Top 10 adventure vacations in Scotland
Scotland lends itself beautifully to adventure vacations, whether you’re an avid photographer, an active family, a winter walker or a fan of wildlife cruises. The diversity of landscapes here, from the peaks of the Cairngorms to the islands off the west coast, allows for a wide range of adventurous pursuits. Sea kayaking, tracking animals with night vision goggles, learning to dig snowholes, or hiking with a pony – Scotland is adventure central. And our expert partners are on hand to guide you, feed you, entertain you with folklore and fascinating facts, and generally ensure you have the time of your life without putting a foot wrong.
1. Cruise the Sounds of the Hebrides
The Sounds of the Inner Hebrides are the sounds of silence… broken only occasionally by the call of a seabird, the trudge of boots onto a sandy beach, the clink of glasses on the deck at sunset, or gasps as a dolphin skips through the surf. Sailing aboard a traditional wooden tall ship with just a few other passengers, you can kayak, hike or track wildlife through binoculars, your route dependent only on the weather and your own whims.
Our top trip: Hebrides cruise: Mull, Islay, Luing, Shuna and Jura
See all our trips: Scotland small ship cruising vacations
Read more: Scotland cruising travel guide
See all our trips: Scotland small ship cruising vacations
Read more: Scotland cruising travel guide
2. Photograph Scotland’s northwest coast
How do you make photography adventurous? By going so far into northwest Scotland that you’re practically in the sea, joined by a professional landscape photographer. There are a mix of challenging locations to photograph here, if you’re up for it. You’ll find yourself scrambling up a gorge to photograph Widow Falls, and hiking up the summit ridge of Stac Pollaidh to get the best shots of your surroundings.Our top trip: Scotland photography vacation, far northwest
See all our trips: Scotland special interest vacations
Read more: Scotland special interest travel guide
3. Go walking in winter
Hiking in the thick snow of the Cairngorms in winter is a challenge. But with crampons on your boots, and a professional guide at your side handling the navigation and weather assessments, you can enjoy an exhilarating sense of complete freedom. Your guide will also initiate you into vital mountain safety skills such as self-arrests using ice axes.Our top trip: Scotland winter walking vacation
See all our trips: Scotland walking vacations
Read more: Scotland travel guide
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4. Voyage to Orkney
Catch the ferry from Inverness to Orkney, an archipelago that lies off the far north-eastern tip of mainland Scotland. The biggest town, Kirkwall, makes a great base for exploring Neolithic ruins older than Stonehenge and coastal paths that wind past bird reserves and seal beaches. The best trips have some free time to wander – into a whisky distillery, perhaps, or into shops piled high with island-made smoked cheese and ginger fudge.
Our top trip: Orkney islands short break
See all our trips: Orkney vacations
Read more: Orkney travel guide
See all our trips: Orkney vacations
Read more: Orkney travel guide
5. Learn the art of snow-holing in the Cairngorms
Trekking wintery peaks in the Cairngorms during the day is one thing; learning how to stay overnight, without a tent, is quite another. Join an expert mountain leader as you dig into the snow, creating a space large enough for your group to comfortably bed down in sleeping bags while the harsh wind whistles outside. You’ll be cosy and warm inside, though, with homemade soup fresh off the stove.Our top trip: Winter trekking vacation in Scotland
See all our trips: Scottish Highlands vacations
Read more: Scottish Highlands travel guide
6. Go glamping & hiking in the Cairngorms
What’s more fun than trekking into the heart of the Scottish Highlands with your family for a few days of adventure? Doing it with a pony by your side carrying your gear, including a spacious tent. Explore one of the UK’s most biodiverse landscapes with an expert guide, picking up some fun expedition training.Our top trip: Cairngorms glamping and hiking vacation
See all our trips: Scotland walking vacations
Read more: Scotland travel guide
7. Kayak the Atlantic Coast
Few sea kayaking destinations deliver such stirring landscapes as Scotland’s Atlantic Coast. This six-day small group tour, led by an experienced guide, follows the central section of the well-known Scotland Sea Kayak Trail, begins on the Sound of Mull and taking in a number of ravishingly beautiful sea lochs, and the Arisaig skerries, home to marine wildlife including otters, seals, basking sharks and a wondrous diversity of birdlife.
Our top trip: Atlantic Coast sea kayaking vacation in Scotland
See all our trips: Sea kayaking vacations
Read more: Sea kayaking travel guide
See all our trips: Sea kayaking vacations
Read more: Sea kayaking travel guide
8. Track wildlife in the Highlands
Expert guides with an eye, and an ear, for the movements of wildlife, lead you across Scotland’s majestic Highlands across a range of fun and easygoing activities from hiking to boat trips and even sea kayaking. So that, while you’ll certainly spend a little time in specialist hides where appropriate, many of the animals you encounter from dolphins to otters and golden eagles will cross your path along the way.Our top trip: Scotland Highlands wildlife vacation
See all our trips: Scotland wildlife vacations
Read more: Scotland wildlife travel guide
9. Mountain bike across the Highlands
Discover beautiful landscapes across the Scottish Highlands that car-drivers can only dream of. On self guided mountain biking rides in the Cairngorms, uphill pedalling comes with the territory, but once you’re at the top of a pass, you get fantastic panoramic views, and a long exhilarating descent back to your lodge every night for tea and homemade cakes. Daunted by mountain biking? Think of this as ‘adventure biking’ instead – these routes take you to osprey hides, distilleries and tranquil lochs.Our top trip: Cairngorms mountain biking short break in Scotland
See all our trips: Scotland cycling vacations
Read more: Scotland cycling travel guide
10. Sail to Iceland
There are adventure vacations in Scotland and then there are adventure vacations from Scotland. If you head north from the Highlands by sailboat, you can reach the remote and windswept Faroe Islands in a couple of days. A few days later, you hit the coast of Iceland. It’s a gruelling, unforgettable way to travel . Everyone mucks in with on-board duties as the boat dodges icebergs and you flinch in the salt spray – but what an achievement at the end of it, when Iceland's east coast is in the offing.Our top trip: Scotland to Iceland sailing vacation
See all our trips: Extreme adventure vacations
Read more: Extreme adventure travel guide
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