A Journey Through Scotland with Justine

Welcome to Scotland! Upon landing at Edinburgh airport, enjoy your tour guide’s warm and hearty Scottish greeting and be transferred to the hotel for check in.

Welcome meeting late afternoon at the hotel followed by an orientation walk & talk led by Justine for anyone who wants to come. We will take a walk over to lively Grassmarket, Victoria St, The Vennel & loop back through Ramsey Garden to our hotel.

Stay:

• Apex Grassmarket Hotel or similar

Inclusions:

• Welcome dinner, airport transfer

Peek into charming closes (including Bakehouse Close, Jamie’s print shop from Outlander) & hidden alleyways. Throughout this enchanting walking tour, you’ll be captivated by Edinburgh’s timeless allure and enchanted by its storied past. So, lace up your walking shoes and prepare for a journey of discovery through the historic heart of Scotland’s capital city. We end our tour with a visit to Edinburgh Castle.

This afternoon enjoy some free time for shopping on the Royal Mile, just minutes from our hotel. There will be plenty of time to browse through quaint boutiques, souvenir shops, and traditional Scottish eateries to sample local delicacies and savour the city’s flavours.

Take the evening to explore Edinburgh, or relax before we set out on our journey to the highlands tomorrow

Stay:

• Apex Grassmarket Hotel or similar

Inclusions:

• Breakfast, Edinburgh Castle admission, Half day walking tour

Today you leave Edinburgh heading for The Highlands, we stop at the famous Kelpies then onto Midhope Castle & Doune Castle with our local guide
The Kelpies – the world’s largest equine sculptures. Standing at 100ft tall and weighing more than 300 tonnes each, the magical Kelpies are a man-made wonder and a feat of engineering. The works of art, created by artist Andy Scott, have become iconic on the landscape.

Midhope Castle is the real-life inspiration for the fictional Lallybroch, Jamie Fraser’s ancestral home. Dating back to the 15th Century, Midhope Castle exudes a timeless charm, despite its derelict interior.
Doune Castle – Explore this 14th-century courtyard castle in Doune, with a striking 100 ft high gatehouse and one of the best-preserved great halls in Scotland. As well as being heavily featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Doune Castle was also used for the castle known as Winterfell in Game of Thrones and Castle Leoch in Outlander.

After lunch at an local award winning farm shop, we then take a scenic drive along the edge of Loch Lomond (Scotland’s largest loch) to reach Glen Orchy.

This evening we will take in the peace and quiet of the highlands and have dinner together at Bridge of Orchy hotel.

Stay:

• Bridge of Orchy Hotel or similar

Inclusions:

• Breakfast, Midhope Castle & Doune Castle admission

Choose your own adventure today!

Option 1: Walk a leg of the West Highland Way with Justine – Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse, 19kms
This section of the West Highland Way is one of the most remote and wild sections of the route on the edges of Rannoch Moor. The valley of the River Ba, at its heart, is meltingly beautiful on a good day, and sinisterly so on a bad one. One of the finest days on the West Highland Way.

Option 2: See some of the sights in the area, visiting Kilchurn Castle, Loch Tulla Viewpoint & Glencoe Visitor Centre (National Trust for Scotland)

After our adventures of the morning, we will sit down to a fabulous lunch at renowned Kingshouse Hotel

This afternoon you have the option of staying at the hotel to relax and take in the scenery, or have an excursion to Glen Etive to see the incredibly beautiful ‘Skyfall Road’, the backdrop for the infamous scene between M and Bond in James Bond’s Skyfall. A quick dip optional for anyone who would like to experience the fresh Scottish water in the river (great for weary muscles!)

Dinner at iconic Clachaig Inn, where we also spend the night

Stay:

• Clachaig Inn, Glencoe Area or similar

Inclusions:

• Breakfast

Today we slow down and enjoy the magical Glen Coe area, Justine’s favourite area of the highlands.

Visit the iconic Three Sisters of Glencoe. The classic viewpoint for the Three Sisters is one of the most iconic sights in the Highlands and a view that’s emblematic of Glen Coe. Following visiting the view point, we will immerse ourselves with a a 2-3hr hike among the sisters (easy to medium level).

After a freshen up at our hotel, we travel down through Glencoe to Loch Leven and the beautiful village of Kinlochleven for lunch.

