Scotland And The Highlands 2023
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14 Days Scotland And The Highlands Tour Itinerary 2023
Sept 1 - Sept 14
Day 1 This afternoon we’ll meet in our Central Edinburgh hotel (2 nights) at 4pm for an informal tour briefing. Afterwards we’ll stroll through this lovely city as we head to our restaurant to enjoy dinner together.
Day 2 Put on your walking shoes as we’re going to learn a lot about Edinburgh on our city walking tour. Discover why this city makes the Scots tick. We’ll end up at the gates to Edinburgh Castle where I will provide you with tickets to enter and set you free to explore. There are many other fine places in the city to discover; I’ll point you in the direction of their world famous museums and galleries. This is essentially a free afternoon where you can choose the Edinburgh you’d like to discover further.
Day 3 Today we board our minibuses and head West. First stop is Bannockburn, where a very famous battle took place…. I’ll tell you what happened here and what the consequences were. Then onto Stirling Castle. Here you’ll have a Castle tour and will be free to enjoy lunch in the castle cafe. We’ll talk about William Wallace and the Chartist revolt. After Stirling, we head over the Highlands and drive to our hotel in Oban (3 nights). We’ll give you an orientation of the town and let you enjoy dinner on your own in this lovely seaside town.
Day 4 An early morning ferry trip will take us to the island of Mull where we’ll gasp at the magnificent splendour of the island as we drive to its other side to catch another small ferry. This one will take us to the atmospheric island of Iona. We’ll give you a short walking tour of Iona as we head towards its famous ancient abbey. Here you will explore the abbey and its museum, and we’ll take a short hike up to a splendid overlook which will give you impressive views over this historic place. We’ll catch the last ferries back to Oban where you may like to enjoy some of the local seafood for dinner.
Day 5 From Oban we’ll take you to see a very special place indeed - Kilmartin. You may never have heard of it, but that’s okay…. I’m going to take you back into the ancient past of this gorgeous region. The prehistory of Kilmartin and its valley is spectacular. You’ll delve into Bronze Age tombs and Dark Age graves. You may even get to find out if the shoe fits!? … puzzled? Think about Cinderella’s slipper…. Still puzzled? I’ll explain in Kilmartin…. We’ll have sandwiches and a picnic lunch as we explore the area. It’s quite an energetic day but you could revive yourself back in Oban with a sampling of its famous whisky.
Day 6 We leave Oban and head to Glencoe. Certainly famous for some murder and mayhem that took place here ... but the geology of this valley is astounding. What better way to see it than from a mountain top? We don’t even need to climb as we’ll take a chairlift. After time for a late lunch, a short drive will see us at the Commando Memorial and the birthplace of commando units in WW2. Then onwards to our own little island of Raasay (2 nights), which lies to the north of the Isle of Skye.
Day 7 I’ve set this day up so that you have choices. Raasay is a very small but beautiful island and it has a magnificent walk that follows the lane from one end to the other - castles, coastline, moors and wildlife await. Or perhaps you’d like to visit the Isle of Skye, whose mountains can be seen very clearly from our island. If you’d like to drive over we can take you there. The choice is yours on this free day.
Day 8 We’re going to drive north through the Highlands to Ullapool. As we meander over the hills, let’s make a stop to visit one of the most beautiful botanical attractions in the country - Inverewe Gardens - nestled between the mountains and the sea in this remote region. We’ll continue on to our hotel in Ullapool (2 nights) I’ll give you an orientation of the town this evening and point out some good places to eat and drink.
Day 9 Today we’re going further north again ... up to the Summer Isles. This is an amazing peninsula that has dramatic views over the sea to the west, with dozens of small islands that sit on its horizon. It’s a spectacular place to take a walk and enjoy lunch. We’ll spend as much time as the light will allow before heading back to Ullapool.
Day 10 Do you believe in monsters? Yup! ... on to Loch Ness…. But first you’ll enjoy a visit to the Glen Ord Distillery which will include a tour, and a tasting of their single malt whiskies. Onwards to Loch Ness where we’ll visit Urquhart Castle and try to catch a glimpse of an illusive local ... the monster. A short drive from here is our Country House hotel near Inverness (2 nights) where we’ll appreciate a fine dinner together tonight.
Day 11 Culloden is just a short drive from our hotel and it’s a ‘must’ for any visitor to Scotland. The myths, the legends and the history of the battle of Culloden will be revealed to you as we visit the battlefield and museum. We’ll also drive out to the enigmatic Clava Cairns - a number of Bronze Age tombs that nestle amongst the trees, just outside of Inverness. I’ll explain their meaning to you. Next stop is Fort George, one of the most impressive fortresses you are likely to ever see. Here I’ll give you a brief history and let you wander the fortifications at your leisure.
Day 12 If you go to Scotland you WILL see sheep. This morning we’ll get the opportunity to see them up close, being herded, at a sheepdog demonstration - lots of fun to be had! Next, we shall go to the Crannog (or Crannoch) Centre. This is a living museum where the attendants will show you how people lived on a loch for thousands of years, and will explain why a loch was such a good place to commune. After a short drive we’ll arrive at our hotel in the small town of Pitlochry (1 night) where you’ll be free to enjoy dinner or a stroll along the river.
Day 13 This morning we head to the church at Dunkeld and learn a little of its history. Another short drive will see us in the seaport of Dundee. Here we’ll take you to the museum that is home to The Discovery. Remember Scot of the Antarctic? After lunch we drive on down to Edinburgh and check into our hotel (1 night). This evening we’ll walk to our restaurant to enjoy a splendid final dinner together and talk about our marvellous adventures.
Day 14 Over breakfast this morning I’ll help you with further transportation arrangements and advice.