Clan Mackay Tour from Inverness – 10 to 11 hrs
Enjoy the Private Group Clan Mackay Day Tour which leaves from Inverness. The Inverness Tour Guides entertain and share local knowledge while you travel in style and comfort in our air conditioned vehicles. Tours priced for up to 7 passengers.
Visit amazing locations; Falls of Shin, Durness, Smoo Cave, Tongue Strathnaver Museum and Grummore. Hear the stories of the clan as we drive along.
Departure
Collection from within 16 miles of Inverness included in the price.
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£600.00 11 hours
Clan Mackay Tour from Inverness – Itinerary
For the Clan Mackay Tour from Inverness we head north through the Struie Hills. Great views of the Dornoch Firth from a mountain location. We stop at the beautiful Falls of Shin, because of the short but lovely walk to a viewing platform. Heading up Loch Shin, northwest from Lairg this tour passes through beautiful and rugged scenery before and after reaching Mackay Country. In Durness we visit Smoo Cave and then head eastwards along some of the finest scenery of the north coast. At Tongue we see Ben Hope and Ben Loyal and carry on, to Bettyhill. We visit the Strathnaver Museum because it is essentially the Clan Mackay Museum, before turning southwards for our return.
Falls of Shin
The River Shin cascades prettily down Achany Glen. The largest cascade – the Falls of Shin – is one of the best places in Scotland to see Atlantic salmon leaping. The most likely time to see them attempt to leap up the Falls is between May and September. This is the main reason people like to stop here – but the site’s popularity has led to the establishment of gift shop and coffee shop too. As a result, this makes a very good location for a short break on the route north.
Durness
Durness is the most north-westerly village in the UK. The name is Norse – Drya Ness, meaning wolf-cape, because this area was, in the past, the haunt of wolf packs. John Lennon of Beatles fame had an auntie in Durness and there is a garden in his memory near the village hall. Durness is also the home of Scotland’s most northerly golf course, where the ninth hole is a 155 yard drive across an inlet of the Atlantic.
Smoo Cave
Smoo has the the largest entrance of any sea-cave in Britain. Its vast interior is floodlit and the innermost depths can only be explored by boat. Recent excavations show that the cave was in use 6000 years ago by the earliest settlers in the north. Smoo is a Norse name meaning creek or cleft. A river thunders through the roof of the second chamber into a deep pool and as a result the innermost depths require a boat. The third chamber is full of stalagtites.
Tongue
Tongue is an attractive village on the Kyle of Tongue on the north coast. Being located in a limestone area, the surroundings are a little like a fertile oasis on the north coast – green fields and native woodland. The Vikings settled here and may have built nearby Castle Varrich. The village and castle then became the main centre of power for Clan Mackay. It was 1828, however, before Tongue could be reached by road. Prior to that it’s only links were by sea. St Andrews Church in Tongue has several Mackay plaques, and is a good visit because of the Mackay tartan on show.
Strathnaver Museum
Strathnaver Museum is located in the old parish church in Bettyhill. It is a fascinating stop, primarily telling the tragic story of the Highland Clearances. There are many other displays within its walls in addition, however. We enjoy the displays on the Picts, and in a totally different field the information on the ecology of the Peatlands. However there are also fine displays about crofting life in general and about Clan Mackay in particular.
Strathnaver and Grummore
Mackay Country was badly affected by the Highland Clearances, happening between the 1790’s and 1880’s. This was the wholesale forcible eviction and attempted genocide of the Highland people because the landowners wanted the land for sheep-farms. The Sutherland Clearances were the most savage in the country, and those in Strathnaver were the worst of all. Eighty-eight settlements cleared to make way for eleven sheep farms. Grummore was one of the larger settlements and its ruins stand, mute testament to the times, above the waters of Loch Naver.
Some Clan Mackay Snippets
The clan is said to descend from Malcolm MacHeth and his Moraymen, who went north, after unsuccessful attempts to be recognised as rightful heirs to the Scottish throne in 12th century. Their area became known as “Duthaich MacAoidh” – Gaelic for “The Land of Mackay” Donald Mackay, chief of Mackay in 1626 raised a regiment of 3,000 men, to fight on the Protestant side in the Thirty Years War. Mackay’s Regiment quickly became known as the Invincible Scots, and Charles 1st rewarded Donald with the title “Lord Reay”. The 19th and 20th centuries have been characterised by people leaving Mackay country. Now, however, modern communication makes it easier for young folks to stay.
