Edinburgh, Glencoe & Isle of Skye

We meet in London Euston today to board the Caledonian Sleeper. We arrive in Edinburgh on Day 2, where you are at leisure until dinner at our hotel this evening.

After breakfast on Day 3, you are at leisure to relax and explore the beautiful city of Edinburgh. The city is crowned by the iconic Edinburgh Castle,which is built over the caldera of a long extinct volcano. The history of the castle stretches way back to the 2nd century, and is fascinating to discover. Alternatively, you may want to take a walk up to Arthur's Seat, which boasts of some truly incredible views.

This afternoon, we take a guided underground tour of Edinburgh at the Real Mary King's Close. This infamous alley is famous as the Scottish capital's most haunted street, and is the birthplace of various legends and ghost stories. Mary King's Close had been closed to the public since the 18th century, only to be opened more recently. During that time, the street became shrouded in mystery, which we begin to unravel on our tour. Afterwards, you are at leisure to discover Edinburgh by night - why not take a stroll up the lively Royal Mile?

• Day 2 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 3 - Breakfast

Leaving Edinburgh today, we transfer to the station for our journey across Scotland to Glasgow. Enjoy the wonderful passing scenery as we travel through the heart of this country, admiring the beautiful hills and moorlands we pass. From Glasgow, we join the iconic West Highland Line to Fort William, a railway journey that is regularly voted one of the best of its kind in the world. We transfer to our hotel in Roy Bridge, where on arrival, we enjoy dinner this evening. Next up is a night cap, as we sample Scotland's most famous exports, whisky, with a tasting and talk about the production of this fine drink.

On Day 5 We delve into the history of Scotland today as we head to the Clan Cameron Museum in Achnacarry. Here, we enjoy an informative Clan Heritage tour and talk at the Clan Cameron Museum. We learn about the history of this clan, which has survived from the 14th century until today, before continuing to Fort William. We have some free time for lunch ahead of a visit to the fascinating West Highland Museum.

• Day 4 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 5 - Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, we travel to the Isle of Skye via the Skye Bridge, pausing en route at Eilean Donan Castle for a photo opportunity and the Visitor Centre. Arriving on the Isle of Skye, we visit Armadale Castle and enjoy Afternoon Tea here. The home of Clan Donald, we enjoy a guided tour of the castle, where we learn more of its fascinating history, as well as sit down to a delightful afternoon tea. This incredible castle is exactly how you'd expect a medieval fortress to look, with square towers and crenellated parapets. Despite its ancient appearance, this castle was only built during the 18th and 19th centuries, but fell into ruin in 1925. The remains of this castle are now romantically draped in ivy, and are a delightful place to while away a few hours.

We return to the mainland via ferry to Mallaig, transferring by coach to Glencoe where we check into our hotel for the night, the Kingshouse Hotel located on the West Highland Way.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning, we travel by coach to Fort William for one of the highlights of our tour. The Jacobite Steam Train is one of the United Kingdom's most famous steam trains, and takes us along the West Highland Line to Mallaig. This stretch of the railway is one of the most iconic, as along the route we travel over the spectacular Glenfinnan Viaduct. An enormous, 21-spanned concrete structure blends so seamlessly with the surrounding countryside that it has become an integral part of Scotland's landscape.

We enjoy free time in Mallaig for lunch before our return journey. From Fort William we transfer back to the Kingshouse Hotel in Glencoe for our final night in Scotland.

*Please note on some departures this journey maybe operated by schedule Scotrail service

• Breakfast, Dinner

After a leisurely morning on the West Highland Way, a long-distance walking path for exploring the Highlands, we head to the Glencoe Visitor Centre where we have time to take in one of Scotland's most iconic glens. Glencoe has been the spectacular backdrop of many films, including James Bond Skyfall. We have the afternoon at leisure in Fort William, before we board the overnight Caledonian Sleeper train back to London. We disembark after breakfast on Day 9, when our holiday comes to an end.

• Day 8 - Breakfast
• Day 9 - Breakfast