Edinburgh to Isle of Skye & Highlands: 3-Day Coach Tour

Three Days in the Highlands: From City Streets to Skye's Mountain Ridges

You travel by air-conditioned coach through the Scottish Highlands over three days, staying two nights on the Isle of Skye with accommodation included. The itinerary covers Ben Nevis, Glencoe, Loch Lomond, Eilean Donan Castle, and Skye's main attractions (the Old Man of Storr, Quiraing, and Kilt Rock) with a driver-guide providing live commentary. You arrive back in Edinburgh on day three without having arranged transport, bookings or timing yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel from Edinburgh to Portree

• Depart Edinburgh and collect Glasgow passengers
• Stop at Luss village by Loch Lomond
• Travel north via Tyndrum and Rannoch Moor
• Walk and admire Glencoe
• Lunch break in Fort William area
• Photo stop at Ben Nevis
• Arrive and check into accommodation in Portree

Day 2: Full day spent in Skye

• Visit Kilt Rock waterfall
• See The Old Man of Storr rock formation
• Explore Trotternish Ridge at Quiraing
• Visit Dunvegan area, home of clan Macleod
• Visit another waterfall

Day 3: Travel from Portree to Edinburgh

• Visit Eilean Donan Castle
• Lunch and views at Fort Augustus by Loch Ness
• Photo stop at Ben Nevis
• Return to Edinburgh

The experience

You start in Edinburgh's city centre and end up walking past the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye: that shift happens in 72 hours on a small group coach tour that moves through the Scottish Highlands without stopping you to arrange transport, book hotels or figure out which viewpoint matters. The coach leaves NCP Castle Terrace at a set time, picks up passengers from Glasgow on the way, and doesn't drop you back until you've seen Ben Nevis, Glencoe, Loch Lomond, Eilean Donan Castle and the most photographed rock formations on Skye. Two nights of accommodation are included (you choose between hostel, B&B or hotel when you book), so the only thing you pack is a bag that fits the luggage allowance.

Day one is the long drive north. The coach heads west through Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond, crosses the atmospheric Rannoch Moor, and stops at Glencoe, where the landscape opens into something that doesn't look like the rest of Britain: steep, bare, and the site of a 1692 massacre that still carries weight in the Highlands. You'll have time to walk around and take it in. There's a lunch break in the Fort William area (meal not included), then a photo stop at Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, before the coach rolls into Portree on the Isle of Skye in the evening. The driver-guide provides live commentary throughout, so you're not just watching the landscape pass. You're learning why it looks the way it does.

Day two is the full day on Skye. The itinerary includes Kilt Rock with its waterfall, the Old Man of Storr (a standing rock formation on the Trotternish ridge that takes your breath when you first see it), and the Quiraing, another ridge walk with views that stretch across the island. If you're there in summer, there's a stop at Dunvegan Castle, home of Clan Macleod. You're not rushed through these spots. The tour is built around actually spending time at them, not just collecting photos. The driver-guide knows the island and can point out details you'd miss on your own.

The return journey on day three takes you south via Eilean Donan Castle, the fortress you've probably seen in films (it was in Highlander), then through Fort Augustus on Loch Ness for lunch and views of the loch before heading back to Edinburgh. The whole trip is in an air-conditioned coach, so you're not driving yourself or figuring out connections. You just show up 15 minutes early, get on, and the driver handles the route. If you're booking accommodation through the tour, it's arranged in Portree town centre. If you're booking your own, it needs to be within 2km of the town centre so the pickup and drop-off work. One medium-sized suitcase per person is the luggage limit, and if you need to store anything else, there are third-party facilities in Edinburgh.

What’s included

• Your tour includes two nights accommodation (choice of hostel, B&B or hotel in Portree, or arrange your own within 2km of town centre), transport by air-conditioned coach throughout the three days, live commentary from a knowledgeable driver-guide, and entry to attractions. Luggage is limited to one medium-sized suitcase per person. Meals are not included.
• lunch breaks are stops where you purchase your own food. The coach departs from NCP Castle Terrace in Edinburgh and returns there on day three.

Options for this experience

3 options

Tour Excluding AccommodationGuide in English · 08:30 and 09:00Accommodation is not part of this 3-day tour, so you need to arrange your own. Please make sure it is in the centre of Portree, Skye.

Double/Twin/Family B&BGuide in English · 08:30 and 09:00Bed and breakfast accommodation in a double room (one bed for two people), a twin room (two single beds in one room), or a family room is included.

Tour with a single B&B roomGuide in English · 08:30 and 09:00Our 3-day Skye tour with accommodation in a single room at a bed and breakfast. Please note that if you book for more than one person, we cannot guarantee that everyone will be in the same B&B.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (17 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Child (4 to 16 years) · Under 4: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 19 · max 6 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Timberbush Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the main Highlands and Skye highlights in three days without arranging your own transport, accommodation or timing: the fixed itinerary and included coach mean you show up and go, and the small group size keeps the pace manageable without feeling rushed.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 16 years). Under 4: they can't be included in the booking.

What's included in the tour price?

Two nights accommodation (hostel, B&B or hotel), transport by air-conditioned coach, live commentary from the driver-guide, and entry to attractions. Meals are not included except accommodation. Lunch breaks are stops where you buy your own food.

Can I book the tour without accommodation?

Yes. If you book without accommodation, you arrange your own lodging in Portree within 2km of the town centre, and the coach picks you up and drops you off there.

How long is the tour?

Three days and two nights. Day one is travel to Portree; day two is a full day on the Isle of Skye; day three is the return journey to Edinburgh.

What time does the tour depart from Edinburgh?

The tour departs from NCP Castle Terrace, EH1 2EW. Arrive 15 minutes before your departure time. (Specific departure times vary by date, check your booking confirmation.)

Is there a luggage limit?

Yes. One medium-sized suitcase per person (60–69cm high, roughly 45cm wide). Luggage storage is available through third-party operators in Edinburgh if you need to leave extra bags behind.

Does the tour pick up from Glasgow?

Yes. The coach collects passengers from Glasgow on the way north from Edinburgh.

What happens if there aren't enough passengers?

Minimum numbers apply. If the tour doesn't meet the minimum after confirmation, you'll be offered an alternative tour or a full refund.

What if I use a wheelchair?

Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated if the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them boarding and disembarking.

Does the tour operate in bad weather?

Yes, it operates in all weather conditions. Dress appropriately for Scottish Highlands weather, which can change quickly.