From Edinburgh: Orkney and The Far North 5-Day Tour

Orkney is the star here: a windswept island world of Stone Age villages, sea views, quiet roads, and stories that reach far beyond the usual Scottish Highlands circuit. This five-day route also gives you Loch Ness, Glen Coe, Culloden, Pitlochry, and the long ferry crossings that make Orkney feel properly remote.

I like the small group of up to 16 people, which is a good size for a guide-led trip without the feel of a large coach tour. I also like the way the itinerary joins famous sights such as Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar with less hurried stretches through the Highlands. The drawback is the amount of time spent on the road and ferries, plus the fixed schedule can leave some stops feeling brief.

Key points to know before booking

• Orkney gets two full touring days, including Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Italian Chapel, the Churchill Barriers, and the great stone circles.
• The route is packed with major Highland scenery, from Loch Lomond and Glen Coe to Loch Ness and the Cairngorm Mountains.
• Guides make a real difference, with Eddy, Kenny, Ian, and Stefan praised for their stories, humor, music, and local knowledge.
• Four nights, four breakfasts, transport, ferries, and three Orkney attractions are included, but most other meals and entry fees are extra.
• Expect a long but varied journey, with 106 hours on the road, ferries, historic sites, towns, and short scenic stops.
• Pack light, since luggage is limited to 15 kilograms plus one small carry-on.

Why Orkney makes this five-day route special

Many Scotland tours hurry north, tick off Loch Ness, and turn back. This one gives Orkney the time it deserves. You do not simply sail over for a quick look. You spend two nights in Kirkwall and use the town as a base for the islands’ most important ancient sites.

That matters because Orkney is not just a collection of pretty views. At Skara Brae, you can look into stone-built homes that were occupied thousands of years ago. At the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness, the scale of the sites becomes clear only when you are standing among them. Maeshowe adds another layer, with a chambered cairn built for the dead rather than for everyday life.

The setting gives these places much of their power. Open fields, sea air, low stone walls, and broad skies make the monuments feel tied to the land around them. You will not get that same sense from a quick city museum visit.

The trip also has a strong human side. The Italian Chapel was created by Italian prisoners of war, while the Churchill Barriers are a huge wartime engineering project built to protect the British naval fleet from submarines. These stops help connect Orkney’s ancient past with its more recent military story.

Day 1: Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, and Loch Ness

The first day leaves from 1 Parliament Square, outside Caffe Nero on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. From there, the route heads west through Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park before turning north toward the Highlands.

Loch Lomond gives you an early taste of Scotland’s famous scenery, with water, wooded slopes, and mountain views. The route then reaches Glen Coe, one of the most memorable valleys in the country. Its beauty has a darker edge because it was the scene of the 1692 massacre of members of the MacDonald clan. A good guide can connect the dramatic setting with the events that shaped its reputation.

You continue through Fort William and the Great Glen before reaching Loch Ness. This is a full touring day, so you should expect plenty of time in the vehicle. That is not a flaw in itself, since the road links several major parts of Scotland, but it does mean this tour suits you best if you enjoy watching the scenery change rather than needing long walks at every stop.

The overnight stay is in Inverness. Four nights of accommodation are included in total, along with four breakfasts. The exact accommodation can vary, and one past experience included a change of Inverness lodging between the outward and return nights. That is worth keeping in mind if you care strongly about staying in the same hotel.

Day 2: The northern coast and the ferry to Orkney

Day two takes you north from Inverness beside the Moray and Cromarty Firths. These coastal stretches add a different feel to the trip, with broad water views replacing the mountain scenery of the previous day.

The ferry crossing is part of the appeal. It is not simply a transfer from one point to another. The sea crossing marks the shift from mainland Scotland to Orkney, and the islands feel more distant because you have reached them by water. Weather can affect ferry travel and the order of stops, so the operator reserves the right to alter the route when conditions or other events require it.

