North Coast 500 Plus, Day Trip To Orkney!
8 days
8 Days | NEW DATE!
NEW DATE ADDED - FIRST DATE SOLD OUT!
Plus Highlands, Isle of Skye, Dunvegan Castle, Attadale Gardens and much more!
Showcasing Northern Scotland with all its beautiful beaches, historical ruins and pretty fishing villages, the North Coast 500 coastal road is a journey like no other. Scotland’s answer to Route 66 is now a designated tourist route around the Northern Highlands taking in amazing coastal scenery full of lochs and uninhabited islands. On our way north we take an Eastern route via Dundee, and travel through the Cairngorms National Park. On our return, we stick to the west coast with 2 nights on the Isle of Skye. A fabulous holiday with non-stop scenery!
PLEASE NOTE: Price is per person and based on two people sharing a twin/double room. Single room supplements and upgrades are not included.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Thursday Into Scotland and on to our overnight hotel, the 3-star Buchanan Arms in Drymen.
Friday Beautiful scenery today as we climb into the Highlands and the Cairngorm National Park. Our lunch time stop in Aviemore, a Highland base with plenty of shops and food options. We then continue to the very North of Scotland with a short stop in the small but lively town of Tain. From here onwards we are on the North Coast 500 route. Our hotel is the Pentland Hotel in Thurso, and we spend two nights here.
Saturday We catch the ferry to Orkney where we are met by our guide. We have a full tour of Orkney taking in amongst other things Skara Brae, an amazing neolithic village that lay buried by sand for 4,000 years and the delightful Italian Chapel built by Italian POWs.
Sunday We continue on the North Coast 500 Route with miles and miles of costal scenery as we head along Scotland’s most northern coast and enjoy dramatic ocean views. We will take plenty of photo stops, especially where the impressive white sand beaches are at their most impressive. Our hotel for the night is the Gairloch Highland Lodge, nestled beside the bay overlooking quiet, secluded, beaches. Our dinner is a 500m walk away at the Old Inn Pub.
Monday A final part of the North Coast 500 takes us by more dramatic scenery on our way to Attadale Gardens. The gardens were built in 1755 and its gardens include a Water Garden, Rhododendron Walk, sunken garden and a Japanese garden. From here we continue to the Isle of Skye and the Dunollie Hotel in Broadford for two nights.
Tuesday A more relaxing day today as we travel via the west coast of Skye to Dunvegan Castle and Gardens for a visit. This was the seat of the Clan Macleod and is the oldest continually occupied castle in Scotland. The castle has won visitor awards, and it is a Highland estate steeped in history and clan legend which also has beautiful formal gardens. We then complete a circular route as we visit Portree for a short stop Portree is the Island’s Capital and lies in is a picturesque natural harbour that is sheltered with great views to sea.
Wednesday We start our journey south with more scenery as we pass lochs and have views of Ben Nevis on the way to a short stop in Fort William. Then through Glencoe before making a stop at Loch Lomond Shores. Then onto our overnight hotel, the 4-star Dryfesdale Country House Hotel. The hotel sits amid 5 acres of magnificent grounds with stunning views of the Scottish countryside.
Thursday We say goodbye to Scotland and return home.
Price Includes
Price Includes:- Home pickup & drop off service (see here for details.)
- Return coach travel
- Tours as indicated (Inc. Orkney, Dunvegan Castle and Attadale Gardens)
- Hotel accommodation of bed, breakfast and evening meal
Tour Photos
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Hotel Information
Pentland Hotel
Centrally located in the heart of Thurso.
BAR | WIFI
www.pentlandhotel.co.uk
Dunollie Hotel, Isle of Skye
3-star hotel set by the serene waterside at the foot of Skye’s mountains.
BAR | WIFI
www.bespokehotels.com/dunolliehotel