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Scottish Highlands Hiking

Our most recommended Scottish Highlands Hiking

Inverness: 2-day Isle of Skye, Fairy Pools & Castles Tour

1. Inverness: 2-day Isle of Skye, Fairy Pools & Castles Tour

Experience the Scottish Highlands on a tour from Inverness. Visit the Isle of Skye, Dunvegan Castle, The Fairy Pools, and many more highlights on a tour escorted by a driver guide. Depart from Inverness and journey towards the Isle of Skye. Stop at Achnasheen for a quick break. Head to Loch Carron for a quick photo stop and then take a short break at Kyle of Lochalsh. Head to the 13th-century Dunvegan Castle, operated by the same family for over 800 years. Explore the castle or head into Dunvegan village to grab some lunch and explore the village. Then, it’s off to the imposing and dramatic Quiraing Mountain Range. See 3 more of Skye’s most iconic landmarks, Kilt Rock, Lealt Falls, and the Old Man of Storr, and head to Portree for an overnight stay. Enjoy breakfast in the morning and head to one of the most magical places in Scotland, the Fairy Pools. Stop at Sligachan and Sconser and head to Broadford to enjoy lunch. Keep an eye out for wildlife, including otters, seals, and even killer whales. Visit Eilean Donan, situated on its own island at the head of Loch Duich. Return to Inverness via the scenic town of Fort Augustus at the foot of Loch Ness. Enjoy views of the massive loch, home to Nessie, on the way back to your meeting point.

From Inverness: Isle of Skye Scenery Tour with Fairy Pools

2. From Inverness: Isle of Skye Scenery Tour with Fairy Pools

Visit Eilean Donan Castle and the spectacular Isle of Skye on a guided day trip from Inverness. Drive along Loch Ness and explore an iconic Scottish landscape of wind-swept valleys, rock formations, and coastal cliffs. Make a stop at the Fairy Pools at the foot of the Black Cuillin Mountains. Depart from a central meeting point in Inverness, where you will meet your guide and board the mini-bus. First, stop at Eilean Donan Castle and take plenty of photos as you admire the majestic beauty of this iconic sight in its wonderful coastal location. Upon arrival in Portree, make your way to the harbor viewpoint where you can see the pretty pastel-colored houses. Enjoy a short stop here, where you can also purchase a light lunch. Next, stop at a loch-side viewpoint, and discover the unique rock formation of the Old Man of Storr. See the 50-meter high pinnacle that juts out from the Trotternish Ridge and is recognizable from blockbuster films including Ronin 47, Snow White & The Huntsman, Prometheus, and The BFG. Continue to the Fairy Pools, a series of crystal-clear waterfalls and pools surrounded by the stunning backdrop of the Cuillin Mountains. Finally, stop for some photos of Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness. Admire the sight of the castle on a distinctive peninsula jutting out onto the mysterious Loch Ness, before heading back to Inverness.

From Inverness: 2-Day Isle of Skye and The Fairy Pools Tour

3. From Inverness: 2-Day Isle of Skye and The Fairy Pools Tour

Begin your 2-day tour at the meeting point in Inverness. From there, drive with your guide to your first stop at Loch Ness, the largest loch in the British Isles, and one of the deepest too. Keep an eye out for the world-famous yet elusive monster, and discover one of the most iconic castles in Scotland: Urguhart Castle. Next, continue via the soaring mountains, sparkling rivers, and wild moorlands of Glien Shiel and the Five Sisters of Kintal to the Isle of Skye. Enjoy the view of the rocky Cuillin Mountains when you arrive on Skye before heading to the Fairy Pools, one of the most dramatic landscapes on the island. The fairies regularly bathe here, in the crystal clear green pools of the River Brittle. Weather permitting, swim in the pools of the river, one of the UK’s best wild swimming spots. Have fun diving under natural arches and waterfalls, but please do not spy on the fairies, as they can easily take offense. After enjoying the company of the fairies, move on to Neist Point, the best place on the island to spot whales, dolphins, and sharks. Here, get transported to the edge of the world, with its beautiful scenery, awesome skies, and endless ocean. Your driver-guide will then drop you off at your accommodation (not included in the tour price) for the night. On the second day, get picked up from your accommodation by your driver-guide and make your way to Fairy Glen. Wander between countless conical mounds, known in the Highlands as fairy knowes; put your ears to the grass and listen for the fairies at work inside. Bend down to search for elves in the glen's miniature forests, take the twisted path to the top of the fairy castle, or walk the faun’s maze and have a wish granted! Then, head off the beaten track to Rha waterfalls, also known as the hidden waterfalls, and do some more wild swimming. Next up is the Quiraing, a landscape used in many sci-fi films known for its otherworldly rock formations and stunning vistas. From there, move on to the breathtaking Kilt Rock, home to the dinosaurs of Skye’s ancient past. Admire its distinctive pillars and beautiful waterfall with views across to the Torridon Hills on the mainland. After leaving Kilt Rock, view the Old Man of Storr, a 61-meter (200-foot) stone pillar that has detached itself from the highest point of the 720-meter (2,362-foot) ride. Marvel at a fantastical landscape of twisted rocks, looming shadows, and swirling mists, and take in a stunning clifftop view out to the islands of Rhona, Raasay, and the mountains of Assynt. Make your last stop on your 2-day tour at Eilean Donan Castle, the stronghold of the Clan MacRae and the headquarters of James Bond in “The World is not Enough,” on your way back to Inverness. The tour concludes at the original meeting point.

