Puffins on the Farne Islands

Grand Scotland Tour for Nature & Wildlife Enthusiasts

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Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Scotland

Places Visited

Edinburgh, Inverness, Orkney Isles, Cairngorms National Park

Suggested Duration

8 Days

The Scottish Highlands are known for their rugged and powerful force. The northern islands are pictures of perseverance against unpredictable Mother Nature. The Scottish countryside holds grace and delicateness along with raw power. This custom tailored grand Scotland tour for nature and wildlife enthusiasts through northern territories takes you into the natural beauty of the landscape and its unprecedented splendor. Mountains take shape in the mist and sea forges coastal cliffs. Puffins nest...

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Explore the cobbled streets and verdant natural parkland of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city
  • Venture to the top of one of the United Kingdom’s tallest mountains on a funicular for an unparalleled view
  • Set sail along Moray Firth to witness the spectacular marine life of the North Sea, including whales, dolphins, and otters
  • Journey along the “The Street” of the Applecross Peninsula and along one of the highest roads the United Kingdom
  • Witness the towering coastal cliffs and rugged landscape of the Orkney Islands
  • Enjoy an expedition around the island’s exterior for a tremendous view of puffins in their natural habitat
  • Visit a sensational antique home with containing over 5,000 years of Scottish heritage 

Detailed Description

The Scottish Highlands conjures up images of warriors and poets, mysterious women formed from lakes and towering mountaintops peeking through the mists. The islands hold legends of Vikings, shipwrecks, and ancient civilizations. This 8-day grand Scotland tour is meant for seafarers and island hoppers, antique enthusiasts and nature and wildlife lovers, best visited between spring and early autumn, when the landscape is verdant and the northern seas are tranquil. Beyond the legends is the landscape, rugged and iconic, carved from the elements and filled with unique wildlife. Make your way to secluded villages and independent mountain peaks, across windswept terrain pebbled beaches to experience the exceptional wilds of Scotland.

Edinburgh welcomes you at the start of your tour of Scotland with cobblestone streets and a comfortable mixture of stone edifices and rising green hillsides. Scottish heritage emanates from the ground up and is emblazoned in the architecture. You follow your guide through the streets and to the panoramic view of the city and surrounding countryside at the top of Arthur’s Seat. Your private transfer meets you at the comfortable hotel and takes you northbound to Cairngorms National Park. Follow your guide on the funicular to the heights of the mountain range before arriving in Inverness.

The River Ness runs alongside the charming town where it is easy to settle in. A day trip takes you up to Moray Firth, the waterway connected to the North Sea. Set out on a whale and dolphin-watching excursion to immerse yourself in the seaside lifestyle of the locals. Your private driver meets you on day four and takes you around the hairpin turns and tremendous panoramic views along Applecross Peninsula. The following day you head to the airport for your flight to the Orkney Isles, an archipelago located at the northern edge of Scotland. The landscape is captivating, rising out of seaside cliffs and windswept grasslands.

Arrive in Stromness, a fishing and port village. Your guide takes you out on the sea to witness the marvelous landscape and more importantly, see the nesting puffins. With a full day on the island at your leisure you can spend time amidst the local fishing villages or experience the depths of heritage surrounding the landscape, including the 5,000-year-old settlement of Skara Brae. After breakfast, on day-eight your private transfer escorts you to the airport on Orkney. You return to Edinburgh to make your flight home.  

Starting Price

$3,115 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.87 stars based on 416 reviews.

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