3 Day Skye Experience Tour inc Accomm
In 3 days we'll show you Glencoe, Eilean Donan Castle, the Isle of Skye, The Cuillin Hills, Loch Ness, Inverness, Culloden Moor and more. This tour runs 2 days a week throughout the year, plus everyday through the Summer. 2 nights accommodation is included in the ticket price.
- 2 Nights in Kyleakin on Skye
- Price includes your accommodation in B&B
- Small Mini-Coach transport
Stirling, Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe, The Great Glen, Eilean Donan Castle, Isle of Skye, Cullin Hills, Portree, Trotternish Peninsula, Loch Ness, Inverness, Culloden Moor, Cairngorm National Park and Pitlochry
Day 1 - Edinburgh - Glen Coe - Fort Augustus
Our journey starts with the short drive to Stirling, the gateway to the Highlands. We’ll enjoy wonderful views of Stirling Castle from the highway before making our way towards Callander and the beauty of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Along the way we cross from the Lowlands and into the Highlands.
As our coach climbs the 'Black Mount' there are wonderful views of Loch Tulla below. Soon we are amidst the remote beauty of Rannoch Moor. This unspoilt landscape extends over 50 square miles and is one of the great wildernesses of Europe!
Glen Coe is quite simply awesome! We will make a photo stop in Scotland's most famous glen. No matter the weather you are sure to be inspired by this very special place. After crossing the Ballachullish Bridge we travel along the banks of Loch Linnhe to reach Fort William. On the outskirts of the town we should be able to enjoy wonderful views of Ben Nevis, Britain's tallest mountain.
Our journey takes us into the Great Glen, which was formed many millions of years ago. The result of this activity has left us with an impressive landscape of lochs and mountains. We'll travel along the banks of Lochs Lochy and Oich to reach the village of Invergarry. As we drive through this small community watch out for the 'Well of the Seven Heads', a monument with a very bloody tale to tell!
At moody Loch Ness you’ll have the chance to enjoy a monster-spotting cruise* and experience wonderful views of Urquhart Castle. Later we make our way to Fort Augustus, our home for tonight, which is situated on the banks of this most enigmatic loch.
Overnight: Fort Augustus
Day Two - Fort Augustus - Eilean Donan Castle - Isle of Skye
After breakfast we start the day by travelling across Scotland and heading for the west coast. Glen Shiel is home to the 'Five Sisters', a range of five mountains of which 4 are over 3,000 feet high. Soon picturesque Eilean Donan Castle* will come into view. This is, without doubt, one of Scotland's most iconic sights. The castle stands on a little island situated at the confluence of Loch's Alsh and Duich. We'll have time to discover the castle for ourselves during our stop here
Soon we travel 'over the sea to Skye' by the modern road bridge. The towering Cuillin Hills give Skye its breathtaking beauty. Considered by many to be amongst the finest hills in Britain the Cuillins present a vista that is simply unforgettable.
The picturesque town of Portree, the island's largest community. The name of the town means the 'King's Port' following a visit by King James V in 1540. Today the pretty painted houses which surround the harbour give Portree an old fashioned appeal as we shall discover.
The next part of our excursion is to the famed Trotternish Peninsula. From Portree we travel northwards to the little port of Uig from where ferries sail to the Outer Hebrides. At Kilmuir there is a monument to Flora MacDonald who, famously, assisted Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from the troops that were hunting him by sailing him 'over the sea to Skye' disguised as her maid.
We'll stop to explore The Quiraing, a dramatic terrain formed by a massive landslide. Here you can walk through a landscape that dates from Jurassic times and as you do see if you can identify the rock formations whose descriptions are the 'Needle', 'Table' and 'Prison'. A short drive brings us to Kilt Rock, so named because the basalt columns of this rock fall to resemble the pleats of a kilt - it's well worth the effort to snap an 'I was there' photograph!
Overnight: Kyleakin
Day Three - Isle of Skye - Culloden Moor - Edinburgh
We bid farewell to Skye and cross back to the mainland. As we travel through rugged Glen Moriston look out for the cairn to the memory of Roderick MacKenzie who, in 1746, allowed himself to be captured by the redcoats who were searching for Bonnie Prince Charlie. His sacrifice allowed the real Prince to evade capture and escape pursuit! In the pretty village of Invermoriston there’s time to make the short walk to view the Thomas Telford bridge, built in 1813, which crosses the spectacular River Moriston falls.
Bustling Inverness is known as the Capital of the Highlands. On the outskirts of this fast growing city lies notorious Culloden Moor*. It was here in 1746 that Bonnie Prince Charlie's dreams of capturing the Crown for the Stuart dynasty came to a bloody end. His Jacobite army was routed by the Government troops under the command of the Duke of Cumberland. The aftermath was particularly brutal such that it changed life in the Highlands forever.
