Itinerary Details
Day 1: Arrive in Edinburgh & Secrets of Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle - Walking Tour
Transfer: Edinburgh Airportto Edinburgh - City Centre
Hotel: Leonardo Royal Edinburgh Haymarket (4 Star Rating)
This modern hotel is a 4-minute walk from the EICC (Edinburgh International Conference Centre) and a 5-minute walk from Edinburgh Haymarket train station.
Relaxed rooms feature free Wi-Fi, pillow-top mattresses, and en suite bathrooms with showers, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities, TVs, and desks. Family rooms add sofabeds. Kids aged 15 and under eat and stay free with paying adults.
There's a casual restaurant/bar offering classic pub fare and a full English breakfast. Parking is available for a fee.
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Book this tour if you’d like…
- A unique journey round the sites, stories and secrets of the Old Town you might otherwise miss
- A tour led and loved by Mercat historians
- A wonderful introduction to Edinburgh, it’s past and people
- A guided visit to Edinburgh Castle
Our beautiful city is waiting for you…
This walking tour is the perfect introduction to Scotland’s capital. The first secret you’ll learn? That you can skip the line at Edinburgh Castle!
Discover an Edinburgh beyond the reach of tour buses and guidebooks. A beautiful city steeped in awe-inspiring history that has been perfectly preserved to this day, in the wynds, closes, courtyards and homes of Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Take a journey through time with them, and explore the lives of Edinburgh residents from generations past and gone – from historical figures like Mary Queen of Scots and Robert Burns, to the everyday folk who never left the city’s walls their entire lives.
Hang on your tour Storyteller’s every word, as they walk you through the crime and culture to the politics and everyday events, and show you the evidence that has survived to this day, throughout the Royal Mile.
Want to visit Edinburgh Castle? Skip the line with Mercat Tours.
The castle towers over Edinburgh from up high on its great ancient rock – a literal fortress, looking out over the city’s stunning landscapes. Battles and sieges were fought over it, royalty lived and died within its walls, and countless generations have been inspired by it.
Visit Edinburgh Castle with your Mercat Tours Storyteller, and from the Royal Mile you’ll walk straight over the drawbridge, and straight past the ticket line – to continue your journey into Edinburgh’s history uninterrupted.
Day 2: A Visit to Edinburgh Castle & The Scotch Whisky Experience - Gold Whisky TourJoin us on an hour long 7-language tour introducing the best sights in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is a wonderful city from sights to shopping and culture to City Sightseeing! Buy your 24 hour ticket and then you can enjoy the freedom to "hop on and hop off" until the same time the following day. The Edinburgh Tour will operate the following route: Waverley Bridge, Princes Street, Lothian Road, Bread Street, West Port, Grassmarket, Victoria Street, George IV Bridge, Chambers Street, South Bridge, High Street, Canongate, Horse Wynd, Queens Drive, Holyrood Gait, Our Dynamic Earth turning circle, Holyrood Gait, Queens Drive, Horse Wynd, Abbeyhill, Abbeymount, Regent Road, Waterloo Place, Princes Street, South St David Street, George Street, Hanover Street, Queen Street Gardens East, Heriot Row, Queen Street Gardens West, Frederick Street, George Street, Hanover Street, The Mound, Market Street, Waverley Bridge. Join the tour at Waverley Bridge, Lothian Road, Grassmarket, Royal Mile, Princes Street, or Princes Mall.
Day 3: Edinburgh to Skye and PortreeYou depart from Edinburgh and head west, embarking on a journey that is a dream for history lovers. As you make your way through the Lowlands, you pass the majestic Stirling Castle and Doune Castle, renowned for its distinctive architecture and appearances in films and television shows. After crossing the ancient geological fault line that runs through Scotland, you enter Trossachs National Park, in the majestic Highlands. The flat, fertile plains of the Lowlands give way to rugged mountain peaks and forest-filled glens. A quick break by a shimmering loch or in a charming Highland village refreshes you for the next leg of your journey.
As you continue north, you'll encounter the wild and desolate landscapes of the Black Mount and Rannoch Moor before arriving at Glencoe, one of Scotland's most famous natural landmarks. Renowned for its dramatic, rugged slopes, this breathtaking area has been featured in numerous films and is steeped in history. You'll have time for photo stops or a short walk to fully appreciate the stunning scenery.
Next, you'll visit Fort William, a charming Highland town nestled at the foot of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. You've got time for lunch and exploration, so you can decide what you want to do. Sample local cuisine, wander the streets of the town centre, or visit a local museum to learn more about the area's rich history. Continuing along the Great Glen, you'll pass the iconic, rugged mountains of the Five Sisters of Kintail and the picturesque Eilean Donan Castle, with opportunities for photo stops and short breaks along the way.
As you cross the bridge to the Isle of Skye, one of Scotland's most mesmerizing islands, you'll follow the dramatic coastline, stopping at iconic viewpoints to admire the stunning outlines of the Red and Black Cuillins. From there, you'll continue toward the island's capital, Portree, where you'll be dropped off at your accommodation in the early evening, giving you plenty of time to venture out and explore the charming town.
