Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Scotland for Three Generations: Edinburgh, the Highlands and Skye
8 days from Edinburgh to Glasgow for grandparents, parents and children 6 and up: Edinburgh Castle, the Falkirk Wheel, two nights in the Cairngorms with reindeer and a beach, Loch Ness, two nights on Skye and a train over the Glenfinnan viaduct.
8 days · Edinburgh to Glasgow · up to 12 guests
The fingerpost on the woodland path to the Black Spout waterfall above Pitlochry, our day 3 walk Photo: QueenBarenziah, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pitlochry_path_signs.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Edinburgh to Glasgow
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
About 1.5 to 3 hours on foot a day, broken by meals and the van, on cobbled streets, castle ramps, garden and woodland paths and a few rough hill paths that can be wet. The hardest parts are the hill trip to the reindeer (about 30 minutes each way on a rough path) and the Old Man of Storr (a steady climb, walked as far as you like). Each has a seated or level alternative, and anyone can sit any walk out with a coffee.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,100 (estimated price)
- Season
- April to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Edinburgh Castle at the first entry of the morning, then the Camera Obscura and its rooms of illusions
- Riding the Falkirk Wheel, the rotating boat lift between two canals
- Feeding Britain's only free-ranging reindeer herd by hand in the Cairngorms
- A sandy beach at Loch Morlich, and snow leopards and wildcats at the Highland Wildlife Park
- Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness and Eilean Donan on its tidal island
- The Old Man of Storr and dinosaur footprints on the shore at Staffin
- The ferry to Mallaig and a train over the Glenfinnan viaduct
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,100 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Edinburgh
Edinburgh Airport to your hotel in the centre, then Princes Street Gardens
- Early welcome dinner
- Stay in Edinburgh
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Edinburgh Airport (EDI), about 13 km west of the city, and a driver meets your family in arrivals for the ride to our hotel in the centre, a short walk from Princes Street. Land by about 2 pm if you can; with children and jet lag, coming a day early is easy to arrange. At about 4:30 your See Sight Tours guide meets everyone in the lobby so the children can put names to faces, then leads a gentle, level walk through Princes Street Gardens under the castle rock, past the floral clock and the Ross Fountain, with benches all the way. The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
Evening
Dinner is early, at about 6 pm, so the youngest can be in bed on time: a welcome meal together, with a short briefing on the week, what to pack for Skye and how each day is paced.
Included
- Private transfer from Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
- Meet the group and your guide
- Level walk through Princes Street Gardens
- Early welcome dinner and briefing
Easier option: Rest at the hotel and join the group at dinner.
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon meeting
Activity: About an hour on foot on level garden paths, with benches.
Edinburgh Castle and the Camera Obscura
Edinburgh on foot: the castle, Castlehill and the Royal Mile
- Breakfast
- Stay in Edinburgh
Morning
We walk up to Edinburgh Castle for the first entry of the morning, at about 9:30, before the queues and tour groups build; grandparents who would rather not climb the Royal Mile ride up by taxi with the guide. The castle sits on an extinct volcano and children like it for its cannons, the great siege gun Mons Meg, the prisons of war where captured sailors carved their names, and the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels. After about two hours we cross Castlehill to the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, where a Victorian rooftop camera projects live views of the city onto a table, and five floors of optical illusions keep every age busy for an hour.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice on the Royal Mile. The afternoon is free: the National Museum of Scotland is free to enter and has a dinosaur skeleton and Dolly the sheep, or rest at the hotel.
Evening
Dinner is on your own; your guide suggests family-friendly places with early tables.
Included
- Edinburgh Castle, first entry of the morning, with your guide
- Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Optional experiences
- Dynamic Earth, the science centre below Arthur's Seat (extra, price shown at booking)
- The Real Mary King's Close underground tour, for ages 5 and up, under-16s with an adult (extra, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Ride a taxi to the castle esplanade and stay on the lower, level areas inside the castle.
