Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Scotland: Edinburgh, the East Coast, the Highlands, Skye and Mull
12 days from Edinburgh to Glasgow at a slower pace: St Andrews, Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms, a whisky day in Speyside, the Black Isle, two nights on Skye, two nights in Oban with a day on Mull, and Loch Lomond.
12 days · Edinburgh to Glasgow · up to 12 guests
The Three Sisters in Glencoe, where we walk on day 10 Photo: rboed*, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Three_Sisters_Valley,_Glencoe,_Scotland_-_53744377929.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 12 days, 11 nights
- Start and end
- Edinburgh to Glasgow
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
About 2 to 3 hours on foot most days, on cobbled streets, castle ramps, gravel estate paths and some rough, wet hill paths. The hardest walks are the Old Man of Storr path on Skye (about 3.8 km return with a steady climb) and the optional Loch Muick circuit (about 12 km, level but long); each has a short alternative near the road. No walk is compulsory, and you can sit any part out in the van or a cafe. Four of the seven bases are two-night stays, so you unpack less.
- Meals included
- 11 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,735 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Edinburgh Castle at the first entry of the morning, then the Old Town closes with a local guide
- The East Neuk fishing villages and a free evening in St Andrews
- Over the Cairnwell pass on the Snow Roads into Royal Deeside, with two nights in Ballater
- A whisky day in Speyside: the Glenlivet tour and tasting and the Speyside Cooperage
- Cawdor Castle, Culloden and the dolphins at Chanonry Point on the Black Isle
- The Old Man of Storr before the day tours, and the Quiraing on Skye
- The ferry to Mallaig, the Glenfinnan viaduct and a walk in Glencoe on the way to Oban
- A day on the Isle of Mull with Duart Castle and Tobermory's painted harbour
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 1,735 (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 an evening walk to Calton Hill
- Dinner
- Stay in Edinburgh
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Edinburgh Airport (EDI), about 13 km west of the city, where a driver meets you in arrivals for the ride to our central hotel, within walking distance of the Royal Mile. Land by about 2 pm if you can; arriving a day early is easy to arrange and gives you a day to get over the flight.
Afternoon
In the late afternoon your See Sight Tours guide leads a gentle first walk through Princes Street Gardens under the castle rock, along the Georgian New Town and up Calton Hill, where the view runs from the castle to Arthur's Seat and the Firth of Forth. The Old and New Towns have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
Evening
We finish with a welcome dinner and a short briefing on the next eleven days: how the drives are paced, which bases are two nights, and what to pack for the islands.
Included
- Private transfer from Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
- First walk with your guide: Princes Street Gardens, the New Town and Calton Hill
- Welcome dinner and briefing
Easier option: Take a taxi up Calton Hill with your guide and walk only the level top.
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon walk
Activity: About an hour and a half on foot, with a short steep climb up Calton Hill.
Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town
Edinburgh on foot: the castle, the Royal Mile, St Giles', the closes and the Grassmarket
- Breakfast
- Stay in Edinburgh
Morning
We walk up to Edinburgh Castle for the first entry of the morning, before the queues and tour coaches build. The castle stands on an extinct volcanic plug; inside are the Honours of Scotland, the crown jewels, St Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building in the city, and the siege gun Mons Meg. After about two hours there, a local guide walks us down the Royal Mile to St Giles' Cathedral and into the narrow closes off it, where tenements once rose ten storeys, then down to the Grassmarket and Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are yours. The National Museum of Scotland is free and close by; the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Real Mary King's Close are optional extras we book ahead at the price shown. Your guide will point you to pubs with live folk music for the evening.
Included
- Edinburgh Castle, first entry of the morning
- Guided Old Town walk with a local guide: the Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral, the closes, the Grassmarket and Greyfriars Kirkyard
Optional experiences
- Palace of Holyroodhouse (extra, booked ahead, price shown at booking)
- The Real Mary King's Close underground tour (extra, price shown at booking)
- A ceilidh evening with dinner and Scottish dancing (extra, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Leave the walk at St Giles' and rest at the hotel or a cafe.
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 inside the castle.
The Forth bridges, the East Neuk and St Andrews
Edinburgh to South Queensferry, across the Forth to Fife, the East Neuk villages and St Andrews
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in St Andrews
- Drive about 2.5 h
We leave Edinburgh at about 9 and stop first at South Queensferry, under the red cantilevers of the Forth Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, with its two road bridges beside it. Then we cross into Fife and follow the coast to the East Neuk, a string of fishing villages with red pantiled roofs and stone harbours.
