Fling yourself head first into Scotland on our longest tour as we explore Skye, The Highlands and the West Coast of Scotland.
Discover Scotland’s hidden gems that you won’t find in the guidebooks
5 Enthralling days of gallivanting around the Scottish Highlands embracing all it means to be Scottish!
Discover myths and monsters
With Macbackpackers
Your adventure, should you choose to accept, is five days of castle-storming, whisky-drinking, ceilidh-dancing and monster-hunting.
Rambling across the Highlands our guides will take you through the very best of what Scotland has to offer, ensuring an unforgettable experience and the chance to make friends for life.
Whether you’re a history buff, whisky lover, want to climb some hills or you’re simply here to meet a Tartan clad warrior to fulfil your Outlander dreams; this tour will give you more than you bargained for as we get fully immersed into what it means to explore the Scottish Highlands.
Expect beautiful vistas on the Isle of Skye, mystical lochs, magical viaducts and incredible storytelling as we fling you head first into the most Scottish of Adventures.
Overnight stops include our Loch Ness Hostel, Lochbuie Guesthouse on the Isle of Skye for two nights and Oban backpackers.
Departing MONDAYS from Easter until end October
*Please note these tours may be run in 16 or 28 seater buses depending on the popularity of the tour*
Setting out on your adventure we will cross the iconic Forth Bridges then get out for a magical forest walk before heading into the Highlands where you’ll hear tales of clan rebellion and get your first glimpse of Highland life. We’ll round the day off with a balmy(?!) swim in Loch Ness while hunting for the elusive Nessie before sleeping in our hostel right on the shore.
- Forth Bridges
- Dunkeld
- Hermitage/Killiecrankie
- Culloden
- Clava Cairns
- Sleep on the shores of Loch Ness!
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.
The adventure continues as we journey over to the West, walking over the Corrieshalloch Gorge and taking in the beautiful scenery and ancient mountains of Torridon before crossing the water to the Isle of Skye!
- Rogie Falls
- Corrieshalloch Gorge
- Kinlochewe
- Torridon
- 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.
Waving goodbye to Skye we journey down to the Glenfinnan viaduct (aka the Harry Potter bridge) and the Bonnie Prince Charlie monument on a stunning trip towards Fort William. We’ll re-visit one of Scotland’s darkest moments as we take in the haunting landscape of Glen Coe before heading to Oban.
- Armadale
- Sands of Morar
- Glenfinnan Viaduct (Harry Potter)
- Fort William
- Glencoe
- Oban
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.
On our final day we make our way through Argyll and into the Trossachs National Park with the odd Hairy Coo or two! We’ll travel right through the heart of William Wallace country where you’ll hear about Scotland’s fight for independence before heading back to Edinburgh to say some fond farewells.
- St. Conan’s Kirk
- Kilchurn Castle (Summer months only)
- Callander
- Wallace Monument or
- Bannockburn Battlefield
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.
Gallery
Gallery
Upcoming Tours Schedule
Events in November 2024
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3 Day Isle of Skye -
3 Day Loch Ness & Skye 3 Day Loch Ness & Skye
6 November 2024
A grand 3 day adventure around the Scottish Highlands with a blissful night spent on the banks of Loch Ness at the Lochside Hostel as well as a full day on the Isle of Skye. All while getting you back to Edinburgh in time for a night out in the capital!
Castle Rock Hostel£269
Buy Tickets -
3 Day Isle of Skye -
3 Day Isle of Skye -
3 Day Isle of Skye -
3 Day Isle of Skye
Where we stay
Our 5 Day Skye & Highland Fling is our longest tour and allows you to experience 3 different hostels along the way!
- Night one is spent at the Lochside Hostel, right on the banks of Loch Ness. Lochside prides itself as being the only hostel on the banks of Loch Ness and the views and vibes here are sublime. Make sure to pack something to swim in if you want to enjoy a Loch Ness swim!
- On night two and three we stay in the small fishing village of Kyleakin just over the Skye Bridge. We stay in a private guest house reserved exclusively for our tours called Lochbuie, so you can unpack and make it home. Enjoy a hike to nearby Castle Moil (if the tide is out) and a scrumptious dinner at one of the local pubs over these nights.
- Night 4 we head to the “Gateway to the Isles”, Oban and stay at the perfectly placed Oban Backpackers. Tonight there’s a chance to join in a Scottish Ceilidh in town or you can sample some of the local whisky and seafood in this charming seaside town.
If you want to know more about the hostels we stay at then check out 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.
Reviews
What an incredible tour!! Branka made this week magical! From her funny stories, great food recommendations, and impeccable driving, she made this tour worth while. With an almost full group tour, she fit sooo many adventures into 5 days. I would recommend this tour to any young backpacker traveling solo or with a friend and who wants to explore the best of Scotland!
Cannot say enough good things about this trip!! All the sights were amazing with a lot of hiking opportunities. Even if you don’t want to hike, you can just enjoy the beautiful scenery! The tour guide Mark was AMAZING and just had endless stories and facts about the areas. The trip really had something for everyone!!
4th tour with this company (but they have become family). Not a photo stop/on and off the bus tour. Macbackpackers let’s you explore Scotland and really soak it in. Whether it’s spending a few hours at Glencoe to see who can hike to the top, or having a drink at a gorgeous viewpoint, there is no feeling rushed or that you have missed out. If anything, you get the opportunity to get off the beaten track and see hidden gems that only the locals would know of and give a more authentic Scottish experience!
An absolute blast from start to finish! The schedule was well paced, every location is stunning, the hostels are decent, the Loch Ness one in particular has some lovely hosts. Neil, our guide, is very knowledgable and constantly dropped awesome lore on top of some banging jokes. I got lucky with the timing as the weather was unusually clear except for the last day, while still cold enough to see snow (lost my snow virginity!!) and avoid the midgies. Oh I got to see the highland coos up close too. Can’t recommend this tour enough as your first experience with Scotland!
Exactly one month ago, my sister and I went on the best tour of our lives. We met the most incredible people and our tour guide went above and beyond. During our time, we were able to see the beauty of the highlands. The places were amazing, and the people we met really made the whole tour. Tim was knowledgeable, funny, and kind, truly an amazing person. It was an adventure of a lifetime, we are so glad we went on this tour. It really is the only way to see Scotland!! Thank you Tim!
I just finished my 5 day trip with Macbackpackers and I wish it wasn’t over! Our tour guide Neil kept me entertained the whole entire trip with his humorous jokes and interesting stories about Scotland. We got to see so many things in the span of 5 days, it was the perfect trip to introduce me to this beautiful place. Will 100% recommend Macbackpackers to everyone!
Never been to Scotland before and was meant to hire a car but booked the 3 day Lock Ness and Isle of Skye tour instead – I am SO happy we did! Our guide Tim was funny, knowledgable, just a straight up good bloke. It was lovely to go visit less-touristy destinations in Scotland and hear the history of the areas and attractions along the way. We went for lots of lovely hikes, saw stunning views, pet Highland cows, did Scottish dancing, and drank free whiskey! Tim’s daughter came and sang beautifully for us at the isle of Skye. We stayed at a private guesthouse in Skye and lakeside at Loch Ness, waking up to magical views. We feel very lucky to have had such a fantastic guide and tour and would absolutely book again with Macpackers. We made amazing friends along the way with the other guests on the tour. Can’t complain! 10/10.
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!