7-day Scotland vacation: Highlands and Isle of Skye
Experience a premium Scotland vacation that brings the country's legends, landscapes and long history to life. Join a small friendly group and enjoy the warm welcome at three Scottish hotels, great food and good company.
NOW Booking 2027 departures. Choice of May or June departures.
Prices from GBP £3,999 pp
19th - 25th May 2027
10th - 16th June 2027
7 days / 6 nights
Highlights
Kick off your tour from Edinburgh with a beautiful train journey across the Scottish Highlands to Inverness, before crossing the bridge to the Isle of Skye.
Explore in depth the ‘Misty Isle’ which holds so much history, culture and traditions and the dramatic scenery of the Old Man of Storr, the spectacular Quiraing mountains and the elusive Loch Coruisk.
Discover scenic beauty when you journey between Skye and Appin in Argyll with the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct, Fort William on the shores of Loch Linnhe and Glen Coe, the mountainous site of a notorious massacre.
Be captivated by your Scottish Tour Leader’s stories as you visit castles and towering peaks, historic homes and traditional craftspeople, and a dramatic hidden loch.
A 7-day guided tour of the Scottish Highlands of Argyll and the Isle of Skye accompanied by an expert Scottish guide and local experts. Price includes 6 nights at top-rated hotels, 6 breakfasts, 6 dinners made from quality locally sourced ingredients, all transport and entry fees. We organise everything! Group size maximum 12.
Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye
"Great group, wonderful leader, spectacular scenery. David was a great leader, very informative and good company!"
A 7-day Highlands and Isle of Skye travel tour
Live the stories and traditions of Scotland on our 7-day, 6-night Isle of Skye tour from Edinburgh as part of a small group (maximum 12 guests). You’ll explore the history, geology and traditions of Scotland in the Highlands of Argyll and on the Isle of Skye.
Travel from Edinburgh to Inverness by train and take in the sights and sounds of the Highlands, before exploring the enchanting Isle of Skye. Afterwards, journey to a loch-side hotel to discover the scenic beauty of the Appin district.
This Scotland vacation package encompasses loch-fringed coastlines, towering mountain ranges and hidden-away gems, all in the company of your Scottish guide, who will bring to life Scotland’s history, culture and geology.
You will visit castles laden with tales of conflict, clans and courage. You’ll dig deep into the local landscape, marvel at the landscape’s rugged beauty and uncover its deep-time origins.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the tour is the Isle of Skye itself. Known as the ‘Misty Isle’, this island, just off the Scottish mainland holds so much history, culture and traditions that you’ll be enthralled the moment you set foot on the island. Our Isle of Skye travel tour takes you from one end of the island to the other, from hundreds of millions of years ago to the present, from peaceful ports to jagged mountain peaks, with all the richness of island life in between.
Choose the best time of year to visit Scotland: May or June
- Start/finish: Your tour starts at 1pm and finishes at 4pm approx at Waverley railway station, Edinburgh, Scotland. Option to start from London, with one-way or return 1st class rail travel to Edinburgh. See ‘Need to know’ section for details.
- Activity Level : Moderate, with a range of optional walks and hikes across the Scottish landscape between 1 and 3 miles long (view our activity level definitions). You will also need to board a boat via a ramped pier.
- Transport
- Getting there: Rail travel between Edinburgh and Inverness, with a pre-ordered taxi to first hotel. Return journey to Edinburgh by minibus, with drop-off locations to suit each guest.
- Getting around: Comfortable minibus with air conditioning (16-seater for maximum 10 guests, with plenty of space for luggage); passenger boat trip on Skye.
- Weather: The Isle of Skye’s weather is generally cool to warm in spring, but there can often be a risk of rain. Skye is also known as the Misty Isle, but we find that this often enhances its craggy landscape.
