From Kirkwall Harbour, experience Orkney in a new and thrilling way as you tour the surrounding islands on a guided coastal boat excursion. Be amazed by local scenery and gaze at a variety of wildlife and bird species which can include seals, dolphins and whales. Get an up-close view like no other! Meet your guide and board the boat at Kirkwall harbor and head for the mainland Our tour guides are very experienced with all the safety training needed and are commercially endorsed by RYA/MCA. Leaving Kiikwall harbour you will visit - Mainland - Hatston Pier Shapinsay - Balfour Castle Shapinsay - Balfour village Helliar Holm - Lighthouse Shapinsay - Galtness battery Sweyn Holm - Wildlife watch Gairsay - Seal colony Midsound Baa - Wildlife watch Finestown - Island history Return to Kirkwall harbour

Sail from Kirkwall harbor to the island of Shapinsay to take in the sights, including Balfour Castle and the village of Balfour. Check out a tall lighthouse on Helliar Holm, an uninhabited island. Take photos with highland cows, and visit an eco-friendly store, and a local beach. Leave Kirkwall harbor at Hatston Pier and take a ferry to Shapinsay, one of the Orkney Islands. When you arrive, get off your boat and explore the island. See Balfour village, at Elwick Bay. Visit Balfour Castle, a listed building built in the Scottish baronial style of architecture. Then, gaze at a lighthouse, which is 42 ft (13 meters) tall on the uninhabited island of Helliar Holm. Afterward, tour the beautiful coast of Shapinsay, and take some photos of the rugged scenery. Finally, return to Kirkwall harbor to finish your adventure.

Day 1: Explore Orkney’s ancient capital, Kirkwall After an early start leaving Inverness at 08:00, travel north through the Black Isle, past the imposing Dunrobin Castle, before crossing the Pentland Firth to the Orkney Isles. Stay in Kirkwall, the modern day capital of Orkney for 2 nights. Here, you can visit Kirkwall's magnificent Viking cathedral and its historic winding streets. Day 2: Follow in the footsteps of the Vikings as you travel through Orkney Today is your chance to explore the modern and ancient wonders of this fantastic island; a land of contrasts, where fertile green pastures are fringed by shores of golden sands washed by waters of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Highlights include a visit to Skara Brae, the mystical prehistoric stone circle at Brodgar, the standing stones of Stenness and Maeshowe, where in the 12th-century the Vikings left one of the largest collections of Norse runic inscriptions. Day 3: Travel through the history soaked regions of Caithness and Sutherland Have your last chance to grab some gifts for friends and family, and visit the local cathedral in Kirkwall. And after a ferry back to the mainland, travel through the history soaked regions of Caithness and Sutherland. Find out about the highland clearances, a world-changing period in Scotland’s dark history, and get a glimpse of some of Scotland’s most remote fishing villages. The tour will arrive back in Inverness early evening at approximitely 19:00.

Drive to the top of Scotland on a scenic 5-day tour, and learn the history of the Highlands at sites such as the battlefield of the Macdonald clan massacre, and Stirling Castle. Spend the day on the Orkney Isles, and travel the northenmost coast of mainland Scotland. The tour is by luxury 16-seat Mercedes minibus for a more intimate experience, while bed and breakfast accommodation is provided in Inverness, the lovely town of Kirkwall, and the whitewashed fishing village of Ullapool at the mouth of Loch Broom. Day 1: Depart Edinburgh, heading west towards Stirling. Pass Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument, and continue to Doune Castle, used for location shoots in Monty Python’s “Holy Grail.” Stop in the small town of Callander for refreshments. Then, marvel at the splendor of Loch Luibnaig, Loch Earn, Glen Ogle, and Glen Dochart on a scenic drive over the wild and remote Rannoch Moor. The views of the extinct volcano will take your breath away, and were also the scene of the infamous Clan Macdonald massacre of 1692. Continue north up the Great Glen to mysterious Loch Ness, with plenty of time to try and spot “Nessie” the Loch Ness Monster. The evening will be spent in Inverness, with free time to explore the “Capital of the Highlands.” Day 2: Depart Inverness early to cross over the Black Isle and past Andrew Carnegie’s Skibo Castle. From here, drive the northeast coastline, traveling into some of Scotland’s most dramatic scenery. Enjoy the views of some of Europe’s oldest landscapes, and the chance to spot wildlife such as golden eagle and red deer. Close to Scotland’s most northerly mainland village, John O’ Groats, board the ferry to cross the Pentland Firth to the Orkney archipelago. It is a short drive on arrival to the famous Italian Chapel, where you will stop for a quick visit before continuing to the Viking stronghold of Kirkwall, your home for the next 2 nights. Look inside Kirkwall’s magnificent Viking cathedral, and wander the winding streets of the historic town center. Day 3: Explore the ancient island of Orkney, and discover a land of contrasts, where fertile green pastures are fringed by shores of golden sands, and washed by the waters of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Highlights include a visit to Skara Brae, the mystical prehistoric stone circle at Brodgar, the standing stones of Stenness, and Maeshowe, where Vikings left one of the largest collections of Norse runic inscriptions in the 12th century. Day 4: It’s time to leave Orkney and sail the Viking waters back to the mainland. From here, travel across the very top of Scotland, driving past the stunning Ben Loyal and Ben Hope mountains, following the rocky cliffs and stunning golden sand beaches of the northern coastline. Go to the far northwest of the Highlands, and admire the grandeur of the wild Assynt mountains. Stop to view the 15th-century ruins of Ardvreck Castle. Continue to Ullapool at the mouth of Loch Broom, a beautiful whitewashed fishing village where you will spend your last night. Day 5: Your morning includes visits to Corrieshalloch Gorge, and the ancient Clava Cairns, as well as exploring the more recent bloody history of the Culloden battlefield. Return south through the magnificent Cairngorm National Park, driving past the ancient Caledonian pine forests of Highland Perthshire, before your drop off in Edinburgh.

