Cairngorms Tour: Whisky, History, and Scenery

Discover Scotland’s Highlands and Orkney Islands in a 5-day small group tour. Explore historic sites, scenic routes, and enjoy whisky tasting.

Duration: 5 days
Cancellation: 6 days
Highlights

Edinburgh to Inverness

Cairngorms National Park - Experience the beauty of Cairngorms National Park, the largest and one of the most stunning National Parks in the country, perfect for a delightful woodland walk.
Culloden Battlefield - Delve into the history of Culloden Battlefield and uncover the dramatic events of the Jacobite Uprising,…

What's Included
  • Guided short walks in the Highlands of Scotland and the Orkney Islands
  • Ferry to the Orkney Islands
  • Visit to 5000 Year Old Standing Stones of Stenness
  • Visit to the Ring of Brodgar
  • Ferry to the Mainland from the Orkney Islands
What's Not Included
  • Meals and Snacks
  • Entry to Culloden Moor Visitor Center - Approx £15 (You can visit the Battlefield with out paying)
  • Visit to Dunrobin Castle - Approx £15
  • Fees to Whisky Distillery - Approx £22
  • Entry Fees to Maeshowe Chambered Cairn - Approx £11
  • Entry Fees to Skara Brae - Approx £13
  • Loch Ness Cruise - Approx £15
Additional Information

Join an intimate small group tour with a maximum of 8 participants. Explore the breathtaking landscapes of Cairngorms National Park. Delight in the taste of Scotch whisky during a distillery tour, followed by visits to the historic Culloden Battlefield and the ancient Clava Cairns.
Set off on the North Coast 500 drive, where stunning coastal views await!…

