Isle of Skye Tour: Castle & Loch Ness Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (4 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/10

Duration3d

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Drive through three days of Highland wilderness and stand at five iconic viewpoints without planning the route yourself.

A private 3-day guided tour departing Glasgow that takes you through Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, Glencoe, and across to the Isle of Skye, where you explore the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, Lealt Falls and the Quiraing before returning via Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness and the Cairngorms. Your guide drives the route and leads the stops; you book your own accommodation in Portree for nights one and two. On day two, you choose between a whisky distillery visit, Dunvegan Castle, or a hike to the Fairy Pools — the itinerary flexes to what you want to do.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Travelling to Skye

Depart hotel towards Scottish Highlands
Stop for tea and short walk
Travel over Rannoch Moor
Visit Glencoe and view Three Sisters
Stop for lunch near Fort William
View Ben Nevis mountain
Break near Dornie village
Cross Skye bridge to Portree
Check into accommodation in Portree

Day 2 — Exploring Skye

Travel north along Trotternish Ridge
View Old Man of Storr
Walk coastal cliffs at Lealt Falls
See Kilt Rock and waterfall
Hike and view Quiraing landscape
Choose optional activities with guide

Day 3 — Travelling from Skye

Depart Skye to Eilean Donan Castle
Visit Eilean Donan Castle
Travel to Loch Ness
Free time and lunch at Fort Augustus
Travel through Cairngorms National Park
Stop at Pitlochry town
End tour and depart

The Experience

You leave Glasgow heading northwest into the Scottish Highlands. The first day is all driving and stops: a break at Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park for tea and a short walk, then Glencoe, where you stand between the Three Sisters mountains and learn about the 1692 Massacre of the MacDonalds. After lunch near Fort William, you pass Ben Nevis (the UK's tallest mountain) and cross the Skye bridge to Portree, where you check into accommodation you've booked yourself within a mile of town.

Day two is yours to shape. The guide picks you up and heads north along the Trotternish Ridge to the Old Man of Storr — a 160-metre rock formation that dominates the skyline — then to Lealt Falls on the coast, where on a clear day you can see the Island of Rona and its lighthouse. Kilt Rock comes next: volcanic basalt columns that resemble kilt pleats, with a waterfall beside them and views out to the Atlantic. Then the Quiraing, a landslip landscape that the guide calls one of the island's best views. After these fixed stops, you and your guide discuss what comes next: a visit to a whisky distillery, Dunvegan Castle and its gardens (both charge separate entry fees), or a 2.5-mile hike to the Fairy Pools. The day ends back in Portree.

Day three takes you off the island. Eilean Donan Castle sits on its own island at the confluence of three sea lochs — a 13th-century fortress built to defend against Vikings, and a filming location for Highlander, Entrapment and James Bond's The World is Not Enough (entry is optional and costs extra). From there you travel to Loch Ness and stop in Fort Augustus at the south end, where the Caledonian Canal connects Scotland's coasts; you have free time to explore and eat lunch. The route then swings east through the Cairngorms National Park and ends in Pitlochry, a Victorian town in the Perthshire hills, before you're driven back toward Glasgow.

What’s included

Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
a knowledgeable guide throughout the three days.
pickup from your Glasgow hotel or accommodation.
stops at Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, Glencoe, the Old Man of Storr, Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock and the Quiraing on Isle of Skye, Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness and Fort Augustus, and the Cairngorms National Park.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Anderson Scottish Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're arriving in Glasgow and want to see the Highlands and Isle of Skye without driving yourself or piecing together a multi-day itinerary — the route is set, the guide handles navigation, and you only need to book accommodation in Portree. If you prefer a fully guided experience with meals and lodging arranged, or if you want to spend more than one full day exploring Skye, look for a different package.