Soon we pass remote Dalwhinnie then make our descent of the Drumochter Pass, which has linked the Highlands to the Lowlands since the earliest of times.
We'll stop in the Victorian tourist town of Pitlochry, which sits on the banks of the River Tummel. Queen Victoria stayed at nearby Blair Castle and enjoyed visiting Pitlochry very much. Her favourable comments ensured a steady flow of visitors who came to this charming town to see what pleased the Queen so much. Today Pitlochry retains much of its period atmosphere, as we will discover!
The last part of our time together will take us towards the 'fair city of Perth' then make our way to journey's end in Edinburgh.
* Admission fees extra.
Skye... Amazing
I took the three day tour of isle of Skye. The sights you get to see on this trip are amazing and I will not even try to describe them by words. It is an absolute must see.
The tour guide Iain was great fun giving us all the little stories about the different places we saw on the way. He cared about everyone on board.
While the tour does feel a little rushed with a lot of time spent traveling in a bus and the halts at the sights sometimes feeling too short, it is a trade off against the number of places you get to see. I don't think it is possible to see so many places in such short time other wise. So if you are on possibly your only trip to Scotland them definitely do this while if you are in for a relaxed holiday with extended scenery sessions, you could try something that is slower paced.
Skye Tour
Beautiful destinations, perfect timings, good accommodation. Special mention to the superb guide, Mr. David, his excellent narrations and stories.
Fabulous Skye Tour
I booked the 3 day Isle of Skye tour and I absolutely loved it. The Highlands and the Isle of Skye are stunning natural beauties and I hope to return next year all the way from London for another tour.
A special mention to our bus driver and guide Brian Sharp that drove us up way there and back safely and on time! Apart from being very friendly and knowledgeable, he took care of all the group's needs. He told us fantastic stories of the places we visited in his awesome accent and quirky humour. Even the weather behaved and we had the typical misty and cloudy scenery of the Highlands as well as sunshine!! All in all fabulous!!!
Great Way to See Scotland
My wife and I took the 3 day tour of Skye and the Highlands as part of our Honeymoon trip.
We took the tour from Glasgow and weren't sure whether we were in the right place to be picked up as we were the only ones waiting for the bus. It turned out that the rest of the tour got on the bus in Edinburgh. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about Highland history and we liked that he played Scottish music to break up some of the history as we drove. He was very attentive to the group and made sure we had lots of restroom stops, plenty of photo opportunities and saw all the sights we wanted to. We felt that some of the stops were a bit long and others were not long enough but overall were very pleased with our tour.
Dream Experience
My husband I took the 3-day Isle of Skye Highlands Tour last weekend. It was a peak experience of our lives. Our driver guide Aileen was perfect in every way. Her driving skills were topnotch, she was well-informed, and she was so genuinely nice. She regaled us with Highlands stories of fairies and giants, as well as fascinating Scottish history, interspersed with recorded songs that enhanced the stories and the landscape. There were photo - ops galore and Aileen made sure we got our fill. She even made a special stop for us at a distillery that we particularly wanted to see. We saw and experienced many interesting, beautiful places on the way to and from Skye as well.
The B&B where we stayed was absolutely charming and the hosts were gracious and welcoming. My only disappointment is that we didn't stay in Portree, as described in the tour information. Kyleaken was a lovely location but there would have been more shops, pubs, and cafes to explore in the larger Portree.
We would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to explore the Highlands and learn the fascinating past of this part of Scotland.
Highlands & Skye Tour
Fabulous tour. Got a great taste of Scotland. Our guide was Fergie (With Barney in training). Best guide I've ever had in years of travel all over Europe. His knowledge and love of Scotland was contagious! Always made it a point to adjust the schedule to meet our needs and desires. Very accommodating chap. Really made it a pleasure. Our hotel room on Skye was quite cramped and the plumbing was noisy. From the friends we made on the tour, you might as well get the B and B option because everyone else seemed quite pleased with their B & B rooms. But the hotel's food was great and reasonably priced. Can't recommend Fergie enough. I've already ordered History of Scotland books from Amazon and we are still in Edinburgh!
Over the Sea to Skye
It was an amazing tour, great place and great tour guide Steve. The accomodation at Skye was great, with a view of skye. Not only highlands was a lovely place, the stories told by Steve made history look alive, which made the tour even more interesting. A big thumbs-up from me and my husband.
Great 3 Day Skye Tour
We took the Isle of Skye tour with Howard as our guide. He is excellent and provided an excellent commentary. His knowledge of the area and backroads got us into areas that perhaps other companies do not provide. He has a great sense of humor, and maintained his professionalism even though there were passengers who were consistently late and as a result, played a role in the rest of the passengers not making it to the Loch Ness boat ride on time.
