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A grand round-tour of breathtaking views and fascinating places throughout the Highlands of Scotland, from the ancient forests of the Cairngorms, vibrant Inverness - capital of the Highlands, to the majestic splendour of the mountains of Assynt, the romantic beauty of the Isle of Skye and the awe inspiring Glen Coe.
Day 1 takes you north over the Forth Road Bridge to the charming highland village of Dunkeld on the banks of the river Tay. From here you head into the Cairngorm national park and the ancient pine forests of the Rothiemurchus estate. Lunchtime will be spent on the beautiful shores of Loch Insh before a short forest walk takes you to the ruins of Loch an Eilean castle. Panoramic views of Loch Ness follow as you travel down to the banks of the famous loch and the village of Dores where you can do some “Nessie” spotting! Then it’s on to the shores of Loch Broom where you spend two nights at Ullapool. (*on some tours it may be necessary to stay in Inverness in which case the itinerary will be subject to slight changes)
Day 2 visits the far northwest highlands and the grandeur, expanse and wildness of the mountains of Assynt with its abundance of wildlife. This area is historically famous as being the first crofting area to be bought by the local crofters, the Assynt Crofters’ Trust. You will be immersed in the history of the area and visit the 15th century ruins of Ardvreck Castle, once the stronghold of the MacLeods of Assynt. The day is full of amazing views of some of Europe’s oldest landscapes from the stunning white sand beach at Achmelvich Bay to the traditional fishing village of Lochinver. With the chance of seeing wildlife such as whales and red deer as well, this is sure to be a memorable day.
Day 3 leaves Ullapool heading south to take in the drama of the River Droma as it plunges 60m down into the Corrieshalloch Gorge. From here you travel past the mountains of the Beinn Eighe national nature reserve and along the picturesque coastline of Loch Torridon. The tranquil setting of Applecross is your destination for lunch before taking one of the highest roads in Scotland, Bealach nam Bo (meaning the Cattle Pass), with its jaw-dropping views, hairpin bends and precipitous cliffs. In the afternoon you stop in “tropical” Plockton where you can see palm trees growing alongside Loch Carron and take time to enjoy its sheltered serenity. Then it’s over the sea to Skye and the delightful harbour town of Portree with its friendly welcome.
Day 4 is a very flexible day on Skye. There are many possibilities depending on the weather and your driver/guide's knowledge will come to the fore in developing the best day out for you. For example you might travel north to the stunning Quiraing mountain pass and enjoy a spectacular walk through some of Skye's extraordinary geological scenery or visit the Kilt Rock, composed of basalt columns (reminiscent of the pleats in a kilt) with its waterfall cascading over the cliffs and down into the sea below. After lunch you can travel to Neist Point for a walk out to the lighthouse at the most westerly point on Skye. Alternatively a visit to Dunvegan Castle, ancient ancestral seat of the Clan McLeod, may be possible. Talisker Distillery is also on Skye, as are the famous Cuillin Hills. We return you to your accommodation in Portree in the late afternoon for you to enjoy a free evening in the village.
Day 5 takes us south from Skye stopping first at the famous stronghold Eilean Donan Castle, used in the film “Highlander”, set at the head of 3 lochs as protection against Viking raiders. Continuing east through the rugged mountains of Kintail including the splendour of the Five Sisters, you drive down through Glen Garry past Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, then onto Fort William for lunch. In the afternoon you will explore spectacular Glencoe, scene of the infamous massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692, before stopping in Killin for refreshments beside the Falls of Dochart, arriving into Edinburgh at 1900 approx.
Photography Credits: Visit Britain, Visit Scotland, Britainonview, Mike Hasted, Luke Sheppard, Ingrid Rasmussen, Pawel Libera, Tony Pleavin, Craig Easton, David Angel, Martin Brent, Bob Berry, Paul Watts, Dorcas Sinclair (Lochinver), Wojsyl (Plockton). |
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Posted by Jo Calk on 10/05/2013
The 5 day tour Highland Tour with Pete was wonderful! He was the BEST guide ever. He knew an amazing amount about the countryside we were seeing and about the history of the wonderful country, people and history of Scotland. He was funny and entertaining and also kind and considerate to a middle-aged woman with mobility issues. He always made sure I felt comfortable walking on all sorts of terrain and figured out ways for me to get the whole tour experience in a way that I could handle physically. He frequently asked I was ok and if he could do anything to help. On one long, uphill walk he checked on the others on the tour and made sure they were doing ok, then joined me on the walk to make sure I was safe and could make the walk easily. His encouragement gave me a chance to take in a magnificent view of Scotish coastline that I probably would not have seen otherwise. I have been to Scotland before and hope to visit again. Pete made sure that my 1st choice of a tour company will be Rabbie's.
