Rail tour in North Highlands & Orkney

Planet

This tour is carefully planned and organised so that clients can access remote areas without the need for a car. We are expanding our range of public transport vacations for those who actively choose low-carbon transport.

This guided tour has been designed to allow you to explore much of Scotland, traveling from Inverness to Helmsdale, Dunrobin to Thurso and Tain to Inverness by train. It takes you beyond the end of the train lines, through the careful addition of short taxi transfers and guided mini-coach tours.

Access to Orkney is via ferry, from Scrabster to Stromness and Burwick to John o'Groats.

We choose our business partners carefully, checking that they share our values of sustainable and responsible travel. For us, true sustainability means promoting and maintaining a way of life in remote and often rural locations.

We are corporate members of the John Muir Trust, an organisation committed to protecting the Scottish Highlands and islands. We are also members of AITO, The Specialist Travel Association, and adhere to their strict code of conduct.

The internet is our main marketing channel. We produce limited printed materials for past customers and inquirers and our preferred method is to supply vacation documents via an app. We make sure any leftover marketing materials are recycled.

People

We prefer to work with locally-owned and managed businesses in order to provide an authentic experience in each destination. All transfers and tours are conducted by local people who share our values and commitment to sustainable travel. Wherever available, we partner with small, usually family-owned accommodation in each location.

The meals included in this tour are in local hotels and restaurants. Each menu focuses on local specialties, with ingredients coming from the local area as much as possible.

We strive to ensure that interaction with the local community is always at the heart of the experience. Our day excursion in Orkney is led by a local expert, who has years of experience and knows the destination inside out.

We directly employ a small team in central Glasgow who travel to work by public transport, cycling or on foot. Each member of our staff undertakes at least two educational visits in a year, so we can always recommend and include the best local restaurants and experiences. We stick to our promise that we won’t send you anywhere we haven’t been ourselves. The whole team share our values of environmental and sustainable responsibility.