Grand Tour of Scotland
Immerse yourself in the culture and majesty of the Scottish Highlands
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You are viewing the 2018 itinerary
Itineraries and pricing may vary by departure year
Immerse yourself in the culture and majesty of the Scottish Highlands. You take in the rugged landscapes on two of the UK's most famous train lines; the West Highland Line and the Jacobite. You also visit Loch Ness and castles that transport you through the history of this region. Our hotels are a highlight too, especially the 5-Star Fairmont St Andrews.
Today you arrive in Edinburgh to meet your Tour Manager and fellow travellers in your hotel, the Apex Waterloo Place. This evening we enjoy dinner together at the hotel.
This morning, we visit the majestic Royal Yacht Britannia, once the official yacht of the Royal Family. We enjoy a guided tour here ahead of an afternoon at leisure.
Our excursion today takes us to the wonderful Stirling Castle, a 12th century castle and one of the most historically important castles in Britain. We enjoy a guided tour here before transferring by coach to our hotel in Loch Lomond, the Cameron House Hotel.
Today we begin by transferring to Helensburgh to connect with the beautiful West Highland Line to Fort William where we catch the iconic Jacobite Steam Train to Mallaig. On arrival, we transfer to Armadale Castle and Gardens, home to the Clan Donald Centre. Following our time here we check in to our new hotel, the Skeabost - a magnificent country house retreat.
The Talisker Distillery is our first stop today, the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye. The distillery is set in a customarily idyllic location that isn't uncommon on Skye. We take an enjoyable tour of the premises and learn how the whisky is made. We also have chance to sample the produce. After our time here we continue on to our next stop, Dunvegan Castle. The castle is the oldest continually inhabited castle in Scotland and for 800 years has been the seat of the MacLeod Clan. We take a tour of this history rich building and its gardens.
Today we visit another spectacular Scottish castle, the Eilean Donan. Set on a tiny island in Loch Duich, joined to the mainland by a small, elegant bridge. The island was part of the Macrae Clan's territory and in the 13th century they built Eilean Donan Castle, which occupies almost all of the land space. It was initially designed to defend the clan's land from invading Vikings, who had previously seen the site - at the meeting point of three sea lochs - as a weak spot. Eventually the castle saw more battles between the warring Scottish clans. Later we take a ride on the historic Kyle Line, first laid down in 1870 and taking twenty-seven years to complete.
Today, discover mysterious Loch Ness, famous for its prehistoric resident, the Loch Ness Monster. We enjoy a cruise across this shimmering expanse of water, the deepest freshwater lake in the U.K., before visiting the atmospheric ruins of Urqhart Castle that overlooks the loch. We have some time here to discover the Castle before we coach to Glen Ord, a distillery that produces one of Scotland's most favoured drinks - whisky. After enjoying a wee dram, we return to our hotel.
We travel by rail to Perth where we change to coach for the short transfer to St Andrews today, on arrival we check in to our 5-Star hotel, the Fairmont.
Glamis Castle is our main stop today, this beautiful castle was the former childhood home of the Queen Mother and proves to be an enjoyable visit with history and fine architecture in abundance. Later you have time to explore St Andrews under your own steam.
Following breakfast, we transfer to Dundee for our rail service to Edinburgh where the tour concludes, and your Tour Manager bids you farewell.
We recommend that for this tour you arrange flights to and from Edinburgh Airport, which is approximately 8 miles from your base in Edinburgh.
It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
You may check in at the first hotel on your itinerary anytime after 14:00; your Tour Manager will be available between 16:00 and 18:00. However, if you are arriving later, you can meet your Tour Manager before dinner from 19:00.
An escorted experience
Comfortable accommodation in your destination
Delicious meals included
Signature touches
Exciting excursions and free time to explore
Not Included
Immerse yourself in the culture and majesty of the Scottish Highlands
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Enquire
