Isle of Skye, the Highlands & Loch Ness 3 day tour from Glasgow

Day 1

On our Isle of Skye tour from Glasgow, we make our way to the highland village of Luss. It sits perched on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond and is our first chance to breathe in some clear highland air and enjoy the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. Lochs and mountains give way to the desolate Rannoch Moor and Glencoe; scene of perhaps the most brutal episode in Scottish History, the Glencoe Massacre. We’ll make a stop here to admire the stunning but haunting beauty of Scotland’s most famous Glen. Next, it’s on to Glenfinnan, in 1745 this historic spot is where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in an ill-fated attempt to reinstate the exiled Stuarts to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland. Standing tall and proud at the head of Loch Shiel is the Glenfinnan Monument. It was erected in 1815 in honour of the Jacobites who fought and died in the cause of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. The Glenfinnan Viaduct is famous for its classic Victorian engineering. It also captured the imagination of a new generation when it appeared in the Harry Potter films. The short climb up to the viewpoint is certainly worth the effort. Not only are the views stunning but you’ll also see the 21 arches of the majestic Glenfinnan Viaduct curve through the glen in a scene immortalised as the route to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts.

Our route to Skye will then take us through Glens Garry, Clunie and Sheil to one of Scotland’s most photographed castles, Eilean Donan. The castle sits on an island at a point where three great sea lochs meet, surrounded by majestic highland scenery. Eilean Donan was used in many films including Highlander and James Bond epic, The World is Not Enough. From here it's a short drive to Kyleakin where we will spend the next two nights.

Day 2

After breakfast we embark on a full day tour of the Isle of Skye. Scotland’s unpredictable weather means that we keep day two flexible. Your friendly driver-guide will ensure you experience the best that Skye has to offer based on the conditions. Skye never disappoints – there is just so much to see. The island is punctuated by its mountain range, the Black Cuillins. At the foot of these mountains lie the fairy pools, crystal clear pools on the River Brittle. Visitors from all over the world are drawn to the fairy pools, tempting enough for some to try wild swimming. There will be time for you to have lunch and explore Skye’s main town of Portree before we head to the rocky geological features of north Skye and the Trotternish Peninsula. This is a beautiful, if not bizarre, natural creation of craggy pinnacles and rocks.

If accessible we’ll visit Faerie Glen, a strange, miniature place featuring grassy mounds and small ponds known as lochans. It’s said that if you count these hills you’ll find 365 but there’s one extra to be found in a leap year! The awe-inspiring scenery never seems to stop on Skye. Next, we head to the Quiraing, an iconic geological landslip that will amaze your senses. You’ll have time to capture plenty of pictures and soak up the stunning panoramas and vistas of this unique landscape. A short drive from here will bring us to beautiful Mealt waterfall and Kilt Rock, a kilt-shaped tower of basalt measuring 90 metres high. Prior to our return to Kyleakin, we’ll stop for photos at the Old Man of Storr. According to legend, the Old Man of Storr was a giant who lived in the Trotternish Ridge and when he was buried, his thumb was left sticking out the ground, creating this famous jagged landscape.

Day 3

As we bid farewell to Scotland’s most romantic isle, we'll get off the beaten track to Kylerhea that will see us take the last manually operated turntable ferry in Scotland. Ideally suited for this crossing, there has been a car ferry service crossing the Kylerhea straits since 1934. We'll make a short stop to get some stunning vistas over Loch Duich and the Five Sisters of Kintail. Our next stop is at the southern tip of Loch Ness lies and the village of Fort Augustus. This interesting village is a great place to visit and have lunch. With around two hours here, there is also the option to take a one-hour Loch Ness monster spotting cruise. Alternatively, you can take a stroll beside one of the world’s great waterways – the Caledonian Canal. Known as ‘Monarch of the Glen’ country, our Highland road trip continues over the Laggan, through the Cairngorm National Park and Grampian mountains. If we didn’t manage to visit a Scotch whisky distillery on the Isle of Skye then we’ll drop in for a dram at a distillery on the mainland.

We’ll pass Blair Castle, ancient seat of the Dukes of Atholl and home to Europe’s last remaining private army, the Atholl Highlanders. Our final refreshment break is in the Victorian resort of Pitlochry which was popular with Scots novelist Robert Louis Stevenson and Queen Victoria. We make our return to Glasgow via Edinburgh and the Queensferry Crossing which opened in August 2017. The £1.3 billion crossing is the longest bridge of its type in the world at 2.7km. You’ll also be able to admire the Firth of Forth’s oldest crossing the Forth Bridge with its iconic giant cantilevers. This rail crossing has UNESCO world heritage site status alongside the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China.