Day 1 Highlights include Dunkeld for a short forest walk to the Hermitage waterfalls, lunch in the Spey Valley overlooked by the Cairngorm Mountains, Loch Ness, Inverness and the Corrieshalloch Gorge. Your overnight stop is the west coast fishing port of Ullapool.
Day 2 Your ferry will take you past the Summer Isles to the Isle of Lewis with opportunities to see dolphins, whales and seabirds. You are on the north west edge of Europe now and your afternoon is spent exploring historic blackhouses, crofting townships and the Butt of Lewis. 2 nights in Stornoway, capital of the Western Isles.
Day 3 Highlights include the pre-historic stone broch at Dun Carloway, Gearrannan blackhouse village, the famous Callanish stone circles and the remote beaches and communities of Great Bernera or Uig. This is the wilderness of the Western Isles at its finest.
Day 4 Today you explore the Isle of Harris, famous for its locally produced Harris Tweed, and home to the highest mountains in the Outer Hebrides and the stunning white sands of Luskentyre. Following a visit to the historic 16th century church at Rodel and lunch in nearby Leverburgh you travel over the sea to Skye, for your overnight stay in the picturesque town of Portree.
Day 5 Your return to Edinburgh has many highlights – the Cuillin Mountains of Skye, a visit to Eilean Donan Castle, Fort William, the dramatic scenery and dark history of Glencoe and the Falls of Dochart at Killin. An adventure to remember forever.
Departure Point
207 High St, Edinburgh. Click here to see map.
Return to Waverley Bridge opposite Waverley Train Station
Inclusions:
Transportation by top of the range Mercedes minicoach for a more personal experience with a maximum of 16 passengers on tour.
We believe a small group tour with a maximum of 16 passengers really does make a big difference to your trip. It allows us to give you a more personal service and remain the only 5 Star operator to offer this personal guarantee. Touring with a maximum of 16 passengers you get more for your money, more personal attention, more time with the locals, more time off the bus, more time on the back-roads and just more of an authentic, friendly experience. The smaller groups allow you to meet people from all over the world and make friends for life.
Air Conditioning 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:
All meals and refreshments.
Entrance fees to all visitor attractions.
Accommodation
Your tour does not include accommodation in the price. 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 the communities you visit in the long term. Choose a hotel, B&B or a hostel and we will book it for you.
For more information on accommodation and prices click here
*NB On occasions, when villages we stay in have events on, accommodation can be scarce and expensive so we may use other locations for your accommodation on the tour. We will always inform you of this when this is necessary.
Discount Price
Students, Seniors over 60 and Children between 5 and 16 (we regret we do not carry children under 5 years old)
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!! |
Posted by Fiona Stabana on 04/10/2011
I must compliment Rabbies on running an excellent tour to the Outer Hebrides. The whole process was done efficiently from the booking by affable personnel to the actual tour. It was an interesting itinerary but more importantly the driver/courier, Doug, added an extra dimension with good humour and guiding that included comments on history, legends and general regional knowledge. Highly recommended.
Posted by Ian Richardson on 07/09/2011
My second tour sent me to Seamus, who I would highly recommend to anyone liking a mix of music, broad storytelling, and a wicked sense of humor. I was sincerely sorry to leave this tour to come home! He was sincerely interested in everyone on the tour bus and made sure that we each got the things out of the tour we wanted - for me, it was making sure that we stopped to take photos along the way. THANK YOU!
Posted by Susan Goodfellow on 07/07/2011
If anyone has the opportunity to take a ferry crossing with Cal-Mac, be sure to pick up one of the free promotional CD's from their terminals called " The Gaelic Rings ". You will enjoy this photo op of six different venues, or circles. You will see pictures of most all major tour sights in the Western Isles and Western Highlands, as well as listen to native Gaelic speakers present their stories. It is subtitled in English where Gaelic is spoken.
Posted by Robert W. Goodrich on 25/06/2011
Now that I have had the time to readjust to life back here in the States since the late September tour, I want to personally thank you once again for the professionalism you displayed during the entire trip as both driver and guide. The ferry crossings went smooth for everyone because of this and being able to tend to each particular passenger's needs and quirks is quite a feat. Hope to see you again in the future on another Rabbie's tour. That bloody Gaelic speaking Yank with the Ordnance Survey map, Bob
Posted by Robert W. Goodrich on 19/10/2010
Thanks Rabbies and especially our tour guides Andrew and then Karen. I told my friends I was on a bus tour..first ever..and senior rate no less. It was truly amazing. Our guides couldn't have been more helpful or fun or informative. Rabbies..driver guides Karen and Andrew deserve raises. Thanks again. I will post a photo as soon as I figure out how.
Posted by Judy Langdon on 16/10/2010
Doug was an outstanding driver/guide. His breadth of knowledge was amazing, and he was always interesting. One of our main interests was my husband's Isle of Lewis ancestors, and Doug made sure to get us to all the right places and people. We travel a lot, and I would rate Doug as one of the very best guides we have ever had.
Posted by Lilla Wise on 31/08/2010
Best tour I have ever been on. Karen is a fantastic driver / guide. She made the whole experience just wonderful. Also we had a lot of time of the bus and lots of photo stops. The hotels and b& b were good and my fellow travellers were brilliant company.
Posted by heike wietasch on 20/08/2010
fabulous sights landscapes,out stnding Tour guide and very safe driver.Very personable,professional,knowlegeable,Very demonstrative of Scotish Hosptality--in all a 'Sterling Person"
Posted by Paul Perry on 19/08/2010
Karen's enthusiasm and knowledge about Scotland. She made every stop the best. She also cares about her passengers and treats them like they are her first and only customers.
Posted by COMBO Mark Minor on 17/07/2010
The most enjoyable part was definitely the black houses on the Isle of Lewis, but our guide Karen was phenomenal... her knowledge & humour made every part of the tour enjoyable. I only wished I had booked another tour on my trip to Scotland... just fantastic
Posted by Kim Champion on 31/08/2009
Andew the courier gave us not only the history of where we were or stopping but gave it with enthusiasm. A wide knowledge not only of the history but from birds plants etc which made it more enjoyable and interesting. He was an excellent courier. We stopped at so many places he thought would be interesting and never hurried us on. We had plenty of time for everything whilst keeping to the schedule. Choice of hotels/guest houses were good and we liked the idea of this.
Posted by Monica Mitchell on 24/06/2009
Stunning countryside where small coaches could venture where larger ones could not.
Posted by Sandra Thexton on 17/06/2009