7-Day Islay Whisky Tour & Isle of Skye: Private Itinerary
7-Day Islay Whisky Tour & Isle of Skye: Private Itinerary
Three nights on Islay for Bowmore, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg, then Glencoe, Glenfinnan and the Isle of Skye, with your own guide.
- 7 days · 6 nights
- Private guide & vehicle
- Islay distilleries
- Two nights on Skye
Scotland’s whisky island and the Isle of Skye in one week. This private itinerary sails to Islay for three nights among its famous distilleries, tours Oban Distillery on the way north, then crosses Glencoe and Glenfinnan to the Isle of Skye, and comes home by Eilean Donan Castle and Loch Ness.
It’s a sample, not a fixed package. Your own guide and tour coordinator will reshape the route, pace, distilleries and places to stay around your group.
Your 7-day Islay & Skye itinerary at a glance
Places to stay are rough areas only; we’ll choose your accommodation with you. Tap the map to explore each day’s stops, or open it full screen. The route is flexible, and your guide can adjust the order and stops on the day.
| Day | Route | Where you could stay |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Loch Lomond → Inveraray Castle → Tarbert → ferry to Islay | Islay: Bowmore area |
| Days 2–3 | Bowmore Distillery → Laphroaig → Lagavulin → Ardbeg | Islay: Bowmore area |
| Day 4 | Ferry → Kilmartin Glen → Oban Distillery → Kilchurn Castle → Killin → Balquhidder | Loch Lomond & The Trossachs: Killin or Callander area |
| Day 5 | Rannoch Moor → Glencoe → Fort William → Glenfinnan → ferry to Skye | Isle of Skye: Portree area |
| Day 6 | Dunvegan Castle → Old Man of Storr → Kilt Rock → Duntulm Castle → Fairy Glen | Isle of Skye: Portree area |
| Day 7 | Skye Bridge → Eilean Donan Castle → Loch Ness → Creag Meagaidh → Pitlochry → home | Home |
The 7-day Islay whisky & Skye itinerary, day by day
Day 1Loch Lomond, Inveraray and the ferry to Islay
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs · Inveraray Castle · Tarbert Castle · ferry to Islay · Bowmore
From your pick-up, we head north into Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park and see the geological line that separates the Highlands from the Lowlands. Then we turn west for Inveraray Castle, home of the chief of Clan Campbell, once Scotland’s most powerful clan.
Next is the ruined Royal Castle of Tarbert, with views over the harbour town, before the ferry to Islay, about two hours. We head straight to Bowmore, your base for the island.
Days 2–3Islay: Bowmore, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg
Bowmore Distillery · Laphroaig · Lagavulin · Ardbeg · Islay’s coast
Two days on Scotland’s whisky island. We start with a tour of Bowmore Distillery to learn how whisky is made from start to finish.
Then it’s the Islay way: a walk that takes in three famous distilleries, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and finally Ardbeg, along the island’s south coast. We’ll pick you up from the last distillery and bring you back to Bowmore.
Day 4Kilmartin Glen, Oban and Rob Roy country
Ferry to the mainland · Dunadd Fort · Nether Largie standing stones · Oban Distillery · Kilchurn Castle · Falls of Dochart · Balquhidder Glen
An early ferry takes us back to the mainland and north to Kilmartin Glen: Dunadd Fort, heart of the ancient kingdom of Dal Riata, and the Nether Largie standing stones. The whisky doesn’t stop on Islay: in Oban, Scotland’s seafood capital, we tour Oban Distillery.
Kilchurn Castle, once a Clan Campbell stronghold, stands at the head of Loch Awe, Scotland’s longest freshwater loch. In the national park we see the Falls of Dochart at Killin, where you may see salmon leaping, visit Rob Roy MacGregor’s grave and walk to a clan rallying point in Balquhidder Glen.
Day 5Glencoe, Glenfinnan and over the sea to Skye
Rannoch Moor · Three Sisters of Glencoe · Fort William & Ben Nevis · Glenfinnan Viaduct · Mallaig ferry
We leave the national park across Rannoch Moor to the Three Sisters of Glencoe, the story of the Glencoe massacre and the replica turf house at the visitor centre, then pass Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, at Fort William.
At the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the “Harry Potter bridge”, we hear about Bonnie Prince Charlie. Then it’s the ferry from Mallaig, about 30 minutes, to the Isle of Skye and two nights in Portree.
