Scotland is abundant in history, great food, flora & fauna, and much more! Here is the latest 9-day tour itinerary of the Western Isles and more of Scotland I have just completed with a lovely group of 18. Some of the highlights included a boat trip on Loch Lomond (one of two of Scotland's National Parks) a journey onboard the iconic Jacobite Steam Train (also referred to as The Hogwarts Express from Harry Potter) from Fort William (Scottish Highlands) to Mallaig, visiting the picturesque harbour and colourful cottages of Portree, Isle of Skye, exploring the historic Gearrannan Blackhouse Village and Calanais Standing Stones, Isle of Lewis. Let's dive into this Scottish itinerary in more detail.
9-Day Itinerary Western Isles and more in Scotland
Our first stop was an overnight stay at the beautifully landscaped Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa. A luxurious start with an incredibly comfortable deluxe king double room including views out over the manicured, lush green lawn and beyond, opting for an all-Scottish dining experience - scrumptious haggis bon bons, Scottish steak pie and to follow, the traditional Scottish dessert - cranachan.
After a blissful night's rest, it was time for breakfast. There are a number of continental and cooked breakfast options available. I opted for two poached eggs on tattie scones (the popular Scottish savory griddle potato scone is triangular in shape and made with potato, butter, and salt). Another firm Scottish breakfast favourite is the Lorne sausage. The square minced meat and square sausage is said to be named after the region of Lorne in Argyll and is said to date back as early as 1892. As well as these you might like to also have haggis or black pudding (the blood sausage is said to have been referenced in 800 BC and today the best and multi-award-winning black pudding comes from Charles Macleod, Stornoway. Made to the original 70-year-old recipe with beef suet).
After a hearty breakfast, there was time for a nice stroll around the beautifully landscaped hotel gardens with waterfall, before setting off on a gentle 1-hour cruise of Loch Lomond onboard the MV Lomond Prince.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Scotland's first of the two national parks in Scotland is home to 22 lochs with breathtaking scenery, great walks, cycling, boat trips, and much more! Loch Lomond is the largest freshwater loch in the UK with an excellent reputation for fishing. The formation of Loch Lomond was carved out during the final stages of the last ice age between 20,000 and 10,000 years ago. It is 36km long and up to 8km wide. Onboard the MV Lomond Prince as well as enjoying the incredible sweeping landscapes and views of Ben Lomond (one of Scotland's Munro's), we heard about its rich history including that of the song "Loch Lomond" and the Celtic legend "the low road" - the route for the souls of the dead. Fascinating!
Before we knew it, it was time to depart and join the train from Arrochar and Tarbet to Fort William. Said to be one of the most scenic rail journeys in the world, with breathtaking landscapes, diverse scenery, and historical significance. It is part of the West Highland Line crossing the high remote Rannoch Moor, through wilderness, and on to Fort William.
Day 3
We set off to join the world's most famous train - The Jacobite (also referred to as the Hogwarts Express from Harry Potter) between Fort William to Mallaig. The journey takes approximately 2 hours traveling through the picturesque Scottish Highlands, crossing the 21-arch Glenfinnan viaduct overlooking Loch Shiel and the Jacobite monument. You can also return the same day 2 hours later, but it was time for us to enjoy a bite of lunch in Mallaig before hopping onto the Calmac ferry for the short crossing to the Isle of Skye (Armadale).
Later transferring back onto the coach and onwards to the Sligachan Hotel (our overnight accommodation) which is steeped in history. Dating back to 1830, it quickly became very popular with climbers. Purchased by the Campbell family in 1913 and passed down through the decades. Today it is being run by the 4th generation. Don't forget to explore the small climbing museum with guest information dating back to the 1800s. Across the road by Sligachan Old Bridge, you can now see the bronze sculpture of climbers Prof Norman Collie and John Mackenzie by local sculptor Steve Tinney. Over 130 years ago these two men began a years' long adventure climbing and mapping out The Cuillin range. After being in the planning for 17 years the sculpture was unveiled on the 25th September 2020.
Day 4
After delicious French toast (eggy bread, crispy bacon, and Maple syrup) for breakfast, time for a leisurely walk across to Sligachan Old Bridge. The bridge was built between 1810 and 1818 by engineer Thomas Telford. Today the B-listed bridge can only be accessed by pedestrians and cyclists only. My favourite part of returning to this beautiful area is discovering more myths and legends. The Sligachan River is known as the 'Fountain of Youth'. The tale is of a poor Highland maiden that is horribly disfigured by a clan rival. The faerie queen immersed the girl into the river, emerging beautiful and scarless. Will you stick your face in the water under the Sligachan Old Bridge for 7 seconds and be granted eternal beauty?
