Loch Ness & Skye Tour - MacBackpackers
Glencoe - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye Magic
Skye - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
Lochside Hostel - Loch Ness - 5 Day Skye & Highland Fling
Glenfinna Viaduct - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
Glenfinnan Viaduct by Rolling Sloane Photography (1)

Spend a night on Scotland’s most mythical Loch, visit our most famous Viaduct and explore the magical Isle of Skye on this 3 day Highland adventure

Calling All Nessie Hunters!

Explore Scotland and stay on our most (in) famous loch on this 3 day adventure

Discover myths, magic and monsters

With Macbackpackers

A visit to Scotland wouldn’t be complete without at least trying to spot our most famous “monster”. So we’ve given you an entire evening to spend looking out over the indomitable Loch Ness at the perfectly positioned Lochside Hostel on this demonstrably fun 3 day tour!

Set off from Edinburgh and head north through Scotland’s first National Park, the Cairngorms, with a stop in the beautiful forested Perthshire region before visits to The Highland Folk Museum and Culloden en-route to the banks of Loch Ness. A night at Lochside awaits with the chance to swim in the refreshing waters that Nessie calls home before warming up around a campfire with a dram in hand.

The next day we venture onto the magical Isle of Skye to search this mystical land for faeries and giants as we visit the Cuillin, Portree and the Trotternish Peninsula; before we spend the night overlooking the Skye Bridge in Kyleakin. The follwing day we head back towards Edinburgh with a spellbinding stop at Glenfinnan Viaduct, the hauntingly beuatiful Glencoe and the historical Stirlingshire. A tour of mythical proportions that’s sure to leave you mystified as to why you didn’t book it sooner!

Departing every Wednesday outside of the winter months, so you’ll arrive back into Edinburgh on Friday, just in time for a wild weekend in the capital city!

Departing Wednesdays from Easter until end October

3 Day Loch Ness & Skye Magic Map

*Please note these tours may be run in 16 or 28 seater buses depending on the popularity of the tour*

Loch Ness from Lochside Hostel - MacBackpackers
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Choose this tour if you…

…are visiting during the week (tours leave on Wednesdays)

…want to explore the Cairngorms at a slower pace

…are visiting outside of the winter months (Nov-March)

…enjoy staying in hostels and meeting new people

…only have a few days to explore the Highlands

…want to sleep on the banks of Loch Ness

Gallery

  • Loch Ness & Skye Tour - MacBackpackers
  • Whisky on Loch Ness - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • Dunkeld Forest Walk - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • Old Man of Storr - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • Loch Morlich Beach by @RollingSloane - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • Fairy Pools - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • Sligachan Bridge View of Cuillins - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • View of Ben Nevis - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • Sligachan - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • Hairy Coo - 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • Reflection on Loch Ness- 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
  • Loch Ness

Gallery

  • Welcome to the Highlands Sign - MacBackpackers
  • Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye - MacBackpackers
  • Eilean Donan Castle - 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour - MacBackpackers
  • Hairy Coo - Highlands - 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour - MacBackpackers
  • Glencoe MacBackpackers Tour
  • Fairy Pools - 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour - MacBackpackers
  • Portree Harbour - 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour - MacBackpackers
  • Old Man of Storr View - 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour - MacBackpackers
  • Sligachan view of Cuillins - 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour - Macbackpackers
  • Quiraing - 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour - MacBackpackers
  • Culloden - 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour - MacBackpackers
  • Kilt Rock - 3 Day Isle of Skye Tour - MacBackpackers

Upcoming Tours Schedule

Events in December 2024

Elgol - Isle of Skye - MacBackpackers

Reviews

Tour was really fun, got to see a lot of different parts of the Highlands and other spots. Neil was an absolute gem of a tour guide. The tour wouldn’t have been nearly as good without his wealth of stories and great sense of humour. Would highly advise doing the longer tour though, you’ll get more time to explore and soak in the experience.

Dave Murray, Tour Radar

My friend and I took the 3 Day Loch Ness and Isle of Skye tour last July and had an absolute blast! Our tour guide, Richard, was knowledgeable, fun, and did his utmost to make sure our trip was memorable. The Scottish highlands are gorgeous, and this tour was the perfect way to see them. I also loved the hostel we stayed at on the Isle of Skye. My only regret is that we didn’t sign up for a longer tour; rest assured, I plan to return one day and take another tour with MacBackpackers!

Leah, Tour Radar

This tour exceeded my expectations. I had an excellent time exploring Scottish castles, mountains, and historical sites. Our tour guide Mark was an absolute riot! Very passionate about Scottish history and a great storyteller. I booked this trip as a solo traveler and found many others on the tour were also traveling solo. We had a great time getting to know each other while experiencing the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. I can’t wait for my next MacBackpackers tour!!

Sarah, Tour Radar

Branka’s tour with MacBackpackers was absolutely amazing! Her ability to combine Scottish folklore, history, and personal connections made for an entertaining and enlightening tour. We saw amazing sights, heard great stories, and made memories to last a lifetime — my only regret is not leaving enough time to take the 5-day tour!

Isabelle, Tour Radar
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Where we stay

Our 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye is one of only two tours that stays at our Lochside Hostel right on the banks of Loch Ness. Enjoy your night here sipping whisky on the hostel’s private beach or dip your toes in the mysterious water’s of Scotland’s most (in)famous Loch on night one before heading over the bridge to Skye and spending your evening at our Lochbuie Guest House in the charming fishing village of Kyleakin. Explore nearby castles, treat yourself to some fresh seafood and maybe even meet some locals as you unpack stories of your day exploring the Highlands.

If you want to know more about our Lochside Hostel and Lochbuie Guest House then check them our on our Where We Stay page!

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 a lot of tours do.

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.

Read the rest of our T&Cs here