When I decided to move to London, visiting Scotland was one of my top priorities. I was not only dying to see the amazing scenery and learn more about Scottish history, but being half Scottish myself, I was eager to see the country my mum immigrated to Australia from.
After considering my time restraints and researching the logistics of travelling around Scotland (and in particular, the highlands) I decided that the most budget friendly option was to go on a Haggis Adventures Tour of Scotland. I chose the Highland Fling Guided Group Tour because it included my “must-sees” – the Loch Ness, Isle of Skye, Jacobite Train, Eilean Donan and Glencoe.
I arrived in Edinburgh two nights before the departure date to make the most of the city before the tour began. Check out my Top 10 Things to Do in Edinburgh for your Edinburgh itinerary.
Day 1 – Edinburgh, Whiskey Distillery Tour, Hermitage Forest and Loch Ness.
Forth Railway Bridge
The first two days of the tour were probably the most jam-packed with attractions. The bus was slightly delayed but we got going at approximately 9:30 am. Our first stop was Forth Railway Bridge.
Dunkeld Cathedral
Our second stop was Dunkeld where we checked out the Dunkeld Cathedral and dropped into the grocery store for lunch (lunches and dinners are not included on this tour). On arrival back to the bus we were informed that another tour groups bus had broken down so we were going to be joined by them for the rest of the day. This made the bus more cramped but it was no issue. It did mean our itinerary for the day had to be altered, so if you do choose the Highland Fling Tour the exact day to day activities for Day 1 and Day 2 may be slightly different to my review (but we still got all of the itinerary completed).
Tomatin Distillery
Our next major stop was the Tomatin Distillery Est 1897. Here we toured the establishment and were taught how whiskey is made, where it was stored and at the end got a free sample. I am not a big whisky fan so for me this activity wasn’t my favourite but it was definitely interesting as I previously knew nothing about distillation.
Hermitage Forest
Next stop was the Hermitage Forest. This charming area was allegedly the inspiration for J.M. Barrie’s Neverland in Peter Pan. It was not hard to see why as we explored the water pools, mossy rocks, crashing river and quaint bridges.
Morag
On arrival to Morag, we had the optional activity to go on a Loch Ness cruise for £13. The weather that night was spectacular, the eerie blue light cast a purple shadow over the mountains which contrasted with the deep black waters of the Loch Ness – it was stunning!
The first night we stayed at a place owned by Haggis called Morag’s Lodge. Breakfast was £3.70 and dinner was £7.50. I had breakfast both mornings which included, toast, muesli, yogurt, eggs and cereal. The first night I went down to the grocery store for dinner, but the second night was chicken stuffed with haggis and mashed potato and vegetables and it was delicious!!
The accommodation was great. There was a private bathroom for a room of 6 people, ample power plugs and hot water. Note: the wifi does only work in the lobby though. The bar is what makes Morag’s Lodge so much fun. It is the center of entertainment for the small town meaning there was a great bunch of people there (including locals).
Day 2 – Rougie Falls, Ullapool, Clootie Well, and Loch Ness
Rougie Falls
The first major stop was Rougie Falls, here we got to see some of Scotland’s colourful woodlands and cross the suspension bridge over the falls.
Ullapool Harbour Town
Another major stop of the day was the harbour town of Ullapool. Here we had fish and chips for lunch and sat in the sun and admired the crystal blue water.
Clootie Well
On the way back to the hostel we stopped at a Clootie Well which is a place of celtic pilgrimage where strips of clothing have been left by ill persons or their loved ones and tied to the branches of trees in hope of recovery due to the alleged healing nature of the water in the area. This was a short and somber visit but an interesting insight into celtic culture.
There was a trivia competition at Morag’s that night which was a lot of fun and a great group bonding experience. After a few drinks we also did the midnight Loch Ness plunge which was (as expected) extremely cold!
Day 3 – Scottish Highlands and Scottish Coast (Caledonian Forest, Kintail Mountains, Eilean Donan Castle, Isle of Skye)
Haggis Grove Sustainable Travel + Eilean Donan Castle
First stop of the day was Haggis Grove where we planted a tree for Stay Wild which is a charity organisation to which Haggis donates funds, to help restore the native Caledonian forest. Next was a brief stop at Eilean Donan Castle, not much time was spent here (so no time to go inside) but it did have a really lovely view.
Kintail mountains
After this we headed to a lookout over the beautiful Kintail mountains. We learned about the celtic legend of the five sisters and how they transformed into the five prominent mountains we were about to view. I really enjoyed hearing the celtic tales while driving as it made the sometimes bigger legs of the journey go past quicker (there is no obligation to listen though, people who were tired just put their headphones in or went for a power nap!).
Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye was the next destination! As soon as we reached the Isle I knew it was going to be a highlight of the trip, our first pit stop was a waterfall off the side of the road.
Trotternish Ridge
From here we went to Trotternish Ridge where we did a partial hike to get gorgeous views over the Isle. If I had more time I would have loved to have continued up and done more of this hike as it was one of my favourite activities of the tour.
