A tour to treasure for a lifetime. Highlights of the tour are the magical beauty and prehistoric history of the Orkney archipelago, the rugged extremes of Scotland’s northern coastline, Loch Ness and the Caledonian forests of the Cairngorm National Park.
*This tour visits Culloden and Clava Cairns as featured in “Outlander” – based on the books by Diana Gabaldon.
Stay 2 nights in Kirkwall, Orkney with a night in Inverness and Ullapool before and after.
Highlights:
- Orkney Isles
- Glencoe and Rannoch Moor
- Loch Ness
- Skara Brae and Ring of Brodgar
- Assynt and Ullapool
- Scotland’s far north coast
- Culloden or Clava Cairns*
- Cairngorm National Park
Day 1
Takes you northwest past Stirling into the Highlands, travelling through the dramatic landscape of Rannoch Moor and Glencoe. Your afternoon’s highlights include passing Ben Nevis, travelling the full length of Loch Ness including Fort Augustus and Urquhart Castle, before arriving in Inverness for the night
Takes you north through the Black Isle, past the imposing Dunrobin Castle, before crossing the Pentland Firth from near John o’ Groats to the Orkney Isles. You stay in the Viking town and capital of Orkney, Kirkwall for 2 nights.
Day 3
Is your chance to explore this fantastic ancient island; a land of contrasts where fertile green pastures are fringed by shores of golden sands washed by waters of the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Highlights include a visit to Skara Brae, the mystical prehistoric stone circle at Brodgar, the standing stones of Stenness, and Maeshowe, where in the 12th century the Vikings left one of the largest collections of Norse runic inscriptions.
Day 4
Takes you back across the water to the cliffs and sandy beaches of Scotland’s dramatic northern coastline, passing Ben Loyal, Ben Hope, Durness and Assynt with a visit to the 15th century Ardvreck Castle, and staying overnight in the whitewashed fishing village of Ullapool.
Day 5
Your morning includes visits to Corrieshalloch Gorge, the ancient Clava Cairns and the more recent bloody history of the Culloden battlefield (as featured in the recent “Outlander” series based on the books by Diana Gabaldon), before returning south through the grandeur of the Cairngorm National Park, the ancient Caledonian pine forest and Highland Perthshire to Edinburgh.
Accommodation
Package prices include accommodation in 3* B&B / Guest House or 3* Hotel, with private facilities and breakfast. By giving you a choice of accommodation it allows you to choose your budget, stay in smaller places and get closer to the local people. This also means you help to sustain the communities you visit in the long term.
*NB On occasions, when villages we stay in have events on, accommodation can be scarce and expensive so we may use other locations for your accommodation on the tour. We will always inform you of this when this is necessary.
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mportant Information
Because we believe in time off the bus and give you opportunities to take nature walks we recommend you bring suitable clothing and footwear for your tour. Scotland can be a wet place!! Unless otherwise notified passengers are restricted to one medium sized suitcase/bag (maximum 15 kilos) and one carry-on bag per person.
Departing: Monday (May to Sept) and Friday (Apr to Oct)
Departs: 09.00
Returns: 19.00
Prices per person from:
| Adult | Child | |
| B&B / Guest House – Twin / Double | £459 | £368 |
| B&B / Guest House – Single | £519 | N/A |
| Hotel – Twin / Double | £549 | £439 |
| Hotel – Single | £599 | N/A |
Inclusions:
- Transportation by top of the range Mercedes minicoach for a more personal experience with a maximum of 16 passengers on tour, air conditioning as standard
- Services of a professional driver / guide
- All ferry and bridge crossings
- Discount Card – money off restaurants, shopping and attractions.
Exclusions:
- Meals and refreshments
- Entrance fees to all Visitor Attractions.