Afternoon
We walk the harbour at Pittenweem, still a working fishing port, and sit down to a seafood lunch in Anstruther, home of the Scottish Fisheries Museum. St Andrews is twenty minutes on. In the afternoon your guide walks us through the ruins of the cathedral, founded in 1158 and once the largest church in Scotland, to the clifftop castle with its siege mine and bottle dungeon, along the medieval street plan of the town and to the Old Course, the oldest golf course still in play.
Evening
We arrive at the hotel by about 4:30, and the evening is free by the West Sands.
Included
- The Forth Bridge at South Queensferry
- Pittenweem harbour and Anstruther in the East Neuk
- Sit-down seafood lunch in Anstruther
- St Andrews Cathedral and St Andrews Castle with your guide
- A walk through the old town to the Old Course and the West Sands
Optional experiences
- A round of golf in St Andrews on a public course (extra, booked ahead where tee times allow, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Stay in the cathedral grounds and the old town and skip the castle's steps and mine.
More active option: Walk the Fife Coastal Path from Pittenweem to Anstruther, about 2 km, and meet the group for lunch.
Free time: Evening free in St Andrews
Activity: About 2.5 hours on foot, on harbour cobbles, grass and gravel in the ruins, and a low passage in the castle mine.
Dundee, Pitlochry and the Snow Roads to Deeside
St Andrews to Dundee, then Pitlochry, Glenshee, the Cairnwell pass, Braemar and Ballater
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ballater
- Drive about 4 h
We cross the Tay Road Bridge to Dundee and are at the V&A Dundee for its 10 am opening. The building, by Kengo Kuma, sits on the waterfront like a ship's prow beside RRS Discovery, Scott's Antarctic ship built in the city; the Scottish Design Galleries inside take about an hour.
Afternoon
Then it is just over an hour by Perth to Pitlochry, a Victorian resort town on the Tummel, where we sit down to lunch and walk the oak wood path to the Black Spout waterfall. In the afternoon we take the Snow Roads over Glenshee and the Cairnwell pass, at about 670 m one of the highest main roads in Britain, into the Cairngorms National Park, stopping in Braemar, then follow the Dee to Ballater by about 5:30. That is about four hours of driving, at our daily guideline, split into three legs by the gallery, lunch and the walk. We unpack for two nights.
Included
- V&A Dundee, at opening, and RRS Discovery from the quay
- Sit-down lunch in Pitlochry
- Woodland walk to the Black Spout waterfall
- The Snow Roads over Glenshee and the Cairnwell pass
- A stop in Braemar
Optional experiences
- RRS Discovery, aboard (extra, price shown at booking; time allowing)
Easier option: Stay in Pitlochry's main street after lunch instead of the woodland walk.
More active option: Walk on from the Black Spout to the Edradour distillery and back, about 1.5 km more.
Free time: Evening free in Ballater
Activity: About 2 hours on foot: gallery floors and a woodland path of about 2.5 km with some climb and roots.
Balmoral and Glen Muick
Ballater to Balmoral (or Braemar Castle), then Glen Muick and back to Ballater
- Breakfast
- Stay in Ballater
- Drive about 1.5 h
A slower day in Royal Deeside. We drive fifteen minutes west to Balmoral, the royal family's Highland home since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert bought it in 1852, for opening. The grounds, gardens, exhibitions and the ballroom take about two hours; the rest of the castle stays private. Balmoral usually opens only from about April to July, so on August and September departures we visit Braemar Castle instead, a turreted tower house run by the local community, with its rooms furnished.
Morning
In the late morning we drive into Glen Muick, a quiet glen in the Cairngorms where red deer graze near the road, and walk from the Spittal of Glenmuick to the shore of Loch Muick under Lochnagar. You can stop at the loch or walk on with the guide. We are back in Ballater by about 1:30.
Afternoon
The afternoon is free for lunch on the green, the old railway station, or a walk up Craigendarroch, the wooded hill above the village.
Included
- Balmoral: grounds, gardens, exhibitions and ballroom (about April to July)
- Braemar Castle instead, on August and September departures
- Guided walk in Glen Muick to Loch Muick
Easier option: Walk only from the Spittal car park to the loch shore and back, about 2 km on a level track.
More active option: Walk the full Loch Muick circuit with the guide, about 12 km and 3.5 hours, returning in the mid-afternoon.
