DAY 1 – Arrival in  Scotland and Edinburgh Castle

Arrive in to Scotland and make your way into central Edinburgh. Leave your luggage at the hotel and the day yours to explore this historic city at your leisure. You’ll have complimentary tickets for admission to Edinburgh Castle which sits at the head of the Royal Mile and is a home to the Scottish Crown Jewels and St Margaret’s Chapel. By evening meet your tour leader and the rest of the group where we’ll enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

Overnight: Bonham Hotel (or similar), Edinburgh
Inclusions: Edinburgh Castle admission
Meals: Dinner included

DAY 2 – Exploring Edinburgh and Scottish History

After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll get together to enjoy a panoramic drive around Edinburgh spotting the city’s many highlights from the elegant avenues of the Georgian New Town to the rambling alleys and stacked town houses of the medieval old town. Then we head for the National Museum of Scotland for a tour of the exhibitions to gain an insight into Scotland’s turbulent history. The balance of your day is then free to explore Edinburgh further – perhaps visit the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith Docks or the Queen’s residence at Holyrood Palace.

Overnight: Bonham Hotel (or similar), Edinburgh
Inclusions: Edinburgh sightseeing tour, National Museum of Scotland tour
Meals: Full Scottish Breakfast

DAY 3 – St Andrews and Glamis Castle

This morning we board the mini-coach and head into the Scottish countryside passing through the rolling hills of Fife on route to St Andrews. This charming seaside town is the renowned spiritual home of golf and where Prince William and Kate Middleton first met at the historic university. After time for lunch we’ll head for Glamis Castle, an elegant country house with connections to Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and more recently was the childhood home of the Queen Mother. Finally, we pass north in to Aberdeenshire and to our hotel on the banks of the River Dee, where we’ll enjoy an included dinner.

Overnight: Maryculter House Hotel (or similar), Aberdeenshire
Inclusions: Glamis Castle admission
Meals: Full Scottish Breakfast and dinner included

DAY 4 – Royal Deeside and Scotch Distillery Tour

Today we head inland to the heart of Scotland; we’ll follow the course of the River Dee passing through Royal Deeside and pausing at various points of interest including scenic waterfalls, unique castles and a church attended by the Royal family when they’re in residence in Balmoral. Later we turn north in to the dramatic landscapes of the Cairngorms National Park. Reaching the renowned Speyside Whisky region, we’ll visit a Scotch distillery to tour the facilities and of course sample a dram or two! Later we continue to Inverness and our overnight base for the next two nights, where we dine together.

Overnight: Kingsmills Hotel (or similar), Inverness
Inclusions: Speyside Whisky Distillery tour
Meals: Full Scottish Breakfast and dinner included

DAY 5 – Inverness at Leisure

Today you have a free day to spend at your leisure. With complimentary open-top-bus tour tickets you can discover the “Capital of the Highlands” at your own pace. Take in the historic cathedral, hill-top castle or simply indulge in some souvenir shopping in the many gift shops and boutiques of the town. Using public transport, you may choose to visit the nearby Culloden Moor Visitor Centre, site of the infamous battle which played a crucial role in Scottish history. Your evening is free to dine in one of Inverness’ many restaurants.

Overnight: Kingsmills Hotel (or similar), Inverness
Inclusions: Inverness City Sightseeing Tour
Meals: Full Scottish Breakfast included

DAY 6 – Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and the Highlands

Back aboard the mini-bus, today we enjoy an epic journey over the Scottish Highlands. We’ll follow the scenic shores of Loch Ness to Urquhart Castle whose weather-beaten ruins hide an intriguing history and whose ramparts offer a perfect lookout for legendary Nessie. We then continue across the dramatic landscapes of the Highlands pausing at Eilean Donan Castle for a photo-stop before stretching our legs and enjoying free-time in a traditional highland village. The final leg of our journey today takes us over the bridge to the scenic Isle of Skye, our destination and base for the next two nights. In the evening enjoy dinner together as a group.

Overnight: Skeabost Hotel (or similar), Isle of Skye
Inclusions: Urquhart Castle admission
Meals: Full Scottish Breakfast and dinner included

DAY 7 – The Enchanting Isle of Skye

Today is dedicated to exploring the beauty of the Isle of Skye. We’ll pass north around the picturesque Trotternish Peninsula to take in dramatic landscapes and seascapes as we spot the region’s unique geological features such as Kilt Rock and the Old Man of Storr. There’ll be time to visit Portree, the island’s principle town, where pastel fishermen cottages bustle around the harbour. A day on Skye is one to remember.

Overnight: Skeabost Hotel (or similar), Isle of Skye
Inclusions: Isle of Skye tour
Meals: Full Scottish Breakfast included

DAY 8 – Glenfinnan and Fort William

Departing the Isle of Skye, we board the ferry for a journey over the water back to the mainland at Mallaig. Enjoying scenic Highlands landscapes on our journey to Glenfinnan, we’ll climb to a viewpoint, for stunning vistas overlooking the Glenfinnan Monument, Loch Shiel and the famous Glenfinnan viaduct which featured in the “Harry Potter” movies. There’ll be time for lunch in Fort William before we continue to our overnight stay in the Glencoe area and we enjoy a farewell dinner together.

Overnight: Ballachulish Hotel or Isles of Glencoe Hotel (or similar), Ballachulish Area
Inclusions: Ferry crossing
Meals: Full Scottish Breakfast and dinner included

DAY 9 – Loch Lomond and Glasgow

The final leg of our journey takes us through more dramatic landscapes as we pass south over the Rannoch Moor and along the shores of Loch Lomond; we’ll pause at various view-points for some final photo opportunities. Then as the landscapes mellow, we’ll return to Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city; here we’ll visit Kelvingrove Museum and Gallery in the leafy West End. You may leave the tour here in Glasgow mid-afternoon or enjoy a transfer back to Edinburgh where the tour officially ends.

Inclusions: Loch Lomond cruise
Meals: Full Scottish Breakfast included