From Edinburgh: Orkney and The Far North 5-Day Tour

Orkney rewards the long road north. This five-day trip links Highland scenery with Orkney’s ancient stones, wartime defenses, and quiet coastal views, so you get far more than a quick island visit. I especially like the well-chosen route through Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, Loch Ness, and the Cairngorm Mountains, plus the full day given to Orkney’s major prehistoric sites. The small group, limited to 16 people, also gives the journey a more personal feel.

I also like that the ferry crossings are part of the experience rather than an afterthought. Guides such as Eddy, who lived in Orkney for many years, and Kenny, praised for adding small scenic stops, local stories, music, and useful town tips, can make a major difference. The main drawback is the amount of time spent on the road and the occasional stop-heavy schedule. At $1,288 per person, this is best for you if you value convenience and a packed route more than free time or independent travel.

Key points at a glance

• Orkney gets a full sightseeing day: You have time for Maeshowe, Skara Brae, Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar, and St Magnus Cathedral.
• The route is part of the reward: Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, Fort William, the Great Glen, Loch Ness, Culloden, and Pitlochry fill out the mainland journey.
• A small group keeps things manageable: The tour accepts up to 16 people, with an English-speaking driver-guide.
• The Italian Chapel has an unusual story: Italian prisoners of war built this small chapel during the Second World War.
• Accommodation is arranged for you: Four nights and four breakfasts are included, with B&B stays reported as clean and welcoming.
• Pack light: Luggage is limited to 15 kilograms, with a maximum size of 55 by 40 by 20 centimeters, plus one small carry-on.

Why this Edinburgh to Orkney route works

This is not a simple Edinburgh excursion with a quick look at one island. It is a northbound circuit through some of Scotland’s best-known scenery, followed by two nights based in Kirkwall and a return through Inverness and the central Highlands.

That shape matters. You do not spend every day packing and unpacking on Orkney, and day three is reserved for the islands’ major sights. At the same time, the first and last days are long travel days. You should see this as a moving tour with regular sightseeing, not a relaxed island holiday.

The English-speaking driver-guide is central to the experience. A good guide can turn a long ride into a running introduction to Scottish places, conflicts, folklore, and local life. Eddy was praised for his deep personal knowledge of Orkney, while Kenny was especially good at adding small viewpoints and useful advice during town stops. Ian was noted for his jokes and music, and Stefan for keeping the trip running smoothly.

The quality of the guide may shape your experience as much as the sites themselves. You are in a minibus for long stretches, so storytelling, timing, and judgment about stops all matter.

Day one: Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, and Loch Ness

The tour leaves from 1 Parliament Square, beside Caffe Nero on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. The first day heads west through Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park before turning toward the Highlands.

Loch Lomond gives you an early taste of the scenery that makes this route worthwhile. You pass wooded slopes, open water, and Highland views without needing to arrange several separate transfers. The route then reaches Glen Coe, a place where scenery and painful history sit close together. The glen is tied to the 1692 massacre of members of the MacDonald clan, and its stark mountains give the stop a serious mood.

You continue through Fort William and the Great Glen toward Loch Ness, arriving in or near Inverness for the night. This is a big first day, with plenty of time on the road. Still, the route avoids wasting your first hours in Scotland on ordinary motorways. You are looking out at major Highland sights almost from the start.

I would treat this day as an orientation to northern Scotland rather than a collection of long visits. You may want to keep your camera ready, but do not expect extended walks at every stop. The point is to see how the scenery changes from the Lowlands to the Highlands and to reach Inverness without having to handle the driving yourself.

Day two: Firth views and the ferry to Orkney

From Inverness, the route continues north beside the Moray and Cromarty Firths. These wide coastal inlets break up the journey and give you a different view of northern Scotland, with open water replacing the mountain scenery of the previous day.

The ferry crossing is one of the trip’s defining moments. It is not simply a transfer between mainland Scotland and Orkney. It gives the journey a clear change of pace and makes the islands feel properly separate from the mainland. Weather can affect the experience, and the operator reserves the right to change the route or schedule because of weather and other events beyond its control.

