Edinburgh: Isle of Skye, Loch Ness & Inverness 5 Days

Five Days Through the Scottish Highlands: Train, Castle & Loch

You travel by coach and local train through five days of Scottish Highlands scenery, staying in small towns rather than Edinburgh each night. The tour includes the Glenfinnan Viaduct crossing, two days on Isle of Skye, whisky tasting, Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns, and an optional Loch Ness cruise. Four nights' accommodation and a guide are included. Book your transport to the departure point in advance and arrive 15 minutes early for check-in.

Options for this experience

4 options

From £ 615 to £ 1,019 per person, depending on the option and date you choose. See options & prices

Guesthouse Twin Room 08:30 Guide in English Guesthouse Twin Room

Guesthouse Double Room 08:30 Guide in English Guesthouse Double Room

Guesthouse double room, including train travel Available from 5 Apr 2027 Guide in English Hop aboard the renowned Jacobite Steam Train as part of this package

Guest house twin room, including train travel Available from 5 Apr 2027 Guide in English Hop aboard the renowned Jacobite Steam Train as part of this package.

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Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Edinburgh to Oban

• Visit the Kelpies statues
• Drive past Stirling Castle
• See the Wallace Monument
• Drive through Rannoch Moor
• Stop at Glencoe
• Arrive in Oban for overnight

Day 2: Oban to Isle of Skye

• Train across Glenfinnan Viaduct
• Visit Eilean Donan Castle
• Cross Skye Bridge to Isle of Skye
• Arrive in Portree, explore harbour

Day 3: Isle of Skye to Inverness

• Visit Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls
• See Old Man of Storr
• Learn at Dundreggan Caledonian Forest
• Explore Inverness city

Day 4: Inverness

• Visit Beauly village
• Explore Beauly Priory ruins
• Drive to Culloden Battlefield
• Visit Clava Cairns
• Optional Loch Ness cruise

Day 5: Inverness to Edinburgh

• Tour Blair Athol whisky distillery
• Visit Highland Folk Museum
• Walk through Dunkeld and cathedral
• Return to Edinburgh

What’s included

Your five days include transport in an air-conditioned coach with a local English-speaking guide, the train journey across the Glenfinnan Viaduct on the West Highland Line, entry to Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns, a tour and tasting at Blair Athol Distillery, four nights in three-star bed-and-breakfast accommodation in Oban, Portree, and Inverness, and visits to Eilean Donan Castle, the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, and the Highland Folk Museum. The Loch Ness cruise and Culloden Battlefield visitor centre are optional and paid on the day.

Times

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• Monday and Thursday 08:30

Information

5-day Scottish Highlands tour from Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct train, Isle of Skye, Loch Ness cruise, whisky distillery & 4 nights B&B included.

Group Up to 34

Live guide English

Audio guide Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Chinese

Meeting point and pickup No hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point. See the exact address

Book up to 2d before

Ages Adult (17 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Child (5 to 16 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. 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.

Confirmation Confirmation within 48 h

Good to know

Low physical effort Public transport nearby

More information The exact meeting point address, the operator’s instructions and every other detail are in the full listing. See the full listing

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The experience

The Glenfinnan Viaduct looks different in person than in photographs. You're on a local train crossing a 21-arch stone bridge with nothing but Highland air beneath you, and the scale hits differently when you're actually there. This five-day tour from Edinburgh moves through the Scottish landscape at a pace that lets you absorb it, not rushing through a checklist, but spending two full days on the Isle of Skye, a night in Inverness, and time enough to walk around Portree's harbor or sit with a whisky at Blair Athol Distillery on the way back south. The route covers Glencoe, Eilean Donan Castle, the Old Man of Storr, and Culloden Battlefield, but it's the in-between moments (the drive through Rannoch Moor, the optional Loch Ness cruise, the standing stones at Clava Cairns) that stay with you.

Day one loops north from Edinburgh through the Kelpies (those 30-metre horse sculptures that catch you off guard), past Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument, then into Glencoe before landing in Oban on the west coast. The second day is the train crossing, available until October, followed by Eilean Donan Castle and the drive across the Skye Bridge into Portree. You've got the afternoon and evening there, which means you can actually eat somewhere decent and walk around instead of collapsing in a hotel room. Day three explores Skye's northern edge: Kilt Rock, Mealt Falls, the Old Man of Storr if the weather cooperates, and a stop at Dundreggan to learn about the rewilding work happening in the Highlands. Then you drive to Inverness, the cultural heart of the region and the setting for much of the Outlander series if that matters to you.

The fourth day is built around Inverness as a base. You visit Beauly Priory, walk the Culloden Battlefield where the Jacobites were defeated in 1746, see the ancient cairns and standing stones at Clava Cairns, and take an optional cruise on Loch Ness: the famous one, where people still half-seriously look for Nessie. On the final day, you stop at Blair Athol Distillery for a tour and a dram, visit the Highland Folk Museum to understand how people actually lived in these glens, walk through Dunkeld and its cathedral, and drive back to Edinburgh. The whole thing includes four nights in three-star B&Bs, an air-conditioned coach, and a local English-speaking guide. One suitcase per person, maximum 15kg, and children under five aren't permitted: the tour moves too much for that to work.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 16 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

Is this the Jacobite Steam Train?

No. The tour uses a local train across the Glenfinnan Viaduct on the West Highland Line. The train journey is available until October each year.

What's included in the price?

Train journey across Glenfinnan Viaduct, whisky distillery tour, entry to Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns, four nights in three-star B&B accommodation, air-conditioned coach, and a local English-speaking guide. The Loch Ness cruise and Culloden Battlefield visitor centre are optional and paid locally.

How much luggage can I bring?

One suitcase (maximum 15kg/33lbs) and one carry-on bag per person.

What time does the tour start and end?

Arrival at the departure point should be 15 minutes before the tour starts. Return times are approximate and depend on road conditions and weather. Allow at least three hours after the scheduled return time for onward travel.

Can the order of stops change?

Yes. The itinerary is subject to change depending on conditions and availability. The tour may also operate with HAGGiS Adventures, the sister company.

Is this suitable for people with limited fitness?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Most time is spent on the coach or at stops. Walking is light and optional at most sites.

What if I arrive late?

The bus cannot be held for late arrivals, and no refund is issued. Arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow time for check-in.

Operated by Highland Explorer Tours Ltd. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago