Andrew Sharp
Personal Tours of Scotland
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Longer Tours
Scotland has a huge variety of things to see and do, and my tours can take in as much or as little as you please.
It's also a deceptively big place, so if you want to do justice to a visit to the highlands or islands, a 5 or 6 day tour is really the minimum you need.
Where we can go and what we can do depends on the time available, so here are some ideas, but remember; this is your tour, so tell me what you want to do, and we'll see if it's feasible.
The Islands of Scotland. (10 days+)
There are over 500 islands in Scotland, from the well known (Skye, Mull, Iona, the Western Isles) to some true but slightly less well known gems like Arran. A huge variety of landscape and scenery awaits you, but it will never be less than fascinating.
For a slightly different tour, we could start in Arran, a truly beautiful wee island which is a great favourite amongst Scots holidaymakers. It has lovely scenery, a mild climate, a host of great walks and hikes, and even distilleries (supposedly over 50 of these, of which only one is legal, apparently!).
On the west of the island, there are lovely beach walks, and beautiful views over to the Kintyre Peninsula.
From Arran, we could take the ferry to Kintyre, and then head over to Islay for the malt whisky, then on to Mull, Iona and even Skye for a journey of exploration in this primeval island.
Feeling adventurous? Let's go to the Western Isles and see the legendary standing stones at Callanais (picture on the left)
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But even these are just suggestions; let's start talking about the things that interest you, and we'll get cracking on the itinerary!
The Mystical Far North (10 days +)
Visit areas which are just a little off the beaten track, by going north from Skye to Applecross via the 2300 foot high Pass of the Cattle, to Ullapool and on to Orkney, before coming back through the primeval landscape to Inverness. On Orkney, visit the Stones of Stenness, Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and the ancient Cathedral of St Magnus, to get a taste of Scotland's remarkable early history.
Orkney and Shetland really are places apart from the rest of Scotland, where their Viking roots are clear to see.
Highland Discovery (8 days +)
From our start point we head north to Stirling, Perth, and Inverness, via the lovely town of Pitlochry in the central highlands. We can visit the delightful palace of Blair Castle, and distilleries on the route as well. We can take a day to visit Balmoral, or Cawdor Castle (a wonderful wee place still used by the Duchess, and beautifully furnished), and then on to the ancient burial stones at Clava Cairns and the tragic battlefield of Culloden, where Scotland's clans were massacred by the British army in 1746. From there we head to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle, before going west to Fort Augustus and Skye.
Taking a few days to explore this famous island, visiting the pass of the Quiraing, the Staffin Waterfall, and many other attractions including the Fairy Pools, Dunvegan Castle, Talisker Distillery, we then take the ferry back to the mainland and head south via Glencoe, Callander, the Trossachs and Stirling.