Our 7 day tour of Scotland covers a little bit of everything the country has to offer for visitors. History, culture, scenic beauty, loch’s, mountains, seascapes, architecture, engineering marvels, science, geology, gastronomy and don’t forget, Whisky.
Please click on the link below if you wish to download our 7 day Scotland tour itinerary
Tour Itinerary
- We take you round the City of Edinburgh “off the beaten path” with a drive up Arthur’s seat; 823ft of volcano in the heart of Edinburgh. Enjoy panoramic views of the city.
- We then head to the Forth road and rail bridges. The rail bridge (The Forth Bridge), built in 1881 was considered at the time, the greatest feat of engineering in the industrial world.
- Overlooking these landmarks are some of Scotland’s finest stately homes and castles. First we visit Hopetoun House. Arguably the finest stately home in Scotland.
- Blackness Castle is our next stop. This sea side fortress is a text book example of a Scottish castle. The castle was also used in the Outlander TV series.
- Next we move onto the Palace of Linlithgow. A ghostly looking shell of its former grand royal days.
- Finally we visit Rosslyn Chapel. Recently featured in Hollywood blockbuster The Da Vinci Code. With links to the Knights Templar and Built in 1446, this is believed to be the hiding place of the Holy Grail.
- You also have the option to visit Glenkinchie Whisky Distillery on this Edinburgh tour at no extra cost. (Overnight stay in Edinburgh)
- We start the day with a drive south to the Scottish borders region. You will enjoy rolling green landscapes with thick woodland and some of the finest Abbeys, stately homes and castles in the country. There are too many to visit in one day but we have selected the very best to give you a great mix of what the area has to offer.
- Our first stop is the beautiful Melrose Abbey, built under King David 1st order in 1136. This pink sandstone building is an exceptional piece of architecture and employed some of the greatest stonemasons of its day.
- Our next stop is Abbotsford house. This grand baronial house was home to Sir Walter Scott. Poet, novelist and the man responsible for reviving Scotland’s national identity
after the prohibition period when playing bagpipes, tartan, Gaelic and anything Scottish was banned. The house contains a vast library and very important artefacts from Scotland’s long history. - We then take you to a beautiful view point which looks over the border countryside known as Scott’s View.
- Our final stop is the largest castle in Scotland; Floors Castle, home to the Duke of Roxburgh. Dating from 1721 and remodelled in the 1830’s this fairy tale castle is considered by architect William Playfair to be his greatest ever commissioned building.
- We return to Edinburgh where we will stop for the evening. (Overnight in Edinburgh)
- We depart Edinburgh and our first stop is the mighty Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument. This commanding position at the foot of the Highland boundary has been fought over for thousands of years as a strategic point to control the entire country.
- We continue north into highland Perthshire where we visit the beautiful Blair Castle. Home to the Duke of Atholl for more than 700 years. This pristine white castle has a large armoury which includes weapons used during the battle of Culloden.
- Finally, we make our way through the beautiful Cairngorm national park and continue north to the city of Inverness for the evening. (Overnight stop in Inverness)
- We start the day with a visit to Culloden battle field where the British government troops fought the Jacobite army in 1746. The Scots suffered a heavy defeat and
this was to be the last ever battle on UK soil. The visitor centre has a state of the art 360 degree theatre which allows you to immerse yourself in the battle and hear real accounts from those who fought. - From Culloden we move a few miles along the road to the see the 4,000 year old Clava Cairn burial chambers. This exceptionally well preserved Bronze Age cemetery is one of Scotland’s most sacred prehistoric sites.
- We continue west to Cawdor Castle. The name may be recognisable from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Shakespeare himself visited Cawdor Castle. Learn of the Castle’s link to one of Shakespeare’s darkest tragedies.
- We leave Cawdor and drive along the Moray coast to enjoy a tasting session at the famous Benromach whisky distillery. This will give you the opportunity to try Speyside
single malt. We continue back to Inverness where we finish for the
evening. (Overnight in Inverness)
- We start the day with a drive down the west coast of the mighty Loch Ness. Famous throughout the world for the strange sightings of a mysterious sea creature. “Nessie” is
very shy but the lucky few who have seen the beast describe a prehistoric animal closely related to the dinosaurs. You have the option to take a boat trip on the Loch to enhance your chance to see her. - Urquhart Castle sits proudly on the loch side and this will be our next stop. Once the largest castle in the Highlands, the now ruined building has an eerie presence which has seen over 500 years of conflict between the 13th and 17th centuries.
- We make our way west through the rugged mountain wilderness to one of Scotland’s best view points at the Ratagan Pass. This allows you to take in the spectacular scenery of the 5 sisters of Kintail. This well-known landmark is surrounded by 5 distinct summits and is a popular expedition for hill walkers.
- We continue west to visit Scotland’s most photographed castle, Eilean Donan. It features in many movies including James Bond, Highlander and Maid of Honour.
- Finally we cross the land bridge to the magical Isle of Skye where we stop for the evening. (Overnight stay on the Isle of Skye)
- We start with driving a loop round the geological wonder of the Trotternish peninsular. We visit The Old Man of Storr (featured in the movie Prometheus) then continue to the 200ft Kilt rock waterfall.
- We then visit the strange landscape of the Quiraing. This volcanic wonder is one
of the most beautiful sites on the island. - Next we visit another bizarre feature known as the Fairy glen. It can only be described as a miniature mountain landscape suitable for elves and goblins.
- We continue west across the island to the only remaining inhabited castle on Skye. Home to Clan Macleod for the last 800 years, Dunvegan Castle and gardens is a great place to immerse yourself in history, boasting the longest continuous habitation of any castle in Scotland.
- You have the choice to include Talisker Distillery and fresh Oyster tasting. (Overnight
stay on the Isle of Skye)
- We make our way off the island via the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig. Back of the mainland we enjoy the spectacular views on the road to the isles and visit Glenfinnan viaduct (featured in Harry Potter Movies and the Jacobite memorial).
- Next stop is Scotland’s most desired spot, Glencoe. Towering mountains on all sides and a bloody history make this an unforgettable experience for all who visit.
- We continue south to visit Etive Mor, an extinct super volcano known locally as “the Shepard of Glencoe”. Here we turn off the beaten path into Glen Etive for spectacular scenery and hopefully spot Red Deer in their native habitat.
- We sadly leave the highlands from this point and return to Edinburgh where we say farewell and trust you have enjoyed an unforgettable trip.
