From Highlands to Hebrides - A fling in bonny Scotland

Admiring another of West Harris’ beaches, I could see why someone had sneakily used a photo of this coast to market Thailand: with the paradisiacal cliché of blue sea and white sand, it was a dead ringer for Southeast Asia. Then a gust of wind interrupted my reverie, reminding me where I actually was: Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.

We’d spent almost three days on these islands of ancient tradition, arguably just as exotic, where children learned Gaelic and the most famous export - Harris tweed - was one of the world’s few cottage industries, spun in the households of weavers. Here meteor showers were at their most spectacular, ancient brochs at their best preserved and stone circles older than Stonehenge or the Pyramids. Here WW1 memorials extended to New Years’ Day 1919, commemorating the tragic Iolaire Disaster, and sculpted Kings evoked the famous 12th century chessmen found on a beach in Lewis.  

Past the bleak beauty of northern Lewis, where Stornoway gave way to peat bogs littered with bothies for sheltering peat-cutters, the scenery had become ever more mountainous on descending south and entering Harris. From here we’d sail for Skye, our final stop before returning to mainland Edinburgh, the charming Georgian capital from which our Rabbie’s journey had begun. And what a journey.

But who, you may ask, is Rabbie’s? Well it’s one of the UK’s leading tour operators, renowned for ethical small-group adventures that take travellers ‘beyond the guidebooks.’ Founded by Robin Worsop, whose vision began with an old Sherpa van back in 1993, it’s since amassed over 800,000 happy customers (not to mention an impressive clutch of awards) and now operates from several departure cities across Britain and continental Europe. The team sums it up its success here… 

Having now sampled the famous Rabbie’s recipe, I could attest to all this and more. Our kilt-sporting guide Andrew was full of interesting anecdotes; from geology to geography, history to whisky and infamous figures galore. He also had a wicked sense of humour, made ample photo stops (including some wee surprises) and gave us a handy orientation on reaching each place. Our nimble Mercedes vehicle was super comfortable - even boasting nifty USB ports - and we learned that, such is Rabbie’s ethos, guides often volunteer on local projects.

Its commitment to customer welfare also impressed me: most companies require a minimum passenger number but Rabbie’s guaranteed departures ensure that no customer will be disappointed (with many international customers, it also saves anyone booking a flight only to find out their tour has been cancelled). Another rarity is that tours don’t include accommodation - instead, customers can book their own or have Rabbie’s suggest and reserve venues based on their budget. Neither are compulsory attractions or restaurants shoehorned in, again letting customers be flexible about what they want to spend. Genius really. 

Anyway, back to the trip and Harris’ Tarbert, an isthmus named for the Vikings who used to drag their longboats from one watery side to the other. Two years ago, it had another unusual visitor in ‘Wally the walrus,’ the region’s first sighting of these Arctic creatures since the 1960s. Perhaps it was after a tipple…Tarbert is also home to the esteemed Harris distillery, currently producing a seaweed infused gin that even Harrods wanted to stock and whose 2017 ‘gin draught’ (owing to a bottle shortage) caused panic amongst locals. The distillery’s first whisky, currently in maturation, will no doubt prove as popular. 

A short ferry ride from Tarbert took us to the island of Skye, greener than its Outer Hebridean relative, and the pretty ‘capital’ of Portree, whose multicoloured harbour buildings were originally painted to ward off evil. The next day saw us explore this beguiling island of Hollywood panoramas, beaches scattered with dinosaur footprints and rocks that resemble giant kilts. Ascending the Quiraing to the sound of The Gael by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards made for a stirring pre-lunch stop; followed by an afternoon of ancient castles, lounging seals and the imposing Cuillin Mountains - one of which a barefooted Gurkha famously scaled in just 37 minutes. 

Aptly, our explorations ended in the Talisker whisky distillery, where we enjoyed a snifter and learned more about the Scottish bevy. It’s now such big business that one bottle of Scotch fetched almost £850,000 at auction. 

In fact, passing yet another distillery on our final day, we learned its product so impressed Al Capone that he used to smuggle it during the Prohibition. Now a plush hotel, it recently hosted Kanye West and - in one of his many funny stories - our guide Andrew told us that the local newspaper had given more column inches to a kayaker who rescued some sheep. Now that’s an island with its priorities right. 

After crossing the Skye bridge, accompanied by an obliging rainbow, we bid tiaraidh an dràsda to the Hebrides and madainn mhath to the Highlands. Our first day’s journey to Ullapool’s scenic fishing port and the Stornoway ferry had seen us ascend from Lowlands to High via Dunkeld, Cairngorms National Park and Loch Ness (whose celebrity monster sadly kept her distance). Passing some of Scotland’s best known trademarks - red deer, leaping salmon, verdant glens - we’d learned of everything from warring clans to eccentric armies in this bonny yet bonkers land.  

Now it was time for some further Highland exploring before making our way back to Edinburgh. First stop? The impossibly romantic Eilan Donan Castle, a favourite location for films like James Bond and Highlander - not to mention countless shortbread tins. Then came ethereal Kintail, the mythical land that spawned the legend of the five sisters, and the UK’s highest mountain Ben Nevis (thankfully no climbing involved, just an impressive viewpoint). Apparently some Dundee furniture men once took a piano up, a feat surpassed only by someone once who brought a car...needless to say, the journey uphill took a lot longer than down.

After lunch in outdoorsy hub Fort William, and a peek at the Hogwarts Express, we passed through Loch Lomond and Glen Coe; both tragically beautiful thanks to their respective tales. As the Trossachs ceded into the Lowlands area known as Scotland’s waist, Andrew told us of its skirmishes with the English before we glimpsed Doune Castle - featured in the likes of Outlander and Monty Python - and royal Stirling Castle, which witnessed Scotland’s first flying attempt in 1507 (he landed in a cowpat). Despite hitting the motorway, even our journey’s last leg was interesting, taking in Andy Scott’s sublime Kelpies and the UNESCO World Heritage Forth Bridge we’d crossed on day one. 

Arriving back into Edinburgh, even as Andrew played The Proclaimers’ upbeat I’m Gonna Be, I felt a little sad our six-day Outer Hebrides & Skye Adventure had come to an end. Not only were the places fascinating but Rabbie’s was everything I enjoyed in a tour experience. 

The plus side? Rabbie’s has recently started tours from Manchester. Split into minibus and rail journeys, these take in some of northern England’s best sights and can even be joined onto its famous tours of Scotland in case I’ve whet your appetite.

Short on time or just fancy somewhere closer to home for now? There are currently five minibus tours from Manchester, ranging from one day to three. One-day locations include Derbyshire delights like Castleton, Bakewell, Poole’s Cavern and Peak District; the stunning timbered city of Chester and nearby North Wales, home to the likes of Snowdonia National Park and Conwy Castle; and Lancaster and the Lake District, including England’s largest lake Windermere. Highlights on the three-day trips often take in a mixture, with highlights spanning Chatsworth to York and Robin Hood’s Bay.

The Lake District Explorer, meanwhile, is the basis for tours involving rail: this three-day tour returns to Manchester from Penrith, while all others go onto Scotland. At six days or more, longer tours include many locations I visited plus others like Arran, Islay and Mull; alongside special interest options like whisky, castles and Outlander. All finish in Edinburgh, from which you’re free to grab a ticket home or carry on exploring...perhaps even with another Rabbie’s tour, one that starts from Edinburgh like mine did. 

As for me, I’m already planning my next adventure. 

PS: I learned so many interesting things on my Rabbie’s Scotland tour that I couldn’t resist sharing 10 of my favourite facts and figures…