Scotland's North Coast 500

Day 1

Following an early morning start, we head up to the Scottish Borders for our overnight stay in Carlisle.

Day 2

Today we head up through the West Highlands and onto Skye. Our journey takes us up along the shores of Loch Lomond, "The Queen of Lochs", onto Glencoe "The Weeping Glen" and Fort William. We continue along the lochs and enjoy the mountain scenery along the way. Stop for photos at Eilean Donan Castle, one of Scotland's most photographed castles, before reaching Skye for our 2 nights stay.

Day 3

This morning we enjoy a half day tour Skye with our guide. The Isle of Skye is one of the largest and most famous islands in Scotland's Inner Hebrides. Known for its rugged landscapes, dramatic cliffs, and picturesque villages, we make stops in key locations along the way.

Day 4

This morning we head over to Dunvegan Castle, this ancestral home is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and is one of Scotland's most iconic landmarks. Later we depart Skye and continue along the Route 500 to Gairloch. The route between the Isle of Skye and Gairloch takes you through some of the most stunning landscapes in the Scottish Highlands. Our journey takes us across the iconic Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh, continuing through picturesque villages coastal scenery.

Day 5

From Gairloch we head along the coast, where we enjoy a lunch stop en-route. Today we take up a large part of the North Coast 500. Mile upon mile of crumbling cliffs, sheer rocky headlands, picturesque lochs, sheltered bays & deserted perfect white beaches to rival those abroad. We continue onto our next base in Thurso where we stay for two nights.

Day 6

Today we head to the Castle of Mey and Wolfburn Distillery to experience some royal history and whisky heritage. The Castle of Mey, once the beloved summer retreat of the Queen Mother, provides an intimate look into her life with beautifully restored rooms and stunning walled gardens overlooking the Pentland Firth. We also head to John O'Groats for a pitstop visit before continuing to Wolfburn Distillery which allows us explore its traditional whisky-making process.

Day 7

This morning we depart Thurso and take the coastal road between Wick and Inverness passes many interesting places - historical Helmsdale, white sands at Brora and fairytale Dunrobin Castle. We enjoy some free time in the Highland capital Inverness, before continuing through the to our overnight stay in Carlisle.

Day 8

Today we retrace our steps back to South Wales.