Railways
The Highlands are home to a number of railway journeys that are noted as some of the most spectacular in the world.
The Jacobite Steam Train
For instance, we can take you to Fort William to board the Jacobite Steam Train – perhaps now better known as the “Hogwarts Express” after being used in the Harry Potter films. This journey of 42 miles takes in many spectacular sights including Britain's highest mountain - Ben Nevis - and the Glenfinnan viaduct before terminating in the fishing village of Mallaig. Once in Mallaig we could continue on via a very short ferry journey to Isle of Skye to explore the many delights that this famous island has to offers. |
The Kyle line
This route runs between Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. The route passes through Plockton - this picturesque village was famously used as the location in the TV series Hamish Macbeth as well as in the film The Wickerman. The journey passes through some spectacular secnery, such Loch Carron which has the Attadale Estate on its shore. It then heads to the fertile east coast via the Glens of Carron and Brahan, where deer roam freely, reaching Inverness via Dingwall and the Beauly Firth. |
Strathspey Line
This steam-powered train journeys from Aviemore to Broomhill. It's route through the Cairngorm National Park allows you to enjoy both the mountain range and the River Spey valley. If you're a railway enthusiast who'd like to go on all three of these journeys or you'd prefer to pick just one, contact Munro Highland Tours to arrange a trip to suit. |
Castles
The Highlands has an abundance of dramatic castles, built on its land over the centuries. The state of these varies dramatically; some survive well-maintained while others are just ruins hinting at past glory.
Visiting castles with Munro Highland Tours with help you to understand the castles within the wider context of Scottish history, as well as appreciate their obvious aesthetic appeal at close quarters. |
If you'd like to visit a number of castles, some of those listed can be grouped together and visited in a single day, or combined with other sites or attractions.
Examples of castles that we could visit include Urquhart, Eilean Donan, Clan Donald, Dunvegan, Stuart, Cawdor, Brodie, Rothes, Balvenie, Inverlochy, Tulloch, Foulis, Dunrobin, Dunbeath, Oldwick, Girnigoe Sinclair, Leod, Mey. |
Highland gardens
The Highlands is probably most famous for it's rugged natural landscape, but visitors might be interested to learn that the Highlands contains many beautiful gardens.
In the west, a warm gulf stream allows gardens like Inverewe and Attadale to boast a remarkable range of plants not usually seen so far north. And over on the east coast gardens such as that at Cawdor Castle are fortunate to be positioned in an area christened the 'Riviera of the North'. Visiting these gardens can obviously be combined with other activities - and as with any journey in the Highlands, there's always the bonus of traveling through the beautiful countryside. |
Examples of the gardens that Munro Highland Tours can take you to visit include:
• Attadale • Balmacara • Inverewe • Beinn Eighe • Cawdor • Forres • Elgin • Speyside Heather Centre • Gruinard • Abriachan • Mey • Achiltibuie • Lecilmelm |
Wildlife
The Highlands are known as the "Last Wilderness in Europe" and therefore are home to an abundance of wildlife.
Some of these creatures are only visible in the more remote locations, and thus only accessible by walking long distances in the hills. |
But there are more easily accessible ways to enjoy wildlife attractions in Scotland.
For example, we can arrange dolphin spotting in the Moray Firth or a bird watching trip in the Cairngorms. |
Extended tours
As the name suggests, Munro Highland Tours specialises in tours of the north of Scotland. But we are also happy to discuss trips beginning and ending in any destination in any part of the country, regardless of duration.
Example extended tour |
For instance, we are able to offer longer tours to the following areas:
Lochaber, Lochalsh and Skye, north-west Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney, the Spectacular railways of the Highlands, and the Distilleries of the Highlands and Speyside |
To give you an example of what kind of bespoke trips Munro Highland tours can offer, one of our visitors wrote the following account of her six days with us.
Day one
We left Stirling for a visit to Doune Castle where Monty Python was filmed before driving through rob Roy MacGregor country and Glen Coe before a lunch time stop and a drive up Glen Nevis.
The afternoon saw us drive up part of the Great Glen before turning off at Invergarry, driving past lochs Gary, Loyne, Cluny and Duich for our final destination Eilean Donan Castle at Dornie where we spent the night.
Day two
This saw us travel along the complete west coast of Ross-shire via the villages of Lochcarron, Shieldaig, Torridon, Kinlochewe, Gairloch, Poolewe, Aultbea and Ullapool and on to the Sutherland village of Lochinver where we spent two nights.
This journey must be one of the most scenic in the whole of Scotland. It incorporated not only the Atlantic coastline of Western Ross but the wonderful mountain ranges of the Torridon, Fisherfield, Ullapool, and Assynt Coigach areas in addition to such lochs as Loch Carron, Loch Torridon, Loch Maree Loch Broom and Loch Assynt. While added into the mix was the world famous Geo Park, Knockan Crag.
Day three
This was a more relaxing day spent in and around the village of Lochinver and the community of Stoer. The purpose of this day was to explore on foot some of the little Atlantic bays and coastal paths of this area.
Our main walk was to the magnificent falls on the river Kirkaig. Not to be undertaken unless you are fairly fit as it is quite a walk along the river of the same name but in addition to the beauty of the falls we were entertained by the noise of rutting stags, unseen on the opposite bank.
