Castles · Tour

Torridon, Applecross and Eilean Donan on the North Coast 500

This is the Eilean Donan day that does not go to Skye. Eleven hours west and north instead, through Torridon and over to Applecross, on roads that most visitors to the Highlands never see. The group is capped at 16 in a mini-coach, with a driver who is also the guide, which matters on single track roads. The route takes in the Beinn Eighe ridge and Loch Maree, then the single track road through one of Scotland's National Nature Reserves, where the guide covers the woodland regeneration going on there and the native pines. Shieldaig comes next, for refreshments before one of the most twisting roads in the country, which has a fair claim to being the most photographed stretch of the North Coast 500. Applecross is the midday stop, with an ancient chapel and a pub known for its seafood; lunch is bought there. Eilean Donan closes the day, on its island in Loch Duich, reached by bridge. You can go into the castle or stay at the visitor centre, which has a café, a shop and toilets, and the guide has the bloodier parts of its history either way. The road back to Inverness passes the Five Sisters of Kintail, Glenshiel, Loch Ness and the Great Glen. Meet your Rabbie's guide at the bus stop next to Inverness Cathedral, Ardross Street, IV3 5NS, 15 minutes before departure.