Tours of Scotland

EXPLORING the Highlands and Islands in a spontaneous, unplanned fashion can be a superb way to spend your holiday. Unexpected sights and chance encounters may stay with you forever – I will never forget driving along the northern coast road with my family, heading east out of Durness and seeing a sign saying “John Lennon Memorial Garden”.

We had no idea such a thing existed. But we parked the car and spent a lovely half hour or so in the sunshine, among the plants, paths and stone carvings commemorating the happy holidays the former Beatle enjoyed in the area as a child. It was a moving experience, and all the better for being a surprise.

But sometimes, when time is tight and you have specific interests, an organised tour is the answer. There are dozens of these on offer – concentrating on wildlife, history, whisky and much more besides.

Don’t assume, incidentally, that the only tour transport options are coach or minibus. Trike Tours Scotland offers the chance to see the country in the head-turning style perfected by Billy Connolly in his hit TV trip down Route 66 in the US. You sit in comfort in the back while your chauffeur pilots the 1600cc trike along some of Scotland’s most scenic roads. One of the company’s many routes starts and ends in Inverness, and includes Loch Ness, Urquahart Castle and Fort Augustus.

Wildlife

The Moray Firth, with its lively population of bottlenose dolphins, is home to at least a dozen boat operators who know the best places to go for a good sighting. The people running these trips are a fount of knowledge, not only about the dolphins but about other mammals and birds you are likely to spot. They abide by a code of practice rather bizarrely called the Dolphin Space Programme and are careful to avoid crowding the dolphins or causing them distress.

Whales, such as minke, orca and humpback, are another subject for boat trips in several parts of Scotland including Shetland, Orkney, several Hebridean islands and Argyll. Taking the organised option does not mean anything is guaranteed. I went on a highly enjoyable trip with Seafari (seafari.co.uk), based at Easdale, near Oban, hoping to see some dolphins. We drew a blank – the population here is more widely spread than in the Moray Firth – but instead were able to watch sea eagles and had an exciting close encounter with the awe-inspiring Corryvreckan whirlpool, Britain’s largest.

Birds are often even less predictable in their movements than marine mammals, and going accompanied by an experienced guide with local knowledge may bring better results than individual expeditions. Your chances of seeing a capercaillie while randomly tramping about Highland forests, for instance, are slim – these birds are few and retiring. But go on a trip with a specialist operator such as Heatherlea (heatherlea.co.uk), based at Nethy Bridge in the Cairngorms, and you should be successful. Similarly Speyside Wildlife (speysidewildlife.co.uk), based near Aviemore, runs a wide variety of trips from a few hours watching pine martens to an eight-day tour of the Western Isles seeking birds such as corncrakes, which can be difficult for even keen birdwatchers to spot on their own.

History

The past is all around us in Scotland – but you may absorb more with a little help from a well-informed guide. There are plenty of companies looking at the past from various angles. Sacred Connections (sacredconnections.co.uk), based in Perthshire, will show you such sights as Fortingall Yew, reputedly the oldest living thing in Europe. Its age has been put at anything from 2,000 to 5,000 years. Some sources say Pontius Pilate was born in its shade – whatever the truth of this, the tree and its surrounds are powerfully atmospheric. Also on the firm’s itineraries are Croft Moraig stone circle and St Mary’s Church, Grandtully, known for its 17th-century heraldic mural.

If you like to mix your history with superb scenery and an element of mystery, Jacobite (jacobite.co.uk), based in Inverness, may suit you. The firm’s Sensation tour involves a half-hour cruise on Loch Ness, a guided coach tour, a visit to Urquhart Castle and a look at the Loch Ness Monster Exhibition at Drumnadrochit. Mountains 2 Sea (mountains2sea.co.uk), also based in Inverness, is a flexible company using a people carrier to take up to seven guests round such attractions as the bleakly fascinating Culloden battlefield and the appealing Cawdor Castle, which succeeds in being welcoming without ever trivialising its impressive history. Like many operators it can tailor an itinerary to your own desires – though if you’re happy for them to lead the way that’s fine, too.

Whisky

Whisky is probably Scotland’s biggest single claim to fame and visitors from far and wide are keen to see how and where it is made. The fact that so many distilleries are in breathtaking locations is a bonus and makes whisky touring an ever-popular option for visitors.

As with other classes of attraction, you have a choice – pore over maps, look up opening times and brace yourself for some tiring driving, or let somebody else do the work. The second option is particularly tempting in the case of distillery exploration, since sampling the product is all part of the experience.

Legions of individual guides, such as Ronnie Berri (scottishwhiskytours.co.uk) are keen to help, as are companies such as Inverness Tours (invernesstours.com), who offer an all-day tour including the Macallan and Aberlour distilleries and the Speyside Cooperage. En route you’ll see the attractive towns of Nairn and Forres, and the city of Elgin with its beautiful ruined cathedral.

Scotland has so much to offer the tourist – why not enjoy it the easy way?

If you're a whisky fan, there is still time to enter our Highland Park giveaway where we are giving away £200 worth of whisky among three lucky winners!