5-Day Orkney & Northern Coast Tour from Edinburgh Incl Admissions

Orkney rewards the long road north. This five-day small-group tour links Edinburgh, the Highlands, the far north coast, and Orkney’s remarkable prehistoric sites without asking you to plan ferries, rooms, or rural transport yourself. I especially like Skara Brae and Maeshowe, both included in the price, and the chance to cross the Pentland Firth by ferry. The main trade-off is a full schedule with several long drives, so this suits you best if you enjoy active sightseeing more than slow mornings.

I also like the 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach. A small group makes narrow Highland roads easier and gives your guide room to share stories, music, local history, and useful restaurant suggestions. Guides such as Mac, Martin, Kelly, Karen, and Jodie have received especially warm praise for their humor and storytelling. The less appealing part is the accommodation lottery: hotels are usually more central, while B&Bs can sit 20 to 30 minutes on foot from dinner.

Key points to know before booking

• Three major admissions included: Your price covers Skara Brae, Maeshowe, and Culloden Battlefield.
• A genuine small-group format: The Mercedes mini-coach carries no more than 16 people, and groups can be much smaller.
• Orkney gets two nights: You stay in Kirkwall, giving you proper time for the Italian Chapel, the cathedral, Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar, and Maeshowe.
• Long scenic travel days: Day 1 and Day 4 involve substantial driving, but they connect some of northern Scotland’s most dramatic areas.
• Accommodation choice matters: You select either a 3-star hotel or a 3-star B&B, with different locations and stair arrangements.
• Pack light and dress for wind: The luggage limit is 20 kilograms, and Orkney weather can be cold, wet, and blustery even in spring.

What this five-day route does well

At $1,454.57 per person, this is not a cheap bus ride. It is a packaged Highlands and Orkney journey with four nights of accommodation, four breakfasts, ferry travel, a driver-guide, and three important admissions built in. The value comes from combining places that are awkward to connect by public transport.

You would otherwise need to arrange transport from Edinburgh to northern Scotland, reach the ferry at Gills Bay, find your way around Orkney, reserve Maeshowe in advance, and then work out a route back through the northwest Highlands. Here, those pieces are joined into one route.

I like the balance between guided touring and free evenings. You spend the daylight hours moving between major sights, then have time to eat and wander independently in Inverness, Kirkwall, and Ullapool. Meals beyond breakfast are not included, so you control your food budget and can follow your guide’s suggestions.

The tour is also praised for its guides. Names that appear repeatedly in the strongest feedback include Martin, Karen, Jodie, Chris, Michael, David, James, and Iain Murray. The common thread is not a memorized script. It is the ability to explain clan stories, local legends, nature, battle history, film locations, and everyday Scottish life while driving.

That matters on a route with plenty of time in the vehicle. A skilled guide turns a long road section into part of the experience instead of dead time.

Day 1: Castles, lochs, Glencoe, and Loch Ness

The 8:30 a.m. departure from Edinburgh Bus Station gets you moving early. Arrive well before check-in closes, since the coach leaves on time and late arrivals are not accommodated.

The first part of the route passes Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument, with Doune Castle also in view before a refreshment stop in Callander. These early sights give you a quick introduction to Scotland’s royal, military, and cinematic associations, though they are generally viewed from outside or from the road rather than treated as long visits.

After Callander, the route crosses into the Highlands and threads past Loch Lubnaig, Loch Earn, Glen Ogle, and Glen Dochart. This is scenic driving rather than a string of formal attractions. Keep your camera ready, but also expect weather to change quickly and visibility to come and go.

The emotional center of the day is Glencoe. Your guide provides the background to the massacre of the MacDonalds, a painful episode that gives the mountains a human story beyond their beauty. The route then follows the Great Glen to Loch Ness, where you have about an hour to enjoy the water and look for the famous monster.

Loch Ness is a pleasant pause after the morning’s driving, but you should keep your expectations realistic. This is not a dedicated monster-search cruise, and there is no guarantee of a sighting, unless you count a dark shape that turns out to be driftwood.

You spend the night in Inverness. The schedule gives you an evening in the city, although the exact location of your accommodation affects how easily you can walk to restaurants.

Day 2: Dunrobin, John o’ Groats, and the Pentland Firth

Day 2 heads north across the Black Isle toward Dunrobin Castle. The stop at the castle is short, about 10 minutes, and intended mainly for photographs. The path to the front is steep, so this is not the best stop if you need level access or extra time for a castle interior.

The northeast coast then becomes the focus. You pass through a quieter part of the Highlands, with open coastal views and a strong sense of distance from Edinburgh. At John o’ Groats, you have around 20 minutes to see the famous sign area and take in the sea air.

