Ancient stone circles, burial chambers, Viking settlements, historic landmarks, World War I and II history, and so much more — our 8-day Scotland and Orkney private tour offers an incredible mix of locations and experiences. On this trip, we journey through the mainland and the Orkney Islands, the latter of which are home to some of Scotland’s and the UK’s best-preserved Neolithic sites.
There is truly a tremendous amount of things to see and do on this holiday to Orkney and Scotland! Read through the full itinerary below and find out more about the experiences waiting for you.
If you have any questions about this luxury Scotland and Orkney tour or any of our other Scotland multi-day tours, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Multi day tours are charged at a daily rate listed below. Prices include your vehicle and guide only. Prices are inclusive of VAT.
Your Scotland and Orkney private tour starts with an “off the beaten path” City of Edinburgh experience, which includes a drive up Arthur’s Seat in one of our private vehicles. This will be the same private car that will transport you in style and comfort for the duration of your tour. Arthur’s Seat is an 823ft volcano in the heart of the capital. From the summit, you will enjoy panoramic views and amazing photo opportunities.
We then head to the Forth road and rail bridges. Built in 1881, the rail bridge (The Forth Bridge) was considered the greatest feat of engineering in the industrial world at the time.
Overlooking these landmarks are some of Scotland’s finest stately homes and castles. First, we visit Hopetoun House, arguably the finest stately home in Scotland. Blackness Castle is our next stop. This seaside fortress is a textbook example of a Scottish castle. Next, we move on to the Palace of Linlithgow, a ghostly-looking shell of its former grand royal days. Finally, we visit Rosslyn Chapel, which appeared in the Hollywood blockbuster The Da Vinci Code. The chapel was built in 1446, has links to the Knights Templar, and is believed to be the hiding place of the Holy Grail.
You also have the option to visit Glenkinchie Whisky Distillery on the first day of this Scotland and Orkney tour from Edinburgh at no extra cost.
Enjoy an overnight stay in Edinburgh.
Day two of this holiday to Orkney and Scotland begins with an Edinburgh departure. We will hit the road and make our way to Stirling and the mighty Stirling Castle. Upgraded in the late 1400s by the Stuart Kings to become a more comfortable residence. This commanding position at the foot of the Highland boundary has been fought over for thousands of years as a strategic point to control the entire country.
We continue into Highland Perthshire where we visit the beautiful Blair Castle, home to the Duke of Atholl for over 700 years. This pristine white castle has a large armoury which includes weapons used during the battle of Culloden.
After a late lunch, we will make our way through the Cairngorm National Park, continuing north to the city of Inverness for the evening.
Enjoy an overnight stay in Inverness.
We start the day with a visit to the Culloden battlefield where the British government troops fought the Jacobite army in 1746. The Scots suffered a heavy defeat and this was to be the last ever battle on UK soil. The visitor centre has a state-of-the-art 360-degree theatre which allows you to immerse yourself in the battle and hear real accounts from those who fought.
From Culloden, we move a few miles along the road to the 4,000-year-old Clava Cairn Burial Chambers. This exceptionally well-preserved Bronze Age cemetery is one of Scotland’s most sacred prehistoric sites.
We then continue west to Cawdor Castle. The name may be recognisable from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Shakespeare himself visited Cawdor Castle. Learn of the Castle’s link to one of Shakespeare’s darkest tragedies.
After a late lunch, we leave Cawdor and drive along the Moray coast to enjoy a tasting session at the famous Benromach Whisky Distillery. This will give you the opportunity to try Speyside single malt — a highlight of this luxury Scotland and Orkney tour for whisky aficionados!
We continue back to Inverness where we finish for the evening.
Enjoy an overnight stay in Inverness.
We start the day with a drive north to visit the beautiful Dunrobin Castle. This fairy tale stronghold is the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland and Clan Sutherland. We then continue north to the very tip of the mainland where we board the 13.30 ferry to the Orkney Isles. This is where your holiday to Orkney truly begins!
