Skye, Loch Ness and Edinburgh |
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Departs Friday, August 10th Check In: 13:00 / Return: 21:00 |
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Friday 10th August - We’ll leave Glasgow behind and enjoy our first stop in the conservation village of Luss. Situated on the edge of Loch Lomond, it’s a lovely spot with views towards Ben Lomond and the beginnings of the Highlands.
We’ll continue north into Glencoe where we’ll have a wee walk into the Glen to take in the dramatic scenery with mountains towering either side whilst hearing the tales of the Glencoe Massacre.
After a short stop in Fort William and views of Ben Nevis, we’ll have a walk through Fort August to the shores of Loch Ness to see if we can find Nessie ... and if anyone is brave enough there may be time for a short dip to swim with the monster!
Afterwards we'll make our way to Loch Ness Backpackers for our first night! Within walking distance of Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle, it's the prefect place to spend your first night in the Scottish Highlands!
Saturday 11th August - This morning we’ll make our way west and enjoy a short stop at the Loch Garry viewpoint before continuing past Loch Clunie, through the rugged glen of Glen Shiel and onto the Atlantic shores with Loch Duich. We’ll make our way to Eilean Donan Castle for photo’s before driving over the bridge to the Isle of Skye.
Winding our way along the coastline, we’ll stop at Sligachan for ancient celtic tales that bring to life the glen and the Black Cuillin Mountains which dominate the skyline.
Lunch will be in Portree where you’ll have time to explore the town before continuing along the coast and the Trotternish Peninsula. With the Old Man of Storr, a Jurassic pillar of rock standing proud, Kilt Rock with it’s waterfall tumbling into the Atlantic and the Quiraing with views across the Sound of Raasay to the mountains of Torridon, it’s a breathtaking area of Skye. We’ll also enjoy a wee walk at one of these locations – we’ll decide on the day depending on weather etc!
After crossing the peninsula, we’ll pop into Uig the main ferry port on the Island, and have a short stop at the Isle of Skye Brewery where you can pick up bottles of the local beer as well as Scottish cider and local produce.
Next will be a wee visit into the Faerie Glen – a magical place where legends have it faeries live still to this day. Complete with the faerie castle, faerie loch and faerie waterfalls it’s a place that captures the imagination!
We will then make our way back off the island and stay the last night at Stationmaster’s Hostel. Rated 4 stars by VisitScotland, it feels more like a home than a hostel. There are BBQ facilities overlooking Loch Carron if the weather is good and it has a pool table and loads of games inside for evening entertainment, if the weather is bad! We can also include a seafood boat trip on Loch Carron in the evening. It’s £8pp with a local fisherman, Neil, who will take the group out to catch some scallops before cooking them up on the boat. It’s a fantastic experience that we include on a few of our tours as standard and it’s definitely one of the highlights!
Sunday 12th August - This morning we have an early start and retrace our steps past Eilean Donan Castle and along Glen Shiel towards Invermoriston. Driving east past Loch Laggan, we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch along the way either on the shores of the loch or in amongst the forests depending on time.
We’ll continue south into Perthshire. With rolling hills covered in trees, it’s a much gentler landscape. Here we’ll stretch our legs with a wee walk through the forests to see waterfalls cascading over the rocks and perhaps catch a glimpse of salmon leaping up them.
It will now be time to make our way straight into Edinburgh for an evening in the capital. After walking through the historic Old Town with Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, we’ll pick up some fish & chips and savour them on Calton Hill with 360 degree views over the city.
At 8pm we’ll return to Glasgow arriving at approximately 9.30pm, tired but happy!
