West Highlands and the Isle of Skye (self-drive tour)

Leave Loch Lomond and drive further north to Glencoe, where you'll meet your private guide for the next three days. You’ll then head into the heart of Glencoe for a short but fairly steep hike to the Lost Valley, where the MacDonald clan used to hide their rustled cattle. A picnic lunch is included.

Spend most of the day hiking. You’ll head up and over the highest pass of the West Highland Way. Weather allowing, you'll have fantastic views across the surrounding mountains, including toward Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. A picnic lunch is included. On reaching a small village at the head of Loch Leven, you'll be collected and driven back toward your hotel. En route, stop at a climbers' inn to meet a local storyteller, who'll regale you with tales about Glencoe.

Enjoy another day of hiking, deciding for yourself on the length and difficulty of your route, which will also depend on the weather. You could aim to hike one of Glencoe's summits to finish your three-day walking trip on a literal high. A picnic lunch is included.

Make your way to Fort William today to board the Jacobite Steam Train, better known as the Hogwarts Express! You'll cross over the Glenfinnan Viaduct while taking in impressive views. The roundtrip journey will return you to Fort William and you will make your way back to your hotel in Glencoe.

Leave Glencoe and drive on the 'road to the Isles' out to Mallaig this morning, to board the ferry across to Skye. Once you've checked into your waterfront hotel, which has views across to the mountains, you have the rest of the day to begin exploring the island by yourself. Portree, the main town on Skye, isn't far away, or you could head into the Cuillin Hills for some hiking.

Explore Skye’s northern peninsula, which has some of the island's most eye-catching rock formations and best views. Following the area’s extensive trails, you'll pass the distinctive rocky outcrops of Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing, which are popular filming locations, and see a waterfall cascading directly into the sea, as well as a beach where dinosaur footprints are visible at low tide. As you round the north of the peninsula, make your way to Dunvegan Castle. Here, you can take a short boat trip out to spot seals and take in views of the castle from the water, as invaders would once have done. Back on land, explore the castle and its gardens and meet the estate manager for a wee dram of whisky in the Great Hall.

Meet your private guide this morning for a hike through Skye's spectacular landscapes. In the afternoon, meet the Eilean Donan's master distiller to learn about the art and process of gin distilling, before having a go at creating your own.

Drive across the Skye Bridge this morning to the waterside village of Plockton. Here, you’ll meet your private kayaking guide and head out into the bay to explore the surrounding coves and beaches, with a backdrop of islands and mountains across the water. Later, drive through the central Highlands to Pitlochry, just south of the Cairngorms National Park, for your final night.

Leave Pitlochry and make your way home. Your return flight will arrive the same day.