In August 2027, Clan MacNeil members, family, and friends will travel together from Edinburgh through the Outer Hebrides and the Highlands, with three nights on Barra and the Clan MacNeil Gathering at the heart of the journey. It is 13 days of Scotland, certainly, but it is also a chance to experience those places alongside people who share a connection to them.
The trip runs August 16 through August 28, 2027. We will begin in Edinburgh, travel west through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs to Oban, and then take the ferry across to Castlebay. From Barra, the journey continues north through the Uists and Lewis before turning south through Skye, Inverness, and the Highlands, eventually returning to Edinburgh.
But for MacNeils, there is one part of this trip that deserves a little more attention.
Three Nights on Barra
Barra is not simply another beautiful Scottish island on the itinerary.
We will spend three nights there, including time to explore the island and Kisimul Castle, followed by the Clan MacNeil Gathering on Saturday, August 21. The Chief has already begun planning the Clan Gathering that will take place during our weekend on Barra, with more details to follow as plans come together.
Our itinerary includes a day exploring Barra and a boat trip across Castlebay to Kisimul Castle, the medieval stronghold so closely tied to Clan MacNeil. For anyone who has been to Barra before, this is a chance to return. For those who have never been, it is a chance to experience the place not simply as a visitor, but as part of a Clan gathering there.
And then, because apparently Barra and Kisimul are not quite enough Scotland for one trip, we keep going.
Edinburgh, the Hebrides and the Highlands
The journey begins with two nights in Edinburgh. After our arrival and welcome dinner, the next day includes time exploring the city and Edinburgh Castle, followed that evening by the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
From Edinburgh, our dedicated coach takes us west through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs to Oban. The following morning, we board the ferry for the crossing to Castlebay and our three nights on Barra.
After the Gathering, we begin working our way north through the Outer Hebrides. We will travel through South and North Uist and on to Lewis, with time in Stornoway and visits that include the prehistoric Callanish Standing Stones and Gearrannan Blackhouse Village.
Then we turn south again, traveling through Skye and into the Highlands. The itinerary includes Culloden Battlefield, the 4,000-year-old Clava Cairns, Tomatin Distillery, Cawdor Castle, Speyside, and Royal Deeside before we make our way back to Edinburgh. There is even a planned visit to Balmoral Castle, subject to its summer availability.
The full day-by-day itinerary includes the accommodations, activities, and route we will follow across Scotland.
A Few Practical Details
This will be a small group trip. There is room for a maximum of 32 travelers, and we need at least 20 participants for the tour to go forward.
The group will have its own dedicated coach and professional driver and guide for the journey. Scotland Folk Tours and ATom Tours Scotland are working together to manage the accommodations, transportation, activities, bookings, and on-the-ground tour experience.
A twin room is £4,650 per person, based on two people sharing a room with two individual beds. A £500 per-person deposit reserves your place. with the remaining balance due as outlined in the booking details. If you prefer, alternate installment payment plans are available. Just ask.
For those traveling alone, one single room remains. A single room is £5,500, with a £500 deposit.
Current trip pricing is guaranteed through December 1, 2026. After that date, pricing may be subject to change.
Airfare to and from Edinburgh is not included. Travelers can choose their own flights, use airline miles, arrive early, stay later, or build something else around the trip.
There will also be a separate charge for the Clan Gathering on Barra. Those plans are still being developed, so that cost has not yet been determined.
View Pricing, Trip Details & Booking Information
Scotland With a MacNeil Connection
If Scotland has been sitting somewhere on your someday list, take some time with the itinerary and see whether this might be the trip that moves it off the list.
Because this particular journey is not only about how many castles, islands, or standing stones we can fit into 13 days.
It is traveling with people connected by an interest in Clan MacNeil and its history. It is crossing Scotland together, taking ferries through the Outer Hebrides rather than simply looking at them on a map, and spending three nights on Barra while the Clan Gathering is taking place.
And it is getting into a boat together and crossing Castlebay to Kisimul Castle.
View the Trip & Reserve Your Place
If you have questions about the trip before you are ready to book, Kenny is happy to answer them.
Email Kenny With Questions
Thirteen days is enough time to see an extraordinary amount of Scotland. But we suspect the moments we will remember most will not necessarily be the ones printed on the itinerary.
They may be the conversations along the way, the ferry ride across the Hebrides, meeting MacNeils we have never met before, or standing together on Barra looking across Castlebay toward Kisimul.
That’s the part you can’t really put in a brochure.