Once you reach Orkney, the first stops introduce two very different parts of the islands’ past. The Italian Chapel is small, decorative, and deeply personal. Italian prisoners of war built it, and its presence is striking because of the contrast between the chapel’s careful artwork and the circumstances in which it was made.

You also visit the Churchill Barriers, a chain of causeways built to protect the British naval fleet from submarines. They now connect several islands, but their original military purpose gives the roads a strong sense of place. The barriers are useful infrastructure, yet they also tell a story about wartime fear, engineering, and the strategic importance of these waters.

You spend the night in Kirkwall. That is a smart base because it gives you two nights in the same place and leaves some room to explore its craft and gift shops. The included accommodation is arranged for you, but the exact property can vary. One useful point from past experience is that the first and returning nights in Inverness may not always use the same hotel, so consistency is not guaranteed.

Day three: Skara Brae and Orkney’s stone circles

Day three is the heart of the tour. You spend the full day exploring Orkney’s ancient sites from Kirkwall, rather than trying to squeeze them into a few rushed hours.

Maeshowe chambered cairn is an important stop because it shows how much planning and labor went into Orkney’s prehistoric monuments. It is not just a pile of stones. The site was built as a burial chamber, and its enclosed design gives you a sense of how different early communities understood ceremony and the dead.

Skara Brae is the day’s most vivid site. This Neolithic village sits near the coast and gives you a rare look at the layout of ancient homes. Stone walls, low rooms, and built-in features make the site easier to imagine than a single standing stone can. The setting by the sea adds drama, but it also reminds you that Orkney’s weather and coastline have always shaped life here.

You then visit the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar. These circles are not interchangeable photo stops. Stenness feels especially stark and immediate, while the Ring of Brodgar gives you a wider sense of ceremonial space. Your guide’s explanations help connect the sites, but you should also allow yourself a quiet moment to look without a camera or commentary.

One advantage of this tour is that the prehistoric sites are placed together in a single day. One disadvantage is that this day can feel full, especially if you want long walks or unhurried time at each location. Kenny’s approach, with small scenic stops between the headline visits, may appeal to you if you like variety. If you prefer fewer stops and a proper sit-down lunch, the schedule may feel less comfortable.

The day ends at St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. Its stonework and scale make it a fitting final stop after the older monuments. The cathedral also brings you back from prehistoric Orkney to the medieval town that remains the islands’ main center.

Day four: returning to Inverness

The fourth day begins with another ferry crossing to the mainland. You then return to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, for an overnight stay.

Compared with day three, this is a lighter sightseeing day, although the transport time remains significant. Inverness gives you a chance to get your bearings in a Highland city after several days of open country and island sites. The itinerary does not promise a long guided city tour, so your time here may depend on the group schedule and the exact arrival time.

This overnight stop is useful for breaking up the return to Edinburgh. Without it, the final journey would be much harder. You should still keep your expectations realistic: this tour covers a great deal of ground, and Inverness is one part of a wider route rather than the main subject of the trip.

Day five: Culloden, the Cairngorm Mountains, and Pitlochry

The last day heads south toward Edinburgh, with three strong stops along the way.

Culloden is the most important. The battlefield was the site of the defeat of the Jacobite forces, and it is one of Scotland’s most emotionally charged historical places. The open ground can look quiet, but the events connected with it changed the country’s political future and had harsh consequences for Highland communities.

If you care strongly about the 1745 Jacobite campaign, pay attention to how much time the group has at Culloden. One past itinerary experience favored more time at the battlefield museum and less time at a whisky distillery. That is a fair concern because the distillery stop may involve extra charges for tastings, and the stop is not necessarily a highlight for everyone.

The route then passes the Cairngorm Mountains. You are likely to appreciate this section most if you enjoy changing scenery from a vehicle window. It gives the final day a proper Highland finish rather than sending you straight back to Edinburgh on ordinary roads.

Pitlochry provides a pleasant final town stop before Edinburgh. Its picturesque setting makes it a good place to stretch your legs and break up the journey. Again, the stop is part of a busy day, so do not assume you will have hours to shop or eat slowly.

Accommodation, meals, and what to pack

Four nights of accommodation and four breakfasts are included. The available information describes B&B accommodation as clean, comfortable, and hospitable, but the exact standard may differ from one property to another. You should be prepared for some variation, especially in Inverness.

