ROAD TRIP
SCOTLAND highlands
16 – 23 sept 2024
30 sept – 7 okt 2024
€1625,-

A unique road trip through the mesmerizing Scottish Highlands .

Join us on this epic 8-day road trip through the Scottish Highlands. Imagine yourself looking out the window in our unique old timer double decker bus. Some nice tunes coming from the speakers, making new friends, cruising through the mountains and passing the most beautiful sights. We won’t be in the bus all the time; we will explore the area by doing outdoor activities such as kayaking, hiking and canyoning (optional ). Of course we will try the famous Scottish Whisky as well! We will roadtrip, eat and sleep in the bus.  


On this trip we will discover the beautiful Scottish Highlands in between Edinburgh an Inverness as we explore the west. We will make a cultural visit to the 11th century Stirling Castle, go on a Whisky Tour & Tasting, road trip across the amazing A82 road, famous for its stunning mountain views. We will Hike the Devil’s Staircase known as the best  part of the West Highland Way hiking trail.

Also, we’ll go to the beautiful Isle of Skye where we’ll spend two nights. We visit the Old man of Storr, impressive viewpoints and the little town of Portree. 

In the outdoor capital of Scotland, Fort William , you can go canyoning ( optional), go bouldering in an old church (optional) or explore the outdoors or one of the many nice cafes the town has to offer on your own.

For all you Potter heads or just nature lovers, you can take the Jacobite Steam train*. Described as the greatest railway journey in the world, this 84 mile round trip takes you past a list of impressive extremes*

*Based on availability. 

SEE THE ENTIRE ITINERARY BELOW.

By clicking ‘Book Now’ you’ll be lead to our Booking System ‘We Travel’.

We’re still working on the aftermovie, so the aftermovie is from different trips. It does give a pretty good idea of what to expect. 🙂 You can also check out our Instagram Highlights for more photos of last year’s trip! 

TRIP INFORMATION

Itinerary see below

Practical Information

Pick Up & Drop-Off

Depending on your departure date, we will pick you up at 10.00 at the trainstation of Edinburgh or Inverness.

From here we’ll drive in our 47-year old bus to the first stop – see the entire itinerary below. 

On your final day, we will bring you back to the train station in Inverness or Edinburg (depending on your departure date) at 12.00h.

We can help you with your train ticket back to our starting point.

Trip 1: Inverness –> Edinburgh
Dates 16th – 23rd of September 2024
Hop on: Inverness 09.00 
Drop off: Edinburgh 12.00 

Trip 2: Edinburgh –> 
Inverness
Dates 30th Sept – 7th of October 2024 
Hop on: Edinburgh 09.00 
Drop off: Inverness 12.00

Food & Drinks
Almost all meals (except for 1 night) are included, we will cook together on the fire at night. All food is vegetarian. 

You can drink as much coffee, tea, water or lemonade as you like. Other drinks like beer, wine or soda are not included and cost €2,00 each. 

Your accommodation

The Bus
Of course part of the fun is to be living in our ancient bus, transformed from an old public transportation bus into a comfortable group accommodation.

You’ll sleep in a comfortable bed, either a bunk-bed or a single bed. Your bed has its own little light, curtain and locker for your valuables.

Upstairs you’ll also find the lounge with a view, while downstairs is the living area, with kitchen and dining area. Both areas have what we call in Dutch ‘ARKO’ (Alle Ramen Kunnen Open’) and a heating system for the colder nights.

Downstairs we have a big lounge / dining area with heater, where you can start your day with a cup of coffee or enjoy conversation till we’re too tired to talk. 

The Campsites
We’ll park the bus at beautiful campsites along the way. We will use the sanitary facilities such as shower and toilet from the campsites. There are two nights in which we go ‘wild camping’ – which means we won’t have a shower on these nights. We do have a compost toilet with us. 

