BEST OF SCOTLAND
7 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 where Franco Zeffirelli’s1990 Hamlet starring Mel Gibson was shot.
In Aberdeen, we’ll visit the Old Town with its magnificent university buildings and historic cathedral. We’ll travel through the city and head west towards Royal Deeside, in the direction of the Queen’s summer residence, Balmoral castle, which we might catch a glimpse of through the trees. We’ll stop in Ballater and visit the station where Queen Victoria used to arrive. We’ll continue our trip, passing 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. 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. Before arriving in Inverness, we’ll take a short detour and drive past Culloden Battlefield, scene of the last battle fought on Scottish soil in 1746. After dinner, we can take a leisurely stroll through the city or perhaps experience a ceilidh.
DAY 5
We’ll travel along the shores of Loch Ness towards Drumnadrochit and hopefully catch a glimpse of Nessie.
We’ll stop at Urquhart Castle and discover its historic role before continuing to Fort Augustus. Here we can walk across the locks of the Caledonian canal and, weather permitting, have a leisurely lunch watching the leisure vessels manoeuvre these feats of engineering. If time allows, there is the possibility of taking a cruise on Loch Ness. Mid-afternoon, we’ll drive through some stunning landscapes en route to the Kyle of Lochalsh and the Isle of Skye, passing the iconic Eilean Donan Castle on the way. We’ll cross the Skye Bridge and spend the night in Broadford on the Isle of Skye.
DAY 6
After an early start, we’ll travel round the Trotternish peninsula, with numerous stops to allow you to take photographs of the dramatic scenery.
We’ll stop at The Kilt Rock and see the Old Man of Storr as well as visit Uig and then the Fairy Pools. You’ll experience single track roads and if we are lucky, hear some of the native islanders talking in Gaelic. We’ll have lunch in the capital, Portree, before driving to Armadale, where we’ll spend some time in the castle and Gardens and then catch the early evening ferry to Mallaig. From Mallaig, we’ll pass through Morar and see the famous silver sands. Half an hour later, we’ll reach the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct made famous in a Harry Potter film and visit, on the other side of the road, the spectacular Glenfinnan Monument. We’ll then continue to Fort William where we will spend the night. After dinner, it may be possible to experience a ceilidh.
DAY 7
We’ll travel along the shores of Loch Linnhe – water and hills as far as the eye can see.
You’ll discover Ballachulish and its slate industry before passing through Glencoe and stopping 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, passing another ski centre. We will stop for lunch in Tyndrum, where they still mine for gold. Despite its size, Tyndrum boasts two railway stations. Find out why! We’ll take the road to Oban, but branch off for Inveraray, where we can visit the magnificent castle and buy our final souvenirs. Then, our final stretch will take us over the Rest and be Thankful, past Loch Fyne until we reach Scotland’s largest loch – Loch Lomond. We’ll skirt along the edge of it and hopefully manage to squeeze in a short stop at the conservation village of Luss, before completing the last few miles to Glasgow. Once again, we’ll stay in a city centre hotel. If you’re up for it and still have the stamina, your guide may invite you on a short walk in the city centre. The architecture and murals are spectacular. On the other hand, maybe you would rather discover a typical pub and enjoy some whisky, beer and traditional music. It’s up to you!