A Scottish Journey - 10 day tour

Day 2 - Edinburgh - St Andrews - Aviemore

We travel to the picturesque fishing villages of the East Neuk region, such as Pittenweem, which is home to brightly-hulled fishing boats and a jumble of red painted and grey slated houses.

We continue to St Andrews, known as the home of golf and where Prince William met Catherine ‘Kate’ Middleton while studying at St Andrews University, Scotland's oldest. The medieval centre, with its narrow alleys and cobbled streets, leads to the now ruined St Andrews Cathedral and the adjacent church of St Regulus.

Later, we travel into Highland Perthshire to visit the delightful village of Dunkeld, enjoying free time to explore its medieval cathedral attractively situated by the banks of the River Tay. 

The final part of our journey takes us through the Grampian Mountains to reach Aviemore, in the heart of the Spey Valley.

Overnight: Hotel TBA (2 nights)

Day 3 - Cairngorms National Park Excursion

After enjoying breakfast in our Highland surroundings, it’s time to head out to discover the picturesque beauty of the Cairngorms National Park. This is Britain’s largest National Park and is “one of the top 20 places to visit in the World”, according to National Geographic Traveller magazine!

After our scenic drive, we head to Newtonmore to visit the Highland Folk Museum, which explores rural life in the Highlands from the 1700s to the present. Set in a beautiful natural setting, you can explore the homes, farms and shops of the past, so authentic that they’ve been used as a filming location for the popular Outlander TV series.

This area is famed for the production of Scotch Whisky, so a visit to a distillery is a must. Discover the traditions of whisky-making using just three ingredients malted barley, yeast and pure Highland water. At the end of the visit, enjoy a tutored tasting of a dram or two.

Day 4 - Aviemore - Culloden Moor - Inverness

We head northwards through the Cairngorms National Park to reach the evocative Culloden Moor. It was here that the bloody battle between the Jacobite army of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the British army under the command of the Duke of Cumberland took place in April 1746.

A visit to the award-winning visitor centre will explain the chain of events that brought these two forces together on that fateful day. Afterwards, take a walk on the moor to see the Clan memorials.

Enigmatic Loch Ness is famed the World over as the home of “Nessie”, the Loch Ness Monster. Keep your camera close as we drive along the banks of this mysterious loch, just in case!

Our hotel for the next two nights is in the "Highland Capital" of Inverness.

Overnight: Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness (or similar) (2 nights)

Day 5 - Exploring Inverness

After having had a busy start to the week it’s time to relax in our new Highland surroundings. Enjoy a guided walking tour this morning then explore Inverness on your own. You could stroll through the Old Town and shop in the Victorian Market, take in the views from Inverness Castle, or follow the river, listening for the tell-tale splash of leaping salmon.

A popular visit is to Fraser’s Highland House to discover the history of tartan through the centuries.

Day 6 - Inverness - Loch Ness - Isle of Skye

We travel through the picturesque scenery of the Scottish Highlands to reach Plockton, a charming little village comprised of neatly painted cottages and a tiny harbour.

There is free time to enjoy a fresh seafood lunch, before we drive across the bridge to reach the stunning Isle of Skye.

The Redwood House, our island base for the next two nights, has a stunning location on the shores of Loch Greshornish, .

Overnight: Redwood House (or similar) (2 nights)

Day 7 - Isle of Skye Excursion

Today is devoted to the Isle of Skye, renowned for its incredible scenery, geology, wildlife and history. The north of the island delivers scenery on a grand scale and today we see examples of Skye’s most startling geological features including the extraordinary Quiraing, famous Kilt Rock and the spectacular Old Man of Storr.

Day 8 - Isle of Skye - Fort William - Tobermory (Isle of Mull)

Returning to the mainland we travel through remote Moidart before catching the ferry to the Isle of Mull, the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides. Our base for the next two nights is in the delightful town of Tobermory. Tonight the evening is yours to spend as you please.

Overnight: Western Isles Hotel, Tobermory (or similar) (2 nights)

Day 9 - Isle of Mull & Isle of Iona Excursion

Today is dedicated to exploring the isles of Mull & Iona. We first visit 13th century Duart Castle. The oldest inhabited castle on Mull, Duart Castle is dramatically perched on a cliff overlooking the rugged coast. Walk through the dungeons and staterooms or explore its extensive grounds.

Next we travel to the charming village of Fionnphort, which means 'Port of the White Sands' in Gaelic. Home to just 100 people it is famed worldwide for its unique red granite which is quarried just north of the village.

We take the ferry for the short crossing to Iona, a tiny island steeped in history and renowned for its natural beauty and serenity. After visiting Iona Abbey and Nunnery, we return to Mull and our hotel where we enjoy a farewell dinner together.

Day 10 - Tobermory - Stirling - Edinburgh

After returning by ferry to the Scottish mainland, we travel to Stirling, known as the heritage capital of Scotland. This is where the Wars of Independence were fought and won and three centuries of monarchs ruled.

Here we wander through the Old Town and enter spectacular Stirling Castle, one of the largest and most important Scottish castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. It was here that Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned Queen aged just 9 months old.

As we make our way towards Edinburgh we’ll pass the impressive Kelpies horse head statues. On returning to Edinburgh our tour ends.