Start Your Story in Scotland

Where history meets breathtaking beauty, and every visit feels like an escape.

Inspiration for your trip

Step into a land steeped in history and legend, explore our dramatic landscapes and uncover our ancient Celtic roots. Vast lochs, glens and Munros - easily accessible from our vibrant cities and towns - make Scotland the perfect place to lose yourself.

Places to go

Things to do

Accommodation

Travel & planning

Discover unique experiences in Scotland

Discover hidden gems, plan your perfect trip, or find exactly what you need—from scenic hikes and cosy cottages to events and cultural experiences.

Discover Scotland's vibrant events and festivals

FIFA World Cup 2026

Cheer on Scotland at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and find information about fan zones in Scotland, stadium tours and more.

Highland games in Scotland

From the tug o' war to the caber toss, Scotland's Highland games are not to be missed.

Edinburgh Festivals

Discover Edinburgh's summer festivals, including the world-famous Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Events and festivals in Scotland

There's something happening in Scotland right now that the whole family will love.

Countdown to Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Less than 100 days to go until 11 days of world-class action across the city, bringing 3,000 athletes from 74 nations together to compete across 10 sports.

Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Start planning your summer break

Witness Scotland step into summer, with longer days and plenty of experiences to enjoy from coastal walks to fun exhibitions.

Summer holidays & breaks in Scotland

Find ideas and inspiration, from family days out to top camping spots, walks and outdoor activities.

Scotland's islands

Find out about the hundreds of islands in Scotland including Arran, Lewis, Skye, Outer Hebrides and Shetland. Plan the perfect island getaway today.

Scottish music festivals

Find out what’s happening in Scotland this year

The best tours of Scotland - luxury & scenic tours

Tour Scotland at your own pace with these fantastic ideas.

Your Scottish adventure starts here

Use our interactive map to explore wild landscapes, vibrant cities, rich culture, and hidden historic gems to craft your personal Scottish experience.

Map of Scotland

As seen on TV!

From Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir's luxury Scotland itinerary to local suggestions on the highlights of Glasgow and Dumfries & Galloway, check out this top advice on trips across Scotland.

Tara & Johnny's luxury Scotland itinerary

Have you been inspired by Tara & Johnny's Scotland itinerary as seen on NBC's Extra Mile Club? Read on and plan your own Scottish adventure.

Channel 4's Where to next? Scotland itinerary

Follow in the footsteps of comedians Fatiha El-Ghorri and John Tothill on their unforgettable journey through Scotland.

Scotland trip itineraries

Plan your days in Scotland with the help of our suggested itineraries.

Your pictures of Scotland

Share your images by tagging @VisitScotland 

JavaScript needs to be enabled to see social media images for this place. You can turn this on in your browser settings.

Join our Newsletter Clan

Get Scotland inspiration direct to your inbox. Don't miss the inside track from our Scotland experts on exciting trip ideas, unique attractions and hidden gems loved by locals.

Get the Scotland newsletter

The NC500 Grand Explorer Tour

© North Coast Explorer

North Coast 500 Grand Explorer Tour

Join us for a private bespoke guided tour of the North Highlands in a premium 4X4. Taking a maximum of 4 people, each tour provides an unrivalled personal experience & travelling no more than 100 miles per day leaves plenty of time for exploration.

Be reassured, in line with all Government and Public Health safety guidelines, we have completed a full Covid-19 Risk Assessment and been accredited with the UK-wide Tourism Industry Standard and Consumer Mark - We're Good to Go'.

Overview: This tour follows the coastal roads of the iconic North Coast 500 whilst also diverting inland to explore its heartland. It has a core route but its contents can be customised and tailored to suit your own personal requirements.

The dramatic west with its mountains, lochs and serrated coastline are iconic and rightly deserve the accolades. With every twist in the single-track road yet another unimaginable vista is revealed!

The north coast has an abundance of the most beautiful and often deserted sandy beaches. The turquoise waters that envelop them are a revelation though a dip in the ocean is for wet-suited surfers or the very brave! The best sunsets are also to be found here.

The east coast sweeps with a curving grandeur that eludes the west. Hugging its many cliff faces are medieval castles, prehistoric ritual sites and picturesque fishing harbours not to mention several whisky distilleries and historic Royal Burgh towns.

