8 Day Isle of Skye, Orkney & North Coast 500 tour from Edinburgh

Scotland’s far north is a big place to cover, and this eight-day trip links its most memorable corners: Orkney’s ancient village of Skara Brae, the open road of the North Coast 500, Skye’s sea cliffs and the Jacobite Steam Train. You travel in a small group, with a guide at the wheel and seven nights of B&B accommodation arranged for you.

I like two things in particular: the mix of ancient sites and wild scenery gives the trip real variety, and the Jacobite train adds a memorable rail journey to all those miles by road. Guides such as Rich, Steve and Ali have made a point of sharing history, local stories, music and practical food advice along the way.

The trade-off is the pace. You cover roughly 1,100 miles or more, with several long driving days and some stops that are brief. Dinner is not included, and your lodging may be split between different guesthouses, so you may need to find a meal without much advance notice.

The trip’s best features at a glance

• Orkney’s ancient sites: Visit Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and the Italian Chapel, with time to take in the island’s coastal setting.
• A real North Coast 500 road trip: Spend hours driving the north coast, stopping for places such as Smoo Cave, Sango Sands and Knockan Crag.
• A Jacobite Steam Train ride: Travel between Mallaig and Fort William on the West Highland Line, crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
• Seven B&B nights included: Breakfast is provided each morning, while you choose and pay for lunch and dinner.
• A small group on a big route: The tour has a maximum of 16 people, which keeps the coach group relatively compact.
• A full itinerary, not a restful retreat: Expect long drives, regular sightseeing stops and plenty of time outdoors.

Day 1: From Dunkeld to Culloden’s history

The first day sets the tone: a long drive north, broken up by local stops and history. Dunkeld is a useful early pause for coffee or a pastry, with its 13th-century cathedral giving you a reason to stretch your legs before the Highlands.

At the Highland Folk Museum, you get a hands-on sense of how people in the Highlands lived and worked from the 1700s onward. The visit lasts about 1 hour 40 minutes, enough to make this more than a quick photo stop. Then comes Culloden Battlefield, where the 1746 Jacobite defeat is remembered on a site that remains largely unchanged. Allowing nearly two hours here gives you time to consider the scale and cost of the battle.

Clava Cairns offers a different kind of history: Bronze Age burial cairns and standing stones, with a connection to Outlander. The stop is just 25 minutes, so treat it as a short look rather than a full archaeological visit. Together, the day’s stops move from everyday Highland life to a turning point in Scottish history and then much older ritual sites.

Day 2: Dunrobin Castle and the road north

Dunrobin Castle brings a change of mood after the first day’s somber history. Its French-influenced architecture makes it look different from many Scottish castles, and the grounds and falconry display are part of the visit. You have about two hours here, but admission is not included, so factor that into your spending plans.

The North Coast 500 then takes up much of the day. It is a scenic driving route rather than a single attraction, and the value lies in the changing coast and the stops your guide selects along the way. In the evening, you cross by ferry to Orkney and continue to Kirkwall for the night. This is a long day, and the ferry crossing adds another layer of travel before you reach your bed.

Day 3: Orkney’s stones, village and sea cliffs

Orkney is one of the tour’s most distinctive stretches. At the Italian Chapel, two wartime Nissen huts were transformed into a place of worship by Italian prisoners of war. The visit is short, but the story gives the modest building an outsized presence.

The Ring of Brodgar is a great stone circle within the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. The scheduled stop is only 20 minutes, so you will have time to walk around part of the site and take in its broad, open setting, not linger for hours. Skara Brae gets a longer visit, about two hours, and is the day’s main archaeological stop. The well-preserved village of ten houses was exposed by a storm in the 19th century. Its position beside the ocean helps you picture how closely daily life depended on the coast.

The day ends at Yesnaby Cliffs, where sea stacks and rocky shore make the weather part of the experience. Two hours are set aside here, a welcome chance to walk and enjoy the coastline. Bring weatherproof layers and shoes you can walk in: the scenery is rewarding, but it is not best appreciated from the vehicle window.

Day 4: John O’Groats, Smoo Cave and the North Coast

A ferry returns you to the mainland, followed by a stop at John O’Groats, a familiar northern landmark and a useful pause before another substantial stretch on the road. The tour then continues along the North Coast 500, with around four hours allocated to driving and stops.

Smoo Cave is a natural highlight, with a large sea-cave entrance and a waterfall chamber deeper inside. Boat trips may operate there, but they are not listed as an included part of the tour. At Durness, you stop near Sango Sands for lunch, giving you a chance to eat beside one of the Highlands’ striking beaches. Lunch is on your own, so keep snacks handy in case you prefer not to rely on finding a meal at each stop.

Knockan Crag adds a geological angle to the day. Its paths and viewpoints help explain the unusual structure of the north-west Highlands, and the hour-long stop offers a change from the road. This is a day for people who like scenery and open-air stops more than a tightly packed series of indoor attractions.

Day 5: Skye’s famous views, with limited time at each

The route toward Skye begins at Corrieshalloch Gorge, a narrow, deep cut formed by glacial meltwater. You have about 45 minutes to see it, then continue to Eilean Donan Castle for a brief photo and viewpoint stop. The castle visit itself is not included, and the scheduled stop is only 15 minutes, so do not expect a full tour inside.

Portree is the island’s largest settlement and the planned lunch stop. You have about 90 minutes to find food and look around its high street before heading to the Old Man of Storr. The Storr is a dramatic rock formation on an ancient landslip, but the listed 30-minute stop is not enough for the full uphill hike. Treat it as a viewpoint visit unless your guide confirms extra time.

