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Glenfinnan Viaduct in Scotland

Scotland Winter Tour Packages

From Edinburgh’s festive Christmas Market to the beautiful landscapes of the Scottish Highlands, there’s a lot for you to see and do on a Scotland winter tour.

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ENJOY A CUSTOM SCOTLAND WINTER ITINERARY

Scotland’s daylight hours may be shorter in winter, but the country is just as beautiful as any other time of year -- possibly even nicer with the snow-capped mountains in the Scottish Highlands, seasonal festivities and cosy atmosphere of B&Bs and country inns. 

Scotland winter tours from Nordic Visitor allow you to experience many of the top highlights on a custom-made self drive holiday or privately-guided tour. Based in Edinburgh, our Scottish travel experts create Scotland winter vacations with a personal touch, taking care of all your local travel arrangements and suggesting the best things to do in Scotland in winter.

Want more inspiration for visiting Scotland in winter? Keep browsing below for tour recommendations and tips about the weather and things to see on Scotland winter tours.

 

— WHY US?

Why book with Nordic Visitor

  • Hassle-free & seamless travel experience
  • Flexible & customisable tour options
  • Value for your money
  • Professional service from local experts

Experience Scotland on a road trip

Explore the Highlands and beyond on a self-drive tour. You do the driving, we handle your accommodations, route planning and any itinerary customisations. Tours come with a hand-marked map, free GPS, attractions guide and more.

Scotland
Self-drive
8 days / 7 nights
Nov - Mar

Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye - Winter

1372GBP

Eur

View map
8 days / 7 nights
Nov - Mar

1372GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Self-drive
7 days / 6 nights
Nov - Mar

Express Scotland - Winter

1318GBP

Eur

View map
7 days / 6 nights
Nov - Mar

1318GBP

GBP

Close map view

Explore Scotland on a Private Tour

Enjoy more Scottish cultural insights on a privately guided tour with a local driving you around in style. Tours are fully customisable and ideal for those interested in Scotch whisky, Scottish cuisine, Outlander film locations and more.

Scotland
Privately Guided
8 days / 7 nights
Nov - Mar

Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye Winter - Private

4106GBP

Eur

View map
8 days / 7 nights
Nov - Mar

4106GBP

GBP

Close map view
Scotland
Privately Guided
7 days / 6 nights
Nov - Mar

Express Scotland Winter - Private

3386GBP

Eur

View map
7 days / 6 nights
Nov - Mar

3386GBP

GBP

Close map view

Experience Scotland your way

We have tours for all varieties of travel styles and interests. See our options for exploring Scotland below.

WINTER WEATHER IN SCOTLAND & DAYLIGHT HOURS

With average winter temperatures in Scotland of around 4°C (39°F) to 5 °C (40°F), it is possible to experience all types of weather conditions in a day. The winter weather in Scotland is known to change quickly and often, from rainy to snowy to sunny, so in terms of what to pack for Scotland in winter you should be ready for just about anything. When travelling to Scotland in winter, we recommend bring lots of layers such as sweaters or fleeces as well as a warm, waterproof jacket. Sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots are also a must if you want to do any short winter hiking tours in Scotland.



In terms of sunrise and sunset in Scotland in winter, the daylight hours between December and February vary between 8 AM in the morning and 4 PM or 5 PM in the afternoon. This means that on winter breaks in Scotland you’ll have plenty of time to experience the warm Scottish hospitality at night with some gourmet Scottish food and a wee glass of whisky.

WHERE TO VISIT IN SCOTLAND IN WINTER

Winter in particular is a great time to year to visit the capital city, Edinburgh, as its attractions are much quieter than during the busy summer high season. It’s the perfect time for strolling The Royal Mile, visiting the Edinburgh Castle, taking a “barrel ride” at the Scotch Whisky Experience or even taking day trips to nearby cities like St Andrews. What’s more, you can enjoy the famous Edinburgh Christmas Market and Hogmanay (New Year’s) festivities in December, or visit the city around January 25th to take part in Burns Night events and experience Scottish traditions like Ceilidh dancing.

Want to see more of Scotland on a tour lasting around 1 week? Highlands winter tours are another fabulous option! From Edinburgh, head north and visit castles on the Aberdeenshire Castle Trail, or experience some winter activities in the Cairngorms National Park. As it doesn’t get cold enough for lakes to freeze over, why not experience the mysterious Loch Ness or Loch Lomond on a short boat cruise? Or head further west to the iconic Isle of Skye and see its surreal rock formations like the Old Man of Storr.

CUSTOMISED WINTER TOURS IN SCOTLAND

Nordic Visitor specialises in custom-made travel experiences in Scotland all year-round, so it’s possible to book a privately-guided or self-drive tour in winter and have it tailored to your interests. With a custom private tour in Scotland, you will get the peace of mind of a local expert guide, who will drive you around in a comfortable 4x4 vehicle and tell you all about Scottish history and legends. This is a great option for whisky lovers, travellers with Scottish roots or anyone not comfortable driving on the left.