Kilt Rock
After this we visited the spectacular cliffs surrounding Kilt Rock. In terms of actually getting out there and exploring the scenery of Scotland, this was by far ‘the day of jaw-dropping views’.
Sligachan River
Next stop was Sligachan River – the river of eternal youth and beauty. Once again this stop had an intriguing celtic tale surrounding it, so many of us decided to dip our heads in the water to test out the legend haha. It was a refreshingly (and freezing!).
We stopped at Bradford so we could get some cheap groceries for dinner (I really appreciated this as a backpacker on a tight budget) before we went to our accommodation on the Isle of Skye. Accommodation tonight was Saucy Mary’s Hostel – the showers here were a bit dodgy but there was a nice view from the window and it was a simple and clean room. A group of us took our groceries down to Skye Bridge for a picnic to watch sunset which was a beautiful end to the night, I cannot recommend doing this enough!
Day 4 – Scottish Highlands and Scottish Coast (Isle of Skye, Hogwarts Express and Oban)
Myself and a few others woke up early to walk up to the nearby castle ruins that were about 15 mins away before departing the Isle of Skye. On return we had breakfast at the hostel and then drove to the ferry port to catch the boat to Mallig.
Catching the Hogwarts Express (Jacobite Train)
Once in Mallig we had about an hour before catching THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS (!!!!!!!) (aka the Jacobite Train). If the capitals did not give it away, this was one of my absolute highlights of the trip. For a full detailed explanation of just how epic this optional activity was and how you can go on it even if you are not on a tour, click here. In short – arrive early to watch the train pull into the station, sit on the right-hand side of the train for the best views, and try not to geek out as much as I inevitably did haha! One of my favourite parts of the train ride was going over the Glenfinnan Viaduct which was featured in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Related Article: Catching the Real-Life Hogwarts Express through Scottish Highlands
Oban
After this amazing experience we drove to Oban, another highlight of the trip. Here we stayed at Backpackers Plus which was a simple but vibrant and sociable hostel. We visited the local attractions and had takeaway fish and chips that night. We then proceeded to have a (surprisingly!) huge night out at a Scottish caleigh in town. We were taken to the bar by a man playing bagpipes and inside there was live Scottish music and Scottish dancing lessons. After this, the place turned into a club!
Oban was one of those places that I was really surprised I had not heard of before especially considering how much I read travel blogs so I have done a detailed review of the town (and why you should definitely add it to your next Scotland trip!).
This was my favourite day of the entire trip and are two ‘must sees’ to add to your Scottish adventure even if you don’t choose to tour with Haggis Adventures.
Day 5 – Scottish Highlands: Oban, William Wordsworth, Glencoe, and Edinburgh.
Glencoe
Breakfast at Backpackers Plus was fairly simple – it included toast, cereal and juice On the way back to Edinburgh we made two important stops. The first being the magical Glencoe. Along the way we listened to the legends of the area and the feuds between the Scottish clans of McDonald and Campbell that exist to this day.
We made a special photo op stop where the filming of the James Bond blockbuster Skyfall was shot.
Our final stop on the way back to Edinburgh was to Stirling Castle where we heard all about the epic tales of William Wallace (Braveheart). Out of all the myths, legends and historical stories we heard on the trip, William Wallace is by far my favourite historical figure!
During the final leg of the journey our guides gave us recommendations of things to see and do in Edinburgh and on arrival back to the office we said our goodbyes and finished the tour!
How to Book Haggis Adventures Highland Fling Tour of Scotland
As always, remember to look out for sales as I was able to book this tour during a 20% off sale so cost of this tour for me was:
Tour + PrePaid Accommodation + Booking Fee: £263
Jacobite Train Ride: £40
For more information as to any itinerary updates, departure dates and sales visit the Haggis Adventures website page here.
Review Summary Haggis Adventures
Pros
The tour guides were enthusiastic and helpful. You get the impression that they love their jobs and often joined in on the fun (like our big night out in Oban!).
My trips before this were predominantly solo so this tour was also a great chance to meet other travellers. I feel very lucky to have spent Scotland with such fun-loving individuals!
Cons
As with all tours you will feel slightly restricted and sometimes disappointed with the time allocation of certain attractions, especially if you are like me and usually solo travel with your own itinerary. However, compared to other tours I have done Haggis did have its priorities fairly aligned to my interests which was great. This all comes down to personal preference however. Another point I will make is that you should take into consideration the price of food when budgeting for this tour as lunches and dinners are not included and the options at the hostels are not always the cheapest. If your on a budget there are regular stops at Sainsbury’s, Tesco or Co-operative where you can get a meal for less than £5.
Overall, I would not have done Scotland any other way as I had an absolute blast. The professionalism and energy of the guides was outstanding, the tour itinerary was catered to its target demographic, the people I met made the experience so special and the price was perfectly suited to my budget. As I plan to visit Ireland in the future I endeavour to use this company again because I have heard great things about their Shamrock Tours and if it is anything like Haggis, it will be an unforgettable experience!