Kilt Rock and Mealt Waterfall round out the day with a quick coastal stop. The waterfall drops toward the sea, and the cliffs give the place its distinctive pleated appearance. Skye’s weather can change quickly, so the best approach is to take the view as it comes rather than expect clear skies on demand. The itinerary packs several signature sights into one day, but some stops are necessarily short.

Day 6: Ferry, steam train and Glencoe

From Armadale, you take the ferry to Mallaig, with a chance to watch for wildlife during the crossing. The highlight is the Jacobite Steam Train from Mallaig toward Fort William. The two-hour ride crosses the 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct and passes views of Loch Shiel, the Small Isles and beaches around Arisaig and Morar. Its appeal is not limited to Harry Potter fans: the rail line is a scenic journey in its own right.

The train is included, but its service can be changed or cancelled at short notice for reasons outside the tour operator’s control. That matters because this is a headline experience, not a minor extra. Keep expectations flexible and avoid scheduling a tight onward connection after the tour.

At Glencoe, the day turns back to the road and the history of the Highlands. The stop is brief, around 15 minutes, but the mountain views and the story of the massacre give the place a weight that a quick roadside pause cannot erase. The contrast between Glencoe’s steep peaks and the broad expanse of Rannoch Moor makes this one of the route’s most memorable drives.

Day 7: A free day in Oban

Oban is your chance to slow the pace and choose your own day. The town is known for seafood, and the tour leaves the full day open for exploring, eating or booking a wildlife trip. If a specific excursion matters to you, arrange it in advance; the tour advises booking wildlife trips ahead.

This free day is a useful counterweight to the long driving sections. You can take a break from the group schedule, but the day’s activities and meals are your responsibility. It is also a good time to catch up on laundry or rest, if your accommodation offers what you need.

Day 8: Loch Awe, waterfalls and the Kelpies

The final day begins at St Conan’s Kirk, an unusual church on the banks of Loch Awe, built between 1881 and 1886. The 45-minute stop gives you time to look around its setting and architecture. Nearby, Kilchurn Castle sits in a striking position on a rocky peninsula. It is a ruin dating from the mid-1400s, and admission is not included.

A Highland village stop allows time for lunch and a leg stretch, followed by the Falls of Dochart in Killin. The final major stop is the Kelpies, two enormous horse-head sculptures by artist Andy Scott. At 30 metres high, they provide a very different finale from the castles and ancient sites earlier in the trip.

The return to Edinburgh is subject to road and weather conditions. Do not plan a close connection at the end of the day: the tour advises leaving at least three hours after its scheduled return time for onward travel or activities.

What the accommodation and meals mean in practice

The tour includes seven nights in 3-star B&B accommodation and seven breakfasts. The actual guesthouses may vary, and you may not know your lodging until the group arrives in town. Groups can also be split between two properties. Past stays have been described as clean and comfortable, but the location may mean a 15- to 20-minute walk to restaurants.

Lunch and dinner are not included. That gives you freedom to choose what you want, but it can be harder to plan evening meals when arrival times and lodging locations are not fixed. Popular restaurants may be full, and one evening in Kirkwall may run late enough that a supermarket sandwich is the practical option. Ask your guide for local suggestions, and bring a backup plan rather than counting on a walk-in table.

The price is best judged against what it covers: seven nights of lodging, breakfasts, transport across a vast route and the Jacobite train. Several major attractions are included, including the Highland Folk Museum, Culloden Battlefield, the Italian Chapel, Skara Brae and the train. Dunrobin, Eilean Donan and Kilchurn Castle have separate admission costs. Since no tour price is provided here, compare the booking quote with the cost of arranging transport, lodging and the train independently.

The small-group format and practical limits

With a maximum of 16 people, the group is small enough for a more personal feel than a large coach tour. The vehicle is still your main home between stops, and the itinerary involves substantial road time. Guides named on past departures include Rich, Steve and Ali, but your assigned guide is not guaranteed. Their role matters: the route has many stories and local choices, and a good guide can make a long drive feel like part of the trip rather than dead time.

Pack for one suitcase weighing no more than 15 kg, plus one carry-on bag. The minimum age is five. The departure is at 8:30 a.m. from Highland Explorer Tours, 60 High Street in Edinburgh, and you should arrive at least 15 minutes early. Confirmation is subject to availability, and the itinerary order may change.

Who should book this Highlands tour?

I would choose this tour if you want to see a wide sweep of Scotland without arranging a string of hotels, ferries and train tickets yourself. It suits history-minded visitors, scenery lovers and anyone who enjoys a small group and a guide’s stories. Orkney, Skye and the Jacobite train make a strong combination, and the included B&B stays remove a major planning chore.

I would think twice if you want slow mornings, long hikes at every stop, fixed dinner plans or certainty around the steam train. The route is ambitious, and some famous sights get only a short visit. If you can accept the mileage, pack for rain and keep evening plans flexible, this is a practical way to see the far north in eight days.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts approximately eight days and starts and ends at the Edinburgh meeting point.

What is included in the tour price?

Seven nights of 3-star B&B accommodation, seven breakfasts and the Jacobite Steam Train are included. Some attraction admissions are also included, including Skara Brae and Culloden Battlefield.

Are lunch and dinner included?

No. Lunch and dinner are not included, so you pay for your own meals.

Where does the tour depart from, and what time?

It departs at 8:30 a.m. from Highland Explorer Tours, 60 High Street, Edinburgh. Arrive at least 15 minutes before departure for check-in.

What luggage can I bring?

Each person may bring one suitcase weighing no more than 15 kg and one carry-on bag.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted, and no refund is provided.