- Accommodation
- Two nights at the Coul House Hotel, Strathpeffer, a welcoming 18th-century mansion
- Two nights at the Greshornish House, by Loch Greshornish, on Skye, with one of the best views of the island’s landscape and mountains
- Two nights at The Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin, a loch-side hotel with excellent views and a menu rich in local seafood options
- A la carte dinner is included at your hotels, on each night of the trip
Where you will visit…
Coul House Hotel
The first journey of your tour is by train from Edinburgh to Inverness, accompanied by your Scottish guide. It’s a gentle introduction to the Scottish Highlands, with views of lochs, mountains and moors. After a lunchtime departure, you will arrive in Inverness in the afternoon, transferring to your accommodation via taxi.
You’ll receive a warm Scottish welcome at Coul House Hotel. An historic, family-run Georgian mansion, Coul House will be your base for two nights as you get some Scottish Highlands experiences under your belt. For now, get settled in, admire the countryside views and Coul House’s garden, and raise a glass to the start of your vacation in Scotland.
- Hotel: Coul House Hotel, Strathpeffer
- Group dinner
After waking to a Highlands view and a hearty breakfast, you’ll be off to the nearby famous Black Isle peninsula, working your way up to the coastal town of Cromarty. On the way, we’ll stop in the town of Fortrose, known for its ruined cathedral and, with luck, see visiting dolphins from Chanonry Point!
We’ll visit the birthplace and childhood home of Hugh Miller, a pioneering Scottish geologist, folklorist and fossil hunter, whose life and discoveries are on prominent display in his preserved cottage, which is now a museum.
We’ll take lunch in town, and after some more discovering, either take the ferry across to Tain to learn about Clan Ross, or travel back down the Black Isle to Beauly, home to the ruined 13th century priory and the renowned outfitters Campbell’s of Beauly.
Back at Coul House, we’ll feast on a traditional group dinner, then relax ahead of the Isle of Skye leg of your Scotland vacation.
- Hotel: Coul House Hotel, Strathpeffer
- Group dinner
- Daily Walking Details: Approx. 2 miles | Negligible ascent | Approx. 2 hours
Old Man of Storr view
On the way to Skye, we’ll make a quick stop to see the location of the quintessentially Scottish landmark – Eilean Donan Castle.
Standing where three lochs meet, the castle’s fascinating history began long before BBC branding and James Bond films made it famous! We continue and cross the bridge to Skye.
We’ll travel up through Skye, encountering impressive landscapes on the way, such as the Fairy Pools and make our way to its northern Trotternish Peninsula. Along the way we’ll stop off at the Old Man of Storr, an iconic collection of rock pinnacles that is an internationally recognisable sign of the island. If time allows, we’ll also take in further sights in Skye’s north, including the equally spectacular Quiraing mountain landscapes and cliffs, that owe their origin to ancient volcanic activity.
Fairy pools
We’ll check into Greshornish House, your lochside hotel for the next two nights. It was once a laird’s home. Today, it comes with a commended restaurant, inviting bedrooms, views of Loch Greshornish and plenty of old-world charm.
© Greshonish Hotel
- Hotel: Greshornish House Hotel
- Group dinner in the hotel
- Daily Walking Details: Approx. 2 miles | Negligible ascent | Approx. 2 hours
Loch Scavaig
You’ll embark on a real Skye vacation adventure. We’ll head to a loch that’s notoriously hard to reach – if you travel there by land…luckily, you’ll be travelling by water! Board a boat in the village of Elgol to reach the elusive Loch Coruisk, which has stories of its own, having hosted Bonnie Prince Charlie while he evaded government capture after the Battle of Culloden.
At the picturesque Loch Coruisk, you’ll find out about the area’s geological past and hear the story of the Highland Clearances, a key chapter in Scottish history. Afterwards, there will be a picnic lunch and time to take a short or an optional longer walk along the shoreline of this hidden gem.
