How much does it cost?

From £2,499 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $3,376 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is train travel included?

Yes. The tour includes Standard Class travel on the Jacobite Steam Train (Fort William to Mallaig), the West Highland Line (Dumbarton to Fort William), ScotRail (Inverness to Edinburgh), plus all ferry and coach transport.

Is this tour escorted?

Yes. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from Edinburgh to Inverness, and guided tours are provided on the Isle of Lewis and in Stornoway.

Which hotels are used?

Great Rail Journeys books three and four-star hotels: the Ibis Edinburgh Centre Royal Mile (Edinburgh), Nevis Bank Inn (Fort William), The Isles of Glencoe Hotel (Ballachulish), Cabarfeidh Hotel or Caladh Inn (Stornoway), and Royal Hotel Ullapool (Ullapool).

What meals are included?

Breakfast is included every day. One lunch is provided on Day 5 at Doune Braes Hotel. Six dinners are included, at the hotels or local restaurants.

How many days and nights?

The tour is eight days and seven nights, departing from and returning to Edinburgh.

What is not included?

Cancellation and travel insurance are not included and must be arranged separately.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Lewis, Skye & the Highlands of Scotland

Eight-day escorted rail and coach journey through Scotland's Highlands and Outer Hebrides

Great Rail Journeys operates this eight-day escorted tour through the Scottish Highlands and Outer Hebrides, departing from Edinburgh and ending in Inverness. The journey combines named trains including the Jacobite Steam Train and the West Highland Line with coach and ferry travel, taking in the Isle of Lewis, Isle of Skye, and the mainland Highlands. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group throughout, and guided tours are provided on Lewis and in Stornoway. Days mix scenic rail rides and coach journeys, exploring fishing villages, standing stones, castles, and engineering landmarks such as the Falkirk Wheel. Accommodation is in three and four-star hotels, with breakfast daily, one lunch, and six dinners included. This tour suits those who prefer the structure and company of an escorted group and travellers drawn to Scottish history and landscape.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen £550 since 4 Jul, to £2,499.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 3 of 5 points are a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

The tour includes only one lunch; most other midday meals are at your own expense.
Group size can reach 40 people, making this a larger escorted party.
Luggage is transferred by coach on Day 7 while you travel by train from Inverness to Edinburgh; you rejoin it later.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Edinburgh
Arrival in Edinburgh
Meet the Tour Manager in Edinburgh and check in to the four-star hotel near the Royal Mile, with time at leisure before the first group dinner.
Day 2overnight: Fort William
Along the West Highland Line to Fort William
Visit the Kelpies steel sculptures, then continue to Glasgow to board the West Highland Line to Fort William, passing the Falls of Falloch, Rannoch Moor and Corrour station.
Day 3railovernight: Fort William
Riding the Jacobite steam train to Mallaig
Travel on the Jacobite steam train from Fort William to Mallaig, crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct, with time at leisure in Mallaig before the return journey.
Day 4overnight: Stornoway
To the Outer Hebrides via the Isle of Skye
Coach from Fort William past Eilean Donan Castle, across the Skye Bridge and the Isle of Skye past the Old Man of Storr, then a ferry from Uig to Tarbert on Harris and on to Stornoway.
Day 5overnight: Stornoway
Exploring the Isle of Lewis and Callanish Standing Stones
A guided tour of Lewis taking in the Butt of Lewis, the Port of Ness fishing village, Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, and the Callanish Standing Stones, megaliths dating back more than 5,000 years.
Day 6overnight: Inverness
Discovering Stornoway and returning to mainland Scotland
A guided tour of Stornoway, then a ferry back to the mainland at Ullapool, continuing by coach past Loch Broom to Inverness.
Day 7railovernight: Edinburgh
A journey through the Highlands to Edinburgh
Train from Inverness back to Edinburgh through the Cairngorms National Park, with the afternoon free to explore Edinburgh before the final group dinner.
Day 8
Homeward bound
After breakfast, the holiday draws to a close and you are free to make your way home or continue exploring Scotland independently.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2The West Highland Line passes Loch Lomond, the Falls of Falloch, and Rannoch Moor on the way to Fort William.
Day 3The Jacobite Steam Train travels from Fort William to Mallaig, crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct and passing Ben Nevis and Loch Eil.
Day 4Coach journey across the Isle of Skye views the Old Man of Storr and Eilean Donan Castle before ferry to the Outer Hebrides.
Day 5Guided tour of the Isle of Lewis includes the Butt of Lewis, Port of Ness fishing village, Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, and the Callanish Standing Stones.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
7 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Standard Class rail travel; all rail, ferry and coach travel throughout your tour
Breakfast each day, 1 lunch, 7 dinners
Group luggage transfers between all hotels
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £2,499 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $3,376 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is train travel included?: Yes. The tour includes Standard Class travel on the Jacobite Steam Train (Fort William to Mallaig), the West Highland Line (Dumbarton to Fort William), ScotRail (Inverness to Edinburgh), plus all ferry and coach transport.
Is this tour escorted?: Yes. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from Edinburgh to Inverness, and guided tours are provided on the Isle of Lewis and in Stornoway.
Which hotels are used?: Great Rail Journeys books three and four-star hotels: the Ibis Edinburgh Centre Royal Mile (Edinburgh), Nevis Bank Inn (Fort William), The Isles of Glencoe Hotel (Ballachulish), Cabarfeidh Hotel or Caladh Inn (Stornoway), and Royal Hotel Ullapool (Ullapool).
What meals are included?: Breakfast is included every day. One lunch is provided on Day 5 at Doune Braes Hotel. Six dinners are included, at the hotels or local restaurants.
How many days and nights?: The tour is eight days and seven nights, departing from and returning to Edinburgh.
What is not included?: Cancellation and travel insurance are not included and must be arranged separately.