The luggage was loaded onto the coach and everyone excited about the day ahead visiting the colourful harbour town of Portree. The weather was a bit dreich (wet), so opted for an indoor activity until the sun came out. Have you heard of Skyeskyns? The family business (since 1983) is Scotland's premium sheepskin rug, clothing, and footwear seller. The 1-hour tour of Scotland's only working traditional tannery is very informative! See how the beautiful sheepskin rugs are processed, why they are so fluffy, and more.
There is so much to explore in Portree, from the spacious visitor centre - Isle of Skye Candle Company with an incredible pizzeria, there is also the Isle of Skye Gin shop, you might like to also purchase Isle of Skye Sea Salt, fudge, chocolate, and craft beers. There are also lovely cafes and bars. One of my favourite places to go for lunch is MacKenzie's Bakery. As well as a delicious selection of donuts and traybakes. They also do homemade soup, filled rolls, and salad boxes. Have you tried the Irn Bru Donut? Yum!
After a wander around the harbour town of Portree, it was off to explore more of the Isle of Skye. We headed up the east coast via the Old Man of Storr (rock formation), Kilt Rock (waterfall), and onwards to the Museum of Island Life (traditional thatched cottages that give a true insight into island life 100 years ago) and Flora MacDonald's Monument (resting place of one of Scotland's greatest heroines). It was then time to travel to Uig for the Calmac ferry over to (Tarbert, Harris) the Isles of Lewis & Harris, Outer Hebrides.
The ferry crossing is approximately 2 hours. Plenty of time to enjoy the onboard fish & chips or another good staple meal. You might like to accompany it with Scotland's other national drink - Irn Bru (a soft drink produced since 1901). On arrival in Tarbert, we headed north to Stornoway, the main town in Lewis for our next two nights half board.
Day 5
Today we traveled northwest to Barvas - Barabhas (the area is a great surf spot), Butt of Lewis - Rubha Rohanais (the most northerly point on the Isle of Lewis with the unusual lighthouse built by the Stevenson brothers David and Thomas, as it was constructed with red-brick and is unpainted (1862), and Port Ness - Port Nis (small village with fishing harbour and beach). After a great morning exploring and seeing some of the small villages and coastal views, it was time to refuel with a light lunch (soup & sandwiches) at the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village (a traditional village that was once home to generations of crofting families until the early 1970s) after lunch it was a short drive to Dun Carloway Broch - Dun Charlabhaigh (the best-preserved broch in Scotland, dates over 2000 years old) and afterwards, Calanais Standing Stones (the Neolithic monument is said to have been erected between 2900 and 2600BC and older than the main circle at Stonehenge, England).
Day 6
After a hearty Scottish full breakfast (sausages, mushrooms, beans, tattie scones, and bacon) it was time to check out. We headed to Lewis Castle (1680 -) to explore some of its interiors, gardens, and the incredible adjoining museum - Museum nan Eilean Stornoway. It is free entry to all. Highly recommend a visit! The museum galleries are filled with interesting, and fascinating exhibits including some of the incredible Lewis Chess Men.
We all enjoyed some small hot and cold beverages at the Storehouse Cafe before our black pudding run to Charles Macleod's butcher shop. We couldn't go all the way there and not pick up some of the multi-award-winning black pudding (wink). The afternoon was spent exploring Stornoway Harbour and shopping (no visit to Harris and Lewis would be complete without buying some Harris Gin, Harris Tweed, Ishga seaweed products, and hand-knitted garments from Herring Girl). As always, the time just flew by and before we knew it, it was time to board our next Calmac Ferry. This time we were traveling to Ullapool. The journey is 2 hours 45 minutes with views passing some of the remote Summer Isles.
After a fun but long day, we were back on the Scottish mainland heading to the Inver Lodge Hotel.
Day 7
Today we drove some of the popular NC500 (North Coast 500) in the Northwest Scottish Highlands, stopping at scenic areas such as Kylesku Bridge and Smoo Cave for photostops.
Day 8
After an incredible two-night stay at The Inver Lodge Hotel, we were back on the coach traveling to Golspie, for a visit to Dunrobin Castle. My most favourite Scottish castle is Britain's oldest continuously inhabited house, dating back to the 1300s. Today the most northerly stately home in Scotland is home to the Duke of Sunderland and his family.
While visiting don't miss a stroll around the beautifully landscaped gardens, falconery display, and the delicious tray bakes in the cafe.
Later in the afternoon, we took the two-carriage train from Golspie for a quick overnight stay in Inverness.
Day 9
After a quick breakfast, it was time to check out and take our early first-class LNER train back to London.
It was a fantastic trip! Hope you have enjoyed reading and are feeling inspired to see more of Scotland.
Till next time....happy travels,
Michelle
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