The Whisky Coast - Island Hopping Adventure 8 Day Tour
THE WHISKY COAST - ISLAND HOPPING ADVENTURE 8 DAY TOUR
Island hopping Adventure – 8 days 7 nights. Explore the natural beauty of the isles of Arran, Islay, Mull and Skye. Experience malt whisky making, the secrets behind our local produce and the unrivalled wildlife.
Full Details & Itinerary
Day 1 Leaving Edinburgh you will head west through Scotlands largest city, Glasgow towards the ferry terminal at Ardrossan. Here you catch boat to the Island of Arran – known as "Scotland in Miniature". Arran is Scotland’s most southerly island. It has all of the scenery of Scotland, with the mountains, the glens, lochs and royal castles and has a larder stocked with great Scottish cooking ingredients to inspire your taste buds.
You arrive on Arran in Brodick - the largest village on the Island. After lunch you have the afternoon to visit the Isle of Arran Distillery and some of Arran’s other great local producers: Arran Brewery, Arran Cheeses & Creelers' Smokehouse. These local businesses all thrive on their natural products that reflect the uniqueness of the island. The day will be finished with a locally produced meal.
Day 2 takes you to the peninsula of Kintyre and to the 2nd Island of the tour. Clean air, unpolluted seas and a Gulf Stream-kissed mild climate combine to give Islay a unique environment that produces world class whiskies and food.
Around the middle of the 19th century, Islay boasted no less than a dozen distilleries. The tradition continues today with eight distilleries (Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Bruichladdich, Ardbeg, Caol Ila and Kilchoman), still producing some of the most popular and, certainly, most flavoursome malt whiskies in the world. The local whiskies are renowned for their strong peaty flavours and are nurtured by the salty sea air. You will enjoy an afternoon visit to one of the distilleries, before spending the first of two nights here.
Day 3 explores the delights of “The Queen of the Isles” with its magnificent beaches and fertile lands. There will be the opportunity to visit another of the island’s distilleries. The sea surrounding Islay plays an important roll in the economy of the island. Lobster fishing remains a local tradition. Wild caught seafood is often complemented with locally farmed oysters while the lochs and rivers are home to brown trout, rainbow trout plus highly prized wild sea trout and salmon.
Islay also enjoys a rich farming and crofting tradition. Islay beef and lamb nurtured on herb-rich Atlantic coastlands. In the afternoon we visit the Islay Fine Foods Company. The philosophy behind the farming system at Rockside has remained much the same for generations- to maintain a viable farming business, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment.
Day 4 leaving Islay behind you travel through Argyll where you can explore the ancient Kingdom of Dalriada. There are more than 350 ancient monuments within a six-mile radius of the village of Kilmartin. From Kilmartin you will travel to Oban – the Gateway to the Isles. Here you will catch the ferry to the Island of Mull. Famous for its stunning wildlife, you will spend 2 nights getting acquainted with the whales, otters, puffins and basking sharks.
Day 5 Mull is an Island of incredible diversity. There are 1,000 foot sea cliffs, powder white sand beaches and a mountain range with the highest mountain, Ben More, rising 3,000 feet from crystal clear sea. The coastline alone covers 300 miles creating a beautiful and wonderfully varied area.
You have the chance to explore and experience this diversity with several different options:
At Ardalanish Organic Farm they specialize in Highland Cattle and Hebridean Sheep. The thick strong wool from the sheep goes to the family owned Isle of Mull Weavers where it is woven into Hebridean Tweed.
The Isle of Mull is Britain's premier destination for visitors wishing to see white tailed sea eagles, the largest UK bird of prey. Mull is home to around 11 pairs of sea eagles out of total Scottish population of 33 pairs. Loch Firsa is one of the best areas in Mull to try and catch a glimpse of this magnificent bird.
Warmed by the Gulf Stream, the Hebrides is an area of outstanding beauty and productivity that has an abundance of wildlife. Whale watching is very popular from Mull with regular sightings of Minke Whales, Harbour Porpoises, Basking Sharks and if you are very lucky, even Killer Whales.