John o’ Groats is often treated as a tick-box stop, but its location gives it purpose. It is near the northern edge of mainland Britain and is associated with the long journey between Land’s End and the far north. The stop is brief, so do not expect a full coastal walk.

From Gills Bay, the ferry crosses the Pentland Firth to Orkney. This is one of the tour’s most memorable transitions. The sea crossing changes the pace, and arriving by water makes Orkney feel like a distinct chapter rather than another roadside stop.

Once on the islands, the group visits the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm. Built by Italian prisoners of war during the Second World War, the chapel is modest in size but powerful in its setting and story. It is a welcome contrast to the ancient stones and ruins you see later.

The day ends in Kirkwall, Orkney’s main town. You have an evening to see St. Magnus Cathedral and walk the old streets. The cathedral is not listed as an included admission, so check any optional entry costs as you plan your evening.

Day 3: Orkney’s 5,000-year-old center

Day 3 is the tour’s strongest day for archaeology. You visit places that make Orkney more than a scenic island stop.

Skara Brae is the star. The settlement is about 5,000 years old and remarkably well preserved, with stone-built homes that show how people organized domestic life long before the Roman era. You have about an hour, and admission is included.

I would treat Skara Brae as a site that rewards attention rather than a quick photograph. Look at the layout of the homes and the practical details of the stone furniture. The age is impressive, but the real power comes from seeing evidence of ordinary life: rooms, storage, and a settlement plan that still makes sense to a modern eye.

The Ring of Brodgar follows, with about 30 minutes at the stone circle. It dates from roughly 2,500 to 2,000 BC and originally held 60 megaliths, of which 27 remain. The ring is 104 meters wide, so allow your eyes time to adjust to its scale.

This stop is outdoors and exposed. Comfortable shoes and a waterproof layer are not optional extras here. The stones are free to view, but the open ground can be muddy or windy.

Maeshowe provides the day’s final major visit, with about an hour and included admission. The chambered cairn is older than the Viking inscriptions carved inside it, creating an unusual meeting of prehistoric engineering and Norse graffiti.

Maeshowe tickets are reserved for the group, which is important because timed access makes independent planning less simple. You should still listen carefully to your guide and site staff, since the chamber’s details are easy to miss if you rush through.

Two nights in Kirkwall are a real strength. You are not packing up again after only one night on the islands, and the second evening gives you a chance to find a local meal or revisit part of town.

Day 4: Returning through Assynt and the northwest

The return crossing takes you back to the mainland, then across the top of Scotland toward Ullapool. This is a long day, but the route is one of the reasons to choose this tour instead of flying or returning by the same road.

The coach passes Ben Loyal and Ben Hope, follows rugged cliffs, and runs by broad sandy beaches. The scenery is the attraction, so the amount of time spent on the road is not wasted if you enjoy watching Scotland change outside the window.

Ardvreck Castle is a 15th-century ruin beside Loch Assynt. You have about 30 minutes to see it, take photographs, and absorb the setting. It is not a restored castle with rooms and displays. Its appeal is the lonely ruin, the water, and the surrounding Assynt mountains.

This day ends in Ullapool, a whitewashed fishing village at the mouth of Loch Broom. The overnight stop gives you a more relaxed evening than the route itself might suggest, but accommodation can be less central if you select a B&B.

Several people have praised the Ullapool setting while also noting that accommodation quality can vary. One specific complaint described a tired property and bathroom maintenance problems, while other stays were called clean, comfortable, and welcoming. You should see the accommodation as practical tour lodging, not a guaranteed boutique-hotel experience.

Day 5: Culloden, Clava Cairns, and the road south

The final day begins with Culloden Battlefield, where the Jacobite Rising ended in 1746. The included admission covers the visitor experience, and you have about 45 minutes.

That is enough for an introduction, but not enough for an unhurried study of every exhibit and battlefield marker. If this subject matters deeply to you, the time may feel short. Still, the stop has emotional weight, especially when your guide connects the battlefield to the wider political and family stories of the period.

Clava Cairns is a short drive away. The ancient standing stones and burial structures are closely associated with the Outlander books, but the site does not depend on that connection. The stones and cairns offer a quieter, more atmospheric stop after Culloden, with about 30 minutes to look around.

The journey then continues through the Caledonian Pine Forest and along the Cairngorm mountain range. Lunch comes in the countryside before the coach travels through Perthshire and Fife on the way back to Edinburgh.

The return is scheduled for the original meeting point at the bus station. Traffic and weather can affect the timing, so avoid booking an important evening connection too tightly.