More active option: Climb Arthur's Seat in the afternoon, 251 m, about 2 hours up and down from Holyrood, with your guide's directions.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Edinburgh
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on cobbles and steep streets, with steps and ramps inside the castle.
The Falkirk Wheel, Pitlochry and Aviemore
Edinburgh to the Falkirk Wheel, then Perth, Pitlochry and the A9 to Aviemore
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Aviemore
- Drive about 3 h
We leave Edinburgh at about 9 and drive 45 minutes west to the Falkirk Wheel, the only rotating boat lift in the world, which turns to carry boats 24 m between two canals. We ride it on a boat trip of about an hour, so the children see the whole wheel lift them up and set them down again.
Afternoon
North of Perth the road enters the Highlands, and we reach Pitlochry at about 12:45 for a sit-down lunch on the main street. Afterwards a short woodland walk leads up through oak trees to the Black Spout, a waterfall of about 60 m with a viewing platform. The last leg, about an hour on the A9 over the Pass of Drumochter and along the edge of the Cairngorms National Park, brings us to Aviemore at about 4:30. That is about 3 hours of driving in three legs, none over about an hour and a quarter.
Evening
The evening is free, with an early dinner on your own and, where the hotel has one, a swim.
Included
- Falkirk Wheel boat trip
- Sit-down lunch in Pitlochry
- Woodland walk to the Black Spout waterfall
Easier option: Stay in the van at the Black Spout car park, or have coffee on Pitlochry's main street.
Free time: Evening free in Aviemore
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot: a level canal basin at Falkirk and a woodland path with a gentle climb to the waterfall.
Reindeer, the beach at Loch Morlich and the wildlife park
Aviemore to the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre at Glenmore and Loch Morlich, then the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Aviemore
- Drive about 1 h
A day built around animals and a beach, with only about an hour in the van. We leave Aviemore at about 10:15 for the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre at Glenmore, home of Britain's only free-ranging reindeer herd, and join the herders' 11 am hill trip, which runs daily. It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours in all: a walk of about 30 minutes each way on a rough path, and time among the reindeer to feed them by hand.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Glenmore at about 1, and then there is an hour on the sandy beach of Loch Morlich, at the foot of the Cairngorms, for paddling and stone-skimming. At about 3 we reach the Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig, run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, with animals of cold and mountain places such as snow leopards, Scottish wildcats and polar bears, which we confirm for your date. Visitors to its reserve stay in their vehicle; whether our minivan may drive it is confirmed at booking, and if not, we walk the level main paths. We are back in Aviemore at about 5.
Included
- Cairngorm Reindeer Centre 11 am hill trip to the herd
- Sit-down lunch in Glenmore
- The beach at Loch Morlich
- Highland Wildlife Park
Optional experiences
- Kayak or paddleboard hire at Loch Morlich (extra, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Stay at the Reindeer Centre while the hill trip goes up, then take it easy on the Loch Morlich beach and on the benches at the wildlife park.
More active option: Walk part of the path round Loch Morlich through the Caledonian pine forest while the group is on the beach.
Free time: Evening free in Aviemore
Activity: About 2.5 hours on foot: a rough, sometimes boggy hill path to the reindeer in the morning, sand at the beach, and mostly level park paths in the afternoon.
Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and Eilean Donan to Skye
Aviemore to Inverness and Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, then Glen Moriston, Glen Shiel, Eilean Donan, the Skye Bridge and Portree
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Portree
- Drive about 4 h
This is the trip's longest day in the van, about 3.75 hours, so we split it into three legs of no more than about an hour and a half, each ending at a castle or a meal. We leave Aviemore at 8:45 and drive north by Inverness to Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness, arriving soon after opening. Loch Ness is about 37 km long and over 200 m deep, and the children can scan the water for the monster from the ruined tower.
Afternoon
After about an hour and a quarter we head west through Glen Moriston and down Glen Shiel between steep mountains to Dornie, for a sit-down lunch beside Eilean Donan, the castle on a tidal island where three sea lochs meet. Inside are a banqueting hall, bedrooms and a kitchen laid out as they were.
