Skye and the West Highlands of Scotland
September 5 - 13, 2026
Overview
The Highlands of Scotland is one of Europe’s most dramatic and romantic landscapes. From historic castles to neolithic ruins to rugged coastline to crystal clear lochs, the Highlands offers a visual feast like no other.
Its centerpiece is the renowned Isle of Skye. Join us for 8 nights and 9 days for an in-depth exploration of the island and the surrounding coastline. We’ll visit the best-known monuments and viewpoints but also go off the beaten track to explore the lesser-known corners of the region. Every day will be filled with photographic and creative opportunities with Alan at your side providing photographic know-how, experience and a light-hearted approach to honing your photographic voice. Alan’s wife, Julie, will be along to help make the experience both memorable and stress-free.
Our Trip
Our adventure begins and ends in Inverness, the charming capital of the Highlands. Our amazing and expert guides will pick us up at our hotels the morning of September 5th and point our comfortable 9-seater vans towards Skye. We’ll stop in the pretty village of Plockton via picturesque Eilean Donan Castle and wind up in Glenelg with its Iron Age brochs. From there, we’ll take the historic Glenelg ferry for the short trip across the water to Skye.
For the next four days, we’ll explore Skye, from the ruined Dunscaith Castle on its rocky promontory, to the spectacular Torrin Pools framed by the Cuillins, to the extraordinary volcanic landscape of the Quiraing, Flora Macdonald’s grave, Dunvegan Castle and the small isle of Raasay just off the coast.
From Skye, we’ll head to the charming fishing port of Mallaig on the west coast. From old crofting villages, lovely white sand beaches and romantic castles, Mallaig is the perfect base for exploring the West Highlands. We’ll also enjoy a train journey along the famous route through Glenfinnan to Fort William, crossing the viaduct made famous by the Harry Potter films.
After three days of exploring and photography, our guides will turn the vans for “home,” taking us through the Great Glen and back to Inverness.
Partners/spouses are absolutely welcome on the trip and typically join the group on all the adventures. Our itinerary is designed to be not only visually of interest, but also culturally and historically interesting, and our non-photographers have enjoyed our locations as much as the photographers.
If your preferred medium is more along the lines of paper and pencil, charcoals, or pastels rather than film or pixels, you are also welcome on this adventure. We’ve had several sketch artists join us on previous trips and while the itinerary doesn’t allow for an entire day at one location, it does allow for anywhere from an hour to several hours, which has proven to be ample time for an artist to capture the essence of the location.
Our travel partner for this adventure is the exceptional Scottish Clans and Castles, a small travel firm specializing in custom tours based on an insiders’ knowledge to create one-of-a-kind and off-the-beaten-path experiences. They have been part of our trips since 2019. If you’d like to extend your stay in Scotland, they can create a custom itinerary for you that takes into consideration any clan connections or areas of interest. The itinerary can be self-driving, or Clans and Castles can provide an expert guide/driver to transport you around to the various locations.
Pricing and Payment
Due to the small nature of most lodging in the Highlands, our group is limited to 12 participants. Price is $6,400 per person double occupancy and $6,900 per person single occupancy and is based on roughly six solo participants and six participants sharing rooms.
A deposit of $1,500 per person is required to hold your spot. The balance is due no later than June 1, 2026 and may be made in multiple payments. If you need to cancel before June 1, $750 will be refunded. If we can fill your spot, the full deposit will be refunded. Because of the advance planning and deposits required, if the cancellation is after June 1, we will not be able to fund any of the workshop fee.
Checks, Veno, Zelle and Apple Pay are greatly appreciated, but payment can also be made by credit card through the website with either Shopify or PayPal.
On the unlikely chance that we need to cancel the workshop for any reason, you will be refunded the full workshop fee.
Important Note: In order to keep cost in line with previous adventures, we have priced this trip based on a full group of 12, and with a mix of double and single occupancy rooms.
Included:
- Eight nights lodging in unique country house hotels and inns. All rooms with private bath. Please note that some rooms may be cozy and that some of these hotels may not have elevators, so you may need to take a stairway or two to get to your room. There is always someone to help with luggage.
- Nine full days of photographic adventure, instruction and support
- All location and entrance fees
- All breakfasts
- Ground transportation in comfortable 8-passenger mini-vans
- Ferries
- Local, knowledgeable and fun guides/drivers
Not Included:
- Transportation to and from the Inverness airport to hotels
- Passport
- Airfare and related taxes or fees
- Meals not mentioned above
- Gratuities for guides and hotel staff
- Personal expenses, services or purchases
- Travel/cancellation insurance (highly recommended)
Other Information:
- Our arrival and departure airport is Inverness. You should plan to arrive no later than September 4th. Hotel suggestions will be offered upon registration. Your rooms for the nights of the 4th and 13th are your responsibility.
- Our adventure finishes on the morning of September 13thin Mallaig, on the famous “Road to the Isles.” Guests will have the option of traveling with our guides back to Inverness, a scenic journey with great attractions along the way, or extending their tour of Scotland. Suggestions include the Isle of Skye, the Isles of Lewis and Harris or even a visit to the north coast. We are happy to advise and help with arrangements as requested.
- Bring layers of clothing and comfortable walking shoes. The weather in the Highlands is unpredictable, even in September. The chance of rain is always there, so waterproof gear for you and your camera is recommended.
- Any camera is welcome…from large format to DSLR to mirrorless to iPhone. If you want help with post processing or other image review, a laptop is recommended but not essential.
- We select a mix of locations as photo and visual opportunities while keeping open ad hoc options as they arise. To make the most of Scotland’s dramatic scenery and historic sites, some of these involve short 5 – 10-minute walks. We endeavor to make sure none of this is arduous, and guests always have the option of staying with the vans (and our drivers can sometimes make alternative excursions). Please let us know if you have mobility issues or restrictions so that we can take them into account.
- A month before departure, you’ll receive additional information to help you prepare for our adventure. From camera gear advice to packing suggestions, you’ll get lots of guidance to ensure your trip is one of learning and image making instead of problems and hassles.
