OVERVIEW

Skirt the base of the brooding Cuillin Mountains, cross from Skye to the West Highlands and visit what might just be Scotland’s most photogenic castle. The panoramic coach journey snakes across the Isle of Skye’s atmospheric landscape and over the Skye Bridge to the mainland. There it follows waterside bluffs to arrive at an achingly beautiful setting where three lochs converge, and iconic Eilean Donan Castle sits in picture-perfect dilapidation on a tiny tidal island. If it looks familiar, that’s because you’ve likely seen it on countless calendar covers and in movies like Highlander and James Bond’s The World is Not Enough. Eilean Donan’s been standing since the 13th century, built and rebuilt over time as it presided over this highly strategic point, joined to the shore by a narrow stone bridge with sheer mountains as a backdrop. It spent two of those centuries partly in ruin, victim of severe naval bombardment during the 18th-century Jacobite rebellion. After 20 years of careful restoration, it reopened in the 1930s. Your inside tour will reveal many telling examples of the castle’s battle-hardened history – from the billeting room with 12-foot thick walls to the lavish dining hall with secret tunnels behind its walls.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy stunning scenery on a coach journey across Skye and over the bridge to the Western Highlands.
• Drink in the incomparably majestic setting of Eilean Donan Castle, presiding over all on its islet at the confluence of three lochs.
• Cross a triple-arched medieval bridge to tour this forbidding yet beautiful landmark – Scotland’s most-photographed castle.
• Discover a history riddled with tales of ancient Vikings, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Jacobite invasions and prophetic dreams.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing; include a light raincoat or umbrella.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Take a giant step back into medieval days on a visit to extraordinary Dunvegan Castle, the ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod for 800 years. Your drive west across the Isle of Skye traverses a wild and beautiful landscape, but nothing could prepare you for the setting you’ll encounter on arrival at Dunvegan. Perched on an elevated rock overlooking an unspoiled sea loch, the castle is one of the most renowned of Hebrides region strongholds – and the only one continuously owned and occupied by the same family for eight centuries. The castle first began accepting public visitors in the 20th century, but inside you’ll find yourself steeped in Clan MacLeod memorabilia from centuries past – as well as the inescapable warmth of a family home still lived in. Priceless heirlooms you’ll encounter during the tour include the Fairy Flag, believed to have miraculous powers when unfurled during battle; the Dunvegan Cup, a ceremonial silver-gilded wood vessel that dates to 1493; and Sir Rory Mor’s Horn, a drinking vessel only a clan Chief would quaff from. Outside, romantic gardens and cascades await. As do marvelous views of the rugged Cuillin Mountains during the return drive to Portree.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cross the picturesque Isle of Skye by panoramic coach, from Portree to Loch Dunvegan in the west.
• Enjoy a privileged inside tour of Dunvegan Castle, seat of the Clan MacLeod for the last eight centuries.
• Admire the collected heirlooms and artifacts handed down by MacLeod Chiefs since medieval times, including the Dunvegan Cup, mysterious Fairy Flag and Sir Rory Mor’s Horn.
• Stroll acres of magnificent castle gardens overlooking the loch, including a water garden with islands.
• Gaze in awe the craggy Cuillin Mountain peaks on the drive back across Skye.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing; include a light raincoat or umbrella.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Be dazzled by Northern Skye’s spectacular beauty and learn about its agricultural past on a drive that circles the rugged Trotternish Peninsula. It’s a journey that captures outstanding scenery from start to finish, with your guide providing fascinating geological and social history of the Isle of Skye along the way. Regular stops will allow you to soak up – and photograph – some truly breathtaking settings. Several of the highlights you’ll encounter are intensely scenic – like Kilt Rock, a dramatic 200-foot sea cliff clad in a tartan-like pattern of rock striations and bathed in the roar of its waterfall that plunges straight down to the pebbles below. Others are more curious, like the high coastal rock monolith known as the Old Man of Storr, part of a coastal ridge visible for miles around and often enveloped in mist. You’ll pass the village of Staffin, an outlying crafting community overlooking a broad bay Staffin, and hear tales of Skye’s myths and legends as you round the far northern tip of Skye. At the tiny settlement of Kilmuir you’ll stop to in to learn a bit about the Highlands’ traditional small-plot farming method – known as crofting – at the charming Museum of Island Life.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a guided panoramic survey of Northern Skye’s famously dramatic Trotternish Peninsula.
• Stop for photo ops and atmosphere appreciation all along this highly scenic route.
• See world-famous natural landmarks including Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls, and the Old Man of Storr.
• Visit a charming little Museum of Island Life in the remote hamlet where wunderkind British clothing designer Alexander McQueen is buried among his clan’s ancestors.
• Pass though many another remote village as you circle the landmass that forms Skye’s far northern tip.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing; include a light raincoat or umbrella.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Amble with us on a guided walk through the Isle of Skye’s hill-fringed capital town. Portree is neither large nor ancient, but it does have character – and a bustling harbor where pastel buildings huddle together as if to hold each other up. During a relaxed stroll, your knowledgeable local guide will share some of the town’s heritage – along with entertaining insights on local life – as you survey tidy streets lined with tidy buildings. You’ll learn about Portree’s founder, Sir James MacDonald, who built the town with a vision of education for all. And about how the town’s name dates back further, to the 1500s, when James V and his warships came to call – hoping to curry the support of the local clan chiefs. You’ll see Portree’s central square, site of many of the town’s most impressive façades – with impressive histories to match. At the conclusion of the official walk, you’ll have time to explore further at your leisure; many of the town shops offer classic Scottish goods, handicrafts and tartans. One can never have too many tartans.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Stroll Portree with a seasoned local guide, seeing its top sights and learning a bit of their history.
• Hear the stories behind the town’s name, which translates to “KIng’s Harbor” from Gaelic.
• See Somerled Square, colorful buildings along the harbor, and the peninsula known as The Lump.
• Pass a place or two with ties to Bonnie Prince Charlie’s escape from Scotland after his loss in the famous 1746 Battle of Culloden.
• After the guided walk, enjoy some independent exploring or shopping time in town.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing; include a light raincoat or umbrella.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.