Quick Details
Instead of rushing to fit all your sightseeing into a day; take your time, relax, and explore the beauty of Scotland over five days. This comprehensive adventure saves hours of research time as a full itinerary is planned out for you. Visit ancient castles, mountains, glens, historical sites, a whisky distillery, geological wonders, and beautiful lochs. Highlights include Loch Lomond, the Culloden Battlefield, Urquhart Castle, and St. Andrews Cathedral.
Experience a 5 Day Isle of Skye, Oban, St Andrews and North West Highlands Tour from Edinburgh with The Hairy Coo!
The ultimate Scottish experience – guaranteed satisfaction and memories
DEPARTURE
Edinburgh Check-In 8:00 AM
Edinburgh Tour Departs 8:15 AM
Departure Point: we depart from outside Heritage of Scotland, 459-461 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2NT. This is directly opposite the road from our original departure point by Deacon’s House Cafe.
(what3words, Google Maps)
Please note: From the 2nd of December 2024 onward, we will be boarding from the north side of St Andrew Square, outside Hotel Malmaison, 22 St Andrew Square, EH2 1AY (what3words, Google Maps). You can view a map and further details here.
Seats are unreserved so we recommend you arrive early if you have a preference of where you would like to sit.
TOUR RETURNS
Drop-Off: 6:30 PM
The tour concludes on the fifth day outside Heritage of Scotland, 459-461 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2NT.
Please note that return times are approximate and may be impacted by road conditions and weather. We recommend allowing at least 2 hours for any onward travel or reservations in the evening, in the event of delays.
ABOUT YOUR 5-DAY SCOTLAND TOUR
The 5-Day tour is our crowning jewel; if you want to fully explore the country. Our group size is limited to only 16-guests on our 5-day tour to allow us access to even more remote locations. Your knowledgeable, passionate and experienced driver-guide will be there to take the strain out of such a journey, leaving you free to relax and enjoy.
On this tour, you won’t just visit the essential tourist locations, but also towns and landmarks you’ve never heard of or knew you were missing on your bucket list. You can tour a whisky distillery, explore ancient castles, decide where in Scotland truly does the best seafood and ‘monster hunt’ at Loch Ness. If you don’t spot Nessie, it won’t get in our way… During the summer season (April-October) we’ll also take you on a seal spotting cruise along the coast of palm-tree lined Plockton on Loch Carron. Yes, you read correctly – palm trees!
You’ll learn about Jacobite Rebellions and the lasting legacy of Culloden Battlefield, while stepping foot on film locations used for ‘Outlander’. Further along the Hollywood trail, you’ll see locations used for ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Monty Python’, ‘Braveheart’ and ‘James Bond’ to name a few.
Much more than that, you’ll really start to feel like a local. By the end of the trip you’ll know your ‘ayes’ from your ‘naws’,and when to ‘hud yer wheesht’. You’ll experience Scotland in a way that very few do and see what talents or stories make every corner of this country so ‘braw’.
During your unforgettable tour, you will spend one night in Oban, another in Portree on the Isle of Skye and two nights in the Capital of the Highlands, beautiful Inverness.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?
- Experienced ‘Hairy Coo’ Driver Guide providing live commentary and storytelling throughout.
- Travel on one of our luxury, modern, air-conditioned coaches.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?
- Food & drink
- Accommodation
- Gratuities for your Driver Guide
- Optional Extras are purchasable on the day with cash only from your Driver Guide, please list below
ACCOMMODATION ON TOUR
For this tour, you will require accommodation for a one night stay in Oban, a one night stay in Portree and a two night stay in the city of Inverness.
Accommodation is not included in the price of your tour but we are happy to offer assistance and provide further recommendations where needed. Please contact us if you need help!
You will need to book accommodation near our pick up/drop off points below;
Oban: Outside Oban Train Station, 1 Station Rd, Oban, PA34 4NU (what3words, Google maps)
Portree: Somerled Square, Portree, IV51 9BS (what3words, Google maps)
Inverness: Inverness Cathedral on Ardross Street, IV3 5NN (what3words, Google maps)
Please ensure that your booked accommodation is fully refundable in the unfortunate event that you are unable to make the tour or if the tour is cancelled or rescheduled. We recommend that you book directly with the accommodation provider as opposed to via a 3rd party to ensure you get the most competitive rate available. We encourage that you mention you are on a tour excursion when you book as most accommodation providers will be happy to provide your party with an early breakfast.
Optional Extras
-
Optional Extras are purchasable on the day with cash only from your Driver Guide.
-
- St Andrew’s Cathedral
- Adults – £3.75
- Child – £2.25
- St Andrew’s Cathedral
-
-
Optional Extras are purchasable on the day with cash only from your Driver Guide.
-
- Museum of Island Life
- Adults – £6pp
- Child – FOC
- Calum’s Seal Tour
- Adults – £17pp
- Child – £7.50
- St Andrew’s Cathedral
- Adults – £3.75
- Child – £2.25
- Ben Nevis Distillery
- 2 x Whisky – £12pp
- 4 x Whisky – £20pp
- Museum of Island Life
-
WINTER SEASON
SUMMER SEASON
5-DAY SCOTLAND TOUR ITINERARY
WINTER SEASON (November – March)
-
During the winter period of the year, we’ve made some changes to the itinerary and route. We’ve designed this winter version to make as much of the shorter daylight hours, if you have any further questions around the changes please feel free to get in touch!
