Tartan Trailblazers

🌊✨ Experience the Magic of the Highlands with Our Waterfall & Walking Tour! ✨🌊

Looking for a spontaneous adventure? Join us this Tuesday for an unforgettable journey through the breathtaking beauty of the Scottish Highlands! 🏞️ With a last-minute discount, this is your chance to explore some of the most stunning spots in the region at an unbeatable price.

Highlights of the Tour:
🌀 Rogie Falls - A mesmerizing cascade surrounded by lush greenery.
🪨 Knockan Crag - Witness the ancient landscapes and learn about the geological wonders.
🌊 Wailing Widow Falls - An enchanting and lesser-known gem.
🏘️ Ullapool - A charming coastal village with stunning views.
🏰 Ardvreck Castle - Explore the ruins of this historic 16th-century castle.

This tour is not just about sights; it’s about the stories, the serenity, and the sheer beauty of the Highlands. Don’t miss out on this unique and exciting adventure!

📅 When: This Tuesday 9.30am
📍 Departure: Inverness Ardross Street
💸 Special Offer: Last-minute discount available!

Book now and let the Highlands captivate you. 🌟✨


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Embark on the Ultimate Isle of Skye Adventure with Our Tartan Trailblazer Tour 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Join us on a 13-hour epic journey from Inverness to the spellbinding Isle of Skye! Our Tartan Trailblazer tour is the perfect blend of natural wonders, historical treasures, and local delights, all accompanied by expert commentary that brings every location to life.

🌟 Highlights of the Tour:

🔹 Explore the enchanting Fairy Pools with their crystal-clear waters.
🔹 Step back in time at the iconic Eilean Donan Castle.
🔹 Savor treats at a magical bakery that will make your taste buds dance.
🔹 Wander through the charming town of Portree with its colorful harbor.
🔹 Marvel at the stunning Kilt Rock and its cascading waterfall.
🔹 Be captivated by the mystical rock formations of the Old Man of Storr.
🔹 And so much more!

Our comprehensive tour ensures you don’t miss a thing, with each location expertly narrated by our local guide. Whether you’re a history buff, a nature enthusiast, or simply looking for an unforgettable experience, then Tartan Trailblazers has something for everyone.

✨ Book your adventure today and create memories that will last a lifetime! ✨

Sometimes the Tour Guide becomes the guided! We recently had a great time with Caithness Seacoast Ltd exploring the rugged Caithness coastline.

We visited many caves, sea arches, stacks and a waterfall!

The most amazing part was getting to see the sea bird colonies and the thousands of guillemots, razorbills, puffins and shags that are all nesting on the rocks!

Highly recommend jumping on the RIB with these guys. Great day out for a reasonable price!

🚐Introducing Our Private Highland Day Tours! 🚐

Discover the Highlands like never before with Tartan Trailblazer Tours. We’re thrilled to announce our exclusive Private Highland Tours, designed to give you an intimate and unforgettable experience of our stunning homeland.

What makes our tours special?

🚌 Spacious Vehicle: Travel comfort in our 15 seater minibus. Plenty of space for everyone to sit comfortably and enjoy the tour.

📜 Expert Commentary: Our tours are led by two local women who are passionate about sharing the hidden secrets, rich folklore, and fascinating history of the Highlands.

🐮 Highland Cows: Get up close and personal with our iconic Highland cows, a true symbol of our rugged landscape.

⚔️ Culloden Battlefield: Walk the historic grounds of Culloden and hear the gripping stories of this pivotal battle.

🏰 Free Admission to Urquhart Castle: Explore the ruins of this majestic castle with stunning views over Loch Ness, all included in your tour.

🌊 Stories of Loch Ness: Delve into the legends and mysteries surrounding the famous Loch Ness.

Our Private Highland Tour ensures you receive the attention and care you deserve with both a dedicated driver and a separate guide. This allows us to provide a seamless, informative, and enjoyable experience for all our guests.

Departing from Inverness or Invergordon (perfect for cruise ship travelers), our tours are designed to showcase the best of the Highlands, all while making you feel right at home.

Join us on an adventure where history, nature, and folklore come alive! 🌟

Book your Private Highland Tour today and experience the Highlands like never before!

We’re beyond excited to introduce you to our new Highland tour company, born from our passion for the great outdoors, rich Scottish history, and the hidden gems of our stunning homeland.

