Wilderness Scotland is the only activity provider to hold VisitScotland's 5-star quality assurance award. Since 2001, we have been providing an inspiring range of walking, sea kayaking and adventure holidays in the most remote and beautiful regions of the Scottish Highlands and Islands. In recognition of our inspiring trips and strong sustainability credentials, National Geographic ranked Wilderness Scotland as one of 'the best adventure travel companies on earth'.
Our guided trips have a maximum group size of 8 people, which makes for a better all-round experience. With over 40 guided itineraries to choose from, covering activities such as walking and hiking, sea kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking and sailing, you can be sure of finding a trip that suits your interests and experience. We also offer self-guided walking holidays and a tailor-made service for private groups.
Our innovative adventures include sailing on a traditional yacht to the mystical archipelago of St Kilda, sea kayaking in the clear crystal waters of the Sound of Arisaig, and walking in the wilderness of the Knoydart Peninsula. Designed for active individuals who are seeking inspirational and connected travel experiences, our adventures are delivered with style, comfort and wilderness rolled into one.
Activities available
Family Holidays
Wilderness Scotland offers a dedicated range of family holidays in Scotland. These include both small group trips where you join up with other families, and also private itineraries where you have your own guide to lead the activities at the right level for you. The group trips are designed for families with children aged 10-16 years old while private trips can be designed for families with children of any age.
Popular activities include canoeing and sea kayaking, nature walks and mountain biking. Private yacht charters can be an exciting and novel option for families and is a great way to explore Scotland's coastline and islands. Our family holidays are all about getting out and about in the great outdoors and enjoying them together as a family.
Canoeing
Wilderness Scotland offers the largest selection of canoe holidays in Scotland, with trips to suit every ability from complete novice to seasoned expert, including a special range of trips for families. The trips explore Scotland's beautiful lochs and rivers with popular destinations including the River Spey, the Great Glen (including Loch Ness), and the West Highlands. Many of our trips combine canoeing with hiking, allowing us to access remote peaks by canoe. Each holiday is graded to allow you to choose a trip which matches your interest and ability.
We offer 5 different canoeing itineraries as well as options for private groups of 4 or more people travelling together. Our canoe trips are wilderness expeditions involving wild camping in remote locations. This is an essential component of the canoeing experience. However, we can also offer bespoke trips based from small hotels on request.
Canoeing is a wonderful activity for families and we offer one itinerary which is specifically for families - canoeing through Loch Ness on a 4 day journey. This is great fun and a real adventure for all the family!
Sea Kayaking
Wilderness Scotland offers the largest selection of sea kayaking holidays in Scotland, with trips to suit every ability from complete novice to seasoned expert, including a special range of trips for families. The trips explore Scotland's beautiful coastlines with popular destinations including Torridon and Applecross, the Sound of Arisaig, Skye, the Summer Isles and the Outer Hebrides. Each holiday is graded to allow you to choose a trip which matches your interest and ability.
We offer 8 different sea kayaking itineraries as well as options for private groups of 4 or more people travelling together. Many of the trips are expedition style but our skills focussed trips are accommodation based so that participants know there is always somewhere warm and dry to return to at the end of the day. New for 2011 is a trip called "The Scottish Sea Kayak Trail" which enjoys accommodation in small inns and hotels while experiencing some of the best sea kayaking in Scotland!
Sea kayaking is a wonderful way to discover Scotland. Imagine exploring uninhabited islands, wild coastlines, rock arches and white-sand beaches; and enjoying close encounters with seals, dolphins and even (harmless!) basking sharks! This is why Scotland is world-renowned for offering some of the best sea kayaking on the planet.
Walking
Wilderness Scotland offers walking and hiking holidays all across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, including Cairngorms National Park, Assynt and Glen Affric as well as islands such as Skye, the Outer Hebrides, the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Isles. Each holiday is graded to allow you to choose a trip which matches your interest and ability.
