Skye & The Outer Hebrides Walking Holiday

8 Days & 7 Nights

4.4

Skye & The Outer Hebrides

Classic linear walks with surreal scenery on Skye and the Outer Hebrides
Skye’s brooding Cuillin Ridge and rocky Trotternish Peninsula
Luskentyre beach on the Isle of Harris - one of Scotland’s most beautiful
Traverse the 37 km long ‘Harris Walkway’ over remote moorland and machair
A warm island welcome at hand-picked B&B's and guesthouses

The Isles of Skye, Harris and Lewis combine on this week of classic point-to-point walks taking in some of the most dramatic scenery in Scotland. From the highland capital of Inverness, enjoy one of the country's most scenic rail journeys to the Isle of Skye where you will walk the highlights of the globally recognised Skye Trail to the colourful town of Portree and over the Trotternish ridge, passing the iconic Old Man of Storr. The adventure continues as you sail to the Outer Hebrides, basing yourself in Tarbert for 2 nights before spending your final night in historic Stornoway. Explore Harris and Lewis on foot; from the beautiful white sands and crystal clear waters of Luskentyre, to the solitude of windswept moorland and mountains on the Harris Walkway. Along the way, experience and sample the very best of Scottish hospitality through eating at restaurants serving the freshest local produce and staying in hand-picked B&B's and guesthouses with welcoming hosts ready to share their abundance of local knowledge.

From £1,195.00

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Itinerary

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Day 1 By train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, bus to Skye Day 2 Lost Villages walk to Broadford 11 miles / 17 km

Starting in the small village of Torrin, after a short transfer from Broadford, this walk follows a clear path that hugs the dramatic coastline. As the path rises to follow the clifftops the views to the right of the Cuillin Ridge, towering above the expanse of open sea, are imposing and impressive. You will then pass deserted crofters communities long since burnt out by landowners, dramatic sweeping cliffs, sheltered beaches and tumbling waterfalls. As the path heads north again towards Broadford, you will ascend to a moorland plateau, through a protected forest reservation, past an abandoned marble quarry and back into Broadford - a small town full of cosy pubs and homely guesthouses.

Overnight Broadford

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Broadford Hotel | Hotel

The Broadford is a 4* hotel that has been redecorated in contemporary style to offer a warm welcome and excellent service and food in beautiful settings.

Otter Lodge | Bed and breakfast

Martin and Vanessa will give you a warm welcome at the Otter Lodge and make sure that you feel at home right away. The B&B has six bedrooms and a spacious lounge for guests. Most rooms enjoy views of the sea and the surrounding countryside – the rooms are a mixture of shared and ensuite facilities.

Broadford House | Guest House

Independently owned and run, the proprietors pride themselves on the quality of service, food, high standards of cleanliness and the warmth of welcome! Each guest receives an individually tailored experience and you are assured a most comfortable and indeed very enjoyable stay at this splendid accommodation. Broadford House offers bed and breakfast accommodation in a selection of tastefully decorated rooms. The rooms all have television with tea and coffee making trays. The bed and breakfast cottage overlooks Broadford Bay with plenty of eating places nearby.

Day 3 Walk from Kilmarie to Sligachan 11 miles / 17 km Day 4 The Storr, a choice of coastal walks to Portree or optional guided Skye tour 8 miles / 13 km Day 5 Transfer to Uig, ferry to Tarbert (Harris), North Harris Eagle Observatory 3 miles / 5 km Day 6 Luskentyre Beach & Harris Walkway to Tarbert 15 miles / 23.5 km Day 7 Harris Walkway to Scaladale, transfer to Stornoway 9 miles / 14.5 km Day 8 Onward travel

THIS TRIP'S CARBON SCORE

This trip has a carbon score of 12kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our greenest trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 12kg is equivalent to 5 bunches of flowers (grown in the Netherlands). Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.

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Other Information

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Is it for me? Accommodation & Meals Navigation What's Included When to go Travel & Transfers

Getting to the Start

By Air: The closest airport to the start of this tour is Inverness. An airport shuttle bus operates regularly to the city centre (approx. 30 mins) or a taxi to Inverness train station is approx. 15 mins. Further information will be detailed in your pre-departure information pack.

By Train: Inverness has good rail links and you can travel by direct train from Glasgow (3h15) or Edinburgh (3h20) to Inverness.

Scottish Citylink also operates a bus service from Glasgow via Fort William to Broadford, or from Inverness via Loch Ness to Broadford.

Getting from the End

By Air: Loganair operates from Stornoway to various airports in the UK and Europe.

By Ferry and Bus: Alternatively, you can take the Calmac ferry across The Minch to Ullapool (2h30), then connect to enjoy a scenic bus journey (1h20) back to Inverness.

The website www.travelinescotland.com is fantastic for researching train and bus timetables throughout Scotland. Your pre-departure information pack will also have handy hints and tips about journeys and transport services.

Baggage Transfer

On Day 3 (Broadford to Portree) and Day 7 (Tarbert to Stornoway) your luggage will be transferred between accommodations. When travelling with public transport, you take your luggage with you. Please limit your baggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person. It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

Taxi Transfers

The Isle of Skye can get extremely busy over the peak summer months and there are only a few transfer companies available on the Island. At peak times, your taxi transfers as detailed in your itinerary may be shared with other Macs Adventure customers. This avoids long wait times in the morning and afternoons and ensures we are being as environmentally friendly as possible.

Info & FAQ

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Local Transport

Buses and local transportation are used for access to/from some walks, alongside our pre-arranged taxi transfers. On Skye there are limited services on Saturdays, and often no service on Sundays (so a taxi will be needed—we can arrange this for you at a supplement). We give you information regarding the latest timetables but you should always check locally regarding the most current information.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.