Orkney and the Far North Scotland Tour – 5 Days

• Accommodation: Overnight in Inverness.
• Highlights: Stirling Views, Doune Castle, the Trossachs National Park, Ben Nevis, Loch Ness, the Great Glen and Inverness.

Day 2 – The Northern Highlands, John O’ Groats and Kirkwall
This morning we continue north, leaving behind the ‘Capital of the Highlands, crossing over the Black Isle, and past Andrew Carnegie’s Skibo Castle. From here, you drive through the northeast Highland coastline, travelling into some of Scotland’s most dramatic scenery and coastlines, and enjoy amazing views of some of Europe’s oldest landscapes with the chance to spot wildlife such as Golden Eagles and red deer. Onwards through Scotland’s most northerly mainland village, John o’ Groats, and then to Gills Bay, where we board the ferry, crossing the Pentland Firth into the Orkney Archipelago. From here, it is a short drive to the famous Italian Chapel, where we stop for a visit before continuing to the Viking stronghold of Kirkwall, the capital of Orkney and your base for 2 nights. You can visit Kirkwall’s magnificent Viking Cathedral and its historic winding streets here.

• Accommodation: Overnight in Kirkwall, Orkney
• Highlights: The North East Coast, the Scottish Highlands, John O’Groats, Isle of Orkney and Kirkwall.

Day 3 – The Isle of Orkney, Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar
Today we explore this enchanting, ancient island, a land of contrasts where fertile green pastures are fringed by shores of golden sands washed by the turbulent waters of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. First, we visit the UNESCO World Heritage site at Skara Brae. This 5000-year-old village pre-dates even the Pyramids of Egypt before journeying to the mystical prehistoric stone circle at Brodgar and the Druidic standing stones of Stenness. After a stop in Stromness – one of Scotland’s most picturesque seaboard villages, we continue to Maeshowe, where in the 12th century, the Vikings left one of the largest collections of Norse runic inscriptions waiting to be discovered. After a beautiful day, we return to Kirkwall for your overnight stay.

• Accommodation: Overnight in t: Kirkwall, Orkney.
• Highlights: Italian Chapel, Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar, Maeshowe and Stromness.

Day 4 – The Northern Coast, Assynt Mountains and Ardvreck Castle
This morning we depart Orkney and sail the Viking waters back to the mainland. We travel the old road across the very top of Scotland, driving past the stunning Ben Loyal and Ben Hope mountains and following the rocky cliffs and stunning golden sand beaches of our northern coastline. We explore the far northwest highlands and the grandeur, expanse and wilderness of the mountains of Assynt before stopping to view the 15th-century ruins of Ardvreck Castle. From here, we head to Ullapool, situated at the mouth of Loch Broom, a beautiful whitewashed fishing village where we spend the final night of our tour.

• Accommodation: Overnight in Ullapool.
• Highlights: The Northern Highlands, Assynt Mountains, Ardvreck Castle and Ullapool.

Day 5 – Coorieshalloch Gorge, Culloden Moor and Clava Cairns
Continuing south, we take in the drama of the River Droma as it plunges 60m down into Corrieshalloch Gorge before taking in the beautiful Loch Glascarnoch on the way back past Inverness. We then visit Culloden Moor, the site of The Battle of Culloden in 1746, one of the bloodiest events in our history and the last battle to have been fought on the British mainland, before taking a short drive to the ancient standing stones at Clava Cairns. This prehistoric and stunning Bronze Age burial ground is one of the oldest in Scotland. From here, we return south through the ancient Caledonian Pine Forest, hugging the Cairngorm mountain range en route to Edinburgh, where your tour ends at approximately 7 pm.

• Highlights: Corrieshalloch Gorge, Culloden Moor, Clava Cairns, The Grampian Mountains and Perthshire.

*Please note – On some departures, it may be necessary to stay in Inverness instead of Ullapool.