DAY ONE
DAY TWO
DAY THREE
DAY FOUR
DAY FIVE
8:15am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am Depart Edinburgh Depart Oban Depart Portree Depart Inverness Depart Inverness ♦ Kelpies ♦ Glencoe ♦ Trotternish Peninsula ♦ Rogie Falls ♦ Culloden Battlefield ♦ Luss by Loch Lomond ♦ Glenfinnan Viaduct (Train seasonal Apr-Oct) ♦ Lealt Falls & Kiltrock ♦ Glascaronoch Dam ♦ Clava Cairns ♦ Arrochar Alps ♦ Fort William ♦ Quiraing ♦ Corrieshalloch Gorge Cairngorm National Park ♦ Inveraray ♦ Commando Memorial ♦ Uig ♦ Ullapool ♦ Pitlochry ♦ Loch Awe ♦ Invergarry ♦ Fairy Glen ♦ Loch Ness ♦ St Andrew’s ♦ St. Conan’s Kirk Glengarry viewpoint ♦ Portree ♦ Beauly – visit the local Highland Cows Arrive back in Edinburgh ♦ Oban Glen Shiel ♦ Eilean Donan Castle ♦ Drumnadrochit APPROX 6:30pm APPROX 6:30pm Skye Bridge Achnasheen ♦ Inverness ♦ Portree ♦ Inverness APPROX 6:00pm APPROX 6:30pm APPROX 6:30pm
SUMMER SEASON (April – October)
DAY ONE |
DAY TWO |
DAY THREE |
DAY FOUR |
DAY FIVE |
| 8:15am | 8:30am | 8:30am | 8:30am | 8:30am |
| Depart Edinburgh | Depart Oban | Depart Portree | Depart Inverness | Depart Inverness |
| ♦ Kelpies | ♦ Glencoe | ♦ Trotternish Peninsula | ♦ North Coast 500 | ♦ Culloden Battlefield |
| ♦ Luss by Loch Lomond | ♦ Glenfinnan Viaduct (Train seasonal Apr-Oct) | ♦ Old Man of Storr | ♦ Corrieshalloch Gorge | ♦ Clava Cairns |
| ♦ Arrochar Alps | ♦ Ben Nevis Distillery | ♦ Quiraing | ♦ Ardvreck Castle | Cairngorm National Park |
| ♦ Inveraray | ♦ Commando Memorial | Duntulm Castle | ♦ Knockan Crag Nature Reserve | ♦ Pitlochry |
| ♦ Kilmartin Glen | ♦ Great Glen | ♦ Flora McDonald’s Grave & Museum of Highland Life | ♦ Ullapool | ♦ St Andrew’s |
| ♦ Oban | Fort Augustus & Loch Ness | ♦ Portree | ♦ Rogie Fall | Arrive back in Edinburgh |
| APPROX 6:30pm | Glen Shiel | ♦ Sligachan River | ♦ Hairy Coo Experience | APPROX 6:30pm |
| ♦ Eilean Donan Castle | ♦ Plockton Seal Tour | ♦ Urquhart Castle & Loch Ness | ||
| Skye Bridge | Wester Ross Trail | ♦ Inverness | ||
| ♦ Portree | Achnasheen | APPROX 6:00pm | ||
| APPROX 6:30pm | ♦ Inverness | |||
| APPROX 6:30pm |
before your tour
-
We recommend that you bring warm and/or waterproof clothing, no matter what the forecast appears to be…Scotland’s weather is very unpredictable! And don’t forget your camera to capture all the lovely scenery and wildlife you’ll encounter on your tour (which you can later share with us online). While there are no planned hikes during the tour, we encourage wearing comfortable and flat footwear as some stops may have uneven ground.
-
You are more than welcome to bring along one smaller bag to use while on the bus, as well as one medium sized piece of luggage, suitcase or backpack, which we will put in the hold of the bus during transit. This can weigh up to 15kgs (33lbs) per passenge. We’re usually happy to allow larger/heavier bags when shared between multiple passengers.
The luggage restriction has been set to ensure that not all guests join the tour with excessive luggage as our vehicles do not have the space to hold too much. Because of this, we would kindly ask that you try other options instead of bringing all of your luggage with you. Please see our FAQ’s for recommendations on where to store your belongings.
-
We ask that tickets to the optional extras available are paid in cash, please see the cost listed above under “What is not included”. We must also remind you that while picturesque and quaint, many of the suppliers in smaller towns do still prefer cash payments. ATM’s are located at multiple stops along the route, and currency exchange services are available in Inverness.
-
Food is readily available at the many of stops on tour, but you are absolutely more than welcome to bring drinks, snacks and a cold packed lunch on board. Hot drinks are permitted but only if they have a secure lid.
-
We always aim to stop for a visit of our local, beloved Hairy Coos on our tours! However we cannot guarantee Highland cows, as we are not in control of their movements or placements. Please note that in the winter months (Mid November – March) some farmers decide to move the cows indoors or to other field for the winter so we cannot guarantee them during this period.