15 5-Day Experiences in Scotland to Build a Day Around

1.5-Day Isle of Skye, Loch Ness & Inverness From Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 451 reviews · from $808Our pick

Travel from Edinburgh into the Highlands and across the Isle of Skye on a five-day small-group tour. Your local guide leads you to Glencoe, Glenfinnan, Eilean Donan, Portree, Loch Ness, Culloden, and Clava Cairns, with four nights in 3-star B&B accommodation. Guides may include Paul, Cara, Owen, Sophie, Tom, Ryan, or Robert.

“Absolutely amazing experiences! Scotland is lovely - the locals are friendly and helpful, the scenery is spectacular, the history is dark and deep resulting in such depth I haven't seen elsewhere. Our tour guide was phenomenal - knowledgeable, witty, humourous and well orgaRead more”

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2.Scotland in 5 Days Including Jacobite Steam Train from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 341 reviews · from $1,330

Travel from Edinburgh through the Highlands and Isle of Skye by midi-coach, ferry, and Jacobite Steam Train. You’ll visit Glencoe, Eilean Donan Castle, Culloden, Loch Ness, and more, with four nights in B&B or hotel accommodation. Guides such as Louise, Ross, Ali, and Caitlin have led recent departures, but the guide is assigned by the operator.

“Our host Caroline was amazing! Totally exceeded my expectations! Definitely worth every penny! You will not regret such a wonderful experience!”

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3.5-Day Best of Scotland Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 263 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $1,240

Travel from Edinburgh through Loch Lomond, Kilmartin Glen, Glencoe, Fort William, the Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, and Culloden in a guided minibus tour. Your guide handles the driving and adds Scottish stories, music, and history. Four nights of accommodation and breakfast are included, while castle entries and the Loch Ness cruise cost extra.

“Seeing Scotland with Cameron and 14 other wonderful people. The sights, the sounds, the silliness. Really an adventure I’ll never forget.”

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4.5-Day Highland Explorer and Isle of Skye Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 169 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $1,301

Spend five days traveling from Edinburgh through the Highlands and Isle of Skye in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach. You’ll visit Ardvreck Castle, Achmelvich Bay, Glencoe, and Eilean Donan Castle, with four nights in Ullapool or Inverness and Portree. Guides such as Alan, Ross, Gail, and Sean are known for lively stories, music, and local history.

“The trip is good. Driver Michael is excellant. One point I need to point out Do not choose the Hotel option. I choose and pay for the Hotel optionfor 4 nights, but Viator give me a Bed and Breakfast Guest House in the first 2 nights. Viator did not give an answer to my complaint.”

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5.5-Day Orkney & Northern Coast Tour from Edinburgh Incl Admissions

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 132 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $1,454

Travel from Edinburgh to Orkney in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach, crossing the Pentland Firth by ferry. You’ll see Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar, the Italian Chapel, Culloden, and wild northern scenery, with four nights in B&Bs or 3-star hotels. Guides such as Mac, Karen, Martin, and Jodie have brought strong local stories and humor to the route.

“All the Prehistory was fascinating ! Fabulous tour; food, guide, lodging, company, comfortable seating,”

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6.5-Day Iona, Mull and the Isle of Skye Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $1,417

Travel from Edinburgh in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach with a driver-guide such as Trevor, Heather, Audrey, or Richard. Spend two nights around Oban and two near Skye, with ferries to Mull and Iona, optional Staffa, Eilean Donan, Glencoe, and Loch Ness. Breakfasts and four nights of en-suite lodging are included, while admissions and meals are extra.

“Wonderful!, Audrey was an excellent guide. Loved the Islands- Iona and Skye! Hairy cuus were so cute! Thanks. Julie and Alana. Sydney Australia.”

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7.5-Day Isle of Skye, Oban, & Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $518Best value

Travel from Edinburgh through Oban, Glencoe, Loch Ness, Skye, the North West Highlands, and St Andrews in a small group of up to 16. Your Hairy Coo guide, with guides such as Stephen, John, or Callum leading departures, handles the driving and storytelling. You book your own lodging and meals, while optional whisky, museum, castle, and seal boat visits cost extra.

“The trip, April 24-28, 2024, was beyond anything I could have hoped for. First off, John, our tour leader was incredible! When you spend 5 days with someone leading a tour, they really have to bring it and he did. His knowledge of the highlands and the storytelling, my God, the storytelling, was vast! We saw all the sights on the itinerary and even more because our group was punctual and considerate and we never had to wait for anyone beyond a minute or two maybe once. There were plenty of "pee" breaks as each destination was not more than an hour or so apart. So do not be concerned…”

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8.5 Day Classic Tour of Scotland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 83 reviews · from $0

Explore Scotland by private vehicle with Iain Stewart and his local team. This five-day route links Stirling, Glenfinnan, Skye, Loch Ness, Pitlochry, St Andrews, Falkland, and Castle Campbell, with room for history, folklore, short walks, food, whisky, and flexible stops.

“We did a 10 night private tour with Iain - 5 nights in England and 5 nights in Scotland. He met our every expectation plus so much more! He was very knowledgeable about the history of the area. He took us to many interesting sites off the "beaten path" as well as the major attractions. Breathtaking, beautiful scenery. I highly recommend Serenity Scotland.”