Day four
We continued heading north through the remote northern end of Assynt Coigach and the communiites of Unapool, where we crossed the impressive Kylesku Bridge, Scourie and onto the most north western community in the UK at Durness.
We stopped here for a break and a bite of lunch at the former military base of Balnakeil, now a craft centre with amongst other things a fantastic chocolate factory.
Now turning east we headed along the top coast of Sutherland towards our destination for the night, the town of Thurso, stopping on the way to visit the Smoo cave and take photographs of the fantastic sandy, and islolted beaches this area had to offer. It is said that County of Sutherland is known as the Last Wildernes of Europe. On the evidence of this day we could cetainly endorese that.
Day five
Our destination was the Orkney Islands so this day we oicked up the lovley Northlink ferry and Scrabster for our ninety minute journey to the second town of the islands, Stromeness.
This beautiful journey offered us time to enjoy the landscape of the Pentland Firth before heading to admire the many neolithic wonders that the Orkney’s had to offer.
There is indeed many and well worth the effort of reaching Orkney. After the neolithic journet we returned to Scrabster fro the evening.
Day six
Our final day saw us visit the main town of Kirkwall. No trip to Orkney would be complete without a visit to the beautiful Saint Magnus Cathedral and the close by Bishops Palace.
As we headed south across towards St Margaret’s Hope and our ferry we had time for a stop and a wee dram at the Highland Park Distillery (surely another not to be missed visit) and the Italian Chapel, a real work of art, which has been so painstakingly preserved since the time of the Second World war.
The shorter return ferry crossing from St Margaret’s Hope to Gills Bay gave us another opportunity to relax and enjoy the beautiful setting sun as we sailed across the firth. It also offered as the opportunity to watch the multitude of seals that had their home on the shore of the Island of Stroma.
Getting off the ferry we then started heading south round by John o’Groats and into the town of Wick for our final journey to Inverness, the conclusion of six wonderful days.
We left Stirling for a visit to Doune Castle where Monty Python was filmed before driving through rob Roy MacGregor country and Glen Coe before a lunch time stop and a drive up Glen Nevis.
The afternoon saw us drive up part of the Great Glen before turning off at Invergarry, driving past lochs Gary, Loyne, Cluny and Duich for our final destination Eilean Donan Castle at Dornie where we spent the night.
Day two
This saw us travel along the complete west coast of Ross-shire via the villages of Lochcarron, Shieldaig, Torridon, Kinlochewe, Gairloch, Poolewe, Aultbea and Ullapool and on to the Sutherland village of Lochinver where we spent two nights.
This journey must be one of the most scenic in the whole of Scotland. It incorporated not only the Atlantic coastline of Western Ross but the wonderful mountain ranges of the Torridon, Fisherfield, Ullapool, and Assynt Coigach areas in addition to such lochs as Loch Carron, Loch Torridon, Loch Maree Loch Broom and Loch Assynt. While added into the mix was the world famous Geo Park, Knockan Crag.
Day three
This was a more relaxing day spent in and around the village of Lochinver and the community of Stoer. The purpose of this day was to explore on foot some of the little Atlantic bays and coastal paths of this area.
Our main walk was to the magnificent falls on the river Kirkaig. Not to be undertaken unless you are fairly fit as it is quite a walk along the river of the same name but in addition to the beauty of the falls we were entertained by the noise of rutting stags, unseen on the opposite bank.
Day four
We continued heading north through the remote northern end of Assynt Coigach and the communiites of Unapool, where we crossed the impressive Kylesku Bridge, Scourie and onto the most north western community in the UK at Durness.
We stopped here for a break and a bite of lunch at the former military base of Balnakeil, now a craft centre with amongst other things a fantastic chocolate factory.
Now turning east we headed along the top coast of Sutherland towards our destination for the night, the town of Thurso, stopping on the way to visit the Smoo cave and take photographs of the fantastic sandy, and islolted beaches this area had to offer. It is said that County of Sutherland is known as the Last Wildernes of Europe. On the evidence of this day we could cetainly endorese that.
Day five
Our destination was the Orkney Islands so this day we oicked up the lovley Northlink ferry and Scrabster for our ninety minute journey to the second town of the islands, Stromeness.
This beautiful journey offered us time to enjoy the landscape of the Pentland Firth before heading to admire the many neolithic wonders that the Orkney’s had to offer.
There is indeed many and well worth the effort of reaching Orkney. After the neolithic journet we returned to Scrabster fro the evening.
Day six
Our final day saw us visit the main town of Kirkwall. No trip to Orkney would be complete without a visit to the beautiful Saint Magnus Cathedral and the close by Bishops Palace.
As we headed south across towards St Margaret’s Hope and our ferry we had time for a stop and a wee dram at the Highland Park Distillery (surely another not to be missed visit) and the Italian Chapel, a real work of art, which has been so painstakingly preserved since the time of the Second World war.
The shorter return ferry crossing from St Margaret’s Hope to Gills Bay gave us another opportunity to relax and enjoy the beautiful setting sun as we sailed across the firth. It also offered as the opportunity to watch the multitude of seals that had their home on the shore of the Island of Stroma.
Getting off the ferry we then started heading south round by John o’Groats and into the town of Wick for our final journey to Inverness, the conclusion of six wonderful days.