Posted by Donna Morris on 10/05/2013
I would like to book a tour for my Mum and Dad for there 50th Wedding Anniversary but my mum has had problems with her legs and cannot sit for really long periods. On the 5 day Highland Explorer how long on average would you be on the bus before a break to get out and stretch your legs? Thanks
Posted by Thea Hazell on 30/03/2013
We had plenty of stops along the way to walk a little, take photos etc. We also seemed to get "off the beaten track", a least a little bit, as the smaller bus is able to go along routes that the larger buses can't use.
Posted by Gaye Rochow on 27/09/2012
Thanks to Ross for a wonderful trip, and for your enthusiasm to show us your beautiful country, from both Birgit and Me. We are looking forward to seeing your pictures of the group.
Posted by Kirsten Olsen on 21/09/2012
it was apleasure to travel through the highland and skye with good company and our wanderful guide nill
Posted by shulamith on 12/09/2012
Went on the 5 day Highland tour with Ross as our tour guide, who was simply the best! I so enjoyed the tour and meeting everyone on it - GREAT group to travel with. Just loved the beauty of the Highlands both soft and rugged beautiful at each moment. Thanks Ross for keeping us all so entertained and for finding those darling hairy coos for close up shots and not to forget my adored black faced sheep. What an amazing tour! So glad that I did it. Slàinte mhath. [slawn-je vah – i.e Cheers in Gaelic to all that travelled with me on that tour –take care and keep enjoying LIFE! I am glad our live paths crossed- Judith
Posted by Judith on 11/09/2012
Ross our Guide did an outstanding job of being the best ever Tour guide. He made it fun entertaining and most of all did a great job of giving us great all round info, trivia and kept us laughing and relaxed and very happy!!!! Thanks Ross.
Posted by Judith Da Costa on 11/09/2012
It was our first time touring with Rabbies and was impressed with the planning and execution of the itinerary. Special thanks to our tour guide, Liam, for his informative, friendly and considerate nature which made the trip more eventful. Im sure we have had the best highland experience possible! And a definite mention to all our co-passengers for their friendliness. Thanks guys!! We loved the times spent with you!!
Posted by Bhavana on 02/09/2012
Touring on mini bus was excellent. We were able to communicate with all co-passengers and had the flexibility to view many scenic places which would not have been possible in coaches. Special regards to our guide, Liam, for being informative, friendly and considerate which made the tour a better experience.
Posted by Venkatesh Konapur on 02/09/2012
Thanks to Shames for letting us experience his Highland home, it was a wonderful journey
Posted by Kerry and Chas Gilroy on 20/08/2012
Ross and the other passengers. There was something about this tour that made all the passengers become friendly with each other so much so that I'm still in touch with a few of my travel mates and even met up with one when visiting London. This was a fun trip!
Posted by Catherine DeCosta on 15/08/2012
little mistake in the email posted yesterday in the highland explorer tour text. The correct email is: okguys@gmx.de
Posted by Martin Wagner on 22/07/2012
OK Guys, this was an absolut fantastic tour for about 5 Days. It took from July, 11. until July, 16. We were about 14 people from all over Europe and America. It was from the beginning a very nice group and we enjoyed it to travel with all of them. But the main reason that it becomes such a unforgetable journey, for me, was this Guy James, who had driven us. For this 5 Days he was much more than a driver. Sometimes it felt as if you were driving with a good friend. He is a real scotsman and it seams to me that he knows everything about Scotland, the scotish people, landscape, history and fairytales. In this short time we saw so much amazing and beautiful places, we listen to so much interesting and fantastic stories and storys about the history, the people and the land - and James is a true storyteller -, that it is impossible to keep all in mind. Thank you James for this great experience, thank you rabbies for these tours. Don't think that any other company could earn me such unforgatable journey. Think I will never ever, nevr forget it;-) If any of the other tourmembers have interest in the picture I made of all of us on the last day, please send me an email at: okguys(at)gmx.net.