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9.5-Day Isle of Skye, Inverness & Loch Ness Tour w/Hostel

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · 5 days (approx.)

Travel from Edinburgh through Glencoe, Oban, Glenfinnan, Skye, Loch Ness, Culloden, and Dunkeld in a small group of up to 30. You get four mixed-gender hostel nights, an English-speaking guide, Culloden and Dundreggan admission, and a whisky distillery tour. Castle tickets, meals, and any Loch Ness cruise cost extra.

“My experience with the 5-day tour was worth the booking for Scotland. The Isle of Skye and the highlands were my favorite part of the tour as you saw the autumn colors bloom on mountains and everywhere you drove by, was amazing of the nature scenery. The Haggis Adventure were great on organizing the tour and our driver/tour guide Alister made the trip exciting and well-knowledgeable to keep you entertained with Scottish stories and facts about Scotland.”

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10.5-Day Orkney and Highlands Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $1,305

Travel from Edinburgh through Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Inverness, and the far north to Orkney. Visit the Italian Chapel, Maeshowe, Skara Brae, Dunrobin Castle, and Culloden with a driver-guide. Four nights of lodging and five breakfasts are included. Guides such as Stefan, Iain, and Fergie are known for strong storytelling and personal care.

“This was an unforgettable journey! Our guide – Iain – was phenomenal. His knowledge and passion for Scotland were impressive. He shared fascinating stories and historical tidbits about each site we visited. Safety and wellbeing were clearly top priorities. Every evening, he made sure all of us were safely settled in our accommodations, and each morning, he was there to greet us with a smile, ready for another day of adventure. Always making sure that we had enough time to fully enjoy and immerse ourselves in each site without feeling rushed. He also created great atmosphere within the group, great music on the bus and engaging conversations. The Highlands and…”

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11.5-Day Best of Scotland Experience from Glasgow

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $1,229

Travel from Glasgow through the Highlands with a driver-guide, visiting Loch Lomond, Oban, Skye, Glencoe, Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness, Culloden, and more. Four nights of accommodation and breakfast are included. Expect frequent stops, long scenic drives, a maximum group of 35, and optional paid castle and cruise visits.

“Everyone on the bus was raving about the whole trip. The accommodations were great, and our guide JR was incredible, so thoughtful, knowledgeable, and entertaining. You have frequent stops throughout the day and see so many things. The only issue (if you can call it that) is that you are always in a rush but this is the price to pay for getting to see many incredible gems-historical, nature, and popular culture-related. My 12-year-old son enjoyed it tremendously and never even had his phone out throughout the day, unbelievable. If you want to see Scotland outside of the big cities, I recommend this trip, 5 days is just enough! Isle…”

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12.Bespoke 5 day Tour – your personal itinerary

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews

Travel privately for five days with a driver-guide from Scotland’s Highland Tours, including Keith, who has helped guests trace family roots and shape days around personal interests. Your route can include Skye, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Cairngorms villages, and the far north. Transport, parking, WiFi, and bottled water are included, but meals, hotels, and attraction tickets are extra.

“As a married couple celebrating a 70th birthday, we booked this tour not knowing what to expect. All we can say is WOW. Our tour guide driver Keith was more than willing to take us wherever we wanted, including tracing personal heritaRead more”

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13.5 Days English Speaking Course Around Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $680

Spend five days speaking English with Garry, Elena, and your small group while staying in private accommodation near Moffat. Expect guided walks at Grey Mare’s Tail, Edinburgh’s landmarks and quieter streets, Drumlanrig Castle, home-cooked meals, games, and daily conversation. Pickup from Edinburgh Airport is offered, with free time built in.

“It was a great experience! Garry and his wife were very attentive and careful with every detail...”

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14.5 Day Islay Whisky Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $1,901

Travel from Edinburgh to Islay with a driver-guide such as Moray, Jamie, or John S, visiting Oban and nine Islay distilleries. Expect warehouse tastings, coastal views, four breakfasts, and four nights in Bowmore. Lunch and dinner are extra, and the group can include up to 16 people.

“Absolutely amazing. The (whisky-related) trip of a lifetime. The accommodations at Bowmore House were lovely, as were the hosts. Each distillery had something unique and special to offer, and they were all wonderful. But the trip wouldn't have been possible without our amazing guide, Morey. His snarky banter, whisky and historical knowledge, and relationship with each distillery is what really made this trip perfect. Highly recommend.”

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15.5 Day Orkney Islands and North Coast 500 Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 5 days (approx.) · from $928

Travel with a small group of up to 16 from Edinburgh through the Cairngorms, Orkney, and the North Coast 500. Guides such as Calum and Karen add local stories, while ferry rides, Skara Brae, Maeshowe, whisky distilleries, Culloden, and Loch Ness fill five busy days.

“An absolutely wonderful experience from start to finish. The tour operator - Scotland's Wild - did a great job in every detail. We greatly appreciated both the planned itinerary and the opportunities to make changes as needed. The guides - Calum and Karen - were great company and really enhanced the trip with their knowledge of Scottish geography, history and lore. I particularly valued the many stops at ancient archaeological sites, especially on Orkney, and every stop on every day added a lot to the overall enjoyment of the trip.”

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