Isle of Skye and the Cairngorms National Park
BESPOKE ITINERARY
On this trip there is plenty of walking in the Highlands. There is a fine balance between seeing the sites made popular on Instagram while also getting off the beaten track for some more unusual experiences.
Enjoy hiking on the Isle of Skye and in the Cairngorms National Park. See Loch Ness, visit Eilean Donan Castle and take in a whole whisky experience.
Hiking on the Isle of Skye and the Cairngorms National Park.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- – a visit to Loch Ness/Urquhart Castle
- – Glenelg ferry to Skye – Mountain hikes in the Cuillin mountains, the Trotternish ridge on Skye and in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park
- – wildlife
- – visit an otter hide, boat trip to see seals,
- – a whisky tour and day out in Speyside
- – 3 nights Yurt accommodation (each yurt sleeps up to 5 people)
- – 4 nights at Fraoch Lodge (5* hostel in the Cairngorms)
- – full board throughout your trip (any exceptions noted on itinerary)
- – transport from pick up to drop off – guided trip
PROPOSED DAYS OUT
- hike on Skye – by Loch Scavaig and the Quirang
- mountain hike in the Cairngorms
- whisky day – visit the Speyside Cooperage, Glenlivet Distillery and specialist whisky shop, the Whisky Castle
GROUP DETAILS
Min number 4
Max number 8
RELATED BLOGS
Why does everyone want to go to Skye?
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Day of arrival: You’ll be met at your point of arrival whether that’s Aviemore station (by 2.45pm) or Inverness airport (by 3.30pm) or at Fraoch Lodge (from 5pm onwards)
Try to aim for arrival by 7.30pm so you have the opportunity to settle in and meet the other members of the group before dinner. After dinner, over tea and coffee by the fire, Andy will go over the planned itinerary.
Day 1:
Loch Ness – Glen Shiel – Ratagan Pass & the Five Sisters – Glenelg Ferry – Otter hide – mountain hike (Sgurr na Coinnich) – Skye Yurts
490m (1600ft) ascent on moderate and steep gradients. 6km (4 miles) across initially rough and then easier mountain moorland terrain. Approx walking time, excluding breaks: 2h 44min
Day 2:
Mountain hike: Sgurr na Stri – off the beaten trak and into the heart of the Black Cuillin at the head of Loch Scavaig, arguably the finest viewpoint in the UK
1000m (3350ft) of ascent on gentle, moderate and steep gradients. 10 miles (16km) mainly on vehicle tracks, footpaths but also some rough mountain moorland terrain. Appros walking time, excluding breaks: 6h 37min
Looking into the Black Cuillin
Day 3:
Quirang – an early tart and an alternative starting point to avoid the crowds so we an fully appreciate the bizarre rock formations
990m (3260ft) of ascent on mainly moderate and gentle gradients, but also some steep ascent. 12km (7.5m) of mountain walking on paths and across mountain moorland. Approx walking time, excluding breaks: 5h 31min
Day 4:
No hiking – it’s a rest day!
Eilean Donan Castle – Plockton – Boat trip to see the seals – Lunch in Plockton Inn – Rogie Falls salmon leap – Fraoch Lodge
Eilean Donan castle before the crowds start pouring in at 10am.
Grey seal watching us in hope of scraps
Day 5:
Mountain hike in the Cairngorms National Park: Creag a’Chalamain
590m (1950ft) of ascent on gentle and moderate gradients: 13km (8 miles) of walking on good footpaths but with a little rough moorland terrain. Approx walking time, excluding breaks: 4h 5omin
Day 6:
Speyside Cooperage – Mountain hike in Speyside (Carn Daimh) – Glenlivet Distillery – Whisky castle
430m (1400ft) of ascent on moderate and gentle gradients: 12km (7 miles) on tracks and paths: approx walking time, excluding breaks: 4h 11min
A cooper hard at work repairing casks at the Speyside Cooperage
Day of departure:
What ever time your onward plane or train is, we will get you there for it. Most guests depart after breakfast leaving requests for Rebecca’s recipes
- The yurt site on Skye
- Comfortable interior of the water themed yurt
- The yurts on Skye basking in the sunshine.
- The Trotternish ridge on the isle of Skye
- Eilean Donan Castle on the approach to Skye – one of the most photographed castles in Scotland
- Piping in the tourists visiting Eilean Donan Castle
- Looking into the Black Cuillin
- Classic view into the Cairngorms from the Rothiemurchus estate
- Nature’s bounty: handpicked chanterelles mushrooms
- Discover the Cairngorms in all their natural glory.
- A close encounter with the wild Reindeer roaming the Cairngorms National Park
- Ascending Meall a’Bhucaille with 2 x 7 year olds and 1 x 4 year old.
- Some of the high mountain wildlife frequently seen in the Cairngorms
- Amazing meals at Fraoch Lodge
Dual based trip:
Skye Yurts: The Earth and Water themed yurts are comfortably furnished to accommodate up to 5 people (1 x double bed, 1 x double sofa bed, 1 x “z” bed. There is storage for your clothes and belongings. Lighting inside the yurts is by solar fairy lights and candle lanterns. The Yurts are cosy and comfortable thanks to an 8kc log burning stove and thick insulation.
The yurts share a utility building which includes an electric shower, kitchen, composting toilet block and dining area. The utility buildings have mains electricity (part supplied by solar power) and running hot and cold water.
Comfortable interior of the water themed yurt
The yurt site on Skye
Fraoch Lodge:
Our main base and home in the Cairngorms National Park, Fraoch Lodge is a 5 star graded hostel, which we run with our son, Gregor (born in 2008). Full details of the facilities at Fraoch Lodge can be found on the Lodge page.
Fraoch Lodge in it’s autumn plumage
We have achieved Gold Star Awards from the world’s most highly respected green accreditation scheme, Green Tourism, and were awarded Highly Commended in their Green Star Awards 2013 for both Scot Mountain Holidays and Fraoch Lodge. We offer a Green Travel Discount of £15 to any guests who travel to us by public transport. Our primary aim is to minimise the carbon footprint of our holidays, and to this end we donate 1% of the price of our tours to the RSPB’s Abernethy Reforestation project.
It is a holistic approach we have to the care of the environment. Andy your adventure guide has a passion for the natural world – whether it’s the flora, fauna or fungi. He has a background in geology and a lifelong interest in natural history, as well as being a keen gardener. He knows a Golden Plover from a Dotterel, a Green Shank and a Dunlin. He also makes no apologies to being very excitable upon spying a Golden Eagle!
For further information, please don’t hesitate to check out our Environmental Responsibility page, or contact us directly at info@scotmountainholidays.com.
Gold standard for Green Tourism