Lunches, dinners, snacks, and drinks are not included. This is important when judging the total cost. You are paying for transport, a guide, accommodation, ferry crossings, and entry to Maeshowe, Skara Brae, and the Italian Chapel, but you still need money for most meals and any additional admissions.

The luggage rule is strict enough to affect how you pack. Your main bag must weigh no more than 15 kilograms and measure no more than 55 by 40 by 20 centimeters. You may also bring one small carry-on per person.

I would pack layers and keep your day bag compact. The tour moves between city streets, coastal sites, open stone circles, and ferry decks. The supplied information does not promise a particular weather pattern, so practical clothing matters more than dressing for one season’s ideal conditions.

Solo travelers must choose the single-room option. If two people share a double or twin room, that is straightforward. Three people selecting that option may receive a family room for three, subject to availability. If you want two separate rooms, one person must book the single-room option.

Is the $1,288 price good value?

At $1,288 per person, this is not a cheap way to reach Orkney. It can still be good value if you price in the effort of arranging several long drives, two ferry crossings, four nights of accommodation, site admissions, and a guide.

The strongest value comes from the route itself. You see Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, Fort William, the Great Glen, Loch Ness, the Moray and Cromarty Firths, Orkney, Culloden, the Cairngorm Mountains, and Pitlochry in one organized trip. Doing that independently would require careful timing and a willingness to drive long distances.

The tradeoff is control. You do not choose how long to linger at each place, and meals are left to you. The occasional extra stop can be enjoyable, especially when a guide adds a scenic viewpoint, but it can also reduce time for lunch or for a major site such as Culloden.

I would call the price reasonable for a small-group tour with this route, particularly if you are visiting Scotland once and want to cover both the Highlands and Orkney. It is less attractive if you already have transport, prefer self-catering accommodation, or want several slow days in one place.

Who should book this tour?

I recommend it for you if you want:

• A structured introduction to the Scottish Highlands and Orkney
• Prehistoric sites, military history, cathedrals, and scenery in one trip
• A small group rather than a large coach
• Ferry travel without arranging the connections yourself
• An English-speaking guide who can add local context
• Two nights based in Kirkwall instead of changing hotels every night

I would think twice if you want a slow holiday, long independent walks, or guaranteed time for leisurely lunches. The tour is also not suitable for children under three, and the luggage limits may be awkward for a longer Scottish vacation unless you can pack very lightly.

The guide matters here. Eddy’s personal Orkney experience could be especially valuable, while Kenny’s habit of adding out-of-the-way viewpoints may suit you if you like more than the standard stops. Ian’s humor and music helped keep long drives lively, and Stefan was praised for careful organization. Guide assignments can vary, so treat these examples as possibilities rather than promises.

Free cancellation is available up to 28 days before departure for a full refund. The operator may change the itinerary because of weather, acts of God, or other events outside its control, a sensible warning for a ferry-based trip to northern islands.

Should you book the Orkney and Far North tour?

Book it if you want a high-coverage Scotland journey with the hard logistics handled for you. The ancient sites on Orkney are the main prize, but the route through Glen Coe, Loch Ness, Culloden, and the Cairngorm Mountains gives the whole trip much more weight.

Skip it if you need complete freedom over meals, hotel choice, stop length, and daily pace. For most people who want to see Orkney without renting a car or building a complicated itinerary, the combination of a 16-person group, included ferries, four breakfasts, and major site admissions makes the $1,288 cost defensible.

FAQ

Where does the tour meet in Edinburgh?

The meeting point is 1 Parliament Square, beside Caffe Nero on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1RE.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts 106 hours and runs for five days.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The live tour guide speaks English, and the included driver-guide is English-speaking.

How large is the group?

The tour is limited to 16 participants.

What accommodation is included?

Four nights of accommodation are included, along with four breakfasts.

Which Orkney attractions are included?

Admission is included for Maeshowe, Skara Brae, and the Italian Chapel. Other entry tickets are not included unless specifically listed.

Can children join the tour?

Children under three are not accepted. Children aged three and older may join with valid proof of age, such as a passport or birth certificate.