The Great Bulrush is the plant badge of Clan Mackay. Manu Forti (with a strong hand) is their motto. The war cry is – Bratach Bhan Chlann Aoidh (The white banner of Mackay)
Clan Mackay Tour from Inverness – Price
£600 for the day tour. Talk to us about making this a two day tour giving more time to immerse yourself in this area and spend the night in the Castle Varrich area.
Clan Mackay Tour from Inverness – Departure
The tour departs from your Inverness accommodation, or any transport hub, such as bus station, train station or airport. You tell us, and we’ll be there.
FAQ
Can each person in the party pay separately?
Driver/Guide licencing in Scotland will only allow us to take one payment per tour, so if people in a party wish to split the cost then they arrange that amongst themselves and make one tour payment to us.
Are entries to the various visitor attractions included?
We don’t include entry to the attractions – and that way we leave the day as flexible as possible for you.
Will I need cash with me?
Most places will accept Visa or MasterCard and some will accept American Express. It is always prudent, though, to bring a little cash with you for unexpected eventualities. You will need GBP, not Euros or Dollars.
What will we be doing for lunch?
You are responsible for paying for your own food & drink during your tour. Lunch could be in a café, pub, restaurant or even a picnic at a beauty spot. Your guide can discuss and advise on options when you meet them.
Find all of our other FAQ’s here
Why Choose Us
Why Choose Inverness Tour Guides?
Our Inverness Tour Guides are a hand-picked team. As well as being accredited members of the Highlands of Scotland Tour Guide Association, they are all well-recognised as being at the top of their fields. They were chosen because they are great storytellers, are fun to be with, and are uniquely qualified to do what they do well. We are convinced that there is no better team of guides to be found. See their individual profiles here
Performance
Here at Inverness Tours we continually monitor performance. As a result we are confident that we offer long experience and expertise in providing quality, value and enjoyment.
Our Vehicles
Our vehicles are spacious and air conditioned, easily accommodating up to seven passengers. The reclining seats and tinted windows ensure touring in comfort and style.
Our Track Record
Inverness Tours has been taking visitors on world-class tours for more than fifteen years and has been striving to make its exclusive tour business the finest of its kind available in Scotland.
Our Customer Care
The Inverness Tours admin team are frequently complimented on responsiveness, flexibility and care.
Our Environment
Inverness Tours have offset the impact of visitor footfall in the Highlands by contributing financially to environmental and community projects.
Our Precautions
Our COVID 19 precautions – Inverness Tours has always carried bacteriological and virucidal disinfectant sprays, disposable gloves and the necessary wipes etc. The vehicles are cleaned on a daily basis. We are investigating and instituting further measures to keep you safe at this current time and into the future.
Our Reviews
All the above contribute to our fabulous back-catalogue of reviews. Check out the TripAdvisor reviews here. You will find that over 98% of our reviews are five-star and as a result we have achieved TripAdvisor’s annual Certificate of Excellence and placement in their Hall of Fame!
What’s included?
The 7-passenger vehicle together with qualified driver/guide is included.
Summary terms and conditions:-
- All tours are exclusive and the same price for between one and seven people. Your booking is considered confirmed once we send out your confirmation.
- While Inverness Tours shall do everything reasonably possible to provide your tour itinerary and/or services as planned, we reserve the right to alter itineraries, guide, transport or accommodation if circumstances require us to do so. If we have to cancel a tour you receive a full refund of the amount paid and that is the extent of our obligation.
- Our normal Cancellation Terms as outlined in the point below have been temporarily relaxed. The relaxation is in relation to any booking which requires to cancel due to COVID-19. Our COVID-19 cancellation terms are outlined here.
- If you wish to change any part of your confirmed booking you should inform us in writing as soon as possible. We will do our best to assist you, but cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your request. If you cancel a booking up to 30 days in advance you receive a 75% refund of the total paid. Cancellations between 30 and 10 days before the tour receive a 50% refund. There is no refund if you cancel within 10 days of the tour or are not at the organised departure or pick-up point.
- We are happy for you to enjoy bottled water and hard candies while we travel. Other types of food and drink have proved previously to be quite hazardous (on Highland roads) both to yourselves and seat upholstery.
See our full terms and conditions here