Glasgow, Loch Ness and the Highlands

Join your comfortable express train for a smooth journey northwards to Glasgow.

Your train will travel through the Midlands, then skirt the Lake District. From Carlisle, you’ll cross the border into Scotland and enjoy scenic views all the way to Glasgow. 

On arrival in Glasgow, it is a short walk to your hotel for the next two nights.

Glasgow is one of Europe’s great tourism centres with dozens of museums and galleries, outstanding architecture and sprawling parks. This afternoon, explore the ornate Victorian architecture of the City Centre.

See the Lighthouse, which promotes Scotland’s design and architectural heritage. It was designed by the famous architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose work can be found throughout the city.

Later, why not head to the Gallery of Modern Art, housed in an extraordinary 18th-century building, which showcases local, national and international art.

Don’t forget to snap the statue of the Duke of Wellington outside. He’s usually adorned with a parking cone on his head!   

As you wander through the City Centre, look out for the fun street art that forms The Mural Trail, a series of colourful creations that can be found throughout the city centre.

Enjoy a stroll through the vibrant Merchant City to reach the historic Cathedral Quarter, home to Glasgow Cathedral, one of Scotland’s most magnificent medieval buildings and Provand’s Lordship, Glasgow’s oldest building.

Back in town, there is exciting shopping to be enjoyed along the “Style Mile”. For the best in designer labels, head to Ingram Street or chic Princes Square.   

Tonight, why not head to fashionable Finnieston to experience its wide range of eateries and bars?

Today we have a day exploring the beautiful Scottish Highlands.

Leaving Glasgow, we travel into the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and make a stop in the pretty village of Luss, where you can see its lovely stone cottages and enjoy the incredible panoramic views of Loch Lomond.

The tour continues along the “bonnie, bonnie banks” then by way of desolate Rannoch Moor and the stunning beauty of Glen Coe, site of the infamous massacre of the MacDonald Clan in 1692.

There is a stop in Fort William for lunch before passing the towering bulk of Ben Nevis, Britain’s tallest mountain and touring through the majestic scenery of the Great Glen.

The legendary waters of Loch Ness are our focus for this afternoon. Famed as being the home of “Nessie” Loch Ness Monster, we’ll have the chance to take a cruise across the mysterious waters of the loch.

Our journey continues to Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands, then through the natural beauty of the Cairngorms National Park.

We cross the Grampian Mountains to reach the picturesque woodland scenery of Perthshire, where we’ll make a stop for refreshments.

The last part of our journey takes us towards Stirling and onwards to Glasgow.

After breakfast, join the hop-on, hop-off double-deck bus tour to get a different perspective on Glasgow. With 21 conveniently located stops, it covers almost all of Glasgow’s many attractions.  

Why not take time out to visit the Riverside Museum, Glasgow’s museum of transport and travel. There are over 3,000 exhibits, including classic cars, trams and locomotives. A popular feature is the reconstruction of an old cobbled street complete with shops and bars dating from 1895 to the 1980s

Moored outside is the Tall Ship, Glenlee, a superb example of a Clyde-built merchant sailing ship.  

Nearby is the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, one of Scotland’s premier visitor attractions. Contained within its 22 state-of-the-art galleries is an eclectic mix of natural history, armour and art from many movements plus much, much more.

If you fancy a wee change, why not visit The Clydeside Distillery, Glasgow’s newest Whisky Distillery. Join an expert guide for a tour of the distillery, enjoying the fantastic river views from the contemporary Still Room.

At the end of the tour, enjoy a tutored tasting of Three Wee Drams and take the opportunity of visiting the specialist whisky shop to get a gift bottle to take home.

Later in the tour, discover sprawling Glasgow Green, the city’s oldest parkland, home to the beautiful Dalton Fountain and People’s Palace, which tells the story of Glasgow’s and her people.

The train for London will depart from Glasgow Central Railway Station later this afternoon.

All too soon, you will have crossed the Border and speeding towards the journey’s end in Central London.