Treasures of Scotland 2024

Transfer from Edinburgh airport or station to the tour hotel. Accommodation and breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Center Hotel, Hampton By Hilton Edinburgh, Holiday Inn Edinburgh, Ibis Edinburgh Center South Bridge or similar.

We will visit the city in the morning including entrance to Edinburgh Castle and the afternoon free, with the possibility of visiting the elegant 17th century "Georgian New Town" and the historic "Old Town". Edinburgh is considered the second most visited city in the United Kingdom after London and has also been the seat of the Scottish Parliament since 1999. The Parliament building is impressive, its green space in Princess Street Gardens is worth a visit. Accommodation and breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Center Hotel, Hampton By Hilton Edinburgh, Holiday Inn Edinburgh, Ibis Edinburgh Center South Bridge or similar.

We will leave Edinburgh to the north crossing the famous Forth Bridge, with its panoramic views of the "Firth of Forth", and we will travel through the Kingdom of Fife en route to St Andrews, famous worldwide for being the cradle of golf and home of the Scotland's oldest university. Here, Prince William and Kate Middleton studied. We will sightsee the St Andrews Cathedral and Castle before continuing on to the seaside city of Dundee, where there will be free time for lunch. We left Dundee heading north, on our way to Glamis Castle. The family home of the Queen Mother and the birthplace of Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth II. Glamis is a magnificent example of a fortified castle with later additions to make it a manor house. We will visit Glamis Castle. Before arriving in the city of Aberdeen we will make a photo stop at Dunottar Castle, located on the coast on some impressive Dunnottar cliffs. Dinner, bed and breakfast at the Park Inn Aberdeen, Leonardo hotel Aberdeen, Aberdeen Douglas Hotel or similar in the area.

Leaving the port city of Aberdeen we will pass the cathedral and university in the old town and continue our route through the Highlands until we reach Elgin. In Elgin we will visit its beautiful medieval cathedral and then we will have the opportunity to try a whiskey tasting. Free time for lunch. On the way to Inverness, we will make a brief stop at Culloden Battlefield before proceeding to the Highland capital city of Inverness where we will take a panoramic walking tour and then have free time to explore the city. Dinner, bed and breakfast at the MacDonald Aviemore Hotel, Highland Hotel in Aviemore, Craiglynne Hotel, Palace Milton Hotel in Inverness or similar in the area.

In the morning we will go to Loch Ness in search of its ancestral host "Nessie". You will be able to see Loch Ness from the shores where we will visit Urquhart Castle Ruins with visits to the lake. Our route will continue along the shores of the loch to the west, past the romantic Eilean Donan Castle, until reaching the mystical Isle of Skye. We'll drive through the island's spectacular panoramas enjoying extraordinary views of the Cuillin Hills and arrive to see Mealt Falls and the Kilt Rock behind before ending the day at the hotel. Dinner, bed, and breakfast at the Kings Arms Hotel on The Isle of Skye, Dunollie, Kyle Hotel in Kyle of Lochalsh, Gairloch Hotel in Gairloch or similar.

In the morning we will travel to Armadale on Skye where we embark for the port of Mallaig. We will follow the "Path of the Islands", proclaimed to be one of the most scenic routes in the world. We will continue passing Fort William south through the historic and beautiful Glencoe Valley, infamous scene of the Glencoe massacre in 1692. We will travel over the mountains of Buchaille Etive Moor, with breathtaking views. We will continue along the shores of Lake Awe and arrive at the town of Inveraray with its castle, residence of the Clan Campbell. Dinner, bed and breakfast at Loch Long Hotel, Inveraray Inn Hotel, Dalmaly Hotel similar in the area.

We will skirt the attractive Loch Fyne on our way to the southeast until we reach the shores of the famous Loch Lomond, one of the most captivating places in all of Scotland. Then we'll head east to the historic town of Stirling, where one of the most important clashes of the wars of independence between Scotland and England took place. The Battle of Stirling Bridge (known from the movie Braveheart) in 1297 was William Wallace's greatest victory, making him the undisputed leader of the resistance against the English. We will visit Stirling Castle, located on the rocky promontory that dominates the region and has impressive panoramic views. We will return to Edinburgh for the last night. Accommodation and breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh City Center Hotel, Hampton By Hilton Edinburgh, Holiday Inn Edinburgh, Ibis Edinburgh Center South Bridge or similar.

Free day in Edinburgh until transfer back to Edinburgh airport for your departure flight.