BEST OF SCOTLAND
5 DAY TOUR (SAMPLE)
As with all our tours, the itinerary, visits and duration can be altered to suit individual group requirements. Throughout the tour, your guide will entertain you with stories of folklore, myths and life today as well as help you discover some of Scotland’s fascinating history. More2Scotland Tours will endeavour to build in as many photo stops as time and safety permit.
DAY 1
Let’s focus on Edinburgh, Scotland’s historic capital.
Walk down the Royal Mile in the Old Town and discover the multitude of secrets lurking in the narrow alley ways. Climb the steps to the top of Calton Hill and get a magnificent vista of the city and surrounding area before discovering Edinburgh’s majestic New Town. If walking sounds too strenuous, a panoramic bus tour can be arranged as can visits to Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, art galleries and museums. A day is insufficient to do everything, but it will introduce you to the city which we are confident you will want to come back to.
DAY 2
Let’s leave the city behind and discover the quaint fishing villages along the Fife coast.
Steeped in history, there will be opportunities for photo stops including a short walk along the Fife Coastal Path. We’ll visit Anstruther, Crail and Elie before arriving in the ancient burgh of St Andrews around lunchtime. A short tour of the town will introduce you to the Royal and Ancient Golf course, the sandy beach and the University buildings. After lunch, we can walk together to the once magnificent cathedral (now in ruins) and to the Castle and find out about the Scottish Reformation. Later, we’ll head for Dundee, once known mainly for Jute, Jam and Journalism but today the home of a thriving University, the V & A museum and a centre for creating video games. We’ll spend the night here, close to the city centre. There will be free time to spend on the waterfront before dinner.
DAY 3
We’ll head for Aberdeen, stopping at Dunnottar Castle on the way.
In Aberdeen, we’ll visit the Old Town with its magnificent university buildings and historic cathedral. Heading west towards Royal Deeside, in the direction of the Queen’s summer residence, we might catch a glimpse of Balmoral Castle through the trees. We’ll stop in Ballater and visit the station where Queen Victoria used to arrive. We’ll continue through Braemar, famous for its annual Highland Games, and also reputedly Scotland’s coldest village before travelling through unspoiled, hilly terrain, en route to one of Scotland’s ski centres – Glenshee. Here the scenery becomes breathtakingly spectacular. We’ll finish our day by passing through Blairgowrie and heading for Perth, where we’ll spend the night in a city centre hotel.
DAY 4
Following a short walking tour around Perth, we’ll head out to Scone Palace, the former crowning place of Scottish Kings and home to the Stone of Destiny.
After our tour of the palace and grounds, we’ll drive through Dunkeld and stop in the bustling former Victorian spa town of Pitlochry, a popular holiday destination. After lunch, we’ll visit the Blair Athol whisky distillery, one of the oldest serving distilleries in Scotland. You’ll learn how malt whisky is made using locally obtained resources, before enjoying the taste of a wee dram. We then continue our journey to Inverness, Capital of the Highlands, where once again, we’ll stay in a city centre hotel. After dinner, we can take a leisurely stroll through the city or perhaps experience a ceilidh.
DAY 5
Our first stop takes us to Culloden Battlefield, the scene of the last battle fought on Scottish soil in 1746.
We’ll take a short cruise down Loch Ness, hopefully catching a glimpse of Nessie, whilst admiring the spectacular ruins of Urquhart Castle. After lunching at Fort Augustus, we’ll walk across the locks of the Caledonian Canal, watching the leisure vessels manoeuvre these feats of engineering. Then it’s on to Fort William and along the shores of Loch Linnhe – water and hills as far as the eye can see. Discover Ballachulish and its slate industry before passing through Glencoe and stopping briefly at the visitor centre. You cannot fail but to be moved by the story of the massacre and the stunning scenery. Then we’ll drive across Rannoch Moor and down to Tyndrum, where they still mine for gold. Our next stop is Glasgow, skirting en route along the edge of the country’s largest loch – Loch Lomond, perhaps squeezing in a photo stop at the conservation village of Luss. Once again, we’ll stay in a city centre hotel. Stamina permitting, your guide may invite you on a short city centre walk to view the spectacular architecture and murals. Or, maybe you would rather discover a typical pub and enjoy some whisky, beer and traditional music. It’s up to you!