2 Nights / 3 Days
TOUR
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Edinburgh/Glasgow - Eilean Donan Castle - Isle of
Skye
Departing Edinburgh and Glasgow
our journey together starts as we make our way into the Loch Lomond and
Trossachs National Park. We’ll make a
stop in the picturesque village of Luss to explore this delightful village and
enjoy the views of the "bonnie, bonnie banks".
As our coach ascends the
"Black Mount" there are wonderful views of Loch Tulla below. Soon we
are amidst the remote beauty of Rannoch Moor. This unspoilt landscape extends
over 50 square miles and is one of the great wildernesses of Europe!
Spectacular and moody - Glen Coe is quite simply awesome! We will make a photo
stop in Scotland's most famous glen. No matter the weather you are sure to be
inspired by this very special place.
Fort William enjoys a scenic
location overlooking the banks of Loch Linnhe. After a stop for lunch our next
treat, hopefully, will be wonderful views of Ben Nevis, Britain's tallest
mountain.
The Great Glen provides an
impressive landscape of lochs and mountains that were formed many millions of
years ago. Sit back and marvel at the impressive backdrop as we travel along
the banks of Loch Lochy and Oich. In the village of Invergarry watch out for
the "Well of the Seven Heads", a monument with a very bloody tale to
tell!
Glen Shiel is home to the
"Five Sisters of Kintail", a range of five mountains whose impressive
peaks are over 3,000 feet high. Soon picturesque Eilean Donan Castle will come
into view. This is, without doubt, one of Scotland's most iconic sights. The
castle stands on a little island situated at the confluence of Loch's Alsh and
Duich. We'll have time to discover the castle for ourselves during our stop
here.
Soon we travel "over the sea
to Skye" by the modern road bridge and head to our accommodation for the
next two nights.
Overnight: Isle of Skye (2 nights)
Day 2 - Exploring the Isle of Skye
It's an exciting day ahead as we
explore the beauty of the Isle of Skye. The towering Cuillin Hills give Skye
its breathtaking beauty. Considered by many to be amongst the finest hills in
Britain the Cuillins present a vista that is simply unforgettable.
The picturesque town of Portree,
the island's largest community. The name of the town means the "King's
Port" following a visit by King James V in 1540. Today the pretty painted
houses which surround the harbour give Portree an old fashioned appeal as we
shall discover.
The famed Trotternish Peninsula.
We will travel northwards to the little port of Uig from where ferries sail to
the Outer Herbrides. At little Kilmuir there is a monument to Flora MacDonald
who, famously, assisted Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from the troops that were
hunting him by sailing him "over the sea to Skye" disguised as her
maid.
We'll stop to explore The
Quiraing, a dramatic terrain formed by a massive landslide. Here you can walk
through a landscape that dates from Jurassic times and as you do see if you can
identify the rock formations whose descriptions are the "Needle",
"Table" and "Prison".
A short drive brings us to Kilt
Rock, so named because the basalt columns of this rock fall to resemble the
pleats of a kilt - it's well worth the effort to snap an "I was
there" photograph!
Dun Beag is an excellent example
of a broch: a kind of Iron Age round stone tower only found in Scotland. It
stands at the top of a rocky knoll commanding excellent views overlooking Loch
Bracadale and the Cuillin Hills. It would have been built around 2,000–2,500
years ago and today it is ours to discover!
Day 3 - Isle of Skye - Culloden Moor - Edinburgh/Glasgow
We bid farewell to Skye as we
return to the mainland and make our way to moody Loch Ness where you’ll have
the chance to visit Urquhart Castle and enjoy a monster-spotting cruise.
Bustling Inverness, is known as
the Capital of the Highlands. On the outskirts of this fast growing city lies
notorious Culloden Moor. It was here in 1746 that Bonnie Prince Charlie's
dreams of capturing the Crown for the Stuart dynasty came to a bloody end. His
Jacobite army was routed by the Government troops under the command of the Duke
of Cumberland. The aftermath was particularly brutal such that it changed life
in the Highlands forever.
The next part of our journey takes
us through the Cairngorm National Park. We'll pass the remote village of
Dalwhinnie then descend through the Drumochter Pass, which has linked the
Highlands to the Lowlands since the earliest of times.
Nestling amongst spectacular
scenery, and overlooked by Ben-y-Vrackie mountain, the pretty Highland
Perthshire town of Pitlochry has attracted visitors since the days of Queen
Victoria. You're sure to be enthralled by it's charm.
From Perth we’ll make our way
through the ancient Kingdom of Fife then across the River Forth to reach
Edinburgh
If you started your tour in
Glasgow the coach will pause at Edinburgh Waverley Station. Here you catch the
express train back to Glasgow. The train operates every 30 minutes and the
journey time is only 50 minutes or so. The fare is included in the cost of the
tour.
Tour Ends!!