Overnight in Portree.
Hotel: B & B with Ensuite Portree (3 Star Rating)
We try to reserve accommodation that's no more than a 20-minute walk from the town centre. We regularly check our accommodation partners to ensure they reach a certain standard.
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Day 4: Exploring Skye to PortreeEvery horizon in Skye conceals something astoundingly beautiful. So today, your driver-guide makes the most out of your time and weather in this marvel-studded landscape.
Exploring Skye feels like stepping into a dream, with countless places to explore. You might head north to the Trotternish Ridge and beyond, where you'll encounter geological wonders such as the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, and the breathtaking Quiraing mountain pass. This part of the island enchants visitors with surreal rock formations, dramatic cliffs, vast open spaces, and an overwhelming sense of wilderness.
After all this exploration, you'll pause in one of the island's towns for lunch to recharge for the second part of the day. In the late afternoon, your driver-guide may take you back in time, sharing stories about the legends and clan culture surrounding Dunvegan Castle, the 13th-century ancestral home of the Clan MacLeod.
You'll return to Portree in the evening, giving you the freedom to decide how to spend your time. Will you have dinner and take a leisurely stroll along the picturesque harbour? Or will you seek out pubs and venues hosting traditional Scottish music sessions? The choice is yours.
Overnight in Portree.
Hotel: B & B with Ensuite Portree (3 Star Rating)
We try to reserve accommodation that's no more than a 20-minute walk from the town centre. We regularly check our accommodation partners to ensure they reach a certain standard.
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Meal(s): Breakfast
Day 5: Explore Eilean Donan Castle, Fort Augustus, Perthshire and returns to EdinburghYou travel south, passing the Cuillin Hills and Sligachan Bridge, before returning to the mainland for a closer look at Eilean Donan Castle.
Perched on a small island, this iconic castle, which has recently gained fame as a movie location, has many old stories to tell. You can enjoy refreshments at a local cafe and stroll along the loch to admire the castle from the outside. Alternatively, you can explore its chambers, where you'll discover a collection of artifacts belonging to the MacKenzie and MacRae clans.
You travel past shimmering lochs framed by the rugged mountains of the Five Sisters of Kintail. After this visual feast of towering peaks, you arrive in the charming village of Fort Augustus, nestled along the banks of Loch Ness.
Stop for lunch in Fort Augustus, giving you the freedom to decide how to spend your time. You can stroll along the Caledonian Canal and watch the boats navigate its locks, enjoy Scottish specialties in one of the cozy cafes or restaurants, or wander to the banks of the legendary loch in hopes of catching a glimpse of the elusive monster. Your journey south is filled with classic Highland scenery. As you travel past the broad peaks of Cairngorms National Park, you'll enjoy various photo stops along the way. Gradually, the dramatic mountains soften and become cloaked in lush forest. Among the towering trees of Perthshire, you'll take a final refreshment break in Pitlochry.
You continue south through the rolling hills and fertile farmlands of the Kingdom of Fife. Your last highlight is the view of the iconic UNESCO-listed Forth Rail Bridge on your way to Edinburgh.
You return to Edinburgh at approximately 7:00pm
Meal(s): Breakfast
Hotel: Leonardo Royal Edinburgh Haymarket (4 Star Rating)
This modern hotel is a 4-minute walk from the EICC (Edinburgh International Conference Centre) and a 5-minute walk from Edinburgh Haymarket train station.
Relaxed rooms feature free Wi-Fi, pillow-top mattresses, and en suite bathrooms with showers, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities, TVs, and desks. Family rooms add sofabeds. Kids aged 15 and under eat and stay free with paying adults.
There's a casual restaurant/bar offering classic pub fare and a full English breakfast. Parking is available for a fee.
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Day 6: (Private) Half-Day Edinburgh Tour with LunchEdinburgh is an incredibly historic city, and you will have an exciting and unique experience while in town. Appreciating that you may be short on time to see and do everything Edinburgh has to offer, this Mini Mack adventure visits a host of notable UNESCO sites and hidden gems while you snap away on your cameras and phones. Led by one of two local brothers, Rowan and Andy Mackie, you will have the opportunity to see and do more than what is listed in guide books. While Rowan and Andy may not be licensed historians, their local knowledge of Edinburgh and inside scoops on what's fun and interesting to do in the city is second-to-none, making for the perfect day out. After discovering a range of Edinburgh's top highlights including Calton Hill and Arthurs Seat - among many others - you will then settle in for a tasty meal in a charming local pub that features fresh, locally-sourced cuisine before being returned to your hotel. The perfect half-day sightseeing experience in Edinburgh, an additional treat is that your transportation between sites is in a well-maintained and comfortable Mini Cooper.
Hotel: Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh (3 Star Rating)
Be a guest and relax in their stylish city-center Edinburgh hotel. You’ll find the hotel on Jeffrey Street in the city’s Old Town, close to Waverley Train Station. They are a short stroll away from the capital’s landmarks including Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Park and many other local hotspots.
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Day 7: Depart from EdinburghTransfer: Edinburgh - City Centre to Edinburgh Airport
