Day 1 Arrival
- Perthshire (Prices and conditions at bottom of page)
Arrive at Edinburgh/Glasgow Airport
and pick up your self-drive car. Depart for the north of Scotland
crossing the Forth Road Bridge if coming from Edinburgh and
continue up the M90 to Perth.
Overnight in Perthshire area.
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Day 2 Perthshire – Aberdeen
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After you Full Scottish Breakfast
visit Scone Palace, the family home of the Earl of Mansfield
and also the site of the famous coronation Stone of Scone,
brought there in the 9th century by Kenneth MacAlpine, King
of Scots. Continue to Pitlochry, a small Highland town. Stop
at the Salmon Ladder where you may be lucky enough to see
salmon leaping! From Pitlochry, travel towards Braemar. You
will take the very scenic & dramatic road over the Spittal
of Glenshee one of the highest points in Scotland and also
site of one of Scotland’s ski resorts. Descend into
Braemar which sits in the heart of Royal Deeside, the favoured
holiday area for the Royal Family in Scotland. If time allows,
visit Balmoral Castle (open May – July only), home
of Royal Family. Continue towards Aberdeen for overnight
in the area. |
Day 3 Aberdeen & Royal Deeside
| Take a trip into
Aberdeen, Old Aberdeen is lovely and is where the university
is based. See Kings College, a chapel famous for its rich woodwork
dates from the 16th century. Nearby is St Machar’s Cathedral,
mainly 15th century it is a granite structure of simple austere
grandeur. Two notable features are the West Front with its
twin castellated towers and the painted wooden Heraldic Ceiling
in the nave, dated 1520. Visit Duthie Park and Winter Gardens – a
beautifully laid out 50 acre park with floral displays in all
seasons including a “rose mountain”. There are
two boating ponds and many interesting sculptures and mountains.
The Winter |
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| Gardens feature exotic plants, flowers, birds, fish and
turtles. Outside Aberdeen, visit Crathes Castle which has
royal historic associations dating from 1323 when the Land
of Leys were granted to the Burnett family by Robert the
Bruce. The castle features some remarkable late 16th century
painted ceilings. There is a large walled garden and the
great yew hedges date from 1702, fascinating examples of
topiary. Return to your accommodation overnight. |
Day 4 Aberdeen – Inverness
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Travel
northwards towards Inverness. In the morning follow
the Whisky Trail & visit one of the many famous
distilleries in the area. You can visit Glenfiddich,
McCallums, Grants, Cardhu and many more. Each gives
an audio-visual show and then a guided tour of the
distillery to learn of the processes and for many the
highlight is a tasting at the end of the tour. The
choice of what to see and do in the Speyside area is
huge – there are castles – Brodie, Cawdor
(made famous by the Shakespeare’s Macbeth), and
Ballindalloch. Visit Culloden Moor, site of the last
land battle on British soil, wander around Inverness,
capital of the Highlands, take the Strathspey Railway
from Boat of Garten to Aviemore, watch the Ospreys
at Loch Garten. Accommodation in Inverness area. |
Day 5 Inverness – Inverewe Gardens – Inverness
| Enjoy a day visiting the West
Coast of Scotland. Journey across to Ullapool, a quaint fishing
village. Then travel down past the dramatic Corrieshalloch
Gorge to the Inverewe Gardens, run by the National Trust. These
magnificent gardens have a famous rhododendron collection and
who would expect to find palm trees in Scotland. Return through
the magnificent scenery of the Torridon area and past Loch
Maree. Return to the Inverness area for overnight. |
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Day 6 Inverness – Edinburgh via Loch Ness & Glencoe
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Today travel south again going
via Loch Ness. Loch Ness forms part of the Caledonian Canal
a feat of some great engineering by Thomas Telford linking
East Scotland with West by using a series of lochs linked by
a canal system. Make a stop at Urquhart Castle, a very scenic
spot and also the place where the most sightings of “Nessie” have
been. Continue towards Fort William, which nestles beneath
the highest mountain in Great Britain – Ben Nevis. If
time allows, why not take a ride up in a gondola at Anoch Mor
which on a good day will offer stunning views over the west
coast. From Fort William, start travelling south. Travel
through the beautiful and |
| mysterious Glencoe, which is great for walking and climbing
and full of nature. You then travel over Rannoch Moor and into
the heart of the Trossachs, known as the “gateway to
the Highlands”. Stop at Stirling Castle which has played
such an important role in much of Scotland’s vibrant
history. The Great Hall has just been refurbished
and the Visitor Centre has a very good audio-visual exhibition
explaining much of the history. Return towards Edinburgh area
where you will overnight. |
Day 7 Edinburgh
| Enjoy a full day in Edinburgh.
In the morning, go up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, which
dominates the Edinburgh skyline. The Castle is site of the
oldest building in Edinburgh – St Margaret’s Chapel
and the Crown Jewels of Scotland. Continue down the Royal Mile – take
time to explore the many “closes” which run off
this street and which hold so many secrets. There are many
restaurants, pubs & souvenir shops on the Royal Mile for
a lunch stop. In the afternoon at the foot of the Royal Mile,
visit Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the Queen
whilst she is in Scotland. The Palace has a wonderful ballroom
and staterooms to visit.To end the day, go into the New Town
to admire the Georgian architecture and the well-laid out streets
that are in complete contrast to those of the Old Town. Return
to your accommodation overnight. |
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Day 8 Departure
Unfortunately it is time to leave Scotland. Return
to the airport and leave your car.
Package Price (per person based on 2 sharing
a twin/double room):
Click on Book Now to check prices and availability
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