Guided Tours of Scotland
Private Tours With Driver-Guide Greg Kain
Hebrides Tours
Island hopping on Scotland's West Coast
Hebrides Tours
Hebrides Tours
A Hebrides Tour is an island hopping trip Scottish style! It allows you to explore the Hebridean islands at your own pace, giving you the chance to discover world class beaches, the freshest seafood and perhaps meet some of the local marine life. These islands are as rich in history as they are in the variety of landscapes, from the peaks of the Cuillin Mountains on Skye to the flat windswept beaches of Tiree. Generations of Vikings and Celts have shaped the culture of the Hebridean archipelagos. If you enjoy unspoilt places with a real 'edge of the world' feel you will love the Hebrides.
The Hebrides islands are split into two geographical groups; the Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides. The Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Isles, or Na h-Innse Gall in gaelic - the indigenous language of this archipelago, principally consist of Vatersay, Barra, Eriskay, South Uist, Benbecula, North Uist, Berneray, Harris and Lewis, plus hundreds of other small islands and skerries, most of which are uninhabited. The second group, the Inner Hebrides are split into two sub groups; North & South. The Northern Hebrides are principally made up of Skye, Raasay and the Small Isles, a mini archipelago within an archipelago, which includes Eigg, Muck, Rúm and Canna, where (non-natives')cars are forbidden, so it's walking tours only here! Lastly, the Southern Hebrides are primarily made up of Mull, Iona, Lismore, Tiree, Coll, Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Gigha. Each group of islands has a very different feel to the others and each isle has its own distinct character, so island hopping in the West Highlands never feels repetitive.
There are so many islands that there are endless permutations of itinerary options. A sample grand tour outline itinerary, which would take most of the main islands from the Southern Hebrides to the Outer Hebrides, and on to the Northern Hebrides, would look something like this:
Glasgow/Edinburgh >> Kennacraig >> Islay >>Jura >> Islay >> Colonsay >> Oban >> Mull >> Iona >> Mull >> Kilchoan >> Mallaig >> South Uist >> Eriskay >> Barra >> Eriskay >> South Uist >> Benbecula >> North Uist >> Berneray >> Harris/Lewis >> Skye >> Raasay >> Glasgow/Edinburgh
A trip of this length would require a minimum of 14 days to complete, 21 days if you were to include the Northern Isles for an Orkney & Shetland tour. My guided island hopping tours are conducted in a relaxed no-rush manner, which is perfect because the pace of life in the Hebrides is so much slower than the mainland and this makes them the perfect place for that 'getaway from it all' type of vacation.
For those looking for a unique island whisky tour it would be easy to incorporate visits to Islay, Scotland's 'whisky island', Jura, Mull, Skye and Orkney, visiting distilleries such as Laphroaig, Jura, Tobermory, Talisker, Highland Park, with the occasional Highland distillery, such as Oban, thrown in for good measure, to create a combined Highlands and islands whisky tour.
Of course I can tailor make a Hebridean island tour for you, which could last from anything from three days (eg. (eg. Islay +Jura, Mull + Iona or the Isle of Skye) or a longer multi-day island hopping trip (eg. Inner & Outer Hebrides + Orkney and Shetland) or as many island as you can fit into two or three weeks - my record, so far, in one tour is 17 islands!
Contact me to discuss your tour requirements at greg@guidedtoursofscotland.net or through the enquiry form for a no-obligation quote