Vacation Scotland

Many of Scotland’s place names reflect a distant past when evangelical monks wandered the country trying to convert the locals during the so-called Dark Ages. Many of these priests left an indelible mark, and were canonised as Celtic Saints; and one such was St Mael Rubha (who’s name we find in Loch Maree) who preached [...]

The Trotternish Peninsula in the north of the Isle of Skye is a Tolkienesque world of ridges, pinnacles and plateaux; a staccato terrain that forms a stunningly beautiful landscape. At the north end of the peninsula, as it juts out into the sea facing the broad horizons of the Western Isles beyond, is the Cuithraing, [...]

Edinburgh Castle, sitting high on its rock dominates the city; an icon of the nation and the top tourist attraction in Britain outside London. But, Edinburgh has another castle, less well known, less frequented but also steeped in the rich and often bloody history of Scotland: Craigmillar Castle. Craigmillar sits on a rocky outcrop about [...]

In ancient times the people of the Highlands didn’t consider the Grampian Mountains as a single block, but as a complex series of ranges and valleys; each with their own characteristics, lofty peaks and secret pathways. A few of the old names have come down to us; and the broad plateau of hills lying to [...]

From the Highland capital, Inverness, the A9 Trunk Road continues north through the Black Isle, and over the Cromarty and Dornoch Firths making towards a ridge of blue mountains in the distance; for the land beyond is the great county of Sutherland. Sutherland is a an odd name for a district in the far north [...]

Running a travel company, I’m often asked – when is the best time to travel to Scotland; when will I see Scotland at its very best; and there is no right answer to that. Yes, the summer is warmer, but then the roads are busy, and it’s harder to find places to stay. May or [...]

The Isle of Skye 3 Day Tour is one of the very best excursions that we at Highland Experience can offer you, and what an experience it is. The Isle of Skye, a land of soaring peaks and a rich Gaelic heritage is one of the most spectacular destinations in Europe. Come with us and learn more about this fascinating place.

On a few of our extended tours we visit the stunning valley of Glen Affric: a fantastic landscape of ancient forest and high snow-capped mountains. This is the domain of the Wildcat and Golden Eagle; a time-capsule where the Caledonian Pine Forest thrives. Originally part of the Chisholm domains, Glen Affric has survived the Highland Clearances, sheep grazing and being over run by deer on the sporting estate. Now a National Nature Reserve, and owned in part by the Forestry Commission and the NTS – its future is secure, and a wonderful experience for any visitor.

Our Outlandish Adventure tour is an eight-day romp based on the hugely successful Outlander Books series written by Diana Gabaldon. In it we combine fiction with fact as we draw the traveler back in time to the world of the Jacobite Rebellions of the 18th century, and walk in the footsteps of our heroes, Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser. The tour weaves its way from the turrets and towers of Edinburgh to the wild Highlands, and visits the key places found in the books – a time-travelling quest that shows how modern Scotland was born amid the blood and romance of the Jacobite Civil Wars