Free time: Afternoon free in Ballater
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot on gravel estate paths and a level glen track; the full loch circuit is longer and optional.
A whisky day in Speyside
Ballater over the Lecht to Tomintoul and Glenlivet, then Aberlour and Craigellachie
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Aberlour
- Drive about 2 h
We leave Deeside over the Lecht, a high moorland road past the old Corgarff Castle, to Tomintoul and down into Glenlivet, a glen once famous for illicit stills. The Glenlivet distillery, licensed in 1824, gives our tour at about 10:30: mash tuns, stills and warehouses, ending with a tasting of its Speyside malts. Drivers' drams can be taken away.
Afternoon
We drive on along the Spey to Aberlour for a sit-down lunch, then to Craigellachie and the Speyside Cooperage, where coopers repair and raise oak casks by hand for the region's distilleries, watched from a gallery above the floor. The drive is under two hours in short legs. The late afternoon is free: walk a stretch of the Speyside Way along the river, or sample in a village bar from a list your guide suggests.
Evening
Tonight is our one night in Speyside, in Aberlour or Craigellachie.
Included
- The Lecht road and Tomintoul
- The Glenlivet distillery tour and tasting
- Sit-down lunch in Aberlour
- The Speyside Cooperage, Craigellachie
Optional experiences
- A second distillery tour in the late afternoon, if a slot is free on your date (extra, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Skip the cooperage gallery and rest in Aberlour after lunch.
More active option: Walk the Speyside Way from Craigellachie back to Aberlour, about 4 km on an old railway line by the river.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Speyside
Activity: About 2 hours on foot, with stairs and uneven floors in the distillery and cooperage.
Cawdor, Culloden and the Black Isle
Aberlour to Cawdor Castle, Culloden, Chanonry Point on the Black Isle and Inverness
- Breakfast
- Stay in Inverness
- Drive about 2.5 h
We drive west through Moray to Cawdor Castle, opening at about 10, a 14th-century tower house still lived in by the Cawdor family, with tapestries, a drawbridge and walled gardens; the castle is tied to Macbeth only by Shakespeare's title. Then it is twenty minutes to Culloden, where the last Jacobite army was defeated on 16 April 1746.
Afternoon
The visitor centre tells both sides, and flags on the moor mark where the clans and the government lines stood; lunch in its cafe is your own choice and cost, not one of the included lunches. In the afternoon we cross the Kessock Bridge to the Black Isle and walk out to Chanonry Point, between Fortrose and Rosemarkie, where bottlenose dolphins often feed in the narrows of the Moray Firth on a rising tide; your guide times the stop to the tide and we wait about an hour.
Evening
Inverness is twenty minutes away, and we arrive by about 5:30, with the evening free by the River Ness.
Included
- Cawdor Castle and gardens
- Culloden Battlefield and visitor centre
- Chanonry Point on the Black Isle, timed to the tide for dolphins
Easier option: Watch from the car park end at Chanonry Point, a few steps from the van.
More active option: Walk the full battlefield path at Culloden out to the government lines and back, about 3 km.
Free time: Evening free in Inverness
Activity: About 2.5 hours on foot, on castle stairs, level battlefield paths and a shingle point.
Loch Ness, Eilean Donan and over to Skye
Inverness along Loch Ness to Invermoriston, then Glen Moriston, Glen Shiel, Eilean Donan, the Skye Bridge and Portree
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Portree
- Drive about 4 h
We follow the north shore of Loch Ness, about 37 km long and over 200 m deep, with a stop at a lochside viewpoint, then turn west at Invermoriston through Glen Moriston and down Glen Shiel between steep, bare mountains. Eilean Donan, our castle for the day, stands on a tidal island where three sea lochs meet; it was destroyed in 1719 and rebuilt in the early 20th century, with a banqueting hall, bedrooms and kitchen laid out inside.
Afternoon
We have about an hour and a quarter there and a sit-down lunch in Dornie beside it.
Evening
We cross the Skye Bridge, stop at Sligachan under the jagged Cuillin and reach Portree at about 5:30, with the evening free by the coloured houses of the harbour. The drive is about three and three quarter hours in four legs. We stay two nights, so bags stay packed away.
Included
- A Loch Ness viewpoint stop
- Glen Moriston and Glen Shiel
- Eilean Donan Castle, inside
- Sit-down lunch in Dornie
- Sligachan and the view of the Cuillin
Easier option: Watch Eilean Donan from the shore viewpoint and skip the narrow stairs inside.