What’s included
  • 7nights accommodation in the bus
  • 2 hosts (also drivers, cooks, mechanics)
  • Transportation during the trip


FOOD & DRINKS

  • Almost all your meals (7x breakfast, 7x lunch, 6x dinner)
  • All your coffee, tea, water & lemonade

ACTIVITIES

  • Kayak on Loch Oich
  • Beautiful hike over the mountainpeaks
  • Hike the famous Old man of Storr 
  • Visit the island of Skye 
  • Whisky tasting & tour at distillery
  • Visit Eilean Donan Castle (entering is optional)
  • Visit the outdoor town of Fort William
  • Hike the Devils Staircase (4-5h) 
  • Visit to Stirling Castle inside
What’s not included
  • Drinks other than the above mentioned (drinks can be bought on the bus for €2,00.)
  • Transportation to pick-up & drop-off location
  • Towel
  • Travel Insurance


OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

  • Canyoning trip from Fort William (€80)
  • Jacobite Steam Train. Harry Potter Train ride between Fort William and Mallaig. (€78) 
  • Entrance to Eilean Donan castle (€13)


How to get there

There are several ways to get to Edinburgh and Inverness. 

Ferry

There’s a direct ferry leaving from Ijmuiden (Netherlands) to New Castle, from there you can take a train to our pick up location in Edinburgh. Ideal for the Dutchies amongst us! For more information on their schedule and bookings, check out their website.

From there you can take the train to Edinburgh (1h30) or Inverness (5h)

Train

Would you like to feel on a holiday as soon as you leave your doorstep? Then consider the train!
There’s a good connection between Amsterdam and London, which will take you there in 4 hours.

For tickets and the schedule, 
check the Eurostar website.
Please note: at the moment of writing it’s unclear if this connection will still be available in September 2024. They’re working on a solution however. Keep an eye out on the Eurostar website for updated information. 

From London you can take the train to Edinburgh or Inverness.

If you’re coming from abroad, then 
this website might be useful when planning your trip.

Flight
There are many flights taking off and arriving in both Edinburgh and Inverness airport daily. This is definitely the fastest way to travel. Especially Edinburgh is well connected with low budget airlines as well.

EasyJet flies from Amsterdam to Edinburgh every day. With a transfer in London you will also make your way to inverness easily. 

Coming from somewhere else? We like these websites: 
Google Flights or  Skyscanner.

Tip: if you fly to Edinburgh – it’s very easy to take a train to or from Inverness and it could safe you a lot of money flying to/from Edinburgh instead of Inverness.

Cancellation Policy

We would recommend you to just join. 😉
But if inevitable, and you do really have to cancel your trip:

  • Within 48 hours after booking: 100% refund
  • More than 120 days prior to departure: administration fee of €45
  • Till 120 days prior to departure: 10% of the travel fee (with a minimum of €45 administration fee)
  • Till 90 days prior to departure: 20% of the travel fee
  • Till 60 days prior to departure: 30% of the travel fee
  • Till 30 days prior to departure: 50% of the travel fee
  • 15 – 29 days prior to departure: 80% of the travel fee
  • Less than 15 days prior to departure: 100% of the travel fee

ITINERARY

Day 1 – Stirling Castle & visit to Whisky distillery

Pick-up, visit Stirling Castle & visit to whisky distillery

On this first day we will pick you up near Edinburgh. After getting to know each other, dropping luggage and choosing beds, we will first make a visit to Stirling Castle. A 1100th century castle, with many stories to tell, on top of a Vulcanic rock.

Before we get to our first campsite we will endulge in the Scottish culture and learn about the whisky making process and of course taste some too! We’ll drive towards the Trossachs National Park; our first encounter with beauty of the Scottish Highlands.  

Please note: If you are to book trip number one (16th of Sept), from Inverness to Edinburgh, the itinerary will be the other way around. The contents will be the same, with some little tweaks to make it suitable. Of course, activities and pricing don’t change. It might be that you’ll visit another whisky distillery at another moment of the trip.

Day 2 – Scenic route A82 & Devil’s Staircase hike

Drive over the ultimate road-trip road and hike the Devils Staircase (4-5h)

On this second day we will take the bus on an epic road trip. Driving up the beautiful A82 Road is the best way to explore the Highlands. We will make some scenic pitstops of course.  

When arriving at Kings house, we will prepare for hiking the Devils Staircase. Though, the name is more terrifying than the actual hike. This scenic hike is a part of the world famous West Highland Way Hiking trail and is known as the highest and most beautiful part of the entire trail. It takes about 4-5 hours. We will end this trail in Kinlochleven, where the bus will meet us again. 

Day 3 – Fort William, the outdoor capital

Enjoy everything the outdoor capital of Scotland has to offer. 

Today we make our way to the outdoor capital of Scotland; Fort William! It is possible to go a canyoning tour at the Inchree Falls. This tour is a great mix of jumping, sliding, swimming, climbing, abseiling and gorge walking down a series of waterfalls. This is an optional activity and can be added to your itinerary when booking.  

