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Planning a holiday for a multi-generational group isn’t easy. Grandparents want quality time with their grandchildren, parents are looking for an active holiday that doesn’t involve queues or theme parks, and children need enough variety to stay engaged. Add different fitness levels, interests and attention spans, and finding something everyone enjoys can feel almost impossible.
That’s exactly the challenge we were asked to solve this summer when an American family spanning three generations chose the Highlands as the destination for their Scottish adventure.
One of the secrets to a successful tailor-made holiday is time. We usually begin planning around six months in advance, allowing flights, accommodation and activities to be booked while there’s still plenty of choice. More importantly, it gives us time to get to know the group and build an itinerary around the people rather than simply filling a calendar.
Scotland’s whisky distilleries are high on many visitors’ wish lists, but young children aren’t usually allowed on production tours—and, if we’re honest, they probably wouldn’t enjoy them anyway. Rather than asking part of the family to miss out, we arranged for the younger members to visit the fascinating aviation museum in Lossiemouth while the adults enjoyed their distillery experience. Everyone spent the day doing something they’d genuinely enjoy before coming back together to share their stories over dinner.
Everyone had different fitness levels in this particular group so though we planned some walking activities most of these were of necessity relatively short – like Bruar Falls walk. Fortunately on some occasions it was possible to take the more active members of the group on a longer route if there was also the option of the remainder of the group doing something else or at least waiting in comfort.
As you can imagine when you have a group ranging in age from 6 to over 6o, not all their interests align. We needed to balance this out so everyone was able to have the best time possible.
We managed to balance out visits to see Nessie, with castles, walks, museums and more. We emphasised nature and enjoying the outdoor environment, but still fitted in plenty of history. You’d be amazed how much you can fit into a week.
From beginning to end we had a week to fit in all the visits and activties. Hopefully we created lasting memories from seeing badgers up close and personal to sitting in a fighter plane, visiting the King’s castle (Balmoral) and touring a crannog. Certainly a plentitude of memories helped along by maintaining the group dynamic, keeping everyone together from landing in Scotland to departure from the airport.
One week included:
Every evening the family came back to the same comfortable base. There was no packing, no checking into another hotel and no deciding where to eat. While we prepared dinner, the children could relax, adults could compare photographs and plans for the next day, and everyone gathered around one table to share the day’s adventures.
Because we looked after all the transport from arrival to departure, the family could simply enjoy being on holiday. Nobody had to navigate unfamiliar roads, organise parking or decide who was driving home after a distillery visit.
Every family arrives with its own mix of ages, interests and ambitions. Some want to spend every day walking, while others are looking for wildlife, castles, cycling, history, gardens or simply time together in spectacular surroundings. Our role is to bring those ideas together into a holiday that feels effortless once you arrive.
The same approach works just as well for walking clubs, groups of friends celebrating a special birthday, photography groups or couples travelling together. The starting point is always the same: understanding what kind of Highland experience you want to have.
Some places make an immediate impression.
Others reveal themselves gradually.
Assynt belongs firmly in the second category.
For first-time visitors, the landscape can feel almost unreal. Mountains rise abruptly from moorland and lochs. The coastline twists between hidden coves and sea cliffs. Roads wind through scenery that seems far larger than the map suggests.
And then there is the light.
After many years of guiding throughout the Highlands, we still find ourselves returning to Assynt whenever we get the opportunity. It is one of those rare places where every change in weather seems to create a different landscape.
September is perhaps our favourite time to visit.
One of the things that makes Assynt so memorable is that it doesn’t look like the rest of the Highlands.
Rather than long mountain ridges, many of the hills stand alone. Suilven, Canisp, Cul Mor, Cul Beag and Stac Pollaidh rise dramatically from the surrounding landscape, each with its own distinct shape and character.
Guests often spend their first few days simply trying to absorb the scale of the place.
The views seem to stretch forever.
Lochs reflect changing skies.
Mountains appear and disappear behind drifting cloud.
Even people who have visited Scotland many times are often surprised by how different Assynt feels.
There is something special about Highland light in early autumn.
The days are still long enough for rewarding walks, but the sun sits lower in the sky, bringing out the texture of the landscape.
Heather begins to fade into russet and bronze tones.
The first hints of autumn colour appear in the birch woods.
Evening light lingers across the lochs and coastline.
Photographers love this time of year, but you don’t need a camera to appreciate it. Simply sitting outside after dinner and watching the changing colours can be reward enough.
Stac Pollaidh, Assynt, Scotland – north of Inverness
One of the recurring comments we hear from guests is how much they enjoy seeing mountains and sea in the same view.
In many mountain areas, the focus is entirely inland.
In Assynt, a day’s walk might include views across wild moorland, distant peaks and the Atlantic coastline all at once.
That combination gives the landscape a feeling of openness that is difficult to describe until you’ve experienced it yourself.
It is one of the reasons so many people find Assynt unexpectedly relaxing.
The walking itself is wonderfully varied.
Some days involve classic mountain routes with expansive views from the summits.
Other days are spent exploring quieter hills, coastal paths or hidden corners that many visitors never discover.