Free time: Evening free in Portree
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot, with narrow stairs inside Eilean Donan.
The Storr and the Quiraing on Skye
Portree to the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, the Quiraing, Uig and back to Portree
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Portree
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
Skye's day tours arrive mid-morning, so we leave Portree at 8 and are at the Old Man of Storr, a basalt pinnacle on the Trotternish ridge, by about 8:20. The path climbs about 3.8 km there and back, and the early light falls on the rock face. Up the coast we stop at Kilt Rock, where Mealt Falls drops off the cliff into the sea, then take the narrow road over the ridge from Staffin to the Quiraing, a huge landslip of pinnacles and hidden plateaus, for a walk along its path.
Afternoon
We have a sit-down lunch at Uig or Staffin and pass the grassy cones of the Fairy Glen above Uig. Then we cross the ridge back to Portree by about 3, about two and a quarter hours of driving on single-track roads in all. The rest of the day is free: a harbour walk, a boat trip to look for sea eagles in season, or an easy afternoon in the hotel.
Included
- The Old Man of Storr, early, before the day tours
- Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls
- The Quiraing and the Staffin to Uig ridge road
- The Fairy Glen
- Sit-down lunch at Uig or Staffin
Optional experiences
- A sea eagle boat trip from Portree harbour in season (extra, price shown at booking)
Easier option: Walk only the first stretch of the Storr path and turn back whenever you like, and watch the Quiraing from the car park.
More active option: Walk the Quiraing loop over the ridge, about 6.8 km and 2.5 hours, while the group takes the shorter path; the van meets you.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Portree
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on rough, often wet hill paths, with a steady climb at the Storr. Bring waterproofs.
The Mallaig ferry, Glenfinnan and Glencoe to Oban
Portree to Armadale, the ferry to Mallaig, then Glenfinnan, Fort William, Glencoe and Oban
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Oban
- Drive about 4.5 h
We cross Skye to Armadale on the Sleat peninsula for the car ferry to Mallaig, a crossing of about 30 minutes, then take the Road to the Isles east past silver sands to Glenfinnan, at the head of Loch Shiel, where Charles Edward Stuart raised his standard in 1745.
Afternoon
We walk up to the viewpoint over the 21-arch railway viaduct and have a sit-down lunch nearby. Past Fort William, under Ben Nevis, at 1,345 m the highest mountain in Britain, we reach Glencoe in the mid-afternoon for a guided walk of about an hour from the visitor centre, where your guide tells the story of the massacre of 13 February 1692, then stop below the Three Sisters. Oban is an hour south over the Connel Bridge, and we arrive by about 6:30. This is the longest day and the only one over our four-hour guideline, about four and a quarter hours of driving plus the ferry, because there is no shorter road from Skye to Oban; the ferry, Glenfinnan, lunch and the Glencoe walk break it into four legs. If wind stops the ferry, we leave by the Skye Bridge, about 1.5 hours longer, and shorten Glenfinnan.
Included
- The Armadale to Mallaig car ferry
- Glenfinnan: the viaduct viewpoint and the Glenfinnan Monument
- Sit-down lunch at Glenfinnan or Mallaig
- Guided walk in Glencoe and the Three Sisters viewpoint
Easier option: Watch the viaduct from the visitor centre terrace, and stay at the Glencoe visitor centre cafe during the walk.
Free time: Evening free in Oban
Activity: About 2 hours on foot, with a short steep path at Glenfinnan and woodland paths in Glencoe.
A day on the Isle of Mull
Oban by ferry to Craignure, then Duart Castle and Tobermory, and back to Oban
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Oban
- Drive about 2 h
We take an early CalMac ferry from Oban across the Firth of Lorn to Craignure on Mull, about 45 minutes, and drive a few minutes to Duart Castle, the seat of the Clan Maclean on a headland over the Sound of Mull, for its opening. The castle was ruined in the 18th century and restored from 1911, and its keep, dungeons and state rooms take about an hour and a half.
Afternoon
Then we drive north along the sound, where sea eagles and seals are often seen, to Tobermory and its painted harbour front for a sit-down lunch and free time among the shops, the small distillery and the harbour walk.
Evening
We return to Craignure for a mid-afternoon ferry and reach Oban at about 4:30, with time before our farewell seafood dinner. If wind cancels the Mull ferry, we visit Dunollie Castle and the Oban shore instead.
