The Dramatic Landscape of the Northwest and Islands of Scotland

Scotland | Sep 6 - Sep 23, 2026

We only had a one-night stay at the Rocpool Reserve. The room was very attractive and unique in that the bathroom was downstairs from the bedroom. The bathroom was the most spacious I've ever encountered! Going downstairs when nature calls in the middle of the night might not be to everyone's liking. Other rooms may not have this same configuration. It was in a convenient location for us to explore Inverness on the afternoon of our arrival. Breakfast in the morning was excellent.

Forss House is tucked away in the woods off the main highway. The main house has 4 or 5 rooms and there are also cottages, popular with the fishing crowd. Our room in the main house was spacious and comfortable. For dining, there is a dining room and a conservatory (a glassed-in porch) which was especially nice for breakfast. We had dinner at the hotel that was orchestrated very well. We began in the Bar where we were served Champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Then went into the dining room for dinner. The food was exceptional. We wandered the grounds and enjoyed the waterfall and the meandering river. The gardens around the house are lovely.

Perfectly nice hotel. Room was on the small side. Lobby and public areas make it clear that this area is ideal for fishing.

Our room was absolutely gorgeous. It felt more like a suite with a small hallway leading off the bedroom to the spacious bathroom that had both a shower and free-standing bathtub. The food is amazing. We had 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts there. Dinner is a series of small courses which can be paired with wines for each course. Unique to this hotel is that breakfast is fixed and presented as small courses much like as the dinner. but with breakfast type food/dishes. No wine at breakfast!

Broad Bay House is located 15 minutes north of Stornoway and was built to be a Bed and Breakfast rather than converting a private home to such. On our first night's stay we enjoyed a sharing platter of seafood for dinner. It was ample, attractively presented, and very good. On specific nights they serve a plated dinner but our stay didn't coincide with this option,

We had a very brief stay from early evening to early morning as we were transitioning from our stay on Harris and Lewis to heading towards the Applecross penninsula.

This was quite exceptional between the stately, elegant stone building, the carriage houses, and the property with walking trails.

As we only had one night's stay, it's a bit harder to rate this hotel in its entirety. We didn't take advantage of the spa. We had dinner in the more casual restaurant, the Deck. We did wander around the island and enjoyed the views and encounters with both farm and wildlife. Our room was a bit on the small side and quite a climb to via a steep stairway.

Our room was okay and the bathroom quite small. It took a very long time for the shower to get hot water. PIllows were not very "fluffy" but we had been spoiled by previous hotels on this trip. By the same token, the more simple accommodation was just fine and seemed completely suited to the locale and flavor of Port Charlotte in a good way.

With only a stay of about 17 hours, it is difficult to give much detail. Nevertheless, the interior had recently been updated and highlighted the interests, hobbies, and personalities of members of the Colcuhoun family who have been in the luss area for centuries.

We had good weather although the wind was blowing furiously. We were past the seabird nesting time but saw a number of seabirds flying about. It's worth the walk to see the stacks.

Single track roads galore. Two great stops: Strathnaber Museum (the story of the clearances told well) and Smoo Cave (wild to see a river disappear into a cave).

Ullapool is a nice town that occasionally gets cruise ships so the shopping along the waterfront is geared to tourism. The shops are more reasonable and of strictly local fare than some cruise ports we've experienced. From Ullapool we visited the Corrieshalloch Gorge and Nature Reserve which is a must see.

Took a look. Pretty but did not blow our socks off (even the though the wind was blowing hard enough to do so).

The Summer Isles Boat Trip had to be canceled due to rough winds and water, but we were able to go on the Whale and Dolphin cruise later in the afternoon in a high-speed RIB boat. No whales spotted but playful dolphins kept us entertained. We also saw Common Seals resting on the rocks.

This was exceptional. Our guide took us on a wonderful hike on the Shieldaig Penninsula. We learned a lot and we quite on the same page in terms of interests and what mattered most to us.

We were picked up at our B&B at 10 am and proceeded to the very northern tip of the island to see the lighthouse and the dramatic cliffs in strong winds. From there we made a brief stop at the Port of Ness, formerly a herring fishing port. Next we visited a small, but mighty museum, Comunn Eachdraidh Nis that highlights the local history. A small cafe provided a delicious lunch. Moving down the west coast, we visited the Clach An Truishal Standing Stone, The Shieling Barvas and Brue, Whalebone Arch, Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, a Harris Tweed factory, and Dun Carloway Broch.

Day 2 with our driver, Donald, we toured around the coast of Harris. Because it is so mountainous, there isn't the same level of historic sights as on Lewis. The one historical site is St. Clement's Church with 15th century carvings and graves within. The west coast of Harris offered beautiful beaches.

This was well worth a visit. We were fortunate to get good weather (meaning only a little rain). I highly recommend this reserve. As we are birdwatchers, we did have some nice birding along the Fern Walk. Combined with the path to the suspension bridge across the gorge, it makes for a long enough walk to work of that morning porridge with cream and honey.

Even though I'm not much of a whisky drinker, this tour was very well done. Very cleverly, they provide everyone (except the designated driver) a lanyard that supports a whisky tasking glass. As the tour progressed we sampled whiskies along the way.