© Dunvegan Castle & Gardens
After getting the boat back to Elgol, on the way back to Greshornish House, we’ll visit Dunvegan Castle, the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. It has been the ancestral home of the Chiefs of clan MacLeod for 800 years.
- Hotel: Greshornish House
- Dinner in the hotel
- Daily Walking Details: Approx. 1.8 mile | 165ft ascent | 1.5 hours
Aerial view of The Pierhouse Hotel
After a last breakfast on Skye, it’s time to head off on the next leg of your Scotland vacation to Appin in Argyll. We’ll travel down to Skye’s southern coast and catch the ferry over to the town of Mallaig, before driving off to the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Famous for carrying the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films, the area around the viaduct is also of great historical significance for being the landing point for Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745, and the starting point of the Jacobite rising.
Having taken in the sights and the history, we’ll journey onwards, stopping for lunch in Fort William before visiting Glen Coe, the mountainous site of a notorious massacre and an area of great geological interest, as well as one Darwin visited.
Glen Coe
The last stop before reaching your accommodation is Ballachulish Slate Quarry, where we’ll hear the story of continental collision to form the slates. Slates were once a vital industry for the area, and there is a linked story of a concerned doctor who campaigned for the area’s workers.
Finally, you’ll check into the Pierhouse Hotel on the shores of Loch Linnhe, a welcoming hotel with excellent views and a menu dedicated to quality seafood.
- Hotel: Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin
- Group dinner
- Daily Walking Details: Approx. 1.5 miles | Negligible ascent | Approx. 2 hours
Castle Coeffin
After breakfast enjoying views of the loch from the Pierhouse Hotel, you’ll be spending today on the Island of Lismore, meeting retired geologist, Noelle Odling, who lives on Lismore. Noelle will guide you through the fascinating Island landscapes, history and geology, as well as giving you a unique and first-hand account of living on the Island. Noelle is the perfect guide as you visit castles, brochs, a medieval church, and the Heritage Centre.
The journey to Lismore involves a short drive (40 mins) to Oban and a Ferry to Achnacroish with views of the dramatic mountains on the Isle of Mull.
- Hotel: Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin
- Group dinner
- Daily Walking Details: Short leisurely walks, less than 2 miles | <165ft ascent | Max 1 hour.
Loch Lomond
Savour your last breakfast at the Pierhouse Hotel, then enjoy the journey back to Edinburgh around 9am via a scenic drive along the length of Loch Lomond. Your driver will then continue back to Edinburgh, arriving late afternoon, dropping off guests at a convenient location for their onward journey.
Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternative accommodation of equal or higher quality or adapt the itinerary if required.
Double room for single occupancy is £550
Your tour starts at 1pm on Day 1 and finishes in Edinburgh at 4pm on Day 7.
The activity level is rated as MODERATE, requiring an average level of fitness (view our activity level definitions). The tour will involve walking on generally easy terrain, but will require good walking boots and a moderate level of fitness (please note, some paths may be uneven and loose underfoot). Walks are 1-3 miles long. This tour also involves boarding a passenger boat to reach Loch Coruisk, from a ramped pier.
If walking is an issue, alternative arrangements can be made during the scheduled longer walks, so please let GeoCultura know in advance.
Transport will be by small comfortable coach, passenger boat and rail travel between Edinburgh and Inverness.
Average temperatures on Skye range from 12-13°C (54-55°F) in May to 13-15°C (55-59°F) in June. Rain is always possible, so you should bring light waterproof clothing, insect repellent is also recommended.
Skye is known as the Misty Isle, but we find that this often enhances its craggy landscape and won’t affect our itinerary.
The tour includes:
- The services of your expert tourist guide who will be with the group throughout the tour
- Local geology expert who will join the group for the day on Lismore island
- All transportation costs when travelling as a group from Edinburgh on the first day, and returning to Edinburgh
- Entry fees, local guide fees and activity fees, where arranged as part of the tour.
