17 - 22 Sep 2025
Prices from GBP £3,650.00
Scotland & Isle of Skye Vacation: Guided tours, expert-led
Exclusive 6-day Scotland and Isle of Skye small group travel tour from Edinburgh. Explore and photograph the Highland landscapes, lochs, and coastlines.
Highlights
- Small group exclusive tour – maximum 12 guests. Travel from Glasgow or Edinburgh by first class rail and luxury mini coach.
- Take in the incredible photogenic landscapes of the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye delving into their deep-time origins and gripping human stories.
- Explore hidden lochs and view towering peaks in the company of two expert guides in history, geology, and photography.
- Enjoy a visit to a whisky distillery as well as a whisky tasting evening with a local expert.
- Stay in top-quality accommodation and experience a true taste of Scotland with dinner included each evening.
Book your spot today.
Overview
As part of a small group, you’ll see the most spectacular castles and famous sights of the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye, immerse yourself in their history with Scottish Guide, Ali Motion, and see how to capture some striking photographs to treasure with photographer Alex Hare.
Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of Scotland on this six-day, five-night adventure. Starting in Edinburgh or Glasgow, you'll travel to the Highlands and the Isle of Skye, experiencing the region's landscapes, culture, history, and geology.
Highlights of your Scotland tour include boat trips to secluded lochs, a visit to the famous Talisker whisky distillery, short walks in sweeping glens with beautiful and atmospheric views, and bespoke creative tips from GeoCultura’s photography expert, Alex Hare.
As you explore, our experts will layer the tour with fascinating stories rooted in the geographical, geological, and human history of Scotland.
Any keen amateur photographers will have the opportunity to join Alex on an early morning trip to catch the sunrise at spectacular locations and enjoy late evening outings for Scotland’s renowned sunsets.
Between outings, you’ll enjoy the comforts of three of GeoCultura’s favourite Good Hotel Guide-recommended hotels, all with excellent a la carte dinners, scenic locations and a warm welcome after a day’s touring.
- Activity Level: Easy to Moderate, with a range of walks and hikes across the Scottish landscape between 1 and 3 miles long, with a slightly longer optional hike on Day 3 (view our activity level definitions). This tour also includes boarding a boat via a ramped pier.
- Transport: The Tour will start in Glasgow. Luxury minibus; taxi; passenger boat. First-class rail from Inverness to Edinburgh on Day 5 is included. There is also the option for us to arrange rail travel on Day 1 from Edinburgh to Glasgow.
- Accommodation: Two nights at The Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin, a welcoming restaurant with rooms with exceptional views and a menu rich in local seafood options. Two nights at Cuillin Hills Hotel, Portree, on Skye, with one of the best Hotels with views of the island’s landscape and mountains. Final night at Coul House Hotel, Strathpeffer, a welcoming 18th-century Georgian mansion. A la carte dinner is included at the hotels on each night of the trip.
- Weather: The Isle of Skye’s weather is generally cool to warm throughout spring, summer and autumn, but there can often be a risk of rain. Skye has changeable weather and is known as the Misty Isle, but we find that this often enhances its craggy landscape – and therefore your experience – and won’t affect our itinerary.
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Tour Map
Day 1 – Glasgow to Port Appin: Rannoch Moor and Glencoe
Meet up with the tour group and your guide then journey into the Highlands by luxury minibus, view majestic mountains and landscapes, and visit the area of the infamous Glencoe Massacre.
The tour starts in Edinburgh or Glasgow, then hits the open road on your Scottish tour. Your first stop is at the Great Moor of Rannoch, one of the few remaining wildernesses in Europe, and full of lochans and dramatic views of the surrounding mountains.
Your Scottish tour continues as you take in magnificent mountains, the Three Sisters of Glencoe. There will be time here for some guided photography of this iconic view of the Scottish Highlands. This leg of your tour also includes the story of the Glencoe Massacre, a notorious event in Scottish history, which adds a certain poignancy to the area’s rugged beauty.
