Interested to read about what a 3-day tour to Skye, the Highlands, and Loch Ness is like? Cascading waterfalls, heart-stopping cliffs, rolling green hills, and picturesque castles… keep reading to find out more!

While in the UK this past September, my cousin from Minnesota flew over the big pond called the Atlantic Ocean to meet me in London. I was so excited to finally see family again and we were going to have such a good time exploring the UK!

We planned to stick around London, seeing major sites like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and even Harry Potter Studios (which was magical!).

After exploring London for a few days and jam packing our schedule to see everything, we hopped on a train and headed to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Since my cousin was only here for a short time, we wanted to find an exciting tour that went up to the Isle of Skye, which was on her list of destinations to see while in Scotland.

After walking around Edinburgh, we came across a tour company called Timberbush Tours that did a 3-day tour to Skye, the Highlands, and Loch Ness.

It was perfect; exactly what we were looking for. An air-conditioned (and heated!) bus, a knowledgeable and fun guide, a visit at some stunning castles, exploring the Isle of Skye for a full day, and more.

So, at 9 am on a Saturday morning, we hopped on our air-conditioned bus and headed towards Glasgow to pick up some more passengers.

Our awesome 3-day tour to Skye, the Highlands, and Loch Ness had begun!

The itinerary for day one included stopping at the adorable village of Luss, which is on the banks of Loch Lomond; the Three Sisters mountain range; Ben Nevis, which is the tallest mountain in Scotland; and just admiring the Scotland countryside.

After a couple hours of driving along, we stopped at the village of Luss. Located on the west banks of Loch Lomond and within The Trossachs National Park, it’s a nice little place to have a bite to eat and a quick stroll.

It’s super beautiful. Especially lake side.

And the birds on the lake aren’t too bad either; they like to put on a show.

After getting some grub in Luss, we hopped back on the bus and headed towards the beautiful area of Glencoe. Glencoe, site of the 1692 massacre of the MacDonald clan and home to the dramatic Three Sisters mountain range.

The area is something else! Beauty doesn’t even begin to describe it.

After taking a few pics in front of the Three Sisters range, we headed a bit further down the road. The tour stopped for a quick look at the Commando Memorial and the surrounding areas, which were – of course – beautiful.

Next, we headed towards Portree, our end destination for day one. For both nights of the tour, the group had accommodations sprinkled all over the quaint little town of Portree.

My cousin and I – along with a group of other passengers – were staying at one of the hostels in town.

A group of us ended up getting some dinner and a few pints at one of the local pubs in the small town. After a full day of exploring, it was nice to sit down and munch on some warm food while sipping on a cold beer – or if you’re me, a cold cider!

I’d say our first day on the tour was a success.

Getting to see the Scottish Highlands, Three Sisters, the picturesque area of Glencoe, and more was awesome!

Day two of our Timberbush 3-day tour of Skye, the Highlands, and Loch Ness started out at 9 am sharp!

Our itinerary for the second day included viewing Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock, the Old Man of Storr rock formations, Flora MacDonald’s grave, and Dun Beag Broch.

Our first stop included a walk around Lealt Falls. Lealt Falls is a waterfall nearby but when we visited, it was pretty much covered by foliage.

Although, the nearby coastline and hills – not to mention the sheep – were beautiful.

It was so nice to get off the bus and stretch my legs with a good walk!

After thoroughly exploring the area of Lealt Falls, we hopped back on the bus and headed towards Kilt Falls. Whilst we were on our way to Kilt Rock, our wonderful tour guide and driver, Graham, told us a few fun facts about the Isle of Skye.

Earlier in the tour, someone on the bus asked about all the sheep on the island. There are so many and they are everywhere. Thus, someone asked Graham who takes care of them and why they’re all over the place.

What he told us was pretty interesting, to say the least.

So, on the Isle of Skye, all the sheep are part of a cooperative. Hence, they’re all equally owned by members of the cooperative. All the farmers pay into a fund and help out when it comes to market season. When it’s all said and done, they split the profits amongst one another!

Pretty cool, huh?

Additionally, there are so many sheep on the Isle of Skye because they don’t have any known predators on the island. So, the sheep just get to roam freely and graze the hills as they please!