Included
- The Oban to Craignure ferry, both ways
- Duart Castle
- Tobermory harbour and free time
- Sit-down lunch in Tobermory
- Farewell seafood dinner in Oban
Easier option: Stay in Tobermory's harbour cafes rather than the climb to the upper town.
More active option: Walk the Aros Park path from Tobermory, about 3 km through woods to a waterfall and back.
Free time: Free time in Tobermory and early evening in Oban
Activity: About 2 hours on foot, with steep stairs in Duart and a hill in Tobermory.
Inveraray, Loch Lomond and Glasgow
Oban to Inveraray, then the Rest and Be Thankful, Loch Lomond at Luss and Glasgow
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 3 h
We leave Oban at about 9 along Loch Awe to Inveraray, a Georgian planned town on Loch Fyne, for a coffee and a walk along the front. The road then climbs Glen Kinglas and the Rest and Be Thankful pass to Loch Lomond, the largest lake in Britain by surface area, and runs down its west shore to Luss, a conservation village of stone cottages.
Afternoon
We have our last lunch together there at about 12:30, with time on the pier. Glasgow is about forty minutes on. In the city centre your guide leads a short walk through George Square, under the Victorian City Chambers, and into the Merchant City, and the trip ends there at about 4. Those flying out ride on to Glasgow Airport (GLA) by about 4:30. Book a flight after about 7:30 pm, or stay on: we can book a Glasgow hotel. The drive is about two and three quarter hours in three legs.
Included
- Inveraray on Loch Fyne
- The Rest and Be Thankful pass
- Luss on Loch Lomond and lunch
- Short guided walk in Glasgow: George Square, the City Chambers and the Merchant City
- Drop at Glasgow city centre or Glasgow Airport (GLA)
Easier option: Stay in the van or a cafe in George Square during the Glasgow walk.
Free time: Evening free in Glasgow if you are staying on
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot on level village lanes and city pavements. Book a flight leaving Glasgow after about 7:30 pm.
- Edinburgh2 nights
- St Andrews1 night
- Ballater2 nights
- Aberlour1 night
- Inverness1 night
- Portree2 nights
- Oban2 nights
- Glasgowend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May and June bring the longest days, with light until about 10 pm in the north, and the fewest midges; September is quieter, with heather fading and the first autumn colour in Deeside. Ferries to Mallaig and Mull can be cancelled in high wind, and the guide then swaps the day: the Skye Bridge route instead of the Mallaig ferry, or Glencoe and Oban instead of Mull. Bottlenose dolphins are often seen at Chanonry Point on a rising tide, red deer in Glen Muick, Glencoe and on Rannoch, red squirrels in Deeside and Speyside, and seals and sea eagles are possible around Mull.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers with two weeks who want the whole of Scotland, east and west, without a big coach
- Anyone who wants fewer packing days: four two-night bases, and only one drive over about four hours
- Whisky drinkers and the curious: a full day in Speyside with a distillery tour and the cooperage
- Castle lovers who prefer intact, furnished castles to roadside ruins
- Mixed groups: optional longer walks for some, a viewpoint and a seat for others
Not for you if you want
- Anyone short of time: the 8-day Edinburgh, Highlands and Skye trip covers the core in less
- Travellers who want the far north, Orkney or the Outer Hebrides: see our North Coast 500 and Orkney trip
- Hill walkers looking for big mountain days; walks here are 1 to 3 hours with longer options
- Sun seekers: rain and wind are likely on some days in any month
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
11 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Edinburgh2 nights
- St Andrews1 night
- Ballater2 nights
- Aberlour1 night
- Inverness1 night
- Portree2 nights
- Oban2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 11 nights: 2 in Edinburgh, 1 in St Andrews, 2 in Ballater, 1 in Aberlour or Craigellachie (Speyside), 1 in Inverness, 2 in Portree on the Isle of Skye and 2 in Oban
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms, a short walk from restaurants; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Private transfer from Edinburgh Airport (EDI) on day 1
- A private minivan and professional driver for the group from day 3 to day 12, sized for 7 to 12 guests and for single-track Highland and island roads
- The Armadale to Mallaig car ferry
- The Oban to Craignure ferry to Mull and back
- Drop at Glasgow city centre or Glasgow Airport (GLA) on day 12
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, from the day 1 walk in Edinburgh to the end in Glasgow
- A local guide for the Edinburgh Old Town walk, and the site guides at the distillery and castles
Activities
- Edinburgh: Calton Hill walk, Edinburgh Castle at first entry, and a guided Old Town walk
- South Queensferry and the Forth Bridge
- Pittenweem and Anstruther in the East Neuk
- St Andrews Cathedral and St Andrews Castle
- V&A Dundee
- Pitlochry and the Black Spout waterfall walk
- Balmoral grounds, gardens and ballroom (about April to July) or Braemar Castle
