North Coast 500 Plus, Day Trip to Orkney!
Showcasing Northern Scotland with all its beautiful beaches, historical ruins and pretty fishing villages, the North Coast 500 coastal road is a journey like no other. Scotland’s answer to Route 66 is now a designated tourist route around the Northern Highlands taking in amazing coastal scenery full of lochs and uninhabited islands. On our journey north we take an Eastern route and travel through the Cairngorms National Park. On our return, we stick to the west coast with 2 nights on the Isle of Skye.
Monday Into Scotland and on to our overnight hotel, the 3-star Buchanan Arms in Drymen.
Tuesday Beautiful scenery today as we climb into the Highlands and the Cairngorm National Park. Our lunch time stop in Aviemore, a Highland base with plenty of shops and food options. We make a short stop in the small but lively town of Tain, then we are on the North Coast 500 route and continue to the very North of Scotland with a short stop at John O Groats before continuing to our hotel for 2 nights, the Pentland Hote in Thurso.
Wednesday We catch the ferry to Orkney where we are met by our guide. We have a full tour of Orkney taking in amongst other things Skara Brae, an amazing neolithic village that lay buried by sand for 4000 years and the delightful Italian Chapel built by Italian POWs.
Thursday We continue on the North Coast 500 Route with miles and miles of costal scenery as we head along Scotland’s most northern coast and enjoy dramatic ocean views. We will take plenty of photo stops, especially where the impressive white sand beaches are at their most impressive. Our hotel for the night is The Caledonian Hotel in Ullapool.
Friday A final part of the North Coast 500 takes us by more dramatic scenery on our way to Attadale Gardens. The gardens were built in 1755 and its gardens include a Water Garden, Rhododendron Walk, sunken garden and a Japanese garden. From here we continue to the Isle of Skye and the Dunollie Hotel in Broadford for 2 nights.
Saturday A relaxing day today as we travel via the west coast of Skye to Dunvegan Castle and Gardens for a visit. This was the seat of the Clan Macleod and is the oldest continually occupied castle in Scotland. The castle has won visitor awards, and it is a Highland estate steeped in history and clan legend which also has beautiful formal gardens. We then complete a circular route as we visit Portree for a short stop Portree is the Island’s Capital and lies in a picturesque natural harbour that is sheltered with great views to sea.
Sunday We start our journey south with more scenery as we pass lochs and have views of Ben Nevis on the way to a short stop in Fort William. Then through Glencoe before making a stop at Loch Lomond Shores. Then onto our overnight hotel, the 4-star Dryfesdale Country House Hotel. The hotel sits amid 5 acres of magnificent grounds with stunning views of the Scottish countryside.
Monday We say goodbye to Scotland and return home.
Hotel
Centrally located in the heart of Thurso. BAR | WIFI pentlandhotel.co.uk
Dunollie Hotel, Isle of Skye
3-star hotel set by the serene waterside at the foot of Skye’s mountains. BAR | WIFI bespokehotels.com/dunolliehotel
Skegness, Lincoln & The Wolds
5 Days
Mon 18th May 2026
Single Supplement: +£40
Mon 28th May 2026 £449
Single Supplement: +£20
This seaside resort comes with the classic English seaside holiday activities: the donkey rides on the beach, the pier, the crazy golf, but there’s more to this Lincolnshire town. ‘Skeggy’, as it’s affectionately known, has rollercoaster rides and a seal sanctuary plus a Blue Flag beach. We enjoy a day out in Lincoln, view the Wolds, a nationally important and cherished landscape, and get to see a Lancaster Bomber! The Quorn Hotel receives excellent feedback.
Monday We head east and call at Stamford, a bustling prosperous market town with quaint streets and delicious food options.
Tours at Resort
A | All-day in Lincoln, a lovely city, overlooked by its cathedral and where cobbled streets are lined by mediaeval houses. On our way we travel via Horncastle and skirt the edge of the Wolds.
B | We visit the nearby Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Museum where you can experience the largest Bomber Command Museum in the country and there is also a Lancaster Bomber on site. Later we follow the A153 across the Wolds, which are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, to Louth. Louth is a historic town which retains a natural charm with its narrow, winding streets and marketplace.
C | FREE DAY to explore Skegness.
Friday We head home with a stop in Melton Mowbray, famous for its pork pies and Stilton cheese, with gardens alongside the river.
On this tour we take 3 train rides, 2 in the highlands and one near Edinburgh. But that’s not all, we also have a 90-minute loch cruise and view some of Scotland’s beautiful scenic spots and traditional towns. Our fabulous main hotel is in Kingussie, a lovely town beside the river Spey amid the beautiful Cairngorms. We travel to and from Kingussie on a circular route, so you get to see as much Scottish scenery as possible.
Saturday Into Scotland and on to our overnight hotel, the King Robert which is situated on the site of the Battle of Bannockburn on the outskirts of historic Stirling.
Sunday We have our first train ride which is on the Bo’Ness & Kinneil Steam Railway. From here we take the Queensferry Crossing of the Firth of Forth and continue north through the Cairngorm mountains with fabulous scenery. Our late lunchtime stop is in the Highland town of Pitlochry. Then to Kingussie and our hotel for 4 nights.
Monday A free day in our resort of Kingussie. If you wish to explore further afield there is a trainline that travels to either Inverness or Newtonmore.
Tuesday A dramatic day in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie, Harry Potter, and the Jacobite Rebellion! To Loch Sheil, Hogwart’s Lake in Harry Potter, for a 90-minute cruise with refreshment on board. As part of this cruise, we get to witness the famous scene in the film where the Hogwart’s Express crosses the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct. The Hogwart’s Express is in fact The Jacobite. Later we travel on that famous route, from Mallaig to Fort William, experiencing the great scenery on a diesel train.
Wednesday Along the Spey Valley to Aviemore, a year-round destination with beautiful scenery. Here we catch the Strathspey Steam Railway to Broomhill, a ride that enables you to travel back in time to an era when steam whistles blew, carriage doors slammed and there was a familiar click-clack rhythm on the rails. Later we travel further into the Highlands and visit Grantown on Spey.
Thursday A different route as we return south taking in Ben Nevis, Glen Coe and Loch Lomond. Our hotel for 2 nights is the 4 star Doubletree by Hilton Westerwood, set in 120 acres of gardens against the backdrop of the Campsie Fells.
Friday All day in Edinburgh to experience the city’s skyline, cobbled streets and colorful characters.
Saturday
We return home with a stop at Gretna Green.
Price Includes
• Return coach travel
• Pickup up & Drop Off Service
• Tours as indicated
Main Hotel: Duke of Gordon Hotel, Kingussie
Great hospitality and food in this hotel that dates back to the 18th century and the days of the stage coach. BAR | LIFT dukeofgordonhotel.co.uk
• Hotel accommodation of bed, breakfast & evening meal