Once on Orkney, the first major stops include the Italian Chapel and the Churchill Barriers. The chapel is especially unusual. Italian prisoners of war built it during the Second World War, and its survival gives the site a personal quality that larger monuments often lack.

The Churchill Barriers are practical rather than ancient. These causeways were built to defend the naval fleet from submarine attacks, and they now connect several islands. Together, the chapel and barriers give you two very different windows onto wartime Orkney.

You spend the night in Kirkwall. The town has craft and gift shops, so there is time to browse after the touring day. Do not expect a long free afternoon, but Kirkwall gives the trip a useful base rather than leaving you in a remote roadside hotel.

Day 3: Skara Brae, Maeshowe, and the stone circles

This is the heart of the tour. From Kirkwall, you spend the day visiting Orkney’s major prehistoric sites.

Skara Brae is the biggest archaeological draw. The Neolithic village was preserved beneath the ground for centuries, and its stone rooms give you a rare sense of domestic life in prehistoric Orkney. You can see the layout of homes rather than just isolated stones or burial chambers. It is one of those sites where the ordinary details matter: rooms, passageways, and the shape of a settlement tell you how people arranged their lives.

Maeshowe chambered cairn offers a very different experience. It was built as a burial monument, and its enclosed design contrasts with the open stone circles. The attraction is included in the tour, along with Skara Brae and the Italian Chapel, which improves the value of the package.

The Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar bring you back into the open air. These circles are among the images most closely linked with Orkney, but the visit is more than a photo stop. Their position in the open countryside helps you grasp their size and the effort required to create them.

You finish the day at St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. Its stonework and setting provide a strong contrast to the prehistoric sites visited earlier. The cathedral also gives you time in a living town after a day spent among ancient remains.

This day can feel busy. One person found the tour had too many small stops and would have preferred fewer interruptions and more time for a proper lunch. That is useful advice. You should expect a day built around scheduled visits, not a slow, unplanned island drive. The upside is that the route covers an impressive amount without requiring you to arrange transport across Orkney yourself.

Day 4: Returning to the mainland and seeing Inverness

The fourth day begins with the ferry back to mainland Scotland. After the island portion, the crossing gives you a natural pause before the journey continues to Inverness.

Inverness is the capital of the Highlands and serves as the overnight base again. The schedule allows you to take in the city, though the amount of free time depends on the ferry and the day’s timing. If you want an evening meal in town, ask the guide how much time you have before wandering off.

This overnight stop also breaks up the long journey back to Edinburgh. Without it, the return from Orkney would be an exhausting single push. The pacing is still active, but the overnight structure keeps the trip from becoming five straight days of hurried transfers.

Day 5: Culloden, the Cairngorms, and Pitlochry

The final day heads south toward Edinburgh, with a stop at Culloden battlefield. This is the site of the defeat of the Jacobite forces and one of the most important historic places in the Highlands.

You should pay attention to how much time is allowed here. One past itinerary gave more time to a whisky stop and less time than desired at the Culloden museum. The exact balance may vary, but if Culloden is a major reason for booking, make that clear to your guide and use your available time carefully.

The route then passes through the Cairngorm Mountains before reaching Pitlochry. The town is a picturesque final stop, offering a gentler finish after several days of ancient sites, wartime history, and long roads.

The journey back to Edinburgh completes a large loop through Scotland. You see far more than Orkney alone, but that range comes with a tradeoff: no single place receives unlimited free time.

Guides, group size, and the value of local stories

The maximum group size is 16. That is small enough for a guide to keep the group together and share stories without shouting across a full coach. It also helps during town stops, where a large group can become slow and unwieldy.

The guide is central to the experience. Eddy has lived in Orkney for many years and brings especially strong local context to the island portion. Kenny added out-of-the-way viewpoints, town suggestions, relevant music, and stories about the places along the route. Ian was praised for his humor and ability to keep the long drives lively, while Stefan was described as well informed and organized.