Tartan Trailblazer Tours is proudly led by two local women who have spent a lifetime exploring the breathtaking beauty of the Highlands. From the mesmerizing landscapes of Skye to the enchanting waterfalls, historic landmarks, and captivating folklore, we know every secret corner and story that makes this region so magical.

Our journey began as a travel blog, sharing our adventures and love for the Highlands with fellow enthusiasts. Now, we’re thrilled to take the next step and invite you to join us on unforgettable tours, where you’ll experience the very best of what the Highlands have to offer.

Whether you’re a history buff, nature lover, or just looking for a unique adventure, Tartan Trailblazers is here to guide you through an authentic Highland experience.

Come and discover the magic with us - tours can be booked through Viator. 🌄🏴

Our Spectacular West Coast Waterfalls and Walking Tour From Inverness has gone live on Viator and it really showcases what the Highlands has to offer!

Three awesome waterfalls, an ancient castle ruin, a geological wonder and scenery that will blow your mind! All led by a passionate and knowledgeable local guides.

We only have limited dates available for this tour, only 12 spaces per tour!

Please contact us for more info or go ahead and book through viator. More tours will be announced this week 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Looking to find Fossils in Scotland? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

We came across this incredible spot on the Moray Firth coast last year and it is a fossil hunter’s paradise! We visited again for my birthday this year and managed to find some fascinating ancient treasures embedded in the rocks 🪨🔍

The journey down the steep path (around a 45 minute walk down) was worth it for these prehistoric finds and the breathtaking coastal views.

The bothy at the beach is now a small interpretative centre about the salmon station and Hugh Miller (a self-taught Scottish geologist and writer).

We recently enjoyed a unique and slow adventure through a remote part of the Scottish Highlands! We explored the River Cassley by canoe. Our guide Ian was incredible and made an effort to point out the local wildlife including an osprey that flew above us.

We stopped half way and enjoyed coffee and home made lemon drizzle cake (baked by his lovely wife) while watching the Sand Martins dart in and out of the sandy river banks. We highly recommend his company if you’re looking for a unique Highland adventure 🛶

A 3 hour canoe trip costs £55 per person!

Yesterday we decided to head to Aberlour for a dip in Linn Falls! The water is very peaty here, a factor that plays a part in the character of various brands of whisky that are local to the area . We also enjoyed a walk around the town visiting Walkers Shortbread Factory, Aberlour Whisky Distillery (the falls are signposted from here and take around 10 minutes to reach), and some of the local art galleries. This quaint village is well worth a visit!

An incredible sunset as we hiked back from Eas á Chual Aluin - Britains Highest Waterfall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Favourite thing to do after a long hike!

Lost monuments of Fyrish - Many people have visited the main monument of Fyrish. Its arches a familiar central point in many a photo looking out to the Cromarty Firth. However if you venture a little deeper into the trees you will find a handful of hidden structures. While they are not as prominent or well-documented as the main Fyrish monument, seeking them out can provide afternoon entertainment for all the family! Our blog gives some guidance on how to find them. Are you ready for a Fyrish treasure hunt?

https://tartantrailblazers.blog/2021/03/05/fyrish-monument/

Recently we explored the mysterious Bone Caves in The Scottish Highlands 💀

Hidden within the dramatic hills of Assynt, these caves hold ancient secrets, where the remains of Arctic animals from the last Ice Age have been found.

Hiking through the rugged landscape unveils a journey back in time.

Discover the Hill 99 Trail in Culbin Forest, Moray🌲This enchanting path winds through the heart of nature, offering a serene escape among towering trees.

The Culbin Forest experience reaches new heights at the viewing tower, an iconic structure that grants visitors a captivating perspective of the surrounding landscape with panoramic views of Culbin Forest’s lush beauty 🏞️

The walking route can be found on the walk highlands page - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/moray/culbin-forest.shtml

We enjoyed a snowy walk to see the 17th Century Ardclach Bell Tower then visited Duslie Bridge and Gorge!

We usually enjoy a dip in the River Findhorm below the bridge but it was frozen so decided to leave that for another day 🥶

The stone bridge dates back to 1755 and located outside Nairn in the Scottish Highlands.

Our second time doing this fantastic walk to see McFarquhar’s Bed & Caves. The walk starts and finishes in Cromarty and takes around 3 hours!

For more details including the walking route you can find it here - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochness/Sutors.shtml

One of Edinburgh’s great traditions over the festive period is their annual torchlight procession. For £20 you can join 20,000 revellers to march through the streets of Edinburgh with burning torch in hand. This year’s procession was led by “vikings”, took place on the 29th of December and helped to raise funds for homeless charity Social Bite.

