Loch Ness
to Skye Tour
Loch Ness
to Skye Tour
Option 1: End your trip in Skye
LOCH NESS TO SKYE TOUR
Spend one unforgettable day travelling through Scotland’s magical Scottish Highlands. You’ll join the tour on day two after it has already departed from Edinburgh the day before, and travel through the Highlands to the Isle of Skye, Scotland’s most famous island.
Along the way you’ll see dramatic landscapes, legendary sights, and some of the most famous scenery in Scotland before arriving on Skye. The tour finishes on Skye, where you’ll stay the night and can continue exploring the island in your own time.
Tour joins on the morning of day 2 at Lochside Hostel (after the tour has already departed Edinburgh the previous day).
Tour finishes on Skye. Option to stay with the group in the Lochbuie guest house or book your own accommodation.
This tour runs only in peak months from April–October.
Prices starting from £95 (includes fees, before accommodation).
Option 2: End your trip in Edinburgh
LOCH NESS TO EDINBURGH TOUR
Spend one unforgettable day travelling through Scotland’s magical Scottish Highlands. You’ll join the tour on day two after it has already departed from Edinburgh the day before, and travel through the Highlands to the Isle of Skye, Scotland’s most famous island.
Along the way you’ll see dramatic landscapes, legendary sights, and some of the most famous scenery in Scotland before arriving on Skye. You’ll stay the night on Skye, then travel back through the Highlands with the group the following day before finishing the tour in Edinburgh.
Tour joins on the morning of day 2 at Lochside Hostel (after the tour has already departed Edinburgh the previous day).
Tour finishes in Edinburgh after returning from Skye. Option to stay with the group in the Lochbuie guest house on Skye or book your own accommodation.
This tour runs only in peak months from April–October.
Prices starting from £170 (includes fees, before accommodation).
Discover the Isle of Skye with MacBackpackers!
Explore the very best of the Scottish Highlands and the magical Isle of Skye on this unforgettable journey through mountains, myths and dramatic landscapes.
We begin from Loch Ness and travel west through the stunning Glenshiel, taking in the famous Five Sisters of Kintail and the incredible mountain scenery along the way. With views of the iconic Eilean Donan Castle, this is one of the most beautiful drives in Scotland before we cross onto the legendary Isle of Skye.
Once on Skye, we explore this mystical island as we head up to the Trotternish Peninsula for incredible views and a walk in one of the most unspoilt landscapes in the country. Along the way you’ll see the Cuillin Mountains, Portree, the Old Man of Storr, and Kilt Rock before we continue north to the beautiful coastline around Duntulm. We finish the day in the small village of Kyleakin, where you’ll spend the night on this magical island. Check out our Where We Stay page to see our Skye accommodation, or book your own.
If you book option 1 the tour ends here. If you book option 2, then on the final day we travel back through the Highlands via Glenshiel and Loch Cluanie, with stunning scenery the entire way. We stop at the Highland Folk Museum and visit the lovely town of Pitlochry before finishing with a peaceful walk through The Hermitage. A tour packed with dramatic landscapes, legendary scenery and the very best of the Scottish Highlands.
Arrive back into Edinburgh in the evening, just in time to enjoy the rest of your night in the capital.
Tour Video
We depart Edinburgh in the morning and set off on our adventure, a full day of exploration and excitement ahead. We strike out into the Highlands seeking out spectacular scenery, clan rivalry and the odd monster.
Forth Bridges
Pitlochry/Dunkeld
Whisky Drinking
Culloden Battlefield
Loch Ness
Glen Shiel
Eilean Donan Castle
Kyleakin
Sligachan
The Cuillin
Faerie Pools
Portree
Old Man of Storr
Kilt Rock
The Quiraing
Ben Nevis
Fort William
Glen Coe
Rannoch Moor
Wallace Monument
The above itinerary is not set in stone! Your guide may use their knowledge to modify the itinerary to best suit the Scottish weather & to maximise your experience.
On this tour you’ll be lucky enough to stay at the beautiful Lochbuie Guest House in the small fishing village of Kyleakin, just over the Skye Bridge. This small guest house is reserved exclusively for our tour guests, so you don’t have to worry about trying to find accommodation in the Highlands for your trip (no mean feat).
The hostel consists of bunk beds, a full kitchen, hot showers, a games room and your accommodation costs will include breakfast in the morning. So settle in and enjoy the quirky colours and great views from Lochbuie as you relive your day in the Highlands!
If you’d like more info or to see pictures then go to www.scotlandstophostels.com
Our Tours are for 18-39 Year Olds Only
Our company was founded out of the hostel industry and we have a focus on providing young people with the chance to explore Scotland affordably, make new friends and have an active style of tour. That’s why we have strictly limited our age range to 18-39 in order to provide our guests with the best possible tour and give everyone the chance to experience Scotland in a way not a lot of tours do. We have had so many friendships forged on tour and we think this comes directly from only offering these tours to a certain demographic and allowing everyone to mingle. So if you’re over the age of 39 please consider a different tour as we reserve the right to deny boarding to anyone who has broken our age limit.
Book with Confidence
We know it’s difficult to be confident that your plans will go ahead in these confusing times, but all MacBackpackers Tour come with a Book With Confidence Guarantee.
Book on one of our tours for just 25% upfront and rest assured that no matter what happens you have the chance to change your plans. As part of our pledge all our tours can now be rescheduled with 48 hours notice completely for free! Any tours rescheduled within 48 hours of arrival will be subject to a £50 rebooking fee, but this tour can be redeemed at any time (subject to availability).
So don’t let the stress of life put you off your dream trip to Scotland, book with us and travel with confidence!
Accommodation is not included in the price of our tours
We understand that it’s extremely difficult to find accommodation in the Highlands, which is why every person on one of our tours has a bed provisionally held for them at each of our partner hostels along the route. All nights are priced from £30 per night including breakfast and are available as an add-on to your tour in the options section of the booking window. You are welcome to pay for this upfront during your tour booking or at one of our 3 Edinburgh Hostels on or before your departure date.
Departs at 9am (8am from 30 October – 28 March) every Friday & select Mondays from Castle Rock Hostel!
*25% deposit option is only available for tours booked 28 days or more in advance of departure date.
Terms & Conditions
This tour departs on Thursday from Lochside Hostel and returns on Friday to Edinburgh.
In summer, our tours depart at 9am. However, in winter our tours depart at 8am. Make sure you check your booking confirmation email to get the correct start time. Please note your driver guide may amend times slightly due to traffic updates so please ask reception for an update.
Tours arrive on the Isle of Skye in the evening of Day 1 and return to Edinburgh on Friday evening between 4-6pm depending on traffic and other factors which may be out of our control.
Accommodation is not included in tour price, but can be added in booking process. We reserve beds for you at our partner hostel. All nights are priced from £38 per night including breakfast and are available as an add-on in the options section of the booking window.
Our Tours are for 18-39 year olds only. It is our company ethos to give backpackers the chance to experience Scotland with like minded travellers at a similar stage of life. Our aim is to help young people meet lifelong travel buddies.
Our Awards

“The Best Quick Getaway in the World!” – TourRadar Tour of the Year Award 2017

“The Best Quick Getaway in the World!” – TourRadar Tour of the Year Award 2018









