Day 6Isle of Skye: Dunvegan, the Storr and the Fairy Glen
Dunvegan Castle · Old Man of Storr · Kilt Rock & Mealt Falls · Duntulm Castle · Fairy Glen
A full day on Skye: Dunvegan Castle and its fairy stories, then north past the Old Man of Storr to Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls. The clifftop ruin of Duntulm Castle tells of the feuds between the MacLeods and MacDonalds, and the Fairy Glen ends the day before an evening in Portree.
Day 7Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness and home
Skye Bridge · Eilean Donan Castle · Fort Augustus & Loch Ness cruise · Creag Meagaidh · Pitlochry
We cross the Skye Bridge to Eilean Donan Castle, then cruise on Loch Ness from Fort Augustus. After a walk in the rewilding landscape of Creag Meagaidh and a stop in Pitlochry, we drop you off at the end of your tour.
Ways to tailor this itinerary
Choose your distilleries
Swap or add distilleries on Islay and along the way, including private or specialist tours.
Where you stay
From luxury castles and manor houses to cosy Highland B&Bs. If you’ve already booked your accommodation, we’ll plan around it.
Islands instead of Skye
Swap Skye for Mull and Iona with our 8-day Islay, Mull & Iona itinerary.
Pick-up anywhere
Start and finish in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, an airport or anywhere else in Scotland.
What a 7-day private tour costs
Usually included
- Your own expert guide for the whole trip
- A private vehicle, fuel, taxes and associated costs
- Accommodation (unless you’d rather book your own)
- Entry to the places you visit
- Planning, booking and organising by your own tour coordinator
- 24/7 support throughout your trip
Not included
- Food and drink
Typical total for the whole group for trips of 6 to 8 days, based on bespoke private tours booked with us over the last two years. Group size, your choice of accommodation, the season and the experiences you add can change the price a lot, so treat this as a guide and tell us your budget.
What our private guests say
Six women traveled through Scotland and Jim was the best! Beforehand we worked with Scotlands Wild on the itinerary, wanting to see more nature and active hikes than castles and distilleries (though we did do a couple of castles). We started in Glasgow, drove north seeing Loch Lomond, Oban, Isle of Skye, Glencoe, Inverness, Loch Ness, Ft William and many other interesting sites along the way. … Ended in Edinburgh and were sad to leave him.
We recently did a private 5-day highland tour using Scotland's Wild. From first contact they were helpful, cheerful, professional and excited we were booking with them. … First, to have a van to ourselves for 5 days was AWESOME! Our itinerary was built just for us and our interests, which was also great. But Matt DELIVERED.
We did a private tour, and it was so amazing!! Aila was a wonderful tour guide, and made the experience 5 stars for us. She was so knowledgeable, and made sure we saw everything we wanted to see. I highly recommend taking any of their tours and having an adventure of a lifetime.
7-day Islay & Skye tour FAQs
Can we change this 7-day itinerary?
Yes. This is a sample to give you ideas, not a fixed package. We’ll change the route, the pace, the number of days and where you stay to suit your group.
Where does the tour start and finish?
Wherever suits you. As it’s a private tour, we pick you up and drop you off anywhere in Scotland, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness or the airport.
How much does a 7-day private tour of Scotland cost?
Bespoke private tours of this length (trips of 6 to 8 days) typically cost £10,000–£15,000 in total for the whole group, based on tours booked with us over the last two years. Group size, accommodation, the season and the experiences you choose can change this a lot, so tell us your budget and we’ll plan around it.
What’s included?
Your own guide and private vehicle (with fuel and taxes), planning and booking by your tour coordinator, and 24/7 support. Most bespoke tours also include your accommodation and entry to the places you visit. Food and drink are not included.
Which Islay distilleries do we visit?
On this sample route you tour Bowmore Distillery, then walk between Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg on the south coast of Islay. We can change the distilleries to suit your taste.
Is this itinerary suitable for a family or a large group?
Yes. Most of our private groups are 2 to 8 people, and we also plan tours for solo travellers and groups of 16 or more. Tell us who’s travelling and we’ll plan the vehicle and accommodation around you.
Plan your 7-day private Islay & Skye tour
Tell us your dates, who’s travelling and what you’d love to see. Your tour coordinator will use it to start shaping a plan around your group.
