Overview
Itinerary
Get lost in the narrow lanes of Edinburgh – the Scottish capital with a mystical air that combines ancient heritage with the verve of a modern city. Spend your day at leisure delving into its rich history and embracing the warm culture of the Scots, before joining your travel companions and Travel Director for dinner. (D) Stay: Novotel Centre, Delta by Marriott
Join your Local Specialist this morning for an intriguing sightseeing tour of the city. Ascend Castle Rock and visit Edinburgh Castle, which watches over the surrounding city from its elevated vantage point. Stroll through the Old Town along the Royal Mile and see the stunning Palace of Holyroodhouse before enjoying time at leisure to soak up the city's festive atmosphere. Tickets to see the spectacular Edinburgh Tattoo are included on departures that coincide with performance dates. (B)
Tread in the footsteps of the world's golfing greats and head to St. Andrews en route to the glorious Scottish Highlands. A scenic drive takes us north and across the Firth of Tay, past the city of Dundee to Pitlochry. After lunch, explore Pitlochry's vibrant High Street at your leisure or join an Optional Experience to Blair Castle, the ancestral home of the Clan Murray. Your day in beautiful surrounds comes to an end with a cosy dinner at your hotel located within the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands. (B/D) Stay: Laggan, Craiglynne
Meet a friendly and knowledgeable local to learn more about the highlands and the iconic hairy coos on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
Continue your journey to the tragic battlefield of Culloden. Pay tribute to the brave men who lost their lives in the Jacobite Uprising, then travel past Scotland's infamous Loch Ness. The solitary beauty of Eilean Donan Castle will leave you speechless before you continue to the coast and cross to the Isle of Skye. Heather-clad peaks provide a stunning backdrop for your scenic drive across the Sleat Peninsula. Board your ferry in Armadale and cross to Mallaig, back on the mainland. (B/D)
Your first stop today is to commemorate World War II history at the Commando Memorial near Fort William, from which you admire spectacular views of Britain's highest peak – Ben Nevis. Journey through the volcanic ruins and precipitous mountains that lie just beyond Glencoe to see the 'Glen of Weeping'. Here you remember the MacDonald clansmen who were massacred in 1692. Continuing towards the River Clyde, arriving at your final stop for the day – Glasgow. (B) Stay: Crowne Plaza
Madainn mhath! While your Gaelic may be a little rusty, your orientation tour around this edgy city will be anything but. Begin your day seeing Glasgow's iconic sights. Enjoy views of the Necropolis, the regal George Square and River Clyde, for over 200 years the centre of shipbuilding.
Later, Dive Into Culture at a whisky distillery and enjoy a wee dram. Continue to Stirling, to see its hilltop fortress, which stands as a symbol of national pride. Stirling Castle was once the seat of Scottish kings and queens, including Mary, Queen of Scots. View the Wallace Monument from the castle walls, paying tribute to the Scottish hero who fought for Scotland's independence.
Tonight, join a Be My Guest experience. (B/D)
The rugged beauty and warmth of Scotland's people forever in your memory, enjoy one last hearty breakfast with your travel companions before wishing them and your Travel Director a fond farewell. (B)
Trip Inclusions
- Explore Edinburgh
- Discover Glasgow and Stirling
- Visit Edinburgh Castle, Pitlochry, Culloden Battlefield, the Isle of Skye, Glasgow Cathedral, Stirling Castle and a whisky distillery in Stirling
- View the 18th green at St. Andrews, Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness and Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands, Necropolis and George Square in Glasgow
- Tickets for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo are included on departures that coincide with performance dates
Dive Into Culture
- Glasgow: Visit Clydeside Distillery for a tour and a tasting of their whisky as you learn of their long history.
Iconic Experience
- Edinburgh: Explore the city with your Local Specialist as you travel along Princes Street to see the Scott Memorial, the neoclassical Adam facades of New Town and the official Scottish residence of the King, Palace of Holyroodhouse.
- St. Andrews: Visit the university town where the famous beach scene from 'Chariots of Fire' was filmed and see the golf course where the sport was created.
- Scottish Highlands: Admire picturesque lochs and glens as you travel through the Scottish Highlands.
- Inverness: Discover why the Battle of Culloden lasted only an hour yet changed the Highland way of life forever.
- Eilean Donan: Stop for a photo of this gorgeous castle.
- Fort William: Enjoy an excellent view of Ben Nevis from the World War II Commando Memorial.
- Glencoe: Drive through this Highland village on Loch Leven.
- Glasgow: See the grand public buildings of Glasgow, including George Square.
- Stirling: Visit Stirling and see its castle, once the seat of Scottish royalty.
Make Travel Matter®
- Aviemore: Rothiermurchus Estate is working to promote an appreciation of the special flora and fauna and wildlife of the highlands. Nestled in Cairngorm National Park, this estate encompasses 17,500 acres and has been in the care of the Grant family for over 500 years. On your Make Travel Matter experience, you will learn about the beautiful landscape and even meet some of the most adorable animals, like the hairy coos! Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 11 &15: Sustainable Cities and Communities & Life on Land.
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Optional Experiences (Additional Cost) and free time
- Ferry from the Isle of Skye to Mallaig
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilised.
- 4 Dinner (D)
- 6 Breakfast (B)
- Itinerary and inclusions are subject to change
- Price is for land, cruise and internal flights as specified. Flights not specified are not included
You’ll enjoy the icons and hidden gems with a Local Specialist by your side. Read more
With one on every itinerary, Be My Guest ensures your journey is truly one-of-a-kind, wherever it takes you. Read more
Find yourself overnighting in accommodations with stories as rich as the destinations you’re exploring. Read more
Trip Reviews (9) View All Most Recent 'Best of Scotland' Reviews
The starts were pretty early each day but the stints on the bus between rest stops were not too long. Would have loved to have known a little more detail about some of the stops before we chose to do some optional excursions as we wouldn't have explored some townships and chatted with the locals in some places instead.
We were surprised to see that 80% of the group were Americans, with only one other Aussie couple, a South African Couple and a Canadian Couple. So much of the discussion was American based about American things, American places and Trump.
Brochure
Trafalgar UK & Ireland (2025-26)
Prices & Dates
There are currently no departures available on this trip. Either it's the end of the season and new departures will be released shortly, or this itinerary has been changed and will no longer continue. Feel free to contact us for information about when next seasons dates will be released or click here to view the general release dates for all destinations.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Pricing and trip details are correct at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by Trafalgar. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from Trafalgar. These should be treated as indicative only. Cabin inclusions, upholsteries and room layout may differ to the image(s) shown depending on the ship selected and your sailing dates.