These details matter because the tour covers long distances. A quiet driver can make a five-day route feel like a series of transfers. A strong guide turns the road time into part of the experience, with history, music, jokes, and explanations of what you are seeing.

The quality can vary by departure, of course. You are buying a guided group trip, not a private guide chosen in advance. Still, the repeated praise for the guide-led format is one of the strongest reasons to consider this tour.

What the $1,288 price includes

At $1,288 per person, this is not a budget weekend. The value comes from the amount of logistics handled for you.

The price includes:

• Transportation throughout the five days
• An English-speaking driver-guide
• Four nights of accommodation
• Four breakfasts
• Ferry crossings
• Entry to Maeshowe, Skara Brae, and the Italian Chapel

Meals other than breakfast are not included, and entry fees beyond the listed Orkney attractions are also extra. You should budget separately for lunches, dinners, drinks, and any additional visits.

For a self-drive trip, you would need to arrange the ferry, accommodation in at least two regions, Orkney transport, parking, route planning, and admissions. You would also be responsible for driving on long Highland roads and adjusting plans when weather affects the ferry. The package can make sense if you value convenience and want a guide to handle the details.

It is less attractive if you already have a car, prefer long independent stops, or want to choose your own restaurants and lodging. The fixed route saves effort but limits flexibility.

Practical details that affect your decision

You meet at 1 Parliament Square, Caffe Nero, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1RE. The experience lasts 106 hours, so you should treat it as a full five-day commitment rather than a short excursion with a few overnight stops.

Luggage is limited to 15 kilograms, with a maximum size of 55 by 40 by 20 centimeters. You may also bring one small carry-on per person. Pack carefully, especially if you plan to bring clothing for changing Highland weather.

Solo visitors need to select the single-room option. Double or twin rooms are intended for two people. If three people choose that option, a family room for three may be provided if available. If three people want two separate rooms, one person must choose the single-room option.

Children under three are not accepted. Children aged three and above are accepted with valid proof of age, such as a passport or birth certificate.

Cancellation is free up to 28 days before departure. Since weather can affect the ferry and other parts of the route, the operator can change the schedule when conditions or events outside its control require it.

Who should book this Orkney tour?

I would choose this tour if you want a broad first look at Scotland and do not want to plan every ferry, hotel, and historic site yourself. It is especially good for you if Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the stone circles, and Orkney’s wartime sites are high on your list.

It also suits people who enjoy commentary and company on long drives. The small group, guide-led format, and overnight in Kirkwall make the islands much easier to handle than an improvised visit.

I would hesitate if you want a slow island holiday, long restaurant lunches, or the freedom to skip stops. The schedule covers a lot, and some days include many short visits. Culloden enthusiasts should also check how much time is planned there, since the final-day balance can change.

FAQ

Where does the tour depart from?

The meeting point is 1 Parliament Square, outside Caffe Nero on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, postcode EH1 1RE.

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts 106 hours and runs for five days, with four nights of accommodation.

What is included in the price?

Transportation, an English-speaking driver-guide, four nights of accommodation, four breakfasts, ferry crossings, and admission to Maeshowe, Skara Brae, and the Italian Chapel are included.

Are meals included?

Four breakfasts are included. Lunches, dinners, and other meals are not included.

How much luggage can I bring?

You may bring a maximum of 15 kilograms of luggage, measuring no more than 55 by 40 by 20 centimeters, plus one small carry-on.

Can children join the tour?

Children under three are not accepted. Children aged three and above may join with valid proof of age, such as a passport or birth certificate.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want Orkney’s major ancient sites in one well-organized trip, with the Highlands, Inverness, Culloden, and ferry crossings included. The strongest value comes from the combination of transport, accommodation, admissions, and a guide who can bring meaning to long stretches of road.

Skip it if you prefer to set your own pace or need generous time at every stop. For most first-time visitors who want to see a large slice of northern Scotland without driving it themselves, the route offers a strong, practical introduction to Orkney and the far north.