Enjoyed a stroll around Inverness yesterday and some live traditional music in the Victorian Market from

A hike to the ‘eye in the sky’ aka the View Catcher!

Made from Caledonian Pine and local stone. It was designed to highlight this gorgeous view.

It can be reached from Invermoriston following the thistle sign posts for the Great Glen Way or using the route set out by walk highlands (first 3 stages only) - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochness/high-route-invermoriston-drum.shtml

Time taken - 2 hours.

A hike to the ‘eye in the sky’ aka the View Catcher!

Made from Caledonian Pine and local stone. It was designed to highlight this gorgeous view.

It can be reached from Invermoriston following the thistle sign posts for the Great Glen Way or using the route set out by walk highlands (first 3 stages only) - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochness/high-route-invermoriston-drum.shtml

Time taken - 2 hours.

Mayar and Driesh (Glen Cova)

Fantastic Hike (6 hours) and another 2 Munro’s bagged (83/282)

A sunrise hike up Fryrish 🌅

📍30 mins north of Inverness
⏱️ 2-2.5hrs

The route and starting point can be found here:

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/fyrish-monument.shtml

Monadh Liath Munros - 3 Munro’s over 25km. Challenging day yesterday as the snow was quite deep in between each Munro! Time taken 10 hours! Munro count 81/282

The Ring Of Steall is an outstanding mountain route near Fort William that requires the negotiation of 4 Munros, some exposed scrambling and narrow, rocky ridges.

Highlights of the route included a tricky steel rope river crossing, the beautiful Steall Falls, the Devils Ridge and, of course, the breathtaking surroundings.

I didn't find the Devil's Ridge as frightening as the name suggests, however care must be taken due to the steep drops on either side. I imagine this would be very difficult for someone with acrophobia.

For experienced hikers the route shouldn't pose too much of an issue if approached with care, and as long as the standard route from walk highlands is followed!

It was hitting 25c as I tackled the ridge, so by the end of the day I was exhausted, thirsty and just a wee bit pinker!

All in all it was a challenging, but unbelievable day and I was fortunate enough to be blessed with weather that allowed me to experience all of the surroundings in their 360 degree glory!

I would highly suggest this route for experience Munro Baggers. It didn't disappoint!

Lairig Ghru - Last weekend we hiked from Aviemore, across the Cairngorms to Linn of Dee near Braemar!

It was an epic day, incredible scenery from start to finish and we experienced all types of weather! Was definitely relieved when the sun came out to dry us off!

The 19.5 mile hike (31.5km) took us 7 hours 45 minutes!

The spectacular Plodda Falls lie 5 miles south west of the tiny village of Tomich. The Falls cascade some 50 metres down a sheer rock face. A short circular walk affords great views from the top and side of the falls.

If you're feeling adventurous you can scramble right down to the pools at the bottom, but be careful as the path is steep, slippery and potentially dangerous. We couldn't resist a quick swim in the red hued pools as the waterfall crashed ahead of us. It was our favourite waterfall experience yet!

We enjoyed a dip last weekend in a surprisingly temperate Loch Ness!

It's one of our favourite places to take a cold water dip, but we must admit it was missing its usual icy bite!

Don't believe the rumours that it never changes temperature... that may be true in its depths, but in the shallows it certainly warms as the summer marches on!

Dores is a great place to go as you can grab a hot drink and delicious cookie from a cute catering van The Spot - Dores Beach after you're finished!

A few pictures from my hike up the imposing Slioch yesterday!

Standing at just under 1000 metres high, Slioch dominates the surrounding landscape.

This iconic solitary mountain is surrounded by natural beauty as far as the eye can see.

On January 27th, 1974, Captayannis was anchored just off Greenock waiting to unload a cargo of raw sugar, when a fierce storm caused her to drag her anchor.

The Captain attempted to start his engines so that he could head for the deeper water but he collided with the anchor chains of another ship causing serious damage to the hull.

The Captain deliberately beached the Captayannis on a sandbank in the middle of the Clyde allowing his crew to be rescued, however the ship fell on its side and has lain there ever since!

Due to the cargo it carried the wreckage is now known as the Sugar Boat and even has a local restaurant named after it!

We enjoyed a trip out to see the Sugar Boat Wreck with Boat Trips Helensburgh.