Three glorious days exploring the beauty and history of the Scottish Highlands and spending two nights on the mystical Isle of Skye
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.
OUR MOST POPULAR TOUR!
Spend 36 hours exploring the Isle of Skye, Scotland’s most famous island, with local tour guide and minibus driver.
Discover Skye
With MacBackpackers!
Nothing prepares you more for the excitement of seeing the Isle of Skye, than a day meandering up through the Cairngorms; along Loch Ness and through the Great Glen. Taking in every beautiful landscape and incredible vista en-route to Scotland’s most famous isle.
Head on over the bridge as we dive right in to the breathtaking Isle of Skye, spending two nights at a private guesthouse in the beautiful and picturesque village of Kyleakin; from there we strike out on an adventure to explore some of the world’s most stunning landscapes and make some memories along the way!
Where other tour companies can spend as little as 6 hours on the Isle of Skye, we spend a full 36 hours exploring this gem of a Hebridean Island.
Unearth the history, embrace the Island, get out there and adventure!
Running every Friday and select Mondays throughout the year!
For midweek tours check out our 3 Day Skye & Loch Ness Magic and our 5 Day Skye and Highland Fling.
*Please note these tours may be run in 16 or 28 seater buses depending on the popularity of the tour*
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
Please note that this is just a sample of some of the places we go to and are subject to change at any time at the guide’s discretion. Not all sites are available to visit all year round.
A full day’s adventure lies ahead exploring the incredible Isle of Skye as we set off from Kyleakin around the island that has inspired countless artists and creators. Crammed with stunning vistas, breathtaking hikes and entrancing tales of warriors, monsters and faeries. Spend most of the day off the bus getting amongst it!
- Sligachan
- The Cuillin
- Portree
- Old Man of Storr
- Kilt Rock
- The Quiraing
Please note that this is just a sample of some of the places we go to and are subject to change at any time at the guide’s discretion. Not all sites are available to visit all year round.
We say goodbye to the misty isle and head south taking in views of the Nevis range and Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. We’ll discover the haunting beauty of Glen Coe and hear tales of clan massacres, the likes of which inspired George R.R. Martin’s “Game of Thrones” series.
- Glen Shiel
- Fort William
- Glen Coe
- Rannoch Moor
- Trossachs National Park
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.
*Please note these tours may be run in 16 or 28 seater buses depending on the popularity of the tour*
Choose this tour if you…
Gallery
Gallery
Where we stay
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!
Check out our Where We Stay Page to learn more!
T&Cs
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 many tours can.
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 £32 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 your departure point (Castle Rock Hostel) on your departure date.
Upcoming Schedule
Events in December 2024
- There are no events scheduled during these dates.
Reviews
Was a fantastic trip and managed to fit a lot into a three day tour! Really enjoyed it and definitely came at the perfect time. Hope to come back to Skye again as so much I probably didn’t see. The tour guide Neil was superb and his knowledge of the area and the tales told on the journey elevated this trip. Thanks for a perfect January break!
This was an amazing trip. Surprised that I got to see so much in 3 days. Also didn’t feel rushed at all. The accommodation was nice and cosy. Kyleakin is a beautiful place to stay. Good decision Macbackpackers! The guide Dave was a gem of a guy. Funny easy going and all round amazing! Plans the day really well even though it feels like roaming around with your mates without a plan. We went for awesome walks and Dave gives you so much space and options. Highly recommended!
I would said that this was one of the most unique, beautiful, fulfilling experiences I had ever done. Please don’t hesitate to book this tour with MacBackpackers just do it and allow yourself to live this magical experience. Thank you so much Tim you were the most incredible guide. Your knowledge about Scotland, the unique hikes and trails and your amazing sense of humor. And of course the whiskey shots. Thank you for this experience MacBackpackers!
Team Macbagpackers arranged the best trip ever. I want to highlight particularly they have exceptional customer service, Due a confusion I missed their tour and was 40mins late, but the staff were so understanding and took me in a separate car and patched me up with the group. I believe no tour company would go that far to help their customers and they have the best customer satisfaction.
Amazing trip with these guys, had a lot of fun exploring scotland. We went for a 3 day trip. Our guide Branka is a gem, lovely person, full of energy. The hostel stays were good, the pace of tour was also good. Enjoyed overall.
Go for a 5 day trip if you can.
3 day tour was great way to see the highlands / Isle of Skye, if I had more time I would definitely do the 5 day tour. Our tour guide Branca was awesome! Very knowledgeable about the history, folklore and best photo spots. We would only be in the bus for an hour & a half max at any one time, plenty of stops. Absolutely loved it!
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
“The Best Coach/Bus Tour in the World!” – TourRadar Tour of the Year Awards 2015
“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