The mini-coach, group size, and comfort

The 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach is a major advantage over a full-size coach. You sit closer to the guide, the vehicle can handle smaller roads, and a group of 16 or fewer is small enough for a more personal feel.

Actual group size can be much smaller. Some departures have had only a few passengers, while others have carried around 13 to 15 people. A smaller group may allow the guide to adjust stops slightly when time permits, though you should still expect to follow the planned route.

There are three steps into the coach, each about 150 millimeters high, with grab handles and marked, non-slip treads. There is no toilet onboard, but regular restroom breaks are built into the days.

The coach is not wheelchair accessible. A folding wheelchair or walking frame can be stored, but you must be able to board and leave the vehicle independently or with help from your companion.

Accommodation, meals, and what to pack

You select either a 3-star hotel or a 3-star B&B. Hotels are generally more central, while B&Bs may be on the outskirts and require a 20 to 30 minute walk to pubs and restaurants. If stairs are difficult, state this when booking, since lifts are not guaranteed.

Four breakfasts are included. Lunches, dinners, snacks, and drinks are on your own account. That gives you flexibility, but you should reserve restaurants and private activities ahead of time, especially in smaller towns where choices can be limited.

Pack no more than 20 kilograms, using one medium suitcase or airline-style carry-on bag plus a small personal bag. Comfortable walking shoes, waterproof clothing, warm layers, and a camera are sensible choices.

The route includes exposed coasts, uneven ground, ruins, standing stones, and steps. Most people can take part, but the tour requires a reasonable level of stamina and comfort with changing weather.

Is the $1,454.57 price good value?

The price is high enough that you should compare it with the cost of building the trip yourself. The package includes four nights, four breakfasts, round-trip transport, the ferry crossing, a driver-guide, and admissions to Skara Brae, Maeshowe, and Culloden.

It also saves you from renting a car and driving long rural distances on unfamiliar roads. That is meaningful on a route where ferries, timed admissions, and remote accommodation all need to line up.

The weak point is that many costs remain separate. You pay for lunches, dinners, drinks, optional admissions, and any taxi needed from a less central B&B. The schedule also gives you limited control over how long you spend at each stop.

For you, the value is strongest if you want Orkney and the northern Highlands in one organized trip, and if a guide’s stories add to your enjoyment. It is weaker if you prefer private rooms in carefully chosen hotels, slow mornings, or long walks at each archaeological site.

Who should book this Orkney tour?

I would recommend it to first-time visitors to northern Scotland, history fans, Outlander followers who also want the real archaeology, and anyone who does not want to drive the North Coast roads. It is also a good fit for solo travelers who want company without joining a huge bus group.

Families can join if children are at least five years old, and a booster seat can be arranged for children under 1.35 meters if noted in advance. Older adults may manage the tour well, but you should be comfortable with coach steps, outdoor paths, and long days.

I would hesitate if you dislike changing hotels, cannot tolerate long drives, or want full control over meals and sightseeing time. The route is active, and Orkney’s weather can add another layer of challenge.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if your priority is seeing a wide sweep of Scotland efficiently, with Orkney’s best-known prehistoric sites built into the route. The two nights in Kirkwall, included Maeshowe ticket, small vehicle, and strong guide-led storytelling give it real appeal.

Before paying, choose your accommodation type carefully, pack light, and leave room in your schedule on the final evening in Edinburgh. If you can accept the long drives and occasional lodging variation, this is a highly effective way to reach Orkney without turning your holiday into a logistics exercise.

FAQ

Where does the tour depart from?

It departs from Edinburgh Bus Station at St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH1 3AY.

What time does the tour leave?

The scheduled departure time is 8:30 a.m. Check-in closes 15 minutes before departure, and the coach leaves on time.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 16 people.

What type of vehicle is used?

Transport is provided in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach.

How much luggage can I bring?

You can bring up to 20 kilograms per person. This includes one medium suitcase or bag, approximately 55 by 45 by 25 centimeters, plus a small onboard personal bag.

Which admissions are included?

Admission to Skara Brae, Maeshowe, and Culloden Battlefield is included. Other admissions and optional activities are not included unless specifically stated.

Where are the overnight stays?

The route includes one night in Inverness, two nights in Kirkwall on Orkney, and one night in Ullapool.

Are meals included?

Four breakfasts are included. Lunches, dinners, refreshments, and snacks are not included.

Can I bring a wheelchair?

The coach is not wheelchair accessible. A folding wheelchair or walking frame can be stored, but you must be able to board and leave the coach independently or with assistance from a companion.