Scottish Wilderness
from Edinburgh and Glasgow
INCLUDES: Two nights accommodation in rooms with private facilities; full Scottish breakfast; excursions as detailed below by superior air-conditioned mini-coach; transportation by luxury touring coach with air-conditioning (to/from Inverness); services of a tour host; service charges and taxes
This superb tour will take you to Scotland’s far north. Discover mysterious Loch Ness, enjoy spotting “cheeky” puffins and marvel at the views as we travel through remote Caithness. This tour will take your breath away!
Urquhart Castle and "Nessie"
We start the day by making our way to remote Rannoch Moor and then into dramatic Glen Coe. We’ll make a photo-stop here so you can soak up the beauty of this special place. Historic Fort William sits on the banks of Loch Linnhe and in the shadow of Ben Nevis - Britain’s tallest mountain. Next we tour through the Great Glen, with it’s wonderful loch-side views, all the way to Loch Ness. We’ll make a stop so you can visit Urquhart Castle and take a short cruise on Loch Ness (optional) - keep a close watch in case “you know who” makes an appearance! Shortly we will arrive in Inverness, our home for the next two nights.
The stay in Inverness is unescorted.
The Far North awaits
We leave Inverness and head for the Cromarty Firth where, depending on tide conditions, we may see our first seals. We will make a stop in the town of Golspie. High above the town is an astonishing statue, 27m (90') high. This is of the First Duke of Sutherland, whose agents were involved in the most notorious of the Clearances in the Highlands during the 19th century. We’ll hear more about this sad episode in the history of Scotland as we head North. Caithness grew rich with the development of the herring fishing industry in the 19th century and as a result there are many exceptionally beautiful harbours - as we will discover. There are telescopes available on-board our mini-coach to let you marvel at the wide range of birds & wildlife including Puffins (until early August) and red deer (the "Monarch of the Glen"), which are seen on almost all tours. There are several stops along the way to give you ample opportunity to relax and take a stroll amidst this beautiful scenery.
Dolphins and Mountains
This morning there is an excursion through the Black Isle to the picturesque village of Cromarty. Later there is free time in Inverness for individual sightseeing or shopping before we join our motorcoach for a spectacular drive through the Highlands. From the Spey Valley and the Cairngorm Mountains we will climb the Pass of Drumochter then enjoy scenic views as we make our way through Glen Garry. After a short break we will make our way through the gentle rolling Perthshire countryside towards Perth then onwards to Edinburgh or Glasgow.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS: Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness cruise ticket.