- Glen Muick and Loch Muick guided walk
- The Glenlivet distillery tour and tasting
- The Speyside Cooperage, Craigellachie
- Cawdor Castle
- Culloden Battlefield and visitor centre
- Chanonry Point on the Black Isle
- Eilean Donan Castle
- Isle of Skye: Sligachan, the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, the Quiraing and the Fairy Glen
- Glenfinnan viaduct viewpoint and the Glenfinnan Monument
- Glencoe guided walk and the Three Sisters viewpoint
- Isle of Mull: Duart Castle and Tobermory
- Inveraray and Luss on Loch Lomond
- Glasgow: a short guided walk through George Square and the Merchant City
- All parking and site fees for included stops
Meals
- 11 breakfasts
- 8 lunches, on days 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Edinburgh and a farewell seafood dinner in Oban
Not included
- International flights to Edinburgh and from Glasgow
- The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or a visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 2, 5 and 7, and dinners not listed
- Drinks other than the distillery tasting
- Optional activities: the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Real Mary King's Close, a ceilidh evening, golf in St Andrews, going aboard RRS Discovery, a second distillery tour and a sea eagle boat trip
- Tips
- Personal expenses
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,735 (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 12-day Scotland trip price include?
Eleven nights in central hotels, 11 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 2 dinners, a private minivan and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, the Edinburgh airport transfer and the Glasgow drop, the Mallaig and Mull ferries, and every visit in the day plan, including Edinburgh Castle, Balmoral or Braemar, Glenlivet, Cawdor, Culloden, Eilean Donan and Duart. Drinks, tips and optional extras are not included.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests in a minivan, never a full-size coach. That size fits single-track roads on Skye and Mull, small car parks at the Quiraing and Glen Muick, one table at lunch, and distillery tours sized for small groups.
Who leads the trip, and who drives?
A See Sight Tours guide is with the group for the whole trip, from the first walk in Edinburgh to the end in Glasgow, and a professional driver is at the wheel so the guide can focus on you. A local guide leads the Edinburgh Old Town walk, and site guides run the distillery tour.
How slow is the pace, and how fit do I need to be?
Moderate fitness is enough, and the pace is slow. Most days have 2 to 3 hours on foot, and only one drive, Skye to Oban on day 10, runs past four hours, broken by a ferry and three stops. Four of the seven bases are two nights. The Old Man of Storr path is the hardest walk and is optional; you can turn back early or wait below.
I'm travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 1,735 more and shown before you book. If you share, you pay the base price with no supplement. Tell us when you request to book and we will say whether a same-gender roommate match is possible on your date; if not, you choose before paying anything.
When is the best time for a Scotland grand tour?
May, June and September are the best balance: long days, open castles and fewer crowds than July and August. The trip runs May to September, when Cawdor, Duart and the distillery tours are open. Balmoral usually opens only until July, so later departures visit Braemar Castle. Midges are out on still days from June.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you send the request. Prices are per person sharing a room, taxes included: the small group starts from CAD 9,640, and private from CAD 17,350.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle; a private trip can swap Mull for Iona or add a night. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us and we will quote the same hotels and transfers.
Do I need a visa or an ETA to visit Scotland?
Canadian and US passport holders need no visa for a tourist visit, but they do need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), applied for online before you fly for a small fee. Bring a passport valid for your whole stay. Other nationalities should check the UK rules before booking; we will help.
How is this different from your 8-day Edinburgh, Highlands and Skye trip?
It adds the east coast and a day on Mull: St Andrews, Dundee, Royal Deeside, a Speyside whisky day and the Black Isle, with four two-night bases, then Skye's Trotternish, Glenfinnan and Glencoe. The 8-day trip already covers Edinburgh, the Highlands and Skye in a week, including Neist Point and Talisker, which this trip leaves out.
What happens if a ferry is cancelled by the weather?
Your guide changes the day. If wind stops the Armadale to Mallaig ferry, we leave Skye by the bridge and Glen Shiel, about 1.5 hours longer, and shorten Glenfinnan. If the Mull ferry is cancelled, we spend the day around Oban with Dunollie Castle and a shore walk instead.
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.
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