Posted by Martin Wagner on 21/07/2012
...spent some nice days with nice people end of may/first days in june 2011 with Ross as great guide in the Highlands and on Skye and we're still looking for a sign of life from Melanie and Maurice from Dunedin, New Zealand. If there's someone, who knows them or has their email (sure, we've the wrong one since a year) ...we would appriciate that. Thanks Ines + Stephan + (brand new) Elisabeth
Posted by Stephan Edel on 10/07/2012
Neal was an excellent guide and I credit him with making our tour so enjoyable. He made sure everyone was comfortable and offered restrooms stops, photo stops, etc. His commentary was very informative and interesting and fun. We enjoyed the small group and the freedom to choose where we wanted to eat and what we wanted to see at the stops. I have resisted large tours that march everyone around together following an umbrella, eating in large tourist restaurants, and spending too much time in gift shops. Rabbies made me see that tours can be enjoyable. We were able to see the Highlands without my husband having to drive and we learned about the sights and a lot of history from Neal. We also enjoyed getting to know our fellow travelers from around the world.
Posted by Charles Beck on 19/05/2012
guide was very knowledgeable about both how to get to points of interest and the accompanying history, etc. Awesome site-seeing.
Posted by BRENT MCCOWN on 14/05/2012
Thanks for a great tour with Eddie! Got a chance to see more of the Assynt peninsula, the Torridon area, the Cairngorms, and saw several different places on Skye. We had phenomenal weather, so Eddie must have bribed someone!
Posted by Susan Goodfellow on 13/05/2012
I think Liam is a really outstanding tour guide and he is professional (I know its a tiring job but he is always energetic)knowledgable, friendy. I really enjoyed the trip.
Posted by Wai Wing LI on 30/03/2012
Time to sit back and reflect on that fabulous landscape!
Posted by phil mckenzie on 26/03/2012
Day 4 began uncertain, mist and drizzle hung over Skye, yet still we caught glimpses of soaring cliffs and endless seas. Old Man of Storr refused to reveal himself and still Richard had the day controlled. From one stunning scene to the next. As the weather eased so all the more spectacular the scenery that unfolded. Finally we ended on a beach a the base of the Cullian Mountains, not a soul to be seen, complete serenity and the sun gave us a final peek as it set beyond the isle of Rum. Winding our way back toward Portree Richard had one more gift.........the strains of Going Home from Mark Knopflers score for Local Hero. This suitably decribes the 5 glorious days we spent on the Highlands tour at the tail end of winter. The huge skies of Scotland and that gorgeous light were ours. delivered in the most remarkable way by Richard. A proud Inverness lad, loaded with amazing information and delivered in a delightful and often humourous way. We had long intended to take this tour, in every way it was so much more than we might have hoped. Just never got to try that whisky. Next time!
Posted by phil mckenzie on 22/03/2012
I´ve already waited too long to write down our great experience last September, when my mom, my sister and me took part at the 5 day Explorer tour. It was amazing to see the beautyful landscape. Liam told us a lot of the places and the history and answered all our questions. He stopped at wonderful places where we could take great pisctures. Liam was a funny and very friendly driver and even my little sister doesn´t speak any English she loved it. So thank you again Liam!
Posted by meldavi on 04/02/2012
What a fantastic tour!!!. My husband and I really enjoyed it, beautiful landscapes (everything in green and brown colours, lochs...), the weather was fine, nice hotels and restaurants to go, we also met nice people from other countries all around the world... We would like to thank Rabbie's and specially our guide Richard who brought us the opportunity to know a lot about Scotland. Ana & Gines. Spain
Posted by ANA LORENTE on 19/10/2011
small groups, very friendly and very knowledgable driver guides, enjoyed all of it, even the Scottish weather!
Posted by Monika Bowditch on 05/09/2011
A very enjoyable travel! The landscapes were beautiful and the guide,Roland, very friendly and entertaining (the stories about scotland were so funny)!!! Sincerly, I liked all the five days of the tour with Rabbie's!
Posted by Martine Christ on 11/04/2011
Ross had good local knowledge for photo stops for amazing scenery and lovely places to eat etc.
Posted by Mary Halliday on 15/10/2010
Ross was very informative and clearly passionate about the Highlands. He made good selections to deviate from the standard plan to accomodate weather or timing and we thoroughly enjoyed our trip.
Posted by Nancy Ruffino on 31/08/2010
Saw salmon leaping. Wonderful scenery and views
Posted by Glenda Hesketh on 22/08/2010
Our guide was great. The B and B's that you picked for us were very good. Our entire group was very friendly and made an excellent group to travel with. The scenery was wow.
Posted by Jim and Glynis Wilkes on 05/08/2009
The places we visited and the tour guide Alec was wonderful, knowledgable and had a great sense of humour. The places we visited were very interesting and a bit different. Alec let people take their time and was so flexible and accomodating to all. Accomodation at the Mardon B & B in Inverness was wonderful. Accomodation in Portree was very nice.
Posted by Cynthia Henderson on 24/07/2009