- All accommodation costs for the nights stated, assuming two people sharing a double room. Single occupancy rooms are available for a surcharge. See Single Supplement in ‘Need to Know’ tab
- Six breakfasts and six a la carte dinners
- All service charges and most gratuities
The tour excludes:
- Travel insurance. Guests should carry their own health and travel insurance.
- Extra or optional activities not described in the tour
- Lunches not included
- Personal expenditures, any alcoholic drinks with meals, and extras at hotels such as laundry bills
- Transportation to and from Edinburgh Waverley railway station at the start and end of the tour
- Passport and visa fees
Nights 1 & 2: Coul House Hotel, Strathpeffer
A ‘stunning Georgian building with wonderful grounds’, this 1820s mansion has been run as a hotel by ‘lovely, friendly’ hosts Susannah and Stuart Macpherson since 2003. The hotel restaurant is a popular choice for local diners and it has been said that Stuart ‘clearly has a enormous respect from his team’. – Good Hotel Guide (46th edition)
Nights 3 & 4: Greshornish House Hotel
© Greshornish House Hotel
Once a private estate, now a welcoming Isle of Skye boutique hotel by Loch Greshornish. Guests come for the stillness, the food, and the feeling of stepping back in time — a quiet place, away from it all.
Nights 5 & 6: The Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin
The former home of Port Appin’s Pier Master, The Pierhouse Hotel is ‘a lovely hotel with stylish bedrooms and a varied menu, long on fish’. Breakfasts and dinners are accompanied by exquisite views of Loch Linnhe and the distant mountains. (Listed in Good Hotel Guide: 46th edition).
Note: If required for reasons beyond our control, GeoCultura reserves the right to substitute alternate accommodations of equal or higher quality.
Subject to availability, guests may request an upgrade to a sea view room or preferred view room at each hotel. Please call for details.
Deposit: A non-refundable deposit of 20% of the tour price is due upon registration for a tour.
Final payment: Full payment is due 60 days before a tour begins, or upon registration if within the 60-day window.
Cancellation by participant: A participant may cancel a registration after securing a confirmed place on a tour for any reason. The following refund terms will apply:
- Greater than 60 days before tour begins : Any monies paid will be refunded but the non-refundable deposit is forfeited.
- 45 to 59 days before tour begins : 30% of the balance of the tour price, payable 60 days before the tour begins, will be refunded
- 15 to 44 days before tour begins : 20% of the balance of the tour price, payable 60 days before the tour begins, will be refunded
- Within 14 days of tour or during the tour : No monies will be refunded
Cancellation by GeoCultura: GeoCultura reserves the right to cancel any tour due to low enrolment, inability to run the tour or concerns about the safety, health or welfare of participants. If a tour is cancelled before it begins, all monies paid will be refunded (including any deposit).
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions page for additional details.
Your tour leaders
Ali Motion
Scottish Tourist Guide
With a lifetime of working in the great outdoors and an enviable knowledge of the best places to visit in Scotland, Ali Motion understands her homeland like few others do.
She’s a Blue Badge-accredited guide with the Scottish Tourist Guides Association and the holder of a Hill and Moorland Leader qualification, so she’s as at home leading you along remote Highland moors and beneath Shetland’s salt-sprayed cliffs as she is through Edinburgh’s ancient doorways.
Before guiding, Ali’s worked as Education Manager for the Royal Highland Education Trust, and ran the Discovery Centre at the Royal Highland Show, Scotland’s biggest annual agricultural show, welcoming thousands of visitors eager to learn about rural life.
Ali brings boundless enthusiasm, down-to-earth charm and a knack for knowing just where to go to uncover Scotland’s natural beauty, rich history and warm hospitality. Whether it’s spotting seabirds in Shetland or sipping whisky on Skye, you’re in very good hands.