To follow the coastline is to circumnavigate the North Highlands. To truly experience it, you need to explore the wilderness of the interior too. Here, you escape to a land that is almost unchanged by modern man yet it holds dark secrets of murderous clan battles and the notorious Highland Clearances. The hinterland is home to many magnificent creatures: roaming deer, soaring eagles and leaping salmon to highlight a few.

Finally, to appreciate the last hidden dimension of the North Highlands, you need head skywards and view the landscape from above. You could climb one of the many peaks to gain a vantage point but most North Coast Explorers prefer to ‘fly’ virtually aboard our Sky Explorer and gaze upon vistas inaccessible to most (see the ‘Enhancing your tour’ section on the About Us page of our website).

It took a decade of exploration to gain the knowledge and familiarity to create this tour. Now you can benefit from our experience and embark on a grand exploration of your own – with us as your guides.

Tours typically start at Inverness or anywhere along the route to suit your needs.


TYPICAL HIGHLIGHTS:

● Glenmorangie Distillery – home of the famous single malt

● The Falls of Shin – leaping salmon during Autumn

● Dornoch Cathedral – 13th century church once destroyed by Clan Mackay

● Drum Hollistan Puffin Colony – thousands nest here in season

● Strathnaver Trail – 5000 years of history in one river valley

● Altbea Perfume Studio –soaps and perfumes hand made in the Highlands

● Views over Skye – silhouettes of the island from Applecross

● PLUS  – galleries, shops, restaurants and much more!

Prezzo su richiesta

Giorni di partenza

  • Lunedì
  • Martedì
  • Mercoledì
  • Giovedì
  • Venerdì
  • Sabato
  • Domenica

Marzo — Ottobre

Prenota ora

Contatti

North Coast Explorer Tours

Mey House
East Mey
Thurso
Caithness
Scotland
KW14 8XL
Vedere informazioni sulla compagnia

Tour information

Partenza

  • Applecross
  • Dornoch
  • Inverness
  • Inverness Airport
  • John o' Groats
  • Lochinver
  • Thurso
  • Torridon
  • Ullapool
  • Wick

Durata

7 Days

Transporto

  • Driver guide

Tipo

  • Bespoke
  • Private

Lingue

  • English

Temi

  • Archaeology
  • Castles
  • Food and drink
  • Geology
  • Gin
  • History
  • Landscapes
  • Photography
  • Whisky
  • Wildlife

Tappe del tour

Galleria

North Coast Explorer Tours

Informazioni sulla compagnia

North Coast Explorer Tours

Travel in luxury and style as you take one of our premier chauffeured tours covering the North Highlands & North Coast 500. Local knowledge gained from more than 14 years of exploration in the area enables us to create a customised tour itinerary which provides unique, immersive and unrivalled experiences for our guests. This is not a tour bus full of strangers on a predefined route. This is travelling in comfort, with no more than 4 people, in our top of the range Land Rover enjoying your own exclusive itinerary . Relax and discover the best of what the North Highlands has to offer.

Reti sociali

Visita North Coast Explorer Tours

Orari di apertura

March to October inclusive (other times by arrangement)

Altri tour da questa compagnia

Visita:North Coast 500 Explorer Tour
North Coast 500 Explorer Tour

North Coast 500 Explorer Tour

Partenza: Inverness Airport, Dornoch, Thurso, Wick, Lochinver, Applecross, Torridon, Inverness

Join us for a private bespoke guided tour of the North Highlands in a premium 4X...

Validità:

6 day(s)

Prezzo a partire da:

Su richiesta

Visita: Sito web
Visita:North Highlands History Explorer Tour
North Highlands History Explorer Tour

North Highlands History Explorer Tour

Partenza: Inverness Airport, Dornoch, Thurso, Wick, Inverness

Join us for a private bespoke guided tour of the North Highlands in a premium 4X...

Validità:

4 day(s)

Prezzo a partire da:

Su richiesta

Visita: Sito web
Visita:Heart of the North Highlands Explorer Tour
Heart of the North Highlands Explorer Tour

Heart of the North Highlands Explorer Tour

Partenza: Inverness Airport, Dornoch, Lochinver, Ullapool, Inverness

Join us for a private bespoke guided tour of the North Highlands in a premium 4X...

