Inspiring Adventures in the Wild Places of Scotland

SAMPLE ITINERARY!

SKYE & THE OUTER HEBRIDES!!

“Wilderness Scotland knows how to bring adults to the outdoors. The guides on such a trip (and the support they receive from the office) make or break a trip. WS has

fabulous staff and excellent planning. Thank you.”!!

Meg Robertson, July 2014 !

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DAY BY DAY ITINERARY!DAY 1 - :!Meeting in Inverness, we travel west, stopping at iconic Loch Ness, where we’ll visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle and scan the loch surface for Nessie. Continuing west, we visit Eilean Donan Castle, which have been featured in many movies including the James Bond movie, The World is Not Enough. Leaving the castle, we cross over the Skye Bridge and make our way to our 4 start boutique hotel in Portree, which is the main village on the island.!

DAY 2 - :!The dominant scenic feature of Skye is the Black Cuillin mountains. While the summits are the domain of mountaineers, we will hike to the foot of the mountains to a magical location known locally as the Fairy Pools. We hike alongside a crystal clear stream with lots of tumbling waterfalls before eventually reaching the pools, which boast an enchanting underwater arch, as well as spectacular mountain and sea views. After the hike, we visit the famous Talisker Distillery to sample Skye’s only single malt whisky.!

DAY 3 - :!We follow in the footsteps of Queen Victoria by taking a boat trip into Loch Scavaig in the heart of Skye’s Black Cuillin mountains. It’s often possible to spot marine wildlife on this trip such as seals, dolphins or even whales or basking sharks. We enjoy a low-level hike around beautiful Loch Coruisk, with amazing views of the Black Cuillin on all sides, before returning by boat. !

DAY 4 -:!We take the morning ferry from Skye to the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. These islands are a stronghold for Scottish Gaelic culture and heritage and is one of the few places in Scotland where Gaelic is commonly spoken as a first language. We travel north to the adjoined Isle of Lewis, where we visit Callanish Standing Stones, which date back to 2900BC. We then travel west to the tiny Abhainn Dearg distillery, the only one in the Outer Hebrides, to meet the local whisky experts and enjoy a wee dram. If time permits, we can also enjoy a short coastal hike with wonderful sea views across Loch Roag, visiting iron age historic sites as we go. We then proceed to Stornoway, the main town in the Outer Hebrides and our base at a 4 star boutique hotel for the remaining nights.!

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DAY 6 -:!We enjoy a hike along the stunning Harris coastline. In the afternoon, we can visit a local Harris Tweed Weaver before returning to the hotel. !!!DAY 7 -:!We travel to the Butt of Lewis, the most northerly point on Lewis, for a beautiful coastal hike which takes us along a cliff-top walk to a wonderful white-sand beach. The lighthouse at the point is a truly special place with incredible sea views, while the beach is typical of these islands - wild, beautiful and deserted. We then visit some local “blackhouses" - traditional thatched cottages - and an ancient Pictish fort, thought to be over 2,000 years old, before returning to our hotel in Stornoway.!

!DAY 8 -:!We take the morning ferry back to Ullapool on the mainland and transfer back to Inverness for the trip end.!!!

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!! BOOKING INFORMATION!! All our hotels and guest houses are hand selected based on their quality, customer care and local character. ! We work closely with all our hotel partners to ensure our guests experience the very best during their stay ! with us in Scotland.!

! The itinerary above is available all year round however accommodation and activities are however subject to ! availability at the time of booking . Please also note !that June, July and August are busy periods and therefore ! early booking is essential to facilitate this itinerary.!

! YOUR FINANCIAL PROTECTION!

You can book with us in complete confidence that all trip payments made to us are fully protected. !!Wilderness Scotland Ltd is a licensed and bonded tour operator holding an ATOL licence for trips which include air travel. For trips that do not include air travel, your financial security is guaranteed through our membership and bonding with ABTA.!!!!!

CONTACT ME:!

For any questions or support related to this trip don’t hesitate to contact me directly as below:!!Russell Murray!Wilderness Scotland, Inverdruie House, !Inverdruie, !Aviemore PH22 1QH!!E-Mail: russell@wildernessscotland.com!!Tel:! +44(0)1479 420 020 !Fax:! +44(0)1479 420 030 !