A 5-day Orkney Islands tour from Edinburgh with a small group, ferries included. Spend two nights on Orkney among ancient villages and stone circles, via the North Coast 500.
A 5-day Orkney Islands tour from Edinburgh with a small group, ferries included. Spend two nights on Orkney among ancient villages and stone circles, via the North Coast 500.
Walk among stone-built homes that were already ancient when Scotland’s castles appeared. On this five-day Orkney tour from Edinburgh, travel through the Cairngorms and Inverness, follow part of the North Coast 500 and cross the Pentland Firth for two nights around Kirkwall.
A full island day brings Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar, while the Italian Chapel reveals a very different chapter of Orkney’s history. The mainland has plenty to share, too, from Culloden and Clava Cairns to John O’ Groats, Camster Cairns and Dunrobin Castle. After a final night in Inverness, return via Loch Ness and Glencoe. Your expert guide joins the stories together, with walks and coastal stops giving you time to take in Scotland’s far north.
At a glance
- Duration: 5 days (4 nights: Inverness ×2, Orkney ×2)
- Departs: Edinburgh, 8:30am (back approx. 7–8pm, Day 5)
- Group size: Max 16 (small scheduled group)
- Ages: 12+ (younger? ask about a private tour)
- Walking: Short walks (up to ~1 hour, uneven paths)
- Ferry: Included (return crossings to Orkney)
Itinerary
Day 1: Edinburgh to Inverness: The Hermitage · Highland distillery · Aviemore · Culloden · Clava Cairns
Travel into Perthshire for a woodland walk at The Hermitage, where towering trees frame the path to Black Linn Falls, then through the Cairngorms with a Highland distillery stop and lunch in Aviemore.
The afternoon brings Culloden Battlefield and the nearby prehistoric Clava Cairns, finishing in Inverness with the evening free to explore the Highland capital.
Day 2: Inverness to Orkney: North Coast 500 · Coastal walk · Ferry · Italian Chapel · Scapa · Kirkwall
Head north along the North Coast 500, with a coastal walk before the Pentland Firth, then cross to Orkney by ferry. On the islands, visit the Italian Chapel, continue towards Scapa and finish in Kirkwall for the first of two island nights.
The scheduled ferry crossing is included. A Scapa Distillery visit or tasting is paid separately and depends on availability.
Day 3: A full day on Orkney: Maeshowe · Stones of Stenness · Ring of Brodgar · Skara Brae
A day in Orkney’s extraordinary prehistoric landscape: Maeshowe, the Stones of Stenness, the open ceremonial landscape of the Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae, one of Europe’s best-preserved Neolithic villages, before a second evening in Kirkwall.
Maeshowe and Skara Brae admission aren't included. Access, opening times and the running order can vary by departure.
Day 4: Orkney to Inverness: Ferry · John O’ Groats · Castle Sinclair · Camster Cairns · Dunrobin Castle
Sail back across the Pentland Firth to John O’ Groats, then follow the coast to the dramatic ruins of Castle Sinclair and the ancient chambered cairns at Camster, before Dunrobin Castle and its gardens and your final night in Inverness.
Dunrobin Castle admission isn't included. Seasonal opening, ferry schedules and access can change the order of the day.
Day 5: Inverness to Edinburgh: Loch Ness · Urquhart Castle · Fort Augustus · Glencoe
Begin beside Loch Ness, with the chance to cruise towards Urquhart Castle, then lunch in Fort Augustus where the Caledonian Canal meets the loch. Travel south through Glencoe, stopping beneath the Three Sisters, and back to Edinburgh.
The Loch Ness cruise and Urquhart Castle admission aren't included.
The itinerary is a guide. Ferry schedules, weather, attraction availability, road conditions and other circumstances may require stops, timings or the running order to change.
Accommodation: two nights in Inverness and two on Orkney, not included
Four nights along the route: Nights 1 and 4 in Inverness, with Nights 2 and 3 on Orkney around Kirkwall. Accommodation isn't included in the tour price, so you choose how to arrange it.
Included
- Return scheduled ferry travel between the mainland and Orkney
- Expert Scotland's Wild guide and storyteller for all five days
- Transport in a comfortable, air-conditioned touring vehicle
- Guided short walks and active sightseeing stops
- A full touring day on Orkney
- Small group, maximum 16 travellers
Not included
- Accommodation for the four nights
- Meals and snacks
- Loch Ness cruise and Urquhart Castle admission
- Maeshowe and Skara Brae admission
- Dunrobin Castle admission
- Scapa Distillery experience
- Culloden Visitor Centre admission
Departure
Outside The Jolly Botanist, 256–260 Morrison Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8DT
Please arrive by 8:15am so your guide can check everyone in before the 8:30am departure. Scheduled tours can't wait for late guests. The tour returns to the same meeting point on Day 5. The meeting point is outside; the bar itself may not be open that early.
Check-in: 8:15am · Departs: 8:30am · Back: approx. 7–8pm
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