If you prefer to do the driving in Scotland on your winter vacation, we make it easy for you as all Nordic Visitor self-drive tours include vehicle rentals with free GPS, a hand-marked map of Scotland and two authorised drivers so you can share the driving responsibilities with a travel mate. No matter what kind of trip to Scotland in winter you book, you’ll have your own dedicated travel consultant at Nordic Visitor at your assistance. All of our itineraries can be tailored with extra nights, alternative departures or arrivals in Glasgow, day trips from Edinburgh, and more.

 

 

— Things To Do in Scotland

Top Scottish experiences

  • Tour one of Scotland‘s local distilleries and see how whisky, the “water of life”, is produced
  • Sample traditional Scottish cuisine such as haggis, porridge, kippers and black pudding
  • Stroll the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's Old Town, between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace
  • Look for Nessie, the elusive monster said to inhabit Loch Ness, Scotland's most famous lake
  • Visit Clava Cairns to see prehistoric standing stones similar to those in the Outlander TV series

What do our customers say?

The reviews speak for themselves. See what Nordic Visitor travellers said about their experience with us.

Ryan, United States
Edinburgh Complete - Loch Ness, Highlands & Glasgow - Winter, November 2023

A great adventure!

This was such a great adventure for us on our 20th! Amazing tours and time to roam around the city on our own! We fell in love with the people and cannot wait to go back!

Kathleen, United States
Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye Winter - Private, February 2023

I can't thank Nordic Visitor enough

This is our second trip in two years to Scotland with Nordic Visitor, and we are seriously thinking about another. I can't thank Chris enough for his patience and expertise when booking this trip.

Cynthia, United States
Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye - Winter, March 2023

Amazing

We went on the Scotland Winter World tour for 8 days, and overall it was great. We experienced so much and travelled all over Scotland. The detailed information that was provided upon arrival was amazing. Magda was wonderful and knowledgeable and responded quickly to emails and phone calls.

Brett, United States
Edinburgh Complete - Loch Ness, Highlands & Glasgow - Winter, January 2023

Everything was taken care of!

Made my trip so much easier! Everything was taken care of and I did not have to worry about a thing! Very professional service!

Rosanne, United States
Edinburgh Complete - Loch Ness, Highlands & Glasgow - Winter, March 2023

Our travel consultant was great!

We worked with Rebecca in planning our tour. She was very prompt in answering our questions. Her hotel recommendations were very worthwhile. Our documents arrived in a very timely manner. She also left extra tour information at the hotel for when we checked in.

Colette, United Kingdom
A Scottish Christmas to Remember, December 2022

Our travel consultant went above and beyond

Our tour representative in Scotland was Duncan and he was excellent, going above and beyond to make sure that we had a wonderful holiday even before we stepped foot in Scotland. We did the whisky tour, we had afternoon tea at the Astoria Caledonian, we did a Highland tour and a walking tour of the Royal Mile. All were excellent and along with our accommodation made for a fabulous holiday!

Javier, United States
Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye - Winter, February 2023

Excellent service from Nordic Visitor

I want to thank everyone that helped with the trip because it was an excellent service. I will recommend you to people I know, because all of Nordic Visitor's recommendations were great and the hotels and B&Bs were amazing. I will probably do another trip with you guys. I hope you expand your services to more countries.

Stacy, United States
Scottish Highlands & Isle of Skye - Winter, December 2022

So convenient

It was so convenient to have the logistics already planned for us. The accommodation was all nice and the suggested outings were perfect.

Scotland Travel Guide

Start preparing for your trip by doing some research before your Scottish adventure.

Flights to Scotland

The two biggest international airports in Scotland are in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, and in Edinburgh, the capital city and usual starting point for Nordic Visitor tours. Flight times to Scotland are, for example, 6.5 hours from New York City and 1.5 hours from London. Major international airlines with flights to Scotland include (but are not limited to) British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta and KLM.

Scotland and the rest of the UK is on GMT time. If your journey to Scotland involves one or more connecting flights, or if you're crossing several time zones to get here, your dedicated Nordic Visitor travel consultant can add extra nights in Edinburgh to your package so you can rest up after arrival.

Please note that flights to Scotland are not included in Nordic Visitor packages.

Our Services

Whether you travel independently or with a guide in your Nordic Visitor package, you will receive personalised service from a designated travel consultant and high-quality travel documents. What's more, all self-drive clients receive a hand-marked map that outlines the driving route, overnights and highlights along the way. Travel with ease knowing that Nordic Visitor has close professional relationships with local service providers, which are carefully selected by our staff for their consistently high standards.

Book With Confidence

  • Protect your money & plans with our flexible booking terms  .
  • 97% of customers say they’d recommend us to friends.
  • We work closely with trusted, high-quality suppliers.
  • Enjoy personal service from Scotland travel experts.
  • Get peace of mind with a 24/7 helpline during your stay.
  • We’re here for you in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Contact us

Whether you’re looking to add a night in Edinburgh, want restaurant recommendations or have questions about your tour, we’re happy to help so get in touch with our friendly team to answer any of your travel queries.

Call

Our Scottish phone number is
+44 (0)131 344 4630

Chat

How about a live chat with one of our local travel experts?

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