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Route Rating Level 1 to Level 4

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Premiere Inns
  • $4,598 pp dbl. occ.
  • (+$1,650 for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. More Info

6 DAYS, 5 NIGHTS
ROLLOVER DATES BELOW FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
2009 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
ROLLOVER DATES ABOVE FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
TRIP NOTES

All meals are included except 1 dinner.

Cancellation Policy

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Meet / Depart

Inverness, Scotland/Mallaig, Scotland

Special Interest

Culture & History, Fine Wine & Cuisine, Golf, Natural Beauty &/or Wildlife, Romance &/or Honeymoon

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Call: 800-462-2848
or 510-527-1555
Fax: 510-527-1444
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801 Cedar St.
Berkeley, CA 94710

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7 days a week
from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Time

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Scotland Hiking Tour

Scotland Hiking

The Highlands & the Isle of Skye

From the Highlands to the Hebrides, Scotland offers an enticing fabric of spectacular scenery, ancient history and untamed beauty. In this peacefully remote region, hike with Backroads amid rocky highlands and windswept moorlands, past grand old castles and around deep mysterious lochs. Wind your way among towering pine trees and along the rolling hills of the western Highlands, and explore the Isle of Skye's rugged coastline. Come evening, settle into genteel surroundings at grand hotels, where you can warm your feet by the fireplace, relax with tea and coffee, and look forward to tomorrow's adventures.

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Days 1-2 Torridon

Meet in Inverness Hike through the wilderness of western Scotland and take in sweeping views of Lochs (or "lakes") Clair and Coulin, and surrounding mountain ranges Explore the undisturbed landscape above Loch Torridon With stunning lake vistas, walk a path through stands of Scots pine, over heather-carpeted hills and along a rushing stream  Join an informal "nosing" of fine Scotch whiskies. 

Days 3-4 Portree

Tour Eilean Donan Castle, one of Scotland's most photographed castles Rub shoulders with locals over lunch at a neighboring pub On the Isle of Skye, hear the ancient Gaelic language Visit Glen Sligachan in the heart of the Cuillin Mountains Admire views of little Loch Curruisk while ascending through fragrant heather, moorland grass and bog myrtle Storyteller George Macpherson shares tales about the Scottish Highlands and the history of Skye.

Days 5-6 Sleat

Hike to the deserted coastal villages of Boreraig and Suisnish with interpretive guide Rosie Somerville Learn the poignant history behind these ruins, victims of the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries Follow a coastal path offering captivating vistas of nearby islands   Enjoy a local piper's serenade  Take a morning stroll through Armadale Castle's ruins and gardens.

Route Rating What's this? Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Each offers options for more or less activity, so you can decide exactly how much you want to do day by day.

Lodging What's this? Our lodgings are divided into three different categories.

Premiere Inns:These lodgings possess both elegance and authentic regional flair.

Casual Inns:These lodgings are comfortable and appropriate to the areawith such characteristics as authenticity, scenic settings and proximity to our activities.

Deluxe Camping:We set up the tents (and take them down), handle every camp chore and perform culinary magic.

Detailed Itinerary

Reserve This Trip!

Guest Trip Reviews

Having been on a previous Backroads trip, I knew I could have high expectations - and I was not disappointed in Scotland. The balance of hiking to other cultural activities (naturalist, storyteller, whiskey tasting, distillery tour) was super and added real dimension to the trip. The hikes themselves were well thought out: pacing, opportunity for additional miles, variety of natural settings (mountains, lakes, farmlands, ocean views) couldn't have been better.
Cathleen Cote - New York, NY

More Reviews of this Trip

All Raves and Reviews

For more than 29 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Scotland tour experts. For walking tours and hiking tours in Europe At Large, trust our in-depth connections. To see all our Europe At Large walking tours and hiking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Europe At Large biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Europe At Large multisport tours click here.

Scotland Hiking

GRAND COUNTRY HOUSES: Premiere Inns

The Torridon

Torridon (2 nights): Set on a lake at the foot of a mountain, this Victorian beauty dates to 1887 and is member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

Cuillin Hills Hotel

Portree (2 nights): This guesthouse, nestled amid 15 acres of private grounds on the Isle of Skye, offers majestic views of the Cuillin Mountains and Portree Bay.

Hotel Eilean Iarmain

Sleat (1 night): Most often called "Isle Ornsay Hotel," this century-old harborside retreat is one of Britain's most acclaimed hotels.

Scotland Hiking Scotland Hiking

The Torridon

Scotland Hiking

Route Rating

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Level  2  1 Route Option Available
  • 6.1 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 2
  • Level 2 to 3   2 Route Options Available
  • 6.6, 8 miles
  • 0 - 2000 feet elevation gain
Day 3
  • Level 1 2 Route Options Available
  • 1.8, 2.5 miles
  • 0 - 1500 feet elevation gain
Day 4
  • Levels 3 to 5 2 Route Options Available
  • 8.4, 12.4 miles
  • 500 - 2000 feet elevation gain
Day 5
  • Levels 1 to 3 2 Route Options Available
  • 4.6, 7.5 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 6
  • Level 1   1 Route Option Available
  • 2.5 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain

We hike on boggy trails, pavement, mountain trails and dirt roads that can be wet and rocky at times. The terrain is gently to moderately hilly.

Scotland Hiking Scotland Hiking

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking
& Hiking
1 2-3
hours		 10-20
miles		 2-5
miles
2 2-4
hours		 21-30
miles		 5-7
miles
3 3-5
hours		 31-40
miles		 7-9
miles
4 4-6
hours		 41-55
miles		 9-11
miles
5 5-7+
hours		 56-75+
miles		 11-13+
miles