After happily learning about the sheep’s worry-free life, we arrived at Kilt Rock and the Mealt Falls viewpoint.

Kilt Rock is called Kilt Rock because it’s said to resemble a flowing kilt… I don’t see it but maybe you will!

Nonetheless, it’s still a stunning view.

Sometimes, the wind will be blowing so hard that the water from Mealt Falls – which is a 60m drop – won’t even reach the bottom! Crazyyy.

And the opposite side of the falls is just as beautiful, maybe even more so!

After Kilt Rock, we headed towards the well known rock formations called the Old Mann of Storr. Unfortunately, the weather was not in our favor and it was completely covered with clouds. 🙁

Next up on the tour was Flora MacDonald’s grave and the Island of Skye Life Museum.

On our way there, Graham told us some more cool facts about the Isle of Skye! We learned about education on the island.

Since it’s pretty sparse and the villages are fairly small, the only higher education (i.e. high school) is in Portree. Nursery and primary school is available is most villages but if kids would like to continue their education, they must go to Portree.

So, if they do attend, the kids will stay in a hostel Monday thru Thursday or stay in Portree for the entire school year, similar to a boarding school.

When we arrived at the area around Flora MacDonald’s grave (which was uninteresting in my opinion), I was pleasantly surprised to find the Isle of Skye Life Museum was pretty cool. Even though it was closed, we could still view the museum, as it was an open-air museum.

Our next destination on the tour was Dun Beag Broch, the best known and best preserved broch on Skye. Although, like me during the tour, you might be wondering what the heck a ‘broch’ is.

According to Graham, the brochs around Scotland were used for housing individuals when raiding parties invaded the lands. The brochs were easy to defend because they only had one entrance.

Although, this is just speculation!

The brochs are a bit of a mystery to archaeologists because no one really knows how or what they were used for.

Although, they’re the tallest prehistoric buildings in Britain; the two thousand year old stones date back to the Iron Age.

Even though Dun Beag Broch was pretty fascinating, I was more intrigued by loads of sheep nearby.

Yes, I’m that weirdo that chases sheep trying to be friends with them. I also really like to take pictures of them because I think they’re adorable. Just look at their little (probably petrified) faces!

As Dun Beag Broch was our last stop on day two, we headed back towards the village of Portree, where we would spend our second night. Just like day one, this was another awesome day on Timberbush’s 3-day tour to Skye, the Highlands, and Loch Ness!

Day three – our last day on the tour – included visiting the Eilean Donan Castle, stopping for lunch in the picturesque village of Fort Augustus, and strolling on the banks Loch Ness.

No doubt, one of my favorite parts of our 3-day tour to Skye, the Highlands, and Loch Ness was visiting the Eilean Donan Castle. Used as a backdrop for movie “Highlander,” the castle is absolutely gorgeous.

And the inside is pretty cool too. Dating back to the 13th century, it was stronghold for Clan Mackenzie.

But in the 18th century, the castle was destroyed by the government due to the clan’s involvement with the Jacobites. The castle was reconstructed in the 20th century by Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap, which is what visitors see today.

Surrounded by mountains, rolling green hills, and a sparkling lake, the castle shouldn’t be missed whilst visiting Scotland.

The beauty of this place never fails to take my breath away!

Next up was my second favorite destination on the 3-day tour… Loch Ness! Extending approximately 23 miles and 755 feet deep, it’s the largest lake in Scotland by volume.

It’s also very, very, beautiful!

After eating some lunch and strolling on the banks of Loch Ness, it was time to head back to Edinburgh! Our 3-day tour to Skye, the Highlands, and Loch Ness had come to an end. 

It was definitely a trip to remember!

Exploring the Highlands, admiring stunning views like cascading waterfalls, fairytale castles, and breathtaking cliffs; learning about the Isle of Skye life, and spending time with family was amazing.

If you’re ever in Edinburgh or Glasgow and are looking for a great tour up to the Isle of Skye, I highly recommend the Timberbush 3-day tour to Skye, the Highlands, and Loch Ness!

It was everything we were looking for – and more!

Sophie xx

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