Our range of Wilderness Walking holidays offer you the chance to discover Scotland's wild places on foot. These are guided walking holidays with a maximum group size of just 8 clients. With 8 trips to choose from, each exploring a different region of Scotland, you will enjoy outstanding walks each day, led by Scotland's best guides. But these trips are not just about the walks. Accommodation is in carefully selected guest houses and small hotels, with a reputation for mouth-watering meals, so you will be well looked after both on and off the hills.
Winter Mountaineering
Wilderness Scotland offers an exciting range of winter walking breaks which are designed to develop your winter walking skills, while enjoying some superb guided hiking to the snowy summits. Our trips visit regions such as the Cairngorms National Park, Ben Nevis and the remote Knoydart peninsula in the West Highlands.
These are short breaks of 3 or 4 nights but provide the perfect escape for a few days in the mountains. You do need a good level of fitness to join these trips - but regular hikers will enjoy the challenge of this. Some trips are suitable for novices while others are aimed at people with some experience.
Ski Touring
Ski touring in Scotland is a fantastic way to explore the winter mountains of Scotland. Our trips are designed to teach competent skiers (who are already comfortable skiing red runs on piste) the basic skills to allow them to venture off-piste and explore the backcountry.
These trips are for people who are already competent skiers but would like to discover the enjoyment of cutting fresh tracks on pristine powder. There is a lot more to skiing in Scotland than the pisted runs and touring conditions have been superb in Scotland recently, so make this the winter that you venture into the backcountry!
Photography
Wilderness Scotland offers photography holidays across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, including trips to Knoydart, the Isle of Skye and Assynt. Each holiday is graded to allow you to choose a trip which matches your interest and ability.
Our photography holidays in Scotland are designed to help you discover Scotland's wild places and wild light, and develop your photography skills under the supervision of our expert photography coaches. Many of our photography holidays are guided by Colin Prior, the foremost landscape photographer in the UK. The photography holidays combine practical instruction in wild places as well as relaxed evening seminars back at the small hotel or guest house accommodation. The trips are not graded as much of the tuition is done on a one-to-one basis.
These trips are a rewarding way to spend time in the great outdoors, while learning new skills and enjoying all the comforts that you would expect from a Wilderness Scotland holiday.
Multi-Activity
Wilderness Scotland offers a wide range of multi-activity holidays across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Many of these trips combine walking or hiking with another activity such as sailing or canoeing, with the activities creating a journey through Scotland's wild places. Each holiday is graded to allow you to choose a trip which matches your interest and ability.
Sailing Holidays
We offer a number of sailing holidays which allow you to explore Scotland's spectacular west coast and islands from the sea. Some trips combine sailing with guided hikes on some of the islands we visit - a fabulous way to explore. Popular destinations include St Kilda, the Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides including Skye, Mull and the Small Isles.
We offer 5 small group itineraries to choose from, based from 3 very different yachts - a 70 year old gaff cutter offering traditional sailing, a 67 ft steel cutter which is a former round-the-world racing yacht, and a 65 ft steel-hulled yacht which is well suited to novices. We also offer private charters on all of these yachts and others too - private charters are available for groups of 2 or more people, although are more commonly taken by groups of 4 or more people.
Trip highlights include exploring remote islands which are not served by a ferry service, encountering a vast array of extraordinary bird and marine life, enjoying locally sourced cuisine and experiencing genuine island culture.
Mountain Biking
Wilderness Scotland offers mountain biking holidays all across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, including Cairngorms National Park, Torridon, the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides. Each holiday is graded to allow you to choose a trip which matches your interest and ability.
Our guided mountain biking holidays are designed to take riders away from the purpose built centres to explore Scotland's wonderful, natural, backcountry trails. From technical rides on Skye and the Outer Hebrides to our classic Coast to Coast trip, come and discover why Scotland is consistently voted the best destination in the world for mountain biking.
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