Day 1 We begin our journey north, passing through the stunning scenery of the Black Isle on our way to Orkney. There will be a short stop in Golspie where you will have the opportunity to buy some lunch to have on the ferry. After this, we will have a short stop at the Helmsdale Clearance to take photos of the Emigrants Statue. We continue to Gills Bay to catch the ferry to Orkney before arriving at St Margaret's Hope shortly after. We head to our first landmark on the islands, the Italian Chapel, here you can choose to enter for a small fee, or simply enjoy it as a photo stop. From there, and before your arrival at Kirkwall, we could enjoy a couple of different activities depending on weather and time available. We could head onwards to Inganess Beach, marked by the wreck of the Juniata, a World War 2 blockship, or visit St Magnus Cathedral and have a short tour of Kirkwall. There could also be the opportunity for a visit to Scapa Distillery for a tour and tasting*. After this, we will arrive in Kirkwall where you will check in to your accommodation for the evening. Kirkwall is the capital of Orkney where you will stay for both nights of our tour. Orkney has a fascinating Viking history which you will learn about from your Driver-Guide throughout the tour! Day 2 After an island breakfast, we will depart Kirkwall and head to the Cuween Hill Chambered Cairn, a Neolithic tomb that gives us a glimpse into the lives of some of Scotland's earliest agricultural communities. From there, we continue on to Skara Brae, Europe's best-preserved Neolithic village. After this, we head to the seaside town of Stromness for a lunch stop, where you can enjoy views over the marina, before we begin our journey to the Stones of Stenness, four standing stones that are potentially some of the oldest in the country. They, along with Skara Brae, are part of the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" and have World Heritage Site status. We get an insightful glimpse at Orkney's military history at our next stop, the HMS Tern, an airfield set up by the Royal Navy during WWII. After this, we journey towards the Broch of Gurness, an amazingly preserved "broch" village from the Iron Age. We then return to Kirkwall for your second night stay. Day 3 We get ready to leave Kirkwall and head back to St Margaret's Hope for the short crossing to Gills Bay. We head to John O'Groats for lunch, the most northerly point on mainland Britain. A range of wildlife can usually be seen here such as Atlantic puffins, seals, a variety of birds and possibly even an orca! Take photos of the iconic sign post and the colourful buildings before we continue to Castle Sinclair Girnigoe dramatically situated on a cliff's edge. Should the weather not be on our side, we will instead continue onwards to Wick. After this, we will start our homeward journey back to Inverness, with comfort stops at Dunbeath Harbour and Golspie on the way.

DAY1: Edinburgh-Inverness Our first stop of the day is Dunkeld in the heart of Perthshire. Then we make our way to the Highland Folk Museum, Britain's first open-aired museum. Next, we stop at one of the most somber locations in Scotland, Culloden Battlefield, setting for the final Jacobite Uprising of 1746. Visit one of the inspirations behind Outlander - the Clava Cairns - known for being a bronze age burial ground. Arrive in Inverness in the evening for an overnight stay. DAY2: Inverness-Orkney The incredibly beautiful Dunrobin Castle traces its origins back to the 13th century, recognised as one of Britain's oldest inhabited houses. Experience the rugged charm of Scotland’s very own “route 66”. We head to Orkney by ferry for our last leg of the day. Upon arrival your guide drives you to Kirkwall, where you settle in for the night. DAY3: Orkney The breathtaking Italian Chapel was built during WWII using two Nissen huts. The Ring of Brodgar is a vast and mysterious archaeological gem, and the most iconic site in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. Visit Skara Brae, an incredibly well-preserved neolithic village consisting of 10 houses. Next, we visit Stromness, the second largest settlement in Orkney. We spend the afternoon exploring Orkney. DAY4: Orkney-Ullapool We hop on a ferry back to the mainland. We continue our journey along the North Coast 500. Smoo Cave is one of the top natural attractions on the North Coast 500 and epic example of Scottish geology. We make a stop in Durness to visit Sango Sands beach. Marvel at the scenery and mild-blowing geology of the North-West Highlands with a walk through Knockan Crag Nature Reserve. DAY5: Ullapool-Portree Our first stop of the day is at Corrieshalloch Gorge. Next we stop at the most photographed castle in Scotland, Eilean Donan which has links to both clans MacKenzie and MacRae. We arrive in Skye for lunch, visiting Portree and the Old Man of Storr. Next we stop to admire Kilt Rock. Marvel at the breathtaking Mealt Waterfall. DAY6: Portree-Oban We arrive in Mallaig to board the Jacobite Steam Train. The West Highland Line between Mallaig and Ft. William is famous for its beautiful scenery and dreamy sands of the west coast. Glencoe is dominated by majestic mountains which completely contrast the vast and flat expanse of its neighbouring Rannoch Moor. Your guide will take you through Glencoe’s sad history; you will feel like you have been transported through time. DAY7: Oban-Oban Today is your free day to explore the charming fishing village of Oban! DAY8: Oban-Edinburgh We visit St. Conan’s Kirk sits at the heart of Dalmally’s local community. Kilchurn Castle was built in the mid-1400s by Sir Colin Campbell, the 1st Lord of Glenorchy, and sits dramatically on a rocky peninsula. We make a stop at the impressive Falls of Dochart which run through Killin. Our final stop is in Falkirk to see the Kelpies; a fantastic equine landmark. Our tour concludes in Edinburgh after an unforgettable 8 days.