From Glasgow: 3-Day Isle of Skye, Highlands & Loch Ness Tour

4. From Glasgow: 3-Day Isle of Skye, Highlands & Loch Ness Tour

Day One: Visit the village of Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond, within a national park. Admire Rannoch Moor before walking through Glen Coe valley. Pause for photos after lunch by Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. End your first day by relaxing in the charming village of Portree, on the Isle of Skye.  Day Two: Enjoy breakfast in Portree, before deciding how you will spend your day. Choose between a tour of Dunvegan Castle, Duntulm Castle or a visit to Uig and the traditional blackhouses. End your day by viewing The Storr, before returning to Portree. Day Three: Experience a tour of Eilean Donan Castle. Visit the pretty loch-side village of Fort Augustus for lunch and views of Loch Ness. Continue your journey to the Victorian resort town of Pitlochry, before driving back to Edinburgh where you will be dropped off outside Edinburgh Waverley Train Station. Passengers that began the tour in Glasgow will be provided with a free train ticket to return to Glasgow.

Edinburgh: Waterfalls Hike, Scone Palace & Queens View Tour

5. Edinburgh: Waterfalls Hike, Scone Palace & Queens View Tour

Travel to Scone Palace and explore the Palace to learn its long history and see the ancient coronation site for the Kings & Queens of Scotland. Departing Edinburgh, we travel through the beautiful Perthshire countryside and begin the day with a short hike to Kinnoull Tower, with stunning views across the city of Perth. Then we're off to visit Scone Palace to explore this incredible place. Once the coronation site for the Kings & Queens of Scotland, this elegant Palace holds a commanding view across the city of Perth and the River Tay, Scotland's Longest River. Continuing the travels north into the Highlands of Scotland, the next stop takes its name from a visit by a very famous Queens from the British Monarchy, The Queens View. A spot visited by Queen Victoria on her travels north with her husband Albert, they decided to stop by this spot for a view over Loch Tummel & what a view it is! The next spot visited on the Scone Palace tour is Killiecrankie, where you'll learn about the 1689 Jacobite Uprising Battle of Killiecrankie, led by Bonnie Dundee. A short hike to a spot called the Soldiers Leap, you'll learn how this name came about and be offered stunning views down into the River Garry. Now begin your travels south to the Birks of Aberfeldy, a stunning hike through the beautiful woodland towards spectacular waterfalls which inspired one of Scotland's famous poets to compose his poem about the falls, Robert "Rabbie" Burns. After the hike, continue travelling south from the Highlands of Scotland to our next destination, Huntingtower Castle. This charming castle once hosted Mary Queen of Scots and her husband, Lord Darnley. Learn about the Ruthven Raid, where a young James VI (6th) was held hostage for months. After visiting our final stop, we travel back down to Edinburgh.