Evening
Then we cross the Skye Bridge and arrive in Portree at about 4:30, in time for a walk round the coloured houses of the harbour before an early dinner on your own.
Included
- Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness
- Sit-down lunch in Dornie
- Eilean Donan Castle, inside
- The Skye Bridge
Easier option: Stay in the upper visitor area at Urquhart, which avoids the steep path down to the castle.
More active option: Climb the Grant Tower at Urquhart for the view along Loch Ness.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Portree
Activity: About 2 hours on foot, with a steep path and steps at Urquhart and narrow stairs inside Eilean Donan.
The Old Man of Storr and Skye's dinosaur coast
Portree to the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock and Staffin, then back to Portree
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Portree
- Drive about 1.5 h
Afternoon
A short driving day on Skye, about an hour and a half on single-track roads, with the afternoon free. We leave Portree at about 8:45 and reach the Old Man of Storr, a basalt pinnacle on the Trotternish ridge, before most day tours arrive mid-morning. The path climbs about 3.8 km there and back, and families walk as far as suits them: the first viewpoint over the lochs is about 20 minutes up. Up the coast, Kilt Rock is a short level walk from the car park to a fenced viewpoint where Mealt Falls drops off the cliff into the sea. At Staffin we look for dinosaur footprints in the rocks at An Corran beach, visible at low tide, which we plan around for your date, and visit Staffin's small dinosaur museum. Lunch is a sit-down meal in Staffin, and we are back in Portree by about 2:30. The afternoon is yours: a wildlife boat trip from the harbour, a swim, or a rest.
Included
- The Old Man of Storr path, walked as far as you like
- Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls viewpoint
- Dinosaur footprints at An Corran beach, Staffin
- Staffin Dinosaur Museum
- Sit-down lunch in Staffin
Optional experiences
- A wildlife boat trip from Portree harbour for seals and sea eagles (extra, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Watch the Storr from the roadside viewpoint by Loch Leathan and stay on the level path at Kilt Rock.
More active option: Walk the full Storr path to the foot of the pinnacle and on to the upper viewpoint, about 2 hours with the guide.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Portree
Activity: About 2.5 hours on foot, on a steady, rough climb at the Storr if you go up, and a slippery rock shore at Staffin.
Sligachan, the Mallaig ferry and the train over the Glenfinnan viaduct
Portree to Sligachan and Armadale, the ferry to Mallaig, then the train to Fort William
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Fort William
- Drive about 1.5 h
We leave Portree at 9 and stop at the old bridge at Sligachan, under the Cuillin, where the guide tells the legend that bathing your face in the river brings eternal beauty, and the brave try it. Then it is about an hour and a quarter in all to Armadale on the Sleat peninsula, for the gardens of Armadale Castle and the Museum of the Isles, before the car ferry to Mallaig, a crossing of about 30 minutes.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Mallaig, a working fishing harbour. In the afternoon the whole family boards the train to Fort William on the West Highland Line, about an hour and a half by lochs and silver sands and across the Glenfinnan viaduct, the one the Hogwarts Express crosses in the Harry Potter films, while our van carries the bags. Driving today is only about an hour and a quarter. If wind stops the ferry, we drive round by the Skye Bridge, about 3 hours with a lunch stop, and refund the train.
Evening
Farewell dinner in Fort William is at about 6.
Included
- Sligachan old bridge and the Cuillin view
- Armadale Castle gardens and the Museum of the Isles
- The Armadale to Mallaig car ferry
- Sit-down lunch in Mallaig
- Train from Mallaig to Fort William over the Glenfinnan viaduct
- Early farewell dinner in Fort William
Optional experiences
- The Jacobite steam train in place of the regular service, when its timetable and seats allow (extra, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Sit in the castle garden's tearoom at Armadale instead of walking the woodland paths.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Fort William before dinner
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot on garden paths at Armadale; steps up into the train carriages.