As with all our trips, the exact choice of route depends on the weather, the group and the conditions at the time.
After more than 25 years of guiding in the Highlands, we’ve learned that flexibility almost always produces a better experience than rigidly following a plan.
In Assynt especially, changing the route to make the most of the light or avoid incoming weather can transform a good day into a memorable one.
Assynt is not just about scenery.
Golden eagles are regularly seen soaring above the hills.
Red deer roam the open ground.
Grey seals can often be spotted along the coast.
And despite its growing popularity, it remains remarkably easy to find a sense of solitude.
Many guests comment on how few people they encounter compared with other well-known mountain areas.
There is still plenty of room to find your own corner of the landscape.
One of the pleasures of guiding in Assynt is watching people’s reactions.
Many arrive knowing only the famous photographs of Suilven or Stac Pollaidh.
By the end of the week, they are talking about favourite lochs, hidden beaches, unexpected wildlife sightings and views they had never seen in guidebooks.
Like much of the Highlands, Assynt rewards repeat visits.
Different weather reveals different moods.
Different seasons transform familiar routes.
And there is always another hill, glen or stretch of coastline waiting to be explored.
This September we’ll once again be exploring some of our favourite corners of Assynt and the far north-west Highlands.
The exact routes will depend on the weather and conditions, as they always do, but the aim remains the same: to share a landscape that continues to inspire us no matter how many times we visit.
Because after all these years, Assynt is still one of the places we most look forward to returning to.
There are places in the Highlands that stay with you long after you’ve left.
Knoydart is one of those places.
Over the years we’ve guided walking holidays in many corners of Scotland, but few places generate the same reaction from guests as Knoydart. People arrive expecting spectacular scenery and challenging walking. They leave talking about the sense of remoteness, the wildlife, the community and the feeling of having stepped away from modern life for a few days.
For many, it becomes a place they want to return to.
The ridges of the Knoydart peaks
One of the things that makes Knoydart special is that simply arriving feels like an adventure.
The peninsula is separated from the rest of mainland Scotland by mountains and sea. Most visitors arrive by boat from Mallaig, crossing Loch Nevis before stepping ashore at Inverie.
Even before you’ve taken your first step on a trail, there’s a feeling that you’ve left the ordinary world behind.
Phone signal can be patchy. The pace of life is slower. The distractions of everyday life seem less urgent.
For many guests, that’s part of the appeal.
At first glance, Knoydart is often described in terms of its famous mountains.
The Munros of Ladhar Bheinn, Luinne Bheinn and Meall Buidhe attract experienced hillwalkers from across the UK and beyond.
Yet some of our favourite days have taken place far below the summits.
Ancient woodland, quiet coastal paths, hidden beaches and remote glens all contribute to the character of the peninsula. Wildlife sightings are common and it is not unusual to see deer, seabirds, otters or even eagles during a visit.
Like much of the Highlands, Knoydart rewards those who slow down and take the time to look beyond the obvious highlights.
For many years we based our Knoydart trips from self-catering accommodation, creating a fully inclusive walking holiday experience in one of Scotland’s most remote locations.
These trips combined challenging walks with good food, shared evenings and the camaraderie that develops naturally when a small group spends time together in a special place.
Like many parts of rural Scotland, however, accommodation availability has changed significantly over recent years. Changes in ownership, increasing costs and the administrative burden placed on self-catering businesses mean that suitable accommodation for groups has become much harder to find.
As a result, the style of our Knoydart trips has evolved.
One unexpected benefit of these changes is that we have spent more time exploring Knoydart during the quieter months.
Today, many of our Knoydart adventures take place in winter, based from the campsite’s heated tipi.
For some people, that might sound like a compromise.
In reality, it offers a completely different way of experiencing the peninsula.
Winter brings shorter days, crisp air, quieter trails and a sense of solitude that can be difficult to find elsewhere. The mountains often carry snow, wildlife is easier to spot against the winter landscape and evenings gathered around the warmth of the tipi create a memorable atmosphere of their own.
There is a simplicity to life in Knoydart during winter that many guests find surprisingly refreshing.
One of the recurring themes in our recent blogs has been that the best places in the Highlands often reveal themselves gradually.
Knoydart is a perfect example.
People arrive expecting dramatic scenery and challenging walking, and those things certainly exist. What often surprises them is how much they appreciate the slower pace of life.
Without the usual distractions, simple pleasures become more noticeable.
Watching the light change across Loch Nevis.
Listening to the call of seabirds from the shore.
Sharing stories over dinner after a day in the hills.
Taking the time to notice wildlife rather than rushing to the next viewpoint.
These are often the memories people talk about long after the trip has ended.
After all these years, Knoydart continues to draw us back.
Partly because of the mountains.
Partly because of the wildlife.
Partly because of the remarkable landscapes.
But mostly because it offers something increasingly difficult to find: the opportunity to step away from the noise of everyday life and immerse yourself in a place that still feels genuinely wild.
Like the Highlands themselves, Knoydart is not a place that can be fully appreciated in a single visit.
Every trip reveals something new.
And that is why we continue to return.
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Fraoch Lodge, Deshar Road,
Boat of Garten,
PH24 3BN
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