Edinburgh: Isle of Skye & Highlands 3-Day Spanish Tour

6. Edinburgh: Isle of Skye & Highlands 3-Day Spanish Tour

Discover everything the beautiful, wild Scottish Highlands has to offer on a 3-day tour with an expert Spanish guide. Capture the stunning views of the famous Loch Ness, explore the Isle of Skye, and stroll around the medieval Inverness castle. Day 1: Meet your group in the morning, hop onto the van and head into the Highlands to Pitlochry, home to one of Scotland's oldest and most beautiful distilleries - Blair Athol Distillery. Explore the 37 kilometer long Loch Ness with a fascinating history. Learn some anecdotes of the lake and gaze at Urquhart Castle, the 13th-century castle which sits on the shore of Loch Ness. Visit Inverness, known as the capital of the Highlands, and enjoy the panoramic views from Inverness castle. Day 2: Stroll around Portree in your free time, trek along the well-known Man of Storr trail and contemplate the view at the stunning waterfall, Lealt Falls. See Kilt Rock, a section of sea cliffs 55 meters in height with an incredible waterfall. Finally, head to the famous Neist lighthouse a short walk along a cliff path. Featured on the cover of numerous magazines and postcards, the lighthouse is only five minutes away from the parking lot. Day 3: Visit Fort Augustus and learn about the Caledonian Canal lock system. From here, explore the majestic and deep valley of Glen Coe. Admire the beautiful scenery and narrow stone bridge in Killin, followed by a walk to see the monument of national hero, William Wallace. Lastly, see The Kelpies, two giant, Scottish folklore horse sculptures, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Scotland, in recent years. Take the opportunity to explore the River Carron before returning back to Edinburgh on the van.

From Glasgow: Mountain Hiking Day Tour in the Highlands

7. From Glasgow: Mountain Hiking Day Tour in the Highlands

This Mountain Hiking Day tour is for those looking for more of a challenge! The mountain you’ll be hiking is in the breathtaking Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, Scotland’s first National Park. To quote the famous John Muir “The Mountains Are Calling, And I Must Go.” Located just over an hour outside the city of Glasgow, past the town of Callander, Ben Ledi is perfectly situated between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland. Your day will begin from the pickup location in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city. Departing north, we head for the beautiful town of Callander, a spot where Roman ramparts can have been found dating back to the Campaigns of Agricola in the first century. Driving into the town, on a clear day, you can see our objective in the distance, rising like an exploding volcano out of the earth. Once we’ve parked up, laced up our hiking boots and grabbed our hiking poles, we will start our ascent up the mountain. Standing at 879 metres, it falls into the “Corbett” height category. From the top (on a clear day) we should be able to see further north into the National Park and beyond that over towards Loch Tay. Once we have reached the summit and conquered the mountain, we will begin our descent the same way we came up. Upon our return to the van, I think it’s safe to say we deserve a proper lunch, so we’ll pop back into Callander and grab a bite to eat. After gorging ourselves with all the delicious calories our body can take, we will begin our return journey to Glasgow.

From Glasgow: Full-Day Hiking Tour of West Highland Way

8. From Glasgow: Full-Day Hiking Tour of West Highland Way

The West Highland Way is probably one of the most famous multi-day hikes in Scotland. People from all over the world come to complete either small sections of the walk or the entire 96 miles! And it’s not hard to see why! Whether you want to complete the whole route or are just in it for the views, this one-day hike is perfect to get a taste of what the West Highland Way has to offer. You’ll be departing from Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city and heading straight for the beautiful village of Drymen, which is our starting location for this hike. Home to one of the oldest pubs in the country, you’ll learn some interesting facts about the village. From the car park, we begin our hike through Garabhan Forest. Whilst walking through this enchanted forest, the fascinating tale of why the road was constructed will leave you wondering what life was really like during one of the bloodiest periods in Scottish history, The Jacobite Uprisings. With the forest now behind us, the open moorland now stretches out to our next destination, Conci Hill. Part of an ancient fault line, Conic hill offers spectacular views looking across Loch Lomond, the largest inland lake in Britain. Your guide will feed you intriguing facts about Loch Lomond, from its maximum depth to the strange animals inhabiting one of the islands. Animals you wouldn’t normally associate with Scotland. After some photographs of your achievements in conquering this beautiful hill, we’ll descend down to the stunning village of Balmaha for a well-deserved lunch. Now that we’ve stuffed our faces in the delicious food from the Oak Tree Inn, it’s time to wait for the bus back to our starting location. The bus takes 10 minutes to reach our stop and a very short walk to the car park sees us returned to the van. From here we’ll make our way back to the day’s pick-up location, Glasgow.