If you prefer some chill-time instead of canyoning you can just go and explore the beautiful surroundings on your own. There’s plenty of nice cafes and the possibility to go indoor bouldering in an old church

Tonight dinner is not included, allowing us to enjoy one of the nice restaurants in Fort Williams and visit the Pub afterwards.. We’ll sleep just a little drive out of town, so we have all the time to enjoy the evening here. 

Day 4 – Harry Potter train & ferry to Isle of Skye

Harry Potter train & Isle of Skye

One of the most unique and amazing ways to explore the Highlands (apart from our bus of course) is the Jacobite Steam Train.

Many of you may know this as the famous Harry Potter train. This ride takes you straight through the centre of the Highlands and over the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Described as the greatest railway journey in the world, this 84 mile round trip takes you past a list of impressive extremes.

Starting near the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis, it visits Britain’s most westerly mainland railway station, Arisaig; passes close by the deepest freshwater loch in Britain, Loch Morar and the shortest river in Britain, River Morar, finally arriving next to the deepest seawater loch in Europe, Loch Nevis! (this train ride is optional, you can add it to your booking) 

If you prefer not to take the train, you can join us in the bus to the Ferry in Mallaig. The route is really beautiful and we’ll stop at the famous Harry Potter bridge. 


At night we’ll set up camp at the Isle of Skye. We’ll stay on Skye for two nighs.

Day 5 – Isle of Skye | Old man of Storr & Portree

Explore the Isle of Skye!

We will make our way further onto the Isle of Skye. The island is known for its stunning coasts and rock formations.

We will make our way all the way up to the area of Portree from where we will hike The Old man of Storr. This is a small hike, but leaving us with amazing views of the islands, with unbelievably green surroundings. 

We continue our way to some impressive viewpoints before making our way down to Portree, where we have some time to discover one of the few towns on the island, beautifully situated on the waterside.

We will sleep another night on Skye tonight.

Day 6 – Eilean Castle & Hidden Gem hike

Visit to Eilean Castle & Impressive (but undiscovered) hike

After passing the only bridge connecting Scottish mainland tot the Isle of Skye, we will make a stop at  Eilean Donan Castle. This historic castle is positioned beautifully and is the perfect place for a pit stop. For those who wish, you can enter the castle and take a look around inside.  (optional activity)

& then time to stretch the legs and go for a proper hike today! The hike we’ll do today is not well-known but recommended to us by the locals – no crowds we’ll have to cue up with!

This is a 4 hour hike taking us over the peaks of the mountains; the Forcan Ridge and Sgùrr Sgìne.
We will feel all alone in the amazing nature around us, scouting for wildlife. If you prefer not to walk for 8 hours, there’s also the possibility just walking a small bit of the hike. 

After this we deserve nothing more than a hot cup of chocolate and a plafe full of food!

Tonight we’ll sleep on a beautiful wild camping spot next to the lake we’ll be kayaking the next day. Please note that you won’t have a shower tonight – though there’s a nice fresh lake you could jump in. 😉

Day 7 – Kayaking & visit Loch Ness

Kayaking Loch Oich & search for Nessie at Loch Ness.

The next morning we will take it easy and go Kayaking on Loch Oich. This scenic lake is absolutely beautiful and will not disappoint. We will explore the lake for about three hours and then visit Fort Augustus. A small historical town at the bottom of Loch ness. While driving past this world famous lake, make sure to keep your eyes open because we might even get a chance to spot the mythical Nessie! We will drive all the way up to our very last campsite, at the waterside. Our host Simon will greet us with a smile and we will have a final meal and campfire. 

Day 8 – Back home

Back home

We’ll have an easy morning. At breakfast, we can go over all the things we’ve done together on this trip one more time, before taking you to the drop-off location in Inverness (12.00 am) 

Please note:
we highly recommend you don’t book any flights home within 4 hours after our estimated arrival time, just in case we have any delays on the way. We are traveling in an old-timer bus after all – delays can be part of the adventure. 

Prefer to book a trip with a group of friends but the date doesn’t match or you’d like to change the itinerary a bit? Contact us for the possibilities!

By clicking ‘Book Now’ you’ll be lead to our Booking System ‘We Travel’. 

Any more questions? Please contact us!