Meet Ali Motion on one of our exclusive tours: Orkney islands tour: wildlife, Vikings and ancient wonders , or Shetland Holidays: 6 days exploring Scotland’s northernmost isles or the longer 8-day Scotland travel tour: Highlands, Skye & Outer Hebrides.
Check out our scheduled tours for more GeoCultura tours.
"Rarely have I had guests who have gelled so well, were so accommodating with each other, and just enjoyed each other's company. It was my pleasure and privilege to be your guide for the week. Safe travels to you all! "
Noelle Odling
Geology expert
Dr. Noelle Odling is a geologist and retired university lecturer. She worked in several research institutions in South Africa and Norway before moving to Leeds in 2000, where she was a member of staff (Associate Professor) at the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds and ran the MSc course in Hydrogeology.
In her research she used numerical modelling techniques to investigate the flow of water through fractured rocks and the transport of contaminants, an important topic for groundwater vulnerability. Noelle has also had a keen interest in the arts and participated in a number of projects at Leeds in which artists and scientists collaborated.
She moved to Lismore, a small island near Oban, on retirement from Leeds in 2014. There she became interested in the hydrogeology of the island which, unusually for the Highlands, is composed of fractured metamorphic limestone. In 2013 she started a program of borehole testing as a free service to islanders interested in improving water supply security. Noelle is also treasurer for the Lismore Gaelic Heritage Centre, makes Japanese woodblock prints and is a member of the Lismore Dance Band.
Meet Noelle on the Lismore Island day of GeoCultura’s 7-day Scotland vacation: Highlands and Isle of Skye
Visit our scheduled tours page for a full list of GeoCultura tours.
David Spooner
Scottish Tourist Guide
David Spooner is a ‘Blue Badge’-accredited Scottish Tourist Guide with over 20 years of experience in group travel and a lifelong passion for Scotland. David loves sharing the stories, landscapes, and the cultural richness of this remarkable country. From the grandeur of the Highlands to the vibrant cities, from ancient history to modern life, he brings Scotland to life with depth and enthusiasm.
Holding a first degree in Geology and Geography, and with a strong background in history, David combines expert knowledge with a warm, engaging approach to guiding. Based near Stirling in scenic Perthshire.
Meet David on the June 7-day Scotland vacation: Highlands and the Isle of Skye
Check our scheduled tours for more GeoCultura tours.
"There are too many adjectives that come to mind for David, but most importantly is his kindness. He made every effort to ensure we had an enjoyable trip. His knowledge of the country was amazing, we learned so much and loved his stories! "
Eilean Donan Castle
Castle Stalker, located on an islet of Loch Laich, Scotland.
Guests with tour guide Ali Motion, with the majestic Cuillin Hills mountain range in the background.
Leaving Coul House Hotel, Strathpeffer
The lounge at Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin, Scotland.
Testimonials
There are too many adjectives that come to mind for David, but most importantly is his kindness. He made every effort to ensure we had an enjoyable trip. His knowledge of the country was amazing, we learned so much and loved his stories!
7-day Scotland vacation: Highlands and Isle of Skye, Kathy & David S, June 2026
All bits were equally exceptional. Totally happy with the tour guides. There were no disappointments, not even the rainy days were a dampener!
Scotland and Isle of Skye, Nick C, April 2025
We had never been on a private tour before and I had my trepidation, but you could not have picked a better guide for us than Ali Motion…her knowledge, her enthusiasm, her flexibility, her sense of humor, her joy at what she is doing, and her personality all made for an exceptional experience…but above all, Ali listened and did her best to modify plans and have the days match our desires with some surprises that delighted – like the unexpected walk with the Highland Coos!
I would not hesitate to use GeoCultura again and have highly recommended you to our friends.
Scotland and Isle of Skye, Gina & Dave B, June 2024
We had the absolutely best trip to the Highlands! We have been on many tours, and our guide, Ali, was one of the best ever! We would highly recommend this adventure!
Scottish Highlands, Scotland, Lisa H, September 2023
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