North Coast 500 Grand Explorer Tour

Be reassured, in line with all Government and Public Health safety guidelines, we have completed a full Covid-19 Risk Assessment and been accredited with the UK-wide Tourism Industry Standard and Consumer Mark - We're Good to Go'.

Overview: This tour follows the coastal roads of the iconic North Coast 500 whilst also diverting inland to explore its heartland. It has a core route but its contents can be customised and tailored to suit your own personal requirements.

The dramatic west with its mountains, lochs and serrated coastline are iconic and rightly deserve the accolades. With every twist in the single-track road yet another unimaginable vista is revealed!

The north coast has an abundance of the most beautiful and often deserted sandy beaches. The turquoise waters that envelop them are a revelation though a dip in the ocean is for wet-suited surfers or the very brave! The best sunsets are also to be found here.

The east coast sweeps with a curving grandeur that eludes the west. Hugging its many cliff faces are medieval castles, prehistoric ritual sites and picturesque fishing harbours not to mention several whisky distilleries and historic Royal Burgh towns.

To follow the coastline is to circumnavigate the North Highlands. To truly experience it, you need to explore the wilderness of the interior too. Here, you escape to a land that is almost unchanged by modern man yet it holds dark secrets of murderous clan battles and the notorious Highland Clearances. The hinterland is home to many magnificent creatures: roaming deer, soaring eagles and leaping salmon to highlight a few.

Finally, to appreciate the last hidden dimension of the North Highlands, you need head skywards and view the landscape from above. You could climb one of the many peaks to gain a vantage point but most North Coast Explorers prefer to ‘fly’ virtually aboard our Sky Explorer and gaze upon vistas inaccessible to most (see the ‘Enhancing your tour’ section on the About Us page of our website).

It took a decade of exploration to gain the knowledge and familiarity to create this tour. Now you can benefit from our experience and embark on a grand exploration of your own – with us as your guides.

Tours typically start at Inverness or anywhere along the route to suit your needs.

TYPICAL HIGHLIGHTS:

● Glenmorangie Distillery – home of the famous single malt

● The Falls of Shin – leaping salmon during Autumn

● Dornoch Cathedral – 13th century church once destroyed by Clan Mackay

● Drum Hollistan Puffin Colony – thousands nest here in season

● Strathnaver Trail – 5000 years of history in one river valley

● Altbea Perfume Studio –soaps and perfumes hand made in the Highlands

● Views over Skye – silhouettes of the island from Applecross

● PLUS  – galleries, shops, restaurants and much more!