look across the water and along the cliffs for seabirds, seasonal wildflowers and signs of marine life.

The coastal walk brings you into contact with the wind and open horizons that shape life on these islands. Its relaxed pace leaves room to notice smaller details of the landscape, from the changing colours of the sea to the plants that thrive near the shore.

Visit Orkney Brewery for a look at a contemporary island craft rooted in its local setting. The brewery stop offers a change of pace from Orkney’s ancient monuments and windswept coast.

Brewing is one way island makers express a sense of place through their work. This visit provides an opportunity to connect with that side of Orkney’s culture; the itinerary does not specify a tasting, so one should not be assumed as part of the experience.

Visit the Italian Chapel on Orkney, a small place of worship created by Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War. Step inside to see the decorative work that transformed modest wartime buildings into a deeply personal sacred space.

The chapel’s painted details reflect ingenuity, faith and homesickness under difficult circumstances. Its setting near the Churchill Barriers places it within Orkney’s wartime story and makes it one of the islands’ most moving historic landmarks.

Experience Orkney’s Viking past on a beach with costumed local experts. Hear Norse tales, try traditional crafts and games, and bake bread over an open fire in a hands-on introduction to the islands’ heritage.

Orkney’s Norse connections run through its place names, stories and historic sites. This hosted experience turns that history into something you can hear, make and taste, with the shoreline and fireside setting adding atmosphere to the evening.

Step inside Smoo Cave on Scotland’s north coast and see its immense sea-cave entrance, around 50 feet high. Explore the accessible cave area and look for mineral details catching the light within the rock.

Sea action and freshwater have both helped shape this unusual cavern. Stories of whisky smugglers add a human layer to its geological history, while the scale of the entrance makes the power of the northern coastline immediately apparent.

Take on the Golden Eagle Zip Line for an active encounter with Scotland’s far-northern scenery. The ride replaces the stillness of a viewpoint with the rush of moving through the open air.

Set within a landscape of broad skies and rugged coastline, the zip line offers a distinctly different way to experience this part of the Highlands. It is a brief but memorable activity for travellers who want an adrenaline-focused break from walks and historic visits.

Walk through Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve, part of the North West Highlands UNESCO Global Geopark. Follow the landscape on foot and take in wide Highland views while discovering the rock formations beneath them.

This area helped geologists understand how immense forces move ancient rocks across the Earth’s surface. The walk makes that deep history visible in the terrain, combining a scenic stop with a close look at one of Scotland’s most significant geological landscapes.

Cross the Minch by ferry from Ullapool to the Isle of Lewis, watching mainland peaks give way to the Outer Hebrides. Spend time on deck looking for seabirds and, with luck, dolphins or whales.

The sailing follows waters crossed by generations of islanders and by emigrants leaving Scotland for lives overseas. That history lends depth to the open-sea views: this is both a scenic island approach and a reminder of the Hebrides’ enduring links with the wider world.

Visit the Callanish Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis and walk among their imposing prehistoric arrangement. The stones stand against an open Hebridean landscape, giving you space to consider the effort and purpose behind their construction.

Raised around 5,000 years ago, the monument’s precise original role remains uncertain. Its long association with ceremony and the sky makes it one of Scotland’s most intriguing Neolithic sites, while the exposed island setting gives the visit its distinctive atmosphere.

Explore Gearrannan Blackhouse Village on the Isle of Lewis, a traditional crofting settlement of stone buildings. Wander through the village and discover how island communities lived and worked in this Atlantic-facing landscape.

The blackhouses reflect practical responses to local materials and demanding weather. Seeing them together as a settlement brings Hebridean social history into focus, showing how homes, livelihoods and close community ties were shaped by the conditions of island life.

Visit a local weaver’s workshop to learn how Harris Tweed is made. Hear from a crofter who uses wool from his own flock and see how this celebrated cloth connects skilled making with life in the Outer Hebrides.

Authentic Harris Tweed is handwoven by islanders in their homes in the Outer Hebrides. The workshop encounter puts a person and a process behind the fabric, offering insight into a tradition that remains an important part of the islands’ working culture.

Walk along the white sands of Luskentyre on the Isle of Harris and look across its pale-blue waters towards the surrounding hills. The broad beach invites you to slow down and experience the Outer Hebrides at the shoreline.

Weather and tides continually change the colours and scale of the view, from bright shallows to wind-ruffled water beneath a low sky. That sense of space makes Luskentyre a memorable contrast to the islands’ stone-built historic sites.

Tour the Isle of Harris Distillery to learn about a contemporary island enterprise and the spirits it produces. The visit offers a look at local craft during your time on Harris.

The distillery describes itself as a socially responsible business, connecting its work with opportunities for the island community. Its tour adds a present-day perspective to a journey rich in ancient sites and traditional skills. The itinerary does not specify a tasting as part of this visit.

Explore the Isle of Skye with a Local Guide, following a flexible route shaped by conditions and local knowledge. Expect opportunities to get out on foot among dramatic coastlines, waterfalls, cliffs and expansive viewpoints.

Your guide brings the island’s landscapes into focus through stories and insight, including its rich folklore. Because the route remains flexible, no particular landmark is guaranteed; the appeal lies in seeing Skye’s varied terrain with someone who knows how to read the place and its weather.

Board the Jacobite Steam Train in Mallaig for a journey through the western Highlands. Watch mountain scenery pass the windows and travel over the curving Glenfinnan Viaduct, one of Scotland’s best-known railway landmarks.

The viaduct’s appearance in the Harry Potter films brought it worldwide recognition, but its stone arches have carried trains through this landscape since the late 19th century. Views towards Ben Nevis add another landmark to a journey defined by steam-era travel and Highland scale.

Explore Glencoe’s steep-sided Highland landscape and take in the wide, open wilderness of Rannoch Moor. Spend time outside the vehicle to appreciate the mountains, waterways and changing light that make these places so visually distinctive.

Glencoe is closely associated with the 1692 massacre and has also served as a filming location. Nearby Rannoch Moor offers a contrasting expanse of bog, lochans and distant peaks, revealing a quieter but equally powerful side of the Highlands.

Swap the funicular ride for an optional mountain kart descent at Cairngorm Mountain. This active alternative puts you closer to the mountain terrain as you make your way downhill.

The Cairngorms’ high-altitude setting gives the activity a different character from a conventional kart track, with mountain weather and scenery all around. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; availability may depend on operating and weather conditions.

Watch an optional falconry display during the visit to Dunrobin Castle, if one is available. See trained birds and their handlers in a setting overlooking the castle’s gardens and the Moray Firth.

Falconry has a long history in Britain, and a display offers a closer look at the relationship between handler and bird than a garden visit alone. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to a display being offered.

Choose a local whisky distillery visit while travelling through Scotland’s north. Learn more about how one of the country’s best-known products is made and the role distilling plays in local culture.

Distilleries offer a window onto the people and processes behind Scotch whisky, beyond the finished drink. The itinerary does not name a distillery or promise a tasting. This visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with details dependent on what is available locally.