And if all this wasn’t enough there is another distillery in the main village of the island – Tobermory. This day is very flexible offering the opportunity to encounter the best of this breathtaking island.
Day 6 takes you around the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula. It is one of the least populated areas of Great Britain. Today less than 2000 people live on the 50 sq mile peninsula, there is however an abundance of wildlife, including Red Deer, Otters, Seals, Eagles and Pine Martins. The area also contains hundreds of wild plants, many of which are very rare and only found in Ardnamurchan. You will have the morning to explore this magnificent area including Moidart and Castle Tioram.
From Moidart you will join the famous “Road to the Isles” The road from Fort William to Mallaig, crosses the mountains and glens of the Rough Bounds. You will travel along a spectacularly scenic coast of sheltered inlets, stunning white beaches and beautiful views to the islands of Rum, Eigg, Muck and Skye before arriving in Arisaig. You will spend 2 nights in Arisaig.
Day 7 today you travel to the busy harbour town of Mallaig where you will sail “Over the sea to Skye” to visit the Sleat peninsula. Sleat is known as the Garden of Skye. There is colour all year round, from stunning carpets of bluebells in May and banks of Rhododendrons in June, to the summer wild flowers. This area of Skye belongs to the MacDonalds of Skye. You will have the opportunity to explore this area with visits to Armadale Castle and Gardens and the option to lunch at Kinloch Lodge - home to award winning food writer Lady Clare MacDonald, before returning to Arisaig for your final night in the Highlands.
Day 8 will take you through Glenfinnan, a beautiful town sitting at the head of Loch Sheil. This area is dominated by the Glenfinnan monument and railway viaduct. The monument was built in 1815 in memory of the soldiers who fell during the ill-fated Jacobite uprising of 1745. The viaduct was completed in 1901 and is over 100 feet in height and made up of 21 arches this viaduct is a beautiful piece of engineering and has gained fame recently having appeared in one of the Harry Potter films.
The real whisky enthusiasts may wish to visit the Ben Nevis distillery in Fort William – alternatively Glen Nevis has some beautiful waterfalls in the shadow of Britain’s highest mountain, or your tour could visit the Crannog smokehouse and restaurant for a freshly caught seafood lunch. In the afternoon we will explore spectacular Glencoe, scene of the infamous massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692, before returning to Edinburgh with unique memories to last you a lifetime.
The itinerary during this tour is extremely flexible, with your tour leader on hand to alter parts of the itinerary to suit your interests.
Inclusions:
Transportation by top of the range 16 seat Mercedes minicoach for a more personal experience. Beware other operators claiming to deliver "small group tours" in 29-39 seat midi-coaches. We know it makes a big difference, because we tried touring in larger coaches and your experience wasn't the same and you told us so. That's why we stopped using larger coaches and we are the only 5 star operator in Scotland, who can truly claim to provide you a small group tour experience with a maximum of 16 passengers on tour.
Forced air ventilation as standard.
Services of a professional Rabbie's driver/guide
All ferry and bridge crossings.
Rabbie's Discount Card - money off restaurants, shopping and attractions.
Exclusions:
Lunch, Dinner and refreshments.
Entrances to all Visitor Attractions.
Accommodation - the tour price does not include accommodation but this gives you an opportunity to choose your budget and the type of accommodation you wish to stay in and we will book it for you - Hostel, B&B or Hotel - please refer to the booking form on this web site for prices.
Please note that in the case of late bookings accommodation availability and choice may be restricted and we cannot guarantee to find your first choice. There is usually a supplement for single rooms.
By giving you a choice of accommodation it allows you to choose your budget, stay in smaller places and get closer to the local people. This also means you help to sustain their communities in the long term.
Discount Price
Students, Seniors over 60 and Children between 5 and 16
We regret we do not carry children under 5 years.
Important Information
Because we believe in time off the bus and give you opportunities to take nature walks we recommend you bring suitable clothing and footwear for your tour. Scotland can be a wet place!!
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