Glencoe, Loch Lomond and Glasgow
Fort William to Glencoe, then Rannoch Moor, Tyndrum, Loch Lomond at Luss and Glasgow
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Fort William at about 9 and are at the Glencoe Visitor Centre half an hour later. A short path through the woods leads to Signal Rock, and the guide tells the story of the massacre of 13 February 1692 in a way that suits the children. Then we drive up the glen, stopping at the viewpoint for the Three Sisters and at Altnafeadh under Buachaille Etive Mor, before crossing the open bog and lochans of Rannoch Moor, where red deer often graze by the road. The road runs south by Tyndrum and down the west shore of Loch Lomond, the largest lake in Britain by surface area, to Luss, a village of stone cottages with a pebble beach, at about 12:30.
Afternoon
We have our last lunch together, then a boat trip of 45 minutes to an hour on the loch, in season. Glasgow is about forty minutes on: Glasgow Airport at about 4:15, the city centre at about 4:45. That is about 3.25 hours of driving, the longest leg about 2 hours. Book flights after about 7:30 pm.
Included
- Glencoe Visitor Centre and the walk to Signal Rock
- The Three Sisters viewpoint and Buachaille Etive Mor
- Rannoch Moor
- Sit-down lunch in Luss
- Boat trip on Loch Lomond from Luss (in season)
- Drop at Glasgow Airport (GLA) or Glasgow city centre
Easier option: Wait in the visitor centre cafe during the walk, then join the viewpoint stops.
Free time: Afternoon free in Glasgow after the drop, if you are staying on
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot on woodland paths in Glencoe and level lanes and a pebble beach in Luss. Book a flight leaving Glasgow after about 7:30 pm.
- Edinburgh2 nights
- Aviemore2 nights
- Portree2 nights
- Fort William1 night
- Glasgowend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Scottish weather changes by the hour, so the guide may swap the order of stops to catch drier spells, and the Armadale ferry, the Falkirk Wheel boat or the Loch Lomond boat can be cancelled in high wind (if the ferry stops, we leave Skye by the bridge and the train is refunded). Days are long from May to July, with light until about 10 pm in the north, which helps children who wake early. Reindeer are out on the hill all year; red deer are often seen on Rannoch Moor, and seals and sea eagles are possible around Skye. Midges are worst on still, damp days from June to September.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Grandparents, parents and children aged 6 and up who want one trip that works for all of them
- Families on a first visit to Scotland who would rather not drive on the left on single-track Highland roads
- Children who like doing things: boats, a boat lift, reindeer, castles, a beach, dinosaur footprints and a train
- Older travellers who want shorter drives, early dinners and a seat at every stop
Not for you if you want
- Children under 6: the trip is designed for ages 6 and up; ask about the private version
- Whisky lovers: there are no distillery tours; our adult Scotland trip includes two
- Pushchairs and wheelchairs: castles have stairs and several paths are rough
- Families who want Orkney, Mull or the Outer Hebrides: this trip stays on the mainland and Skye
- Sun seekers: rain and wind are likely on some days in any month
Minimum age: 6
Most guests are Three generations: children 6 to 14, parents, grandparents up to about 80
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Edinburgh2 nights
- Aviemore2 nights
- Portree2 nights
- Fort William1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 2 in Edinburgh, 2 in Aviemore, 2 in Portree on the Isle of Skye and 1 in Fort William
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms, a short walk from restaurants; family rooms or connecting rooms where the hotel has them, confirmed before you pay
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Private transfer from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) on day 1
- A private minivan and professional driver for the group from day 3 to day 8, sized for 7 to 12 guests and for Skye's single-track roads
- The Falkirk Wheel boat trip
- The Armadale to Mallaig car ferry
- Train from Mallaig to Fort William on the West Highland Line, while the van carries your bags
- A boat trip on Loch Lomond from Luss (in season)
- Drop at Glasgow Airport (GLA) or Glasgow city centre on day 8
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, from the day 1 walk to the day 8 drop in Glasgow
- Site guides and herders where a visit has them, such as the reindeer hill trip
Activities
- Edinburgh: Princes Street Gardens walk, Edinburgh Castle at first entry, the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
- The Falkirk Wheel
- Pitlochry: the Black Spout waterfall walk
- Cairngorms: the Highland Wildlife Park, the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre hill trip and Loch Morlich beach
- Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness
- Eilean Donan Castle