Rounding off your first day in the Scottish Highlands, you’ll receive a warm welcome and a group dinner at The Pierhouse Hotel in Port Appin, where you can enjoy the view of Loch Linnhe on your doorstep. (Photo Credit: The Pierhouse Hotel)
- Check into The Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin, for two nights.
- A la carte group dinner.
Day 2 – Port Appin and Lismore
Immerse yourself in local history with a local guide with a visit to the historic Inner Hebridean, Lismore Island, famed for its tranquility, beauty, and history.
After breakfast and views of the loch at the Pierhouse Hotel, you’ll be spending today on the Island of Lismore with one of the residents. Noelle Odling, returned to family home on the Island in 2014. Noelle is now Treasurer of the Lismore Gaelic Heritage Centre, and a fiddle player in the Lismore Dance Band. 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. As an artist and a geologist (an Associate Professor at Leeds University), 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.
- The Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin.
- A la carte group dinner and an after-dinner special whisky tasting lecture from a local expert.
Day 3 – Castle, Wizards and Over the Sea to Skye
Following another delicious breakfast while admiring the morning view at The Pierhouse, then head to Castle Stalker. This iconic castle is close to the hotel and occupies a small island just offshore with a backdrop of distant Scottish mountains.
Our next stop is the Glenfinnan Viaduct made famous by the Harry Potter films. There will be a private tour of the Glenfinnan Monument dedicated to those who died in the Jacobite rising.
Continue to Mallaig to catch the ferry over the sea to the Isle of Skye. This provides the ideal platform to start unravelling the story of continental collision and mountain building that underlies the dramatic scenery.
A warm welcome at Cuillins Hill Hotel, a four-star hotel overlooking the harbour town of Portree and the Cuillin Mountains.
- Check in at Cuillins Hill Hotel, Portree, for two nights.
- A la carte group dinner.
Day 4 – Western Skye: Talisker Bay and Loch Coruisk
Discover hidden lochs and picturesque points along Skye’s western coast and finish the day with sunset photography by the sea.
If you’ve spent the past day admiring the Cuillin Mountains from a distance, you’re in luck as today we’ll head right into the heart of the mountains to a secluded loch!
Travelling down to Elgol, you’ll board a boat across the sea to Loch Coruisk, a scenic loch surrounded on three sides by the equally impressive and dramatic Cuillin Mountains. After time to admire and photograph the area and gain insights into the geology and formation of the mountains, you’ll boat back for a light lunch.
Next up is Talisker Bay, a secluded cove with plenty of unique features and photo opportunities, including a sea stack on one side of the bay and a waterfall on the other. The area also holds one of Skye’s two whisky distilleries; we’ll tour the island’s oldest, Talisker.
- Overnight in Cuillin Hills Hotel
- A la carte group dinner
Day 5 – Northern Skye, Eilean Donan Castle, and Loch Ness: Landscapes, Landslips, Lava Flows, Continental break-up and Ice
Explore Skye’s Trotternish Peninsula, finding its most famous landmarks, iconic Castles, and Loch Ness.
If you thought Skye didn’t have any more to offer, we’ve saved the best until last. Today is dedicated to the north of the island, the Trotternish Peninsula.
This part of the island is home to several of Skye’s most recognisable landmarks.
Next, you’ll see the Quiraing (pronounced ‘Kwirrang’), another famous Skye sight. This slow-motion landslip has a history stretching back to the opening of the Atlantic Ocean, and its incredible landscape of hills and jagged peaks has inspired photographers and artists for as long as landscape appreciation has existed – and now it is you turn to unravel the earth history on venture beyond the landscape!
If time we will also visit a more mysterious location: the Fairy Glen an unusual clearing-and-tower on Trotternish!
Next stop will be Eilean Donan Castle, a postcard perfect castle, before you head to loch Ness, a view of Urquhart Castle and hear about the amazing geological story of faulting, earthquakes, and ice behind the origin of the Great Glen and Loch Ness. Then to your final hotel. A warm welcome always awaits you at Coul House Hotel in Strathpeffer, a family-run Georgian mansion that’s an ideal base for your last night in the Highlands.
- Check into Coul House Hotel, Strathpeffer, for one night.
