Day 1
From Edinburgh and Glasgow we will make our way via lonely Rannoch Moor to
the beauty of Glen Coe. There is a stop in the heart of the Glen where you
can enjoy these spectacular surroundings. Next we head for Fort William before
driving through the Great Glen to Loch Ness, where we visit Fort Augustus,
for some monster spotting. Our tour is based in Inverness, the capital of
the Highlands for the next three nights.
The stay in Inverness is unescorted.
Day 2
Today we enjoy a full day excursion to the beautiful island of Skye by mini-coach.
We’ll make a photo-stop at Eilean Donan Castle, perched on its island
at the head of Loch Duich. You will marvel at the views when we stop at this
most picturesque of castles. Soon we’ll be crossing “over the sea
to Skye” and visiting the beautiful gardens of the Clan Donald Centre
before enjoying the dramatic scenery of the famed Cuillin Mountains. Later we
will have time for some beach combing before returning to Inverness.
Day 3
A day of scenic beauty as we travel to one of the remotest areas of Scotland —the
Applecross Peninsula. Our journey commences with a drive across the Black Isle
to the village of Achnasheen. Then the dramatic climb over the Bealach nam Bo,
which means the Pass of the Cattle, in Gaelic. The Pass is the third highest
road in Scotland and climbs to over 2,000 feet! On our arrival in Applecross
we can spend some quality time enjoying the spectacular seascapes or discovering
the sad tale of the highland clearances at the local heritage centre. In this
area wildlife abounds—nature lovers look out for red deer, pine martens
(one of the rarest of British mammals) and otters.
Day 4
There is an excursion to nearby Culloden Moor followed by free-time in
Inverness before joining your motorcoach for our tour south. Our route
will take us to the gentle Spey Valley with views of the Cairngorm Mountains
then through the dramatic scenery of the Drumochter Pass. There’s
a stop in the popular Victorian resort town of Pitlochry, nestling on
the banks of the River Tummel. You’ll soon realise why this town
was a favourite with Queen Victoria. The rolling Tayside countryside
will guide us to Perth then we head homewards to journey’s end
in Edinburgh or Glasgow. red deer, pine martens (one of the rarest of
British mammals) and otters.