Enjoy some rest and relaxation time this afternoon before dinner at the hotel, or head out for a late afternoon walk at Signal Rock and An Torr, another amazing local walk.

Stay:

• Clachaig Inn, Glencoe Area or similar

Inclusions:

• Breakfast

This morning we check out from our hotel and travel north alongside the incredibly beautiful Loch Linnhe to Fort William and beyond to Glenfinnan. This area is made famous by Harry Potter for the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Lock Shiel doubling as black lake. After a visit to Glenfinnan Visitor Centre, we will walk the Glenfinnan Viaduct trail to take in the views of Loch Shiel, surrounding mountains and viaduct (walk 1hr, medium grade).

En route to Mallaig for our ferry to the Isle of Skye, we will also visit the Silver Sands of Morar, a series of stunning white sand beaches with views out to the Small Isles.

Enjoy the passage ‘over the sea to Skye’ on the ferry where we will then be collected and taken to Portree to enjoy some free time to explore before dinner.

After dinner, take an evening walk with Justine at The Lump if you’re up to it, a trail nestled near the harbour offering stunning views of Loch Portree and the surrounding countryside.

Stay:

• Royal Hotel Portree / Isle of Skye or similar

Inclusions:

• Breakfast, Glenfinnan Visitor Centre admission, ferry to Skye

You won’t quickly forget this day spent on the stunning norther peninsulas of the Isle of Skye. Today we have a guided day tour to explore the infamous Trotternish peninsula both on foot and by road. We will visit iconic sights The Quairing, Kilt Falls and The Old Man of Storr.

We will head out on foot at The Quairing for 1-2hrs to truly take in the majestic views, and also enjoy a walk at the lesser known but equally as beautiful Brothers Point. We then visit the seaside port town of Uig before heading to Dunvegan Castle and Neist Point.

Relax or explore Portree this evening.

Stay:

• Royal Hotel Portree / Isle of Skye or similar

Inclusions:

• Breakfast, picnic lunch, Dunvegan Castle admission

We leave Skye today to journey to Inverness via Loch Ness with a stop at Eilean Donan Castle and a visit to the 13th century ruins of Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. Eilean Donan Castle is the most visited castle in Scotland, and you will see why.

Enjoy a picnic lunch on the shores of Loch Ness before visiting Cullodon Battlefield & Clava Cairns.
Culloden is one of the most important battles in the history of Brittish Isles. It was the final battle fought on the Brittish mainland and a total defeat of Jacobites, ending more than half a century of Jacobite conflict. The battlefield itself is the most visited tourist site in the Highands, and the site holds high significance and emotional connection to many. We will visit the standing stones at Clava Cairns dating back 4000 yrs. This location acted as the inspiration for Outlanders Craigh na Dun. Touch the stones and see what happens…

Enjoy an evening at leisure in Inverness to relax or explore the city.

Stay:

• Glenmhor Hotel / Inverness or similar

Inclusions:

• Breakfast, Picnic lunch, Urquhart Castle admission
• Culloden Museum admission

Today we head south through impressive Cairngorm National Park, stopping for a nature walk within the park to take in the splendour. This is a very special area with beautiful surrounds.

After our hike we head to picturesque riverside town Pitlorchy for a free afternoon exploring the town and shops. The town’s Victorian Scottish Baronial architecture is particularly popular with visitors. Scottish Baronial architecture originates in the sixteenth century and was revived in the nineteenth century. The buildings feature conical roofs & corbelled turrets – the corbels supporting the turret are roll-moulded and gables are often crow-stepped.

Tonight we will enjoy dinner at a riverside restaurant in Pitlorchy.

Stay:

• Westlands Hotel or similar

Inclusions:

• Breakfast

For our last full day exploring Scotland, we make our way to Glasgow via Stirling. But first, a short morning walk in Faskally Forest and drive through beautiful countryside & villages to visit Drummond Castle Gardens. These gardens were used as the backdrop for the palace of Versailles scenes in Outlander and will impress any garden lover. Following a meander in the gardens we will have a lunch stop at an enchanting local farm shop in their tea garden. Our next stop is Stirling Castle before reaching Glasgow.

Upon arrival to Glasgow, take a walk around the central city before our farewell dinner.

Stay:

• Grand Central Voco Hotel / Glasgow or similar

Inclusions:

• Breakfast

This morning we say a fond farewell after breakfast and head our separate ways.