DISTINCTLY SCOTLAND
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6-Day Tour
Exploring Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands
and the Isle of Skye
A 6-Day Ready-to-Book tour, personally created by Iain, giving you the best Scotland has to offer.
6 Days starting from $3,999pp
High-season (June – August) starting from $4,999pp
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Minimum 4 persons per tour, (double occupancy rooms. Not including airfare).
The cost includes quality hotel accommodation, (with breakfast each day), entrances to attractions, (including Spirit of Scotland Show) and ferry rides. Tips are not included. Costs are subject to price changes and availability, until the tour deposit paid. {Contact us for great deals on other guest numbers}
Tour at a glance:
Exploring Edinburgh
Old Town/New Town
Castle and Scottish Evening
Day 1
Day 2
Edinburgh - Fife Villages
St Andrews - Glamis Castle
Dundee - Grampians
Day 3
Grampians - Balmoral Castle
Speyside Distillery
Inverness
Day 4
Inverness Tour - Loch Ness
Caledonian Canal Locks
Culloden Battlefield
Day 5
Eilean Donan Castle
Extensive tour of Skye
Ferry to Ft William
Day 6
Ft William - Glencoe
Highlands
Stirling Castle-Edinburgh
6-Day Tour full details:
Day 1
Edinburgh
Your personal guide will greet you at Edinburgh Airport to whisk you to your hotel, where you drop your bags and time to freshen up. Your hotel is handily situated in the city centre where we start our driving tour of Edinburgh.
After lunch your guide will take you on a personal Walking tour of the Royal Mile. You will see all of the amazing historical sights, including Edinburgh Castle, The Grassmarket and Greyfriar's Churchyard. There is also the famous 'Harry Potter Street' (Victoria Street or Diagon Alley). Camera Obscura and the Scotch Whisky Experience. There are also many various attractions and gift shops can be decided on the day.
In the evening its off to the Royal College of Surgeons. not to have an operation, but this is the lovely venue of the 'Spirit of Scotland Show'. You will enjoy a Scottish themed evening of festivities including: A welcome piper in full Highland regalia, 4-Course dinner, (including haggis), bagpipers, Scottish country dancers, and a complimentary dram of whisky!
o/n MARKET STREET HOTEL
City of Edinburgh
Day 2
Edinburgh - St Andrews - Blairgowrie
Off to the Scottish Highlands today via the Forth Bridges and the home of Golf, St Andrews.
We will take the scenic route along the coastal fishing villages in the East Neuk of Fife, stopping at Crail and Anstruther. They reckon they make the best Fish 'n Chips in Scotland at Anstruther. You can decide, but just don't feed the seagulls!
St Andrews is a must visit for golfers worldwide, as the game started here, and is home to the 'Old Course', the oldest golf club in the world, run by the The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews'. Their amazing Golf Museum is here too.
The town also has the oldest University in Scotland, where Prince William met Catherine. We will show you which cafe that, allegedly, was the venue of their first date!
On to Glamis Castle passing the city of Dundee, which is the city of the 3 'J's'...Jute, Jam and Journalism, (your guide will explain).
Glamis Castle is the private home of the Earl of Strathmore and was the childhood home to the Queen Mother, the King's grandmother. An incredibly historic and impressive royal residence that is set in beautiful and extensive grounds.
We leave Glamis to enter the Highlands and your lovely Highland hotel. o/n DALMUNZIE HOTEL
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18th and 1st Fairways, St. Andrews
Glamis Castle
Day 3
Grampian Mountains - Balmoral Castle - Distillery - Inverness
Today we drive into the heart of the Grampian Mountains past the Glenshee Ski Centre and over the high peaks towards Ballater and His Majesty the King's summer residence, historic Balmoral Castle nestled in the highlands beside the mighty River Dee.
Balmoral has been the cherished residence of the UK Royals ever since it was purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the 19th century. It has been the place where Royals get privacy and can 'switch off'. We will take a tour of the recently opened apartments.
Afterwards, it up to the highest road in Scotland. The Cock Bridge to Tomintoul road, which passes the Lecht ski centre, will provide you with really great views of the mountains and glens. Enjoy panoramic views of the Cairngorms mountain range and an opportunity to spot deer, birds of prey. Perhaps a Golden Eagle or Red Kite.
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Balmoral Castle
Now to Speyside. This is the main whisky producing area of Scotland and home to numberous world famous brands. Macallan, Glenfiddich, Knockando....plus many many other famous brands. Let us know which one you wish to visit. There is also the largest cooperage in the UK, with daily demonstrations of barrel making.​After your tour and a wee dram, we head north following the River Spey to the coast at the Moray Firth. Then on tho the Capital of the Highlands, Inverness. o/n GLEN MOHR HOTEL
Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness
Day 4
Inverness - Culloden - Fort Augustus
In 1746, the last battle to be fought on British soil was The Battle of Culloden. This fight brutally ended the Jacobite Rebellion led by Charles Edward Stuart, better known as "Bonnie' Prince Charlie. Today we visit the actual location of this fierce battle, which now has an award winning visitor experience.
