Secret Highlands Tours

Following in the footsteps of our Pictish ancestors, discovering fairies, seers, Saints, kings, witches and the world's richest man during this 8.5 hour day tour

Itinerary

Our day tour depart at 9.15am and head North on to the Black Isle and Chanonry Point to discover about the turbulent life of the Brahan Seer and hopefully spot our local Bottlenose Dolphins, (the largest of their kind, often leaping clear of the sea line!). From here we will make the short trip to Groam House to find out about the Picts who lived here around 300 - 900AD. These people left mysterious carvings, but little else and we set off from here on a quest to interpret their clues!

We will make our way further North to the tiny hamlet of Nigg to see the first of our 3 very different Pictish standing stones, (June to September will have a 5.00pp supplement as we set sail on the tiny ferry, following in the footsteps of St Duthus and the pilgrimage trail undertook by thousands including Kind James IV. From here we visit the Seaboard villages to see the Shandwick and Hilton of Cadbol stones, as well as the Mermaid of the North.

We continue North, through abandoned WW1&2 Airfields, before stopping in Tain, Scotland's oldest Royal Burgh, to discover more about St Duthus and the famous people who made the pilgrimage or sought sanctuary here.

Our last stop is further North again to the beautiful town of Dornoch where you can wander round the 600 year old cathedral, the many fantastic independent shops, learn about the impact of Andrew Carnegie had on the area and view the spectacular beach before we leave for our return journey to Inverness.

We can also accommodate shore excursions!

Our full day tour from Inverness into the wilderness of the real Highlands, led on a hike to bone caves, lean over 60m canyons, picnic by a castle, and so much more

Itinerary

So, what is the the north west?

Simply put, unique…..

This is as good as it gets if you like wide open spaces, dramatic mountains getting out for a hike and……..pies!

Your tour will start with us picking you up from your accommodation or preferred location before leaving the bustle of the city for the famous North Coast 500 route. Our first stop will be at Corrieshalloch Gorge where we will traverse the suspension bridge to overlook the river Droma crash through a series of waterfalls along a mile long box canyon.

From here we will continue North West through the picturesque fishing village of Ullapool and onto our next stop at Knockan Crag. Here you will learn about the ancient stones making up these unique mountains, some dating back over 400,000,000 years!

We are now in the heart of the North West Highland Geopark and it's a 30 minute drive to our hike of the day. The Bone caves of Inchnadamph have offered shelter to man and beast alike for thousands of years and as we walk up, I'll share with you what has been discovered here as well as the turbulent history of the Highlands after the battle of Culloden.

This is about a 2 hour hike and whilst on easy paths you should be comfortable of being able to complete a 4.5km walk with a 210 metre assent. You'll be hungry after your walk so it's on to the tiny fishing village of Lochinver where you can indulge in sweet or savoury (or both!) pies.

These are shipped all over the country they are so good so you can be sure the journey is worth it! After some time to walk around this pretty village and visit the outstanding pottery of Highland Stoneware, we will make the journey back to Inverness either through strath Oykel or the same route depending on your preference.

An experience that takes you to so much more than Loch Ness! Come with us as we uncover the myths, legends and history of this beautiful area during a 8.5 hour day tour

Itinerary

We will pick you up from your accommodation or preferred location, then leave Inverness travelling South on the A82 along the banks of the World Famous Loch Ness where you will learn about the mysterious Loch and all it's history. We will make a short stop for some photos, where we overlook the Loch and Urquhart Castle in the distance.

Onward to the busy village of Drumnadrochit before turning off in land and on to the quieter roads and what we are sure is to be one of your best experiences while in the Highlands! Our next stop will be the ancient chambered burial site at Corrimony where you can take in this tranquil setting and learn about what we know about this 4000 year old grave.

Next, it's on until there is no more road,literally! A short walk up through the trees unveils a view that will take your breath away! For those who want a little more exploring, we take you around the river Affric. We will spend around an hour in the beautiful setting of Glen Affric before heading back down the road and across the glen to Plodda Falls, one of Scotland's most spectacular waterfalls and take in the dramatic water cascade from above and below!

There is also a 45 min forest walk through the impressive Douglas Firs where we can slow things down and enjoy what it means to be in the Highlands of Scotland. You will have worked up an appetite by now so a lunch stop at the old coach house in the Victorian model conservation village of Tomich will be our next stop before we travel down Strath Glass and on to the pretty town of Beauly and it's ruined priory. After about 45 minutes to enjoy the various art dealers, independent gifts shops and cafes, we will take the "old" road back to Inverness, along the Beauly Firth and the Black Isle.

This day is about slowing things down, getting out for some fantastic short walks and enjoying Scotland's fantastic history, culture and nature - We believe in providing tours by locals, you will have a day you will not forget!

Everyone wants to visit Loch Ness, but that means queues, sharing with thousands of other visitors……Not with our unique Loch Ness Experience!

Visit the quieter side of the loch where we take a walk through magnificent Caledonian Pines, past cascading waterfall and help you find your very own Loch Ness view poin

Itinerary

Leaving Inverness down the old ""Wade"" road and along the quieter side of Loch Ness, take in the spectacular views before you explore the magnificent Caledonian pine woods of Foyers. Pass one of the highest waterfalls in Scotland and learn about our national bard, Rabbie Burns' visit to these falls, before continuing down to the shores of Loch Ness itself.

The track you'll take is only really used by locals, so when the loch opens before you you will more than likely be the only one there to enjoy the atmosphere and views. You'll stay for a while, taking in the calmness of this special place before heading back where some local baking will be waiting for you in the Waterfall Cafe.

From there it's back up the loch via some more back roads, taking in the typical Highland scenery and wildlife before descending back down to the north end of the Loch at Dores Beach. Take another short walk along the pebble beach to reward yourself with a magnificent perspective of the great glen fault that Loch Ness is a part of.

From here we will make the sort journey across Inverness, passing Culloden Battlefield. Before returning to Inverness, we will visit the 4,000-year-old burial chambers of Clava, where you can soak in the history and atmosphere of these ancient monuments, and of course see for yourself why these ancient monuments inspired Diana Gabaldon's Craig Na Dun in Outlander!

This is a fantastic opportunity to sample some of the best, smallest and lesser known whiskies we have!

See the tallest stills in Scotland, be tutored in all things Whisky, get back to basics with one of the smaller distilleries as well as travel through some fantastic scenery, villages and towns!

Itinerary

We set off from Inverness and travel North over the Black Isle and to our first stop of the day, a tour of Glenmorangie distillery. On the way, we will share some of the stories and history of the area to really bring the Highlands to life!

You will have some time at the end to browse the various malts they produce before continuing North to Dornoch. Here we will have some time to wander round this picturesque town with it's beautiful cathedral before settling into the award winning Whisky Cellars for a blind tasting. You will pick up some hints and tips about malt whisky as well as sampling 3 mystery drinks! Guess right and there may be a prize!!

We will stay in Dornoch for lunch before crossing the Dornoch Firth and into the tiny hamlet of Edderton where, a gem of a distillery lies - The Balblair (Clynelish on weekends). This distillery only opened it's doors to the public in 2012 and we get a glimpse of a more modest and traditional way of making whisky.

On our way home, we will take the old drovers road back which affords us some of the best vistas in the Highlands. You may even be able to see some of the handy work carried out by local working faeries!

This is an experience and not just a tour! We are sure you will take home not just great memories but something of our spirit on this unique journey in to an area I grew up in!