- A la carte group dinner
Day 6 – Homeward bound
Time to head home. Catch a taxi to Inverness Station, then travel first class back to Waverley station, Edinburgh.
Savour breakfast at Coul House Hotel, then enjoy a taxi transfer to Inverness to board the mid-morning train back to Edinburgh.
Note: This provisional itinerary is subject to change.
Single Supplement
There is a charge of GBP £598 / USD $748 for solo travellers.
Rail Ticket
For an extra charge of approximately GBP £375 / USD $470 per person, we can arrange first-class return rail tickets between London and Edinburgh.
Activity Level and Transport
The activity level is rated as EASY to MODERATE, requiring an average level of fitness (view activity level definitions). The tour will involve walking in 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.
Transport will be by small comfortable coach, passenger boat and first-class rail.
Rain is always possible, so you should bring light waterproof clothing. Insect repellent is also recommended, as Scotland’s infamous midges might be about! Average temperatures on Skye range from lows of 8° to highs of 15° in June (46°F to 59°F).
If walking is an issue, alternative arrangements can be made during the scheduled longer walks, so please let GeoCultura know in advance. To enjoy the full experience, a reasonable level of fitness is required – please call us to discuss this if you have any concerns.
The Tour Includes/Excludes
The Tour Includes:
- The services of your expert guides who will be with the group throughout the tour.
- 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.
- Five breakfasts, five 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.
Alternate Activities
Our tour leaders are happy to provide suggestions for alternative activities for guests who prefer not to participate in certain parts of the tour walks or visits, or group dinners.
Accommodation
Nights 1 & 2: 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.
Nights 3 & 4: 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.
Nights 5: 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 - 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.
Deposit and Payment Terms
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).
Please refer to our Terms and Conditions page for additional details.
Alison (Ali) Motion
With a lifetime of working in the great outdoors and an enviable knowledge of the best places to visit in Scotland, Ali has more than enough experience of guiding people around her homeland.
As a Blue Badge-accredited guide with the Scottish Tourist Guides Association, Ali delights in showcasing Scottish landscapes, wildlife, culture and history.
Career highlights for Ali include working as Education Manager for the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), and running the Discovery Centre at the Royal Highland Show, Scotland’s biggest annual agricultural show which attracts visitors and exhibitors from across the country.
Ali’s Hill and Moorland Leader (HML) qualification means she is perfectly placed to take you on and off the beaten track in search of spectacular landscapes, captivating wildlife and history-rich sites in Scotland.
Alex Hare
Alex Hare is an award-winning professional travel, landscape and tourism photographer based in Kent, southeast England. He is also an experienced photo tour guide, well equipped to help you build your photography skills and confidence with any smartphone or camera during our photography tour.
Whatever your level of experience, Alex is here to help you. He’s particularly passionate about helping new or inexperienced photographers master their smartphone or camera to make the most of the kit they have. He also has plenty of technical, creative and post-production tips to help advanced photographers enhance their existing skills.
Alex has taught hundreds of adult learners, from beginners through to advanced, on the various workshops he has run over the years. He studied photography as part of his own Undergraduate degree, and has formal teaching experience from teaching photography students at his local university.
Alongside Kent, Alex’s other favourite places to photograph are the picturesque Lake District and, of course, the Scottish Highlands, the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye!
As a self-confessed outdoors-type and a practiced landscape photographer, Alex is committed to protecting the natural environment, and puts 5% of profits towards environment-supporting charities and carbon offset initiatives.
Dr. Noelle Odling
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 member of staff (Associate Professor) at the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds and ran the MSc course in Hydrogeology.
On retirement from Leeds in 2014, Noelle moved to Lismore, a small island near Oban, There, she became interested in the hydrogeology of the island. In 2013 she started a program of borehole testing as a free service to the islanders interested in improving water supply security.
Noelle has a great interest in the Arts, is treasurer for the Lismore Gaelic Heritage Centre, makes Japanese woodblock prints and is a member of the Lismore Dance Band.
Noelle will join Ali and the group on Day 2.