Location
256-260 Morrison St
Morrison Street
Meet us outside the Jolly Botanist. Check in 15 minutes before tour start time. Our van will have the Experience Scotland's Wild logo on it. If you're running late please call us.
Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(13 Ratings)
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Jandi8706rm
May 26, 2025
Happy, enjoyable and amazing tour with James. - This trip was amazing. So much to see and do. The vehicle was very comfortable. The scenery was beautiful. James our tour guide was professional, knowledgeable, helpful and made our trip a happy and enjoyable one. I could do it all again tomorrow. Thanks James, Lulu and I will not forget the great time we had with you as our tour guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
402shaunag
May 22, 2025
Review of John McCrae - I was trying to find the place on your website where I could leave a review. Can you guide me to where that would be or post this for me? John McCrae was an outstanding tour guide! He took us to all our favorite places! Since I don’t drink alcohol he paid special attention that I could go walk a beach while the others went to the distillery. He also would buy me a non alcoholic drink while everyone else was tasting the whiskey. He was totally respectful of me and my needs. This is only one of the many kindnesses that he showed. He went out of the way to not only please me but everyone on the tour. They all grew close to him and he made us laugh and feel like family! Most of all he became a friend to all of us as well as our guide! So many incredible memories we made with him that we’ll never forget! Shauna Gardner Orkney Islands Tour May 17-21, 2025
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jgw9433ek
May 8, 2025
Visit Orkney - Great small group tour to Orkney and the Highlands. Our group was from many different countries yet got along really well. Our guide John M was excellent in providing knowledgeable and relevant information about Scotland in general and the specific places we visited. The enthusiasm for Scotland, travel and history shown by our guide made this tour memorable and I would highly recommend this tour. The ferry to Orkney, the cruise on Loch Ness, the whisky tastings , the castles , standing stones , beautiful landscapes, highland cows and the perfect weather made this trip memorable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Catsin19
Jan 8, 2025
Trip of a Lifetime ... Orkney! - This small 8-person 3-day tour was absolutely Perfect! Orkney holds hundreds of years of heritage for me, and this was a trip of a lifetime for me. Tour guide Karen was very knowledgeable, fun and flexible enough with the itinerary to make the best of every situation. I am planning another trip to Orkney in 2026 and will absolutely coordinate with Scotland's Wild for another tour. Thank you to all the members of Scotland's Wild for your hard work! Cathleen
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Melodyh1234
Oct 13, 2024
Phenomenal tour!! - If you’re doing research for which tour company to book in Scotland, the search is over. Use this company. My husband and I have been to Scotland multiple times and our experience with Scotland Wild far surpassed any other tours we’ve been on. They have a variety of tours that can fit anyone’s interest. The tours are a relaxed pace so you don’t feel rushed through the site seeing. The groups are small so you’re not spending 20 minutes at each stop getting on and off a bus. You’ll also get to know everyone on your tour, which is a fun experience in itself. They also break up the driving with some beautiful nature walks. It’s a great balance of experiencing the historical and natural side of Scotland. Our guide, John, was so incredibly knowledgeable and personable. He knew the answer to every question our group threw at him. We ran into some bad weather and he was easily able to pivot and find us a great alternative so that we didn’t feel like we missed out on our other attraction. The tour was absolutely fantastic. I would definitely recommend this group to any friends and family going to Scotland.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chilispice_girl
Aug 3, 2024
Brilliant Orkney Islands Tour - A brilliant tour with ridiculously fabulous weather! I can't promise the same weather we enjoyed on our tour, but I can promise you'll have an incredible time with Experience Scotland's Wild small tours. Cal and James were excellent tour guides and made a great team for our group. Their expansive knowledge of Scotland, its history, and its landscapes was only rivaled by their witty Scottish banter. Both guides were friendly and welcoming and encouraged cohesiveness within our small group. We enjoyed music, laughter, and the most beautiful scenery! Each day we were dropped at our hotels and helped with our luggage and given helpful tips on where to eat or shop, etc. WhatsApp helped us to stay in touch and communicate group plans promptly. I highly recommend the Orkney tour and I plan to use Experience Scotland's Wild for my next multi-day tour. Do yourself a favor and book with this tour company ASAP - you won't regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sflocalnm
Jul 13, 2024
Wonderful introduction to Scotland's north ! - An absolutely wonderful experience from start to finish. HIGHLY recommended ! ! The tour operator - Scotland's Wild - did a superjob in every detail. We greatly appreciated both the planned itinerary and the opportunities to make changes as needed. Some of the off-itinerary stops based on our guides local knowledge, were among the most memorable! The guides - Calum and Karen - were great company and really enhanced the trip with their knowledge of Scottish geography, history and lore. I particularly valued the many stops at ancient archaeological sites, especially on Orkney, and every stop on every day added a lot to the overall enjoyment of the trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erich_p
Jul 6, 2024
Wonderful introduction to Scotland ! - An absolutely wonderful experience from start to finish. The tour operator - Scotland's Wild - did a great job in every detail. We greatly appreciated both the planned itinerary and the opportunities to make changes as needed. The guides - Calum and Karen - were great company and really enhanced the trip with their knowledge of Scottish geography, history and lore. I particularly valued the many stops at ancient archaeological sites, especially on Orkney, and every stop on every day added a lot to the overall enjoyment of the trip.
Review provided by Viator
Flyer52173342445
Jul 4, 2024
Great trip! - We had an amazing adventure on the 5 day Orkney Islands trip. We lucked out an had two tour guides for our trip - Calum and Karen who were both incredible. They both have a great knowledge of Scottish history and very diverse music playlists which enabled them to appeal to our whole group! We enjoyed all our stops along the way and liked the mix of outdoor activities and history. Being with a small group tour gave us a chance to visit out of the way places that the big tour buses couldn't go and let us get a chance to know our tour guides and fellow tour mates better. We had Scotland Wilds reserve our accommodations for all 4 nights and they were all lovely.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C4051bgninad
Jun 2, 2024
Unforgettable experience! - In 5 days I fell even more in love with Scotland. With a small group of people, and our fantastic guide Cal, the 5 days flew by. It was a good combination of traveling (with views and fun), visiting locations such as Culloden, Brochs and castles, and enough time for yourself in the evening. With both short and longer walks, plenty of time for photos, but also plenty of places where other tours don't go. Cal was also very helpful and gave tips for the evenings in Inverness and Kirkwall. This leaves me wanting more and now I want to explore Scotland further, also with Scotland's Wild.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $906
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 6 days before the start of your experience (local time).