7-day Scotland travel tour: Highlands, Skye & Outer Hebrides
7 days
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Small Group Tour
Our six-night tour takes you into the stories and traditions of Scotland. Travel over the sea to Skye, to Harris and to Lewis, starting from Edinburgh. You’ll explore the history, geology and traditions of Scotland as part of a small group (limited to 12). This Scotland vacation package encompasses loch-fringed coastlines, towering mountain ranges and hidden...
$6,684
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Overview
Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Balanced schedule
Highlights
- See the Highland countryside unfurl before your eyes as you travel by train between Edinburgh and Inverness, accompanied by your Scottish tour guide, at the start and finish of your Scottish adventure.
- Travel by boat from Skye to the magical Outer Hebrides islands, staying overnight on Lewis before a morning trip to the extraordinary Calanais Standing Stones.
- Hear the most dramatic stories of the western Scottish Highlands and its famous castles, as you discover the dramatic landscapes and consider the human and geological forces that created them.
- Spend two whole days exploring Skye, including Elgol and Loch Coruisk, the Old Man of Storr, and the Quiraing. Enjoy two nights at Cuillin Hills Hotel in Portree, the main town on Skye.
- Learn all about the local history, mountain building and the dramatic Ice Age landscapes as you return via Ullapool, taking in a visit to Corrieshalloch Gorge, one of the most spectacular box gorges in Britain.
- Group size 6 to 12.
What's this trip about?
Our six-night tour takes you into the stories and traditions of Scotland. Travel over the sea to Skye, to Harris and to Lewis, starting from Edinburgh. You’ll explore the history, geology and traditions of Scotland as part of a small group (limited to 12). This Scotland vacation package encompasses loch-fringed coastlines, towering mountain ranges and hidden-away gems, all in the company of your Scottish and expert guides, who will bring to life Scotland’s history, culture and geology. Your Scotland vacation includes 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. One highlight of the tour is Skye. This ‘Misty Isle’ 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 Skye vacation takes you across the island and from hundreds of millions of years to the present, from peaceful ports to jagged mountain peaks, with all the richness of island life in between. More sea travel to the Isles of Harris and Lewis follows. There you will walk amongst ancient standing stones and hear about the billion-year history of the rocks that form these neolithic monuments. We return via Ullapool and more insights into mountain building and dramatic ice age landscapes.
Details
Itinerary focusOff the Beaten Path
Group sizeIntimate group - 12 max
Age range18 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal transport included (including local flights)
Start CityEdinburgh
End CityEdinburgh
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- The services of your expert guide and tour host who will be with the group throughout the tour, staying at the same hotels.
- Local geology expert who will accompany the group and give talks on selected days
- All transportation costs when travelling from Edinburgh on the first day, and when 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.
- All breakfasts and all six dinners.
- All service charges and most gratuities.
Itinerary
Day 1: Edinburgh to Inverness - welcome to Scotland!
The first part of your tour is by first-class train from Edinburgh to Inverness. It’s a gentle introduction to the Scottish Highlands, with views of lochs, mountains and moors. After a mid-morning departure, you will arrive in Inverness in the afternoon, transferrin...
Day 2: To Skye Eilean
Standing where three lochs meet, the castle’s fascinating history began long before BBC...
Day 3: The hidden loch
After breakfast with an unforgettable view of the Cuillin Hills, 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 ...
Day 4: Over The Minches to the Outer Isles
After a last breakfast on Skye, it’s time to head off on the next leg of your Scotland vacation to the Isle of Harris. First though, we’ll travel to its northern Trotternish Peninsula, and stop off at the Old Man of Storr, an iconic collection of rock pinnacles that...
Day 5: Standing stones, deep time, Viking Chessmen and to Ullapool
Today we visit and a walk around the extraordinary Calanais Standing Stones. The stones were erected 5,000 years ago, that is even before Stonehenge! Made of Lewisian gneiss the intriguing deep time story of the L...
Day 6: UNESCO GeoPark Knockan Crag, Corrieshalloch Gorge, meet Britain's oldest rocks, the Lewisian and Loch Maree.
Visit the UNESCO Geopark visitor centre at Knockan Crag, just north of Ullapool, and see the wild terrains surveyed by early pioneer geologists. See the world-famous Moine Thrust (a fault that has moved rocks te...
Day 7: The journey's end and returning home
Savour your last breakfast at Coul House, then enjoy the journey back to Inverness to board the train back to Edinburgh late afternoon.
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.
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Dates & Availability
Price From $5,434
Price per day$776
Last Updated: 3/28/2025
Departure Date
End Date
For 2025 tours only
Double room for single occupancy in USD
Available
18 May 2025
24 May 2025
$5,434
$6,702
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with GeoCultura.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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Logistics
What's excluded
- Travel insurance.
- Extra or optional activities not described in the tour
- Lunches not included on four of the seven days.
- Personal expenditures
- Transportation to and from Edinburgh Waverley railway station at the start and end of the tour.
- Passport and visa fees.
Accommodation
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 ‘has an enormous respect from his team’. - Good Hotel Guide (46th edition)
Nights 2 & 3: Cuillin Hills Hotel, Portree
With ‘possibly the best location in Portree’, the Cuillin Hills Hotel sits at a vantage point in the north of the town, providing exceptional views of Loch Portree, the Sound of Raasay and the distant Cuillin mountains. Know that you are in good hands as the hotel has been running for 25 years by staff who are known to ‘take pride in their work’. Shortlisted in the Good Hotel Guide (46th edition)
The Royal Hotel is Stornoway’s most historic hotel. A traditional hotel, where you can relax and enjoy Hebridean hospitality. It’s perfectly situated in Stornoway with views across the marina towards Lews Castle.
It is more than 50 years since actor Robert Urquhart opened a café in a boatshed and invited musicians to play in exchange for a meal. This lively social hub is still a place for music gigs, but now with gallery space, bookshop, restaurant and bar, having spread itself across adjoining whitewashed cottages situated near the beautiful Scottish Highlands. Bedrooms have a pleasing simplicity, no TV but a retro radio, and an eclectic mix of books chosen by customers. – Shortlisted in the Good Hotel Guide (46th edition)
Note: Subject to availability, guests may request an upgrade to a sea view room or preferred view room at each hotel. Please call for details.
Transportation & Flights
TransportTransport will be by small comfortable coach, passenger boat and first-class rail.
Rail ticketFor an extra charge of £199 per person, we can arrange first-class return rail tickets between London and Edinburgh, at a time to suit each individual traveller. The price includes onboard meals with drinks, served at your seat.,
Guides
Accredited Scottish guide
Requirements
The activity level is rated as LEISURELY to MODERATE, requiring an average level of fitness (view our activity level definitions). The tour will involve walking in generally easy terrain, but will require good walking boots (please note, some paths may be uneven and loose underfoot). Walks are 1.5 to 5km (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. ,Double room for single occupancy in USD 6702
Cancellation policy
Deposit: A deposit of 10% 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 plus half of the deposit will be refunded
- 30 to 59 days before tour begins: 35% of tour price will be refunded
- 15 to 29 days before tour begins: 25% of tour price 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).
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against
unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies.
It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before
or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination.
It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements.
For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements,
please visit this link
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Meals Included
All breakfasts and all six dinners.
Age Requirements
18 years and up
12-17 on request
12-17 on request
Optional Activities
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Additional Information
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Trip ID
geocul-ScHISkOuHe
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