Iona, Mull and Isle of Skye - 5 days

5 days to enjoy 4 fantastic West Coast Islands including the islands of Mull, Iona and Staffa and the romantic beauty of the Isle of Skye. Highlights also include Loch Lomond National Park, Eilean Donan Castle, Glencoe and Loch Ness for a great sample of the best of Scotland.

2011 Departure Dates
Depart Mondays 29 March to 25 October except 5 April, 19 April, 4 October & 18 October

Day 1 takes you north passed Stirling castle, and then west to Scotland's first National Park around Loch Lomond,and the bonny banks". You will travel through the impressive mountains of the West Highlands through the magnificent white-washed 18th Century town of Inveraray, home to the Campbell Clan and the Duke of Argyll. The afternoon will be spent in the heart of Argyll exploring the area close to the ancient Kingdom of Dalriada before arriving in bustling town of Oban, the gateway to the islands, for your 2 night stay.

Day 2 is an early start crossing on the ferry to Mull and enjoying an island adventure exploring her dramatic coastlines and wild beauty, before taking the small ferry to the peace and tranquility of Iona - birthplace of Celtic Christianity and ancient burial ground of Scottish Kings. Here you can visit the historic abbey with its intricate carved crosses in the churchyard or explore the rocky headlands and sandy coves of this island gem. There is also an opportunity to take a small boat out to the island of Staffa (except Saturday departures in September) and view the dramatic basalt columns immortalised by Mendelssohn in his Hebridean Overture "Fingal's Cave". You then return on the ferry to Oban for your second night.

Day 3 takes you north along the west coast around Appin, passing the impregnable Castle Stalker, and Glencoe, scene of the infamous massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692. You then pass through Fort William and up to the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge with great views over Ben Nevis, Britain's highest montain. Your tour now takes the "Road to the Isles" through the splendour of the Five Sisters of Kintail, the mountains guarding the pass on the way to the Isle of Skye. You stop to visit the famous stronghold Eilean Donan Castle, used in the film "Highlander", set at the junction of 3 lochs as protection against Viking raiders. Crossing over the sea to Skye, you travel up to the picturesque harbour town of Portree. You are then dropped off at your accommodation in the early evening, where you are free to go out and explore the town.

Day 4 is a very flexible day on Skye. There are many possibilities depending on the weather and we take passengers preferences into account. For example : Travel north to the stunning Quiraing mountain pass and enjoy a spectacular walk through some of Skye's extraordinary geological scenery, visit Kilt Rock, composed of basalt columns (reminiscent of the pleats in a kilt) with it's waterfall cascading over the cliffs and down into the sea below. After lunch you can go over to Neist Point for a walk out to the lighthouse that is the furthest point west on Skye. Or go over to Dunvegan Castle, ancient ancestral seat of the Clan McLeod. Talisker Distillery is also here, as are the famous Cuillin Hills. We return you to your accommodation in Portree in the early evening for you to enjoy your second free night in Portree.

Day 5 You will be collected from your accommodation and travel south through the Cuillin Hills and back over to the mainland for stunning views over Loch Duich and the 5 Sisters of Kintail. Onto Loch Ness for lunch and the possibility of spotting "Nessie". There is a boat trip (Summer only) available here that will get you that bit closer! Heading south now through the Grampian mountains along Loch Laggan, made famous now as "Monarch of the Glen Country" before passing Dawhinnie, home to Scotland's highest whisky Distillery, and onwards into Perthshire where we stop for refreshments before heading back to Edinburgh past Perth and over the Forth Road Bridge. Arriving at 19.00 approx.

Price excludes

The basic tour price includes guest house standard bed and breakfast accommodation and is based on 2 people sharing a twin bedded room. We also offer upgrades to 3 star hotel standard accommodation.

If you are a single traveller you must select a single room upgrade, as we cannot offer a room-share service for this tour.

On this tour you will be travelling with no more than 16 other people - guaranteed! Our purpose-built minibuses have large windows, good air circulation and clear PA systems so that your professional guide can escort  you comfortably through our wonderful country. Our itineraries are carefullly planned (with many years of experience) so that you discover as much as possible, without spending too much time on the road.

As we travel in smaller vehicles, we normally use the most scenic routes, where large coach are prohibited from travelling. Additionally, as our group sizes are smaller we are able to more time out of the vehicle. We also employ a the very best driver/guides.

Friendly and Professional Guides - Small Groups - More Scenic Routes - More Time Sightseeing - Great Value for Money

09.00 am 207 High St, Edinburgh
Returns to Waverley Bridge opposite Waverley Train Station by 7 pm approx.

Pre-Tour Planning

How to travel to Edinburgh using public transport from other parts of the UK:

Train: Rail is normally the easiest and fastest method travel to Edinburgh. Services take you directly into the city centre (Waverley Train Station). For information on rail services visit National Rail Enquiries. Typical train journey times between London and Edinburgh are 5 hours.

Coach: Coach travel is normally the least expensive method of travel but journey times are much longer (typlically 10-11 hours from London). Services are operated by National Express and also Megabus.

Air: Regional services operate from most of the main UK Airports. Low-Cost carriers normally offer the best deals and include: Easyjet.com, Flybe.com, bmibaby.com. If you are travelling from London Heathrow try flybmi.com. For a full list of the domestic and international carriers serving Edinburgh click here. Edinburgh is easily reached by coach and train from Glasgow Airport - click here. It is worth noting that most journeys to Edinburgh by train from London are as fast as by air, due to travelling to the airport, check-in and security and then obtaining luggage and getting from Edinburgh Airport to the city, which takes approximately 30 minutes.

Link into an International Friends tour departing from England - Edinburgh by train

Why not link into one of our regular rail package tour departures from London, Cambridge, Oxford, or Kent. Our package tours include train tickets, accommodation, sightseeing and are fully escorted. We can extend your rail travel so that you can participate in our extended tours in Scotland. Our specialist staff in our Cambridge office are experts on Edinburgh and Scotland and will be happy to discuss your exact requirements. We can be contacted by telephone on 0044 (0)1223 244 555 or by email to info@internationalfriends.co.uk

Accommodation

To find great deals on hotels in Edinburgh click here. Obtaining accommodation in Edinburgh can be extremely hard due to city's popularity and limited supply of hotels. Booking early is strongly recommended.