Highland Heritage
Five day/Four night tour from £405.00
Welcome aboard this fascinating journey that explores the nature, history and scenic beauty of Scotland. In five days you’ll visit the romantic Isle of Skye, have a chance to spot Dolphins, enjoy a waterfall walk, spend time “monster hunting” by Loch Ness and much, much more.
Day One
From Edinburgh and Glasgow we will make our way via lonely Rannoch Moor to the beauty of Glen Coe. There is a stop in the heart of the Glen before heading for Fort William. Drive through the Great Glen to Loch Ness, where we make a stop at Urquhart Castle, for some monster spotting. Our tour is based in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands for the next four nights.
The stay in Inverness is unescorted.
Day Two
Today we enjoy the highlight of our tour - a full day excursion to the beautiful island of Skye. We’ll make a stop at Eilean Donan Castle, perched on its island at the head of Loch Duich. You will marvel at the views when we stop at this most picturesque of castles. Soon we’ll be crossing “over the sea to Skye” and driving in the shadow of the towering Cuillin Hills to Portree, a picturesque fishing port which is the island’s main town. After free time we will return to the mainland and meander our way back to Inverness.
Day Three
We leave Inverness and head across the Black Isle to the Cromarty Firth. High above the town of Golspie is an astonishing statue, 27m (90') high. This is of the First Duke of Sutherland, whose agents were involved in the most notorious of the Clearances in the Highlands during the 19th Century. We can contrast the plight of the tenants with the opulence of Dunrobin Castle when we make a visit to the ancestral home of the Dukes of Sutherland. There will be time to tour the castle and grounds during our stop. Later we will make a stop at John O’Groats for a souvenir photograph. A short drive will bring us to Duncansby Head. Here there are dramatic cliff-top vistas and a wide variety of birdlife to enjoy during our extended stop.
Day Four
A day of scenic beauty as we discover Wester Ross. From Inverness we make our way through lonely Achnasheen to Glen Docherty then along the banks of Loch Maree, considered to be one of Scotland’s most scenic lakes. A real treat is our visit to lush Inverewe Gardens. In stark contrast to the remote surroundings a wide variety of exotic plants and shrubs survive here, thanks to the efforts of the Gulf Stream. Our journey continues along the banks of Little Loch Broom to Corrieshalloch Gorge where we can see a torrent of water plunging 46m (150ft) over the Falls of Measach. We will make our last stop of the day in the picturesque fishing port of Ullapool before returning to Inverness.
Day Five
There is an excursion to the scenic village of Cromarty followed by free time in Inverness before joining your motorcoach for our tour south. Our route will take us to the gentle Spey Valley then through the dramatic scenery of the Drumochter Pass. As we travel through Glen Garry lookout for imposing Blair Castle. There's a stop for afternoon tea then the rolling Perthshire countryside will guide us to Perth then homewards to journey’s end in Edinburgh.
Tour Highlights
- Glen Coe
- Ben Nevis
- Loch Ness
- Optional visit to Urquhart Castle and cruise on Loch Ness
- Isle of Skye
- Visit to the Clan Donald Centre Gardens
- Inverness
- Visit to Corrieshalloch Gorge and waterfall walk
- Inverewe Gardens
- John’Groats and the Far North
- Open-top bus tour of the Black Isle including Cromarty
- Moray Firth Dolphin spotting
- Spey Valley
- Forth Road Bridge