Northwest Highlands: Private Tour with Hike

9. Northwest Highlands: Private Tour with Hike

If you like wide-open spaces, lonely glens to hike up, and dramatic mountian scenery, this tour has it all. After getting picked up, your guide will explain the course of the day and make any adjustments that you may require. Leaving Inverness and heading northwest over the Black Isle, you will be entertained with stories and legends of the area before stopping off at the beautiful, old Silver Bridge. Follow the Black Water river to the huge Aultguish Dam and onto Wester Ross. At Corrieshalloch Gorge, you’ll take a 30-minute walk and learn about the traces left from the ice age that formed the landscape. Take in the breathtaking views of this spectacular ravine. The fishing village Ullapool is the next stop, where you can take time to wander the streets and have a light refreshment. Then you’ll venture into one of the last wildernesses in Europe. Stop and take in the peculiar yet stunning Stac Pollaidh, Suilven, and An Tealach mountains. After traveling through some of the oldest mountains in the world, you’ll stop at the tiny fishing village of Lochinver for lunch. Depending on the weather, your lunch will be served in the restaurant or on a sandy beach under the shadow of Ardvreck Castle before you head into a lonely glen for your main 2-hour hike of the day: the Bone Caves of Inchnadamph. From here continue on through Sutherland and onto the east coast of Ross and Cromarty where the landscape changes again to flatter and greener farmland. Journey through the beautiful Strath Okyel and onto the Kyle of Sutherland, where a spectacular view awaits. From there you’ll return to Inverness, taking in the old navy port of Invergordon and a curious monument on top of Fyrish Hill.

From Glasgow: Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Tour with 2 Hikes

10. From Glasgow: Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Tour with 2 Hikes

Embark on a true Scottish adventure on a bus and walking tour of the Highlands, Glencoe, Loch Lomond, and more from Glasgow. Learn about the region's rich history from your local guide and get a true essence of what Scotland's nature, history, and people are about. Travel from Glasgow in the comfort of your bus to reach Loch Lomond's calm shores and the Trossachs National Park. See panoramic views over Loch Lomond as you pass through the Highland Boundary Fault Line. This is where you officially enter the Scottish Highlands and gain a sense of what the rugged, mountainous landscape is really like. At the northern section of Loch Lomond, stop to see cascading waterfalls. After a good Scottish downpour, these falls really come to life and create a roaring noise that clashes off every rock and fills every part of the glen with a thunderous sound. Continue to Glencoe to see lush Caledonian Pine forests, a reminder of the ancient landscape which used to cover the majority of the Scottish mainland. Stretch your legs on a short hike along Scotland's premier walking route, the West Highland Way, as you make your way towards a small lochan (small lake). As you enter Glencoe, marvel at the grandeur of Buachaille Etive Mor, the iconic pyramid shaped mountain that forms the backdrop of the glen. The MacDonald’s of Glencoe, who were known as notorious cattle thieves, used the mountain to guide themselves back into Glencoe after a successful night raiding cattle from their neighbor’s lands. Experience the rugged and dramatic land of Glencoe. This alluring landscape captures the imagination of almost anyone who travels through it, and you’ve likely seen it before, as the beauty of Glencoe and the surrounding area has featured in many movies and TV shows. While in Glencoe, hear how the MacDonald Clan from these parts where made an example of by government soldiers in something called The Glencoe Massacre, proof that there’s also a dark side to Scotland’s turbulent history. After lunch, travel to multi-level waterfalls, which come to life after a little rainfall, found after a short walk through some woodland. Here, keep your eyes peeled for the endangered and rare red squirrels. From the roar of the waterfalls to the tranquil setting of Rannoch Moor, this area is one of the last remaining true wilderness locations left in Europe with vast peat bogs, calm lochs, and flat moorland for miles in all direction. A stunning contrast to the mountainous landscape nearby. Finally, travel south towards the lowlands, stopping for one final scenic break at Loch Lomond before heading back to Glasgow.

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What people are saying about Scottish Highlands

3-day trip to isle of skye with Michael. Michael went above and beyond to make sure everyone had fun and no-one was left behind. He had great recommendations at each stop, both on food and activities. He kept up a great attitude the entire trip (even when interrupted mid-story by a couple passenger's phone calls... Tsk tsk). I had a wonderful time exploring Portree and the tour-booked hotel accomodations were great. I will definitely be recommending this tour to others.

This tour was the highlight of our trip, the scenery was incredible and Derek was a fantastic tour guide. His in-dept knowledge was truly amazing and he went above and beyond explaining everything we saw. My favourite bit was the 1306 battle of Dalright, while my husband loved the atmosphere of the Three Sisters. Good time-schedule, definitely worth the price.

A great trip. Our guide and driver Derek was friendly, very informative and knowledgeable. Despite the afternoon rain and cold we managed to see the amazing scenery, as well as going on the walks to the 1306 battlefield and the Inchree falls. A beautiful part of the country. We both would have liked to stay longer.

This day of several hikes with Derek and the other women on the tour was one of the highlights of our trip to Scotland. Derek is very knowledgeable about all aspects of the areas we visited. We highly recommend this day trip.

Put tour guide Kenny was excellent His knowledge wit and humour was a bonus to the itinerary I highly recommend this tour