We spend the afternoon visiting sites on the southern isles while making our way up to the main island. Highlights will include the famous Churchill barriers which connect the islands; they were built as anti-submarine defences in World War II. Marvel at views out to the famous Scapa Flow and enjoy a visit to the magnificent Italian Chapel constructed by prisoners of war.
Next, we arrive on the main island and visit the 880-year-old St Magnus Cathedral. It’s considered one of the best-preserved buildings of its era anywhere in Britain. We stop for the evening in the main town of Kirkwall.
Enjoy an overnight stay in Kirkwall, Orkney.
Your Orkney private tour continues with more exploring on the main island, including visits to a great selection of pre-historic sites. We start with the Iron Age Broch of Gurness. Constructed around 500 BC, it’s a great example of a stone house and unique in the fact they are only found in Scotland.
Our next stop is the world-famous Skara Brae. This site, discovered buried in the sand after a storm in the 1850’s is the best preserved group of prehistoric houses anywhere in Western Europe dating back more than 5,000 years.
Next, we visit the Neolithic stone circle and henge at the Ring of Brodgar. Dating from around 2500 BC it’s also one of the most important active archaeological digs in Europe. We then continue to the nearby Standing Stones of Stenness. Dating back 5,400 years, this may be the earliest Henge monument in Britain.
Finally, we visit the chambered tomb of Maeshowe. This 5,000-year-old structure is considered to be the finest Neolithic building in North West Europe. Finally, we return to Kirkwall for the evening.
Enjoy an overnight stay in Kirkwall, Orkney.
While your Orkney tour may end when we catch the morning ferry and make our way south towards the west coast, there are many more Scottish experiences to come yet. We travel through the magnificent Torridon Mountains. This remote area offers some of Scotland’s best scenic landscapes.
We continue west through the rugged landscape to one of Scotland’s most picturesque castles, Eilean Donan. The castle was lovingly restored in the early 1900s by Lt. Col. John Macrae Gilstrap. It’s featured in many movies including Highlander, Maid of Honour, and numerous James Bond films.
Finally, we cross the bridge over to the magical Isle of Skye and make our way to the main town of Portree where we stop for the night.
Enjoy an overnight stay in Portree, Isle of Skye.
Day seven of this Scotland and Orkney tour from Edinburgh starts with driving a loop around the geological wonder of the Trotternish Peninsular. We visit The Old Man of Storr (featured in the movie Prometheus) and then continue to the 200ft Kilt Rock Waterfall. We then visit the strange landscape of the Quiraing. This volcanic wonder is one of the most beautiful sites on the island.
Next, we visit another bizarre feature known as the Fairy Glen. It can only be described as a miniature mountain landscape suitable for elves and goblins. We continue west across the island to the only remaining inhabited castle on Skye. Home to Clan Macleod for the last 800 years, Dunvegan Castle and Gardens is a great place to immerse yourself in history, boasting the longest continuous habitation of any castle in Scotland.
You have the choice to include the Talisker Distillery and fresh Oyster tasting.
Enjoy an overnight stay on the Isle of Skye.
On the final morning of this Scotland and Orkney private tour, we make our way off the island via the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig. Back on the mainland, we enjoy the spectacular views on the road to the isles and visit Glenfinnan Viaduct (featured in the Harry Potter movies) and the Jacobite memorial.
The next stop is one of Scotland’s most desired spots — Glencoe. Towering mountains on all sides and a bloody history make this an unforgettable experience for all who visit. We continue south to visit Etive Mor, an extinct super volcano known locally as “the Shepard of Glencoe”. Here, we turn off the beaten path into Glen Etive for spectacular scenery and hopefully spot Red Deer in their native habitat.
We sadly leave the highlands from this point and return to Edinburgh where we say farewell and trust you have enjoyed an unforgettable luxury private Scotland and Orkney tour.