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Next we go back 4000 years, to 'Clava Cairns'. An ancient burial ground that was the inspiration for the TV show 'Outlander'. The heroine in the story touched the standing stone and was transported back to the 18th century, and met Jacobites! Next stop, Cawdor Castle, where we can also wander the beautiful gardens and grab a spot of lunch.
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We'll also see if we can spot the 'Loch Ness Monster' by driving down the Great Glen to Loch Ness. It holds the largest volume of water of any lake, (or loch), in the United Kingdom. Very deep and dark too, giving rise to this world famous legend! (bring your camera!).
At our night stop at Fort Augustus, we'll see the canal locks on the Caledonian Canal, constructed by the Victorian engineer Thomas Telford in 1822.
The Caledonian Canal is a series of canals and locks that allows boats to navigate from Inverness to Fort William, linking Lochs, Ness, Oich and Lochy. It follows the line of the Great Glen, a natural fault line.
This engineering feat saves sailors from navigating around the rough seas to the north and west of Scotland. o/n LOVAT HOTEL
Day 5
Eilean Donan - Skye
Fort William
After breakfast our journey to Skye starts. We drive through the mighty Glen Garry to a vantage point overlooking Loch Claunie and stunning views towards Loch Hourn, past the
'7 Sisters' mountain range leading to Loch Duart. At the head of this loch sits Eilean Donan Castle.
Situated on a small tidal island at the confluence of three sea lochs - Loch Duich, Loch Long, and Loch Alsh, Eilean Donan Castle commands a strategic position at the gateway to the Isle of Skye and the Western Highlands.
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In 1719, during one of the many Jacobite uprisings, Eilean Donan Castle was besieged and partially destroyed by government forces.
The castle lay in ruins for nearly two centuries until it was restored to its former glory in the early 20th century by Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap, a descendant of the Macrae clan.
You'll find that he made a really rather good job of refurbishing it.
We now cross the Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh to begin our island tour. Heading to the capital Portree and north to the Kilt Rock, the Old Man of Storr: This iconic rock formation is one of Skye's most famous landmarks. Skye's mountains are called the Cuillins, and today we will enjoy drinking in their majesty in this little slice of heaven.
We now route along the Sleat Peninsula to our ferry at Armadale. 25 minutes later we are on the mainland again and drive to our night stop at Fort William. o/n MOORINGS HOTEL
DISTINCTLY SCOTLAND
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Eilean Donan Castle
Cuillin Hills SKYE
Day 6
Fort William - Glencoe
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Fort William lies at the southern end of the Caledonian Canal, which links Inverness to Loch Linnhe, and was named by King William III in 1690. It was after the construction of a military fort to guard against the Jacobites!
It is also the location of the UK's highest mountain, Ben Nevis at 4413feet. This has made Ft William a hikers paradise.​
We next head to Glencoe, an impressive glaciated valley, (or Glen), and the most famous glen in Scotland, due not only to its beauty, but also because of the 'Massacre of Glencoe' in 1695, when Government forces killed 39 of the Jacobite supporting McDonald Clan. They were slow in swearing allegiance to the British Crown!
​This leads us to the road to Callander, a town created by the new thing in the 19th Century - the railway!
Glencoe
Day 6 cont...
Stirling Castle - Edinburgh
After a look around Callander we motor on to Stirling Castle. This impressive Castle and Royal Palace is one of the top attractions in Scotland and sits perched on top of an extinct volcano. It was here that Mary Queen of Scots sought to create a fabulous palace to rival other monarchies of Europe. You can judge if she achieved her goal! They also have actors dressed in period costume roaming around the castle's apartments...really great!
Then our tour winds down to end in Edinburgh, and your flight home tomorrow. o/n MURRAYFIELD HOTEL.
Customise the Tour
Anyway you want!
Famous Scots
Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) was a Scottish novelist, poet, and historical writer, often considered one of the most influential figures in Scottish literature. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Scott initially pursued a career in law before finding success as a writer. He gained widespread acclaim for his narrative poems, such as "The Lay of the Last Minstrel" and "Marmion," which romanticized Scotland's history and landscape. Scott's novels, including "Waverley," "Ivanhoe," and "Rob Roy," further solidified his reputation as a master storyteller, known for his vivid characters and richly detailed settings. Beyond his literary achievements, Scott played a significant role in the revival of Scottish culture and identity during the 19th century. He was also a prominent figure in Edinburgh's social and literary circles and was knighted by King George IV in 1820. Scott's legacy continues to be celebrated for his contributions to literature and Scottish cultural heritage.
A true Scottish hero!