The first night the group stayed in Kyleakin -- which seems to have a dearth of decent lodging. DO NOT STAY at Mackinnon Lodge, and request this, if you take this tour. You can see my review of that establishment. The second night was in Fort Augustus, and the Loch Ness Lodge was wonderful (review to come).
The days of this tour are long, ending no sooner than 7 p.m. for each of the three nights. My other recommendation is to cut out the whiskey distillery (a 20 minute video, followed by whisky sampling and an opportunity for the distillery to sell) and spend more time at Culloden. You can't experience Culloden in Edinburgh, but there are plenty whiskey experiences available in Edinburgh.
Inclusions
• 2 nights accommodation in twin rooms with private bath/shower
• Full Scottish breakfast (days 2&3)
• Excursions as detailed in itinerary
• Transportation by air-conditioned minicoach
• Live commentary in English
• Services of a tour host
• Service charges and taxes
Luggage Allowance: One medium sized suitcase/bag per person (maximum weight: 12 kilos)
Exclusions
· *Admission fees are extra
· Meals, snacks or items of a personal nature
· Gratuity to your tour host
The Little Details
- Minimum Age: Age 3+
- Min Age: 3 years
- Tour Vehicle Type: Mini Coach
- Months of Operation: All Year
- Duration of Tour: 3 Days
- Departure Point: Edinburgh
- Departure Point: Caffé Nero,1 Parliament Square, Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1RE
- Departure Time: Check In: 08.15 hrs Departure 08.30 hrs
- Expected return Time: 18:00 (day 3)
- Duration of Tour: 3 Days
Rates & Dates
Prices are quoted PER PERSON and vary across year - use availability checker for price for your date
Booking Notes
- Prices are quoted per person per tour
- Customers must provide a valid credit or debit card number.
- Limited availability : advanced booking required.
- Any booking is subject to our Booking Terms.
Click on the 'Book Now' button to make your reservation. Enter your dates and requirements and complete the booking. We will confirm availability to you immediately or very soon thereafter. Rest assured no payment will be taken if they cannot confirm the booking to you.
Full tour information including local contact telephone numbers and departure details will appear on your tour voucher/confirmation.
Cancellation Policy: For cancellations more than 30 days prior to departure date - 90% refund. 30 to 15 days - 50% of tour cost will be refunded. 14 days or less - no refund. Full payment is required at the time of booking. We strongly recommend that you take out appropriate travel insurance to cover any need to cancel.
Departure Days:
Every day departures during the summer months
Guaranteed departures Mondays – 21st March – 16th October 2016
Guaranteed departures Fridays – 27th May – 16th September 2016
Some Places We Will Visit
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Fort William
Fort William is the gateway to the Western Highlands and one of the country's main tourist centres. It stands at the head of Loch Linnhe, with the snow-topped mass of Ben Nevis towering behind.
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Invergarry
South of Fort Augustus, the A82 leaves behind Loch Ness and runs along the west shore of Loch Oich and then the east shore of Loch Lochy, till it reaches Spean Bridge. Here the A82 continues south to Fort William, while the A86 branches east through Glen Spean to join the A9 Perth to Inverness road finally at Kingussie. All along this route are many opportunities to get off the beaten track and explore huge chunks of real wilderness, deserted since the Clearances and soaked in the blood of history.
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Kyleakin
Kyleakin is a village situated on the east coast of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. The village is along the strait of Kyle Akin opposite the northwest Scottish mainland town of Kyle of Lochalsh.
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Loch Ness
Loch Ness is world famous for the wrong reasons: the mythical watery monster than has been subject to repeated scientific investigations without success. Its fame ignores the real attractions of this huge lake framed by mountains and castles that cuts the highlands in two.
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Drumnadrochit
Drumnadrochit a small village on the shores of Loch Ness is famous for the Loch Ness Monster. It lies on the northern part of Loch Ness and 14 miles from Inverness. Drumnadrochit is a pretty village it is also known as ‘Drum’ by the locals. The major Visitor Attraction here is The 5 Star Loch Ness Exhibition Centre (Formerly Loch Ness 2000).
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Inverness
The Highlands' largest town and enjoying a real renaissance over the past ten years as young professionals have moved to the city. The gateway to the far north and a fun night out if you stay.
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Pitlochry
Small Highland tour that is a frequent stopping place for coaches travelling along the A9. Somewhat a one road town of shops and cafes.
Castle Visited
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Eilean Donan Castle
One of the world's quintessential castles: Eilean Donan is familiar from films and stunning in its romantic location. Open daily.