- Isle of Skye: the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, the dinosaur footprints at An Corran, the Staffin Dinosaur Museum, Sligachan, and Armadale Castle gardens and the Museum of the Isles
- The train over the Glenfinnan viaduct
- Glencoe Visitor Centre, Signal Rock and the Three Sisters viewpoint
- Rannoch Moor and Luss on Loch Lomond
- All parking and site fees for included stops
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 6 lunches, on days 3 to 8
- 2 early dinners: a welcome dinner in Edinburgh and a farewell dinner in Fort William
Not included
- International flights to Edinburgh and from Glasgow
- The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or a visa, for each traveller who needs one
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 1 and 2, and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Optional activities: Dynamic Earth, the Real Mary King's Close, kayak or paddleboard hire, a Portree wildlife boat and the Jacobite steam train
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,100 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Scotland family trip price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 2 early dinners, airport transfers, a private minivan and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, the Skye ferry, the train over the Glenfinnan viaduct, the Falkirk Wheel and Loch Lomond boats, and every visit in the day plan, from Edinburgh Castle to the reindeer. Drinks, tips and a few optional extras are not included.
What ages is this trip for?
Children aged 6 and up, with their parents and grandparents. Every day was planned to suit a 9-year-old and a 70-year-old at once, with an easy option and a longer one on walking days. Children must stay with an adult throughout. For children under 6, ask about the private version, where the pace can follow nap times.
Is the trip too much for grandparents?
It is built not to be. Most days have under 3 hours in the van in short legs, the climbs to the castle, the reindeer and the Storr have a taxi, a seat or a roadside viewpoint instead, and dinners we book start at about 6 pm. Guests should manage about 1.5 to 3 hours on foot a day, broken by stops.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in a minivan, never a full-size coach, and a group can be two or three families travelling together. A single family of six or fewer books the private trip instead. That size fits Skye's single-track roads, the reindeer hill trip and one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide is with the group for the whole trip, from the first walk in Edinburgh to the drop in Glasgow, and a professional driver is at the wheel so the guide can look after the family. Site guides and the reindeer herders lead their own visits.
Can we have family rooms or connecting rooms?
Yes, we ask for them. Tell us how your family wants to sleep when you request to book, and we confirm family, triple or connecting rooms with each hotel before you pay. For older travellers we ask for a lift or a ground-floor room. Child rates for a third or fourth person in a room are quoted at booking.
I'm a grandparent travelling without a partner. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 1,100 more and shown before you book. If you share a room with a grandchild or another family member, you pay the base price per person with no supplement.
When is the best time for a family trip to Scotland?
The trip runs April to October. July and August match school holidays but are the busiest and dearest months, especially Edinburgh in August. Late June and early September give long days, open sights and fewer crowds. Rain is possible in any month, and midges bite on still days from June to September.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and send a request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are per person sharing a room, taxes included: the small group starts from CAD 6,425, and private from CAD 11,565.
Can our family travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your family only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle; a family of six or fewer, under the small group's minimum of 7, always books this way. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels and transfers.
Do our children need an ETA to visit Scotland?
Yes. Canadian and US passport holders need no visa for a tourist visit to the UK, but every traveller, children and babies included, needs a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), applied for online before you fly for a small fee. Bring passports valid for the whole stay; other nationalities should check the UK rules.
Is the train over the Glenfinnan viaduct the Harry Potter train?
It is the same line and the same viaduct, but the included ride is the regular train from Mallaig to Fort William. The Jacobite steam train, used in the films, is an optional upgrade when its timetable and seats allow, at the price shown at booking. If wind stops the ferry, we drive round instead and refund the train.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.