Validità:

4 day(s)

Prezzo a partire da:

Su richiesta

Visita: Sito web
Visita:The Highland Explorer Single Day Tour
The Highland Explorer Single Day Tour

The Highland Explorer Single Day Tour

Partenza: Dunbeath, Melvich, Thurso, Brora, Helmsdale

Join us for a private bespoke guided tour of the North Highlands in a premium 4X...

Validità:

1 day(s)

Prezzo a partire da:

Su richiesta

Visita: Sito web

Il contenuto di questa inserzione è fornito dal relativo operatore terzo e non da VisitScotland. VisitScotland non si assume alcuna responsabilità per (1) eventuali errori o dichiarazioni errate contenute in questa inserzione e (2) per il contenuto di qualsiasi link esterno all'interno dell'inserzione ((1) e (2) insieme di seguito denominati 'Contenuto'). VisitScotland esclude ogni responsabilità per perdite o danni causati da qualsiasi affidamento fatto sul Contenuto. Il Contenuto è fornito solo a titolo informativo e non è approvato da VisitScotland.

Start Your Story in Scotland

Where history meets breathtaking beauty, and every visit feels like an escape.

Inspiration for your trip

Step into a land steeped in history and legend, explore our dramatic landscapes and uncover our ancient Celtic roots. Vast lochs, glens and Munros - easily accessible from our vibrant cities and towns - make Scotland the perfect place to lose yourself.

Places to go

Things to do

Accommodation

Travel & planning

Discover unique experiences in Scotland

Discover hidden gems, plan your perfect trip, or find exactly what you need—from scenic hikes and cosy cottages to events and cultural experiences.

Discover Scotland's vibrant events and festivals

FIFA World Cup 2026

Cheer on Scotland at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and find information about fan zones in Scotland, stadium tours and more.

Highland games in Scotland

From the tug o' war to the caber toss, Scotland's Highland games are not to be missed.

Edinburgh Festivals

Discover Edinburgh's summer festivals, including the world-famous Edinburgh International Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Events and festivals in Scotland

There's something happening in Scotland right now that the whole family will love.

Countdown to Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Less than 100 days to go until 11 days of world-class action across the city, bringing 3,000 athletes from 74 nations together to compete across 10 sports.

Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games

Start planning your summer break

Witness Scotland step into summer, with longer days and plenty of experiences to enjoy from coastal walks to fun exhibitions.

Summer holidays & breaks in Scotland

Find ideas and inspiration, from family days out to top camping spots, walks and outdoor activities.

Scotland's islands

Find out about the hundreds of islands in Scotland including Arran, Lewis, Skye, Outer Hebrides and Shetland. Plan the perfect island getaway today.

Scottish music festivals

Find out what’s happening in Scotland this year

The best tours of Scotland - luxury & scenic tours

Tour Scotland at your own pace with these fantastic ideas.

Your Scottish adventure starts here

Use our interactive map to explore wild landscapes, vibrant cities, rich culture, and hidden historic gems to craft your personal Scottish experience.

Map of Scotland

As seen on TV!

From Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir's luxury Scotland itinerary to local suggestions on the highlights of Glasgow and Dumfries & Galloway, check out this top advice on trips across Scotland.

Tara & Johnny's luxury Scotland itinerary

Have you been inspired by Tara & Johnny's Scotland itinerary as seen on NBC's Extra Mile Club? Read on and plan your own Scottish adventure.

Channel 4's Where to next? Scotland itinerary

Follow in the footsteps of comedians Fatiha El-Ghorri and John Tothill on their unforgettable journey through Scotland.

Scotland trip itineraries

Plan your days in Scotland with the help of our suggested itineraries.

Your pictures of Scotland

Share your images by tagging @VisitScotland 

JavaScript needs to be enabled to see social media images for this place. You can turn this on in your browser settings.

Join our Newsletter Clan

Get Scotland inspiration direct to your inbox. Don't miss the inside track from our Scotland experts on exciting trip ideas, unique attractions and hidden gems loved by locals.

Get the Scotland newsletter