Overview
Itinerary
Your tour departs at 2:30 PM from your Glasgow hotel. Enjoy a tour around the city famed for its Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture. A prosperous port city due to international trade and shipbuilding, today Glasgow is Scotland's cultural hub. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group and dinner at your hotel. (D)
Take a ferry to the Isle of Bute for stunning island scenery and a guided tour of the 19th-century Mount Stuart House. Spend time in Rothesay, the main town on the island. Enjoy a free evening in Glasgow and dine independently. (B)
Travel along the famous Loch Lomond, renowned for its unsurpassed beauty. Journey through Glencoe, often considered one of Scotland's most beautiful regions. Travel through Fort William and visit romantic Eilean Donan Castle, spectacularly situated on an island at the meeting of three lochs. (B/D)
Explore the Isle of Skye and its associations with Bonnie Prince Charlie. Tour Dunvegan Castle, the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and former stronghold of the Chiefs of MacLeod. Enjoy photo opportunities including stunning Kilt Rock. Stop in picturesque Portree with its brightly painted houses clustered around the bay. Enjoy free time before dinner at your hotel. (B/D)
Take in the Highland scenery as you head to Inverewe Gardens, where a haven of tropical trees and shrubs has been created. Continue to Ullapool, an active fishing and ferry port, and check in to your hotel near the harbor. (B/D)
Visit grand Dunrobin Castle, in a fairytale setting with breathtaking coastal views. With 189 rooms, the stunning architecture and majestic gardens were inspired by the Palace of Versailles. Admire the amazing scenery of the Highlands as you continue on to Gill's Bay on the northern coast of Scotland. Take a ferry to the Orkney Islands, where you will spend the next two nights. (B)
Today is an Orcadian adventure, visiting the heart of Neolithic Orkney, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a scenic drive around the north of the main island, past the Earl's Palace at Birsay. Visit Skara Brae to see this amazing 5,000-year-old village. Enjoy free time for lunch in the port town of Stromness. Travel on to the Ring of Brodgar, a ceremonial stone circle. Return to Kirkwall for a visit to St Magnus Cathedral. Your evening is free to explore the town and dine as you wish. (B)
Drive across the Churchill Barriers, causeways created during World War II to deter German submarines. Next explore the tiny Italian Chapel, a beautiful symbol of reconciliation built by Italian prisoners of war. Board a ferry back to the mainland and travel south to Inverness. Enjoy some time to explore this small city, known as the capital of the Highlands, before dining at your hotel. (B/D)
Keep your camera handy as you visit the dramatic, picturesque ruins of Urquhart Castle, dating back to the 13th century. Then take a tranquil cruise on Loch Ness to admire the scenery. Next visit a sheep farm to watch highly skilled sheepdogs demonstrate how they herd their flock. Dine at your hotel this evening. (B/D)
Visit The Glenturret Distillery, Scotland's oldest working distillery, to discover the traditional art of whisky-making and enjoy a tasting. Set in the beautiful Perthshire countryside, the Glenturret has been producing whisky since the 1700s. Proceed to Edinburgh and your hotel in the Grassmarket area of the old town. Enjoy some free time before enjoying a festive Scottish evening with lively traditional entertainment over dinner. (Departures which include the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will enjoy an evening free to explore and dine independently.) (B/D)*
Discover Edinburgh's highlights including the wide streets and elegant mansions of the 200-year-old Georgian “New Town” and the Royal Mile, the oldest part of the city. Tour the imposing Edinburgh Castle to see the Stone of Destiny and the Scottish Crown Jewels. Enjoy an evening free to explore independently. Select departures attend the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade. (B)
Your tour ends after breakfast. (B)
Trip Inclusions
- Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo: Select departures get to enjoy the precision and performance of pipe and drum corps from around the world.
- Ring of Brodgar: This stone circle is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney.
- Isle of Skye: Admire the rugged coastlines and ancient ruins of this Scottish island.
- Orkney Islands: These islands encompass dramatic vistas, Neolithic sites, tall sandstone cliffs and seal colonies.
- Inverewe Gardens: Enjoy a garden of Eden in the unlikeliest of places, with 2,000 exotic plant species from around the world, including towering California redwoods, a "Savage Garden" of carnivorous plants, and rhododendrons from China, India, and Nepal.
- Loch Ness Cruise: Cruise across this lake known for sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, also known as "Nessie".
- Urquhart Castle: Admire the beautiful ruins of a Scottish icon by land — and from the dark waters of Loch Ness.
- Skara Brae: Discover the ruins of a 5,000-year-old village, unearthed by the sea more than a century ago.
- Mount Stuart House and Gardens: This innovative Victorian and Georgian building will enthrall you. With dazzling design inspired by astrology, art, and mythology, it features an early telephone system and a Victorian elevator.
- Dunrobin Castle: Looking like it came out of a fairytale with its magnificent spires, Dunrobin Castle in the Highlands has been continuously inhabited for over 700 years.
- 11 hot breakfasts (B) and 7 Dinners* (D)
- Novotel Glasgow Centre Hotel (4 Stars)
- Balmacara Hotel (3 Stars)
- The Royal Hotel (3 Stars)
- Ayre Hotel (3 Stars)
- Columba Hotel (4 Stars)
- Crieff Hydro Hotel (4 Stars)
- Novotel Edinburgh Centre Hotel (4 Stars)
- Airport transfers at your arrival and departure destination are not included in the price of the tour.
- Itinerary and inclusions subject to change.
- Price is for land, cruise and specified internal flights. International flights not included.
- *Meal counts vary on Tattoo departures, as the Scottish Evening is replaced with the Tattoo and an independent dinner.
- Please note On this off-the-beaten path tour, your hotels will match the Highland atmosphere. Most of them are locally owned, family-run, and independent.
Each of our holidayss are stress-free, with no surprise hidden fees, and plenty of fun for all ages. Read more
CIE Tours could not exist without our great locally employed tour directors - they are the envy of the travel industry. Read more
CIE Tours uses three classes of hotels – first class, superior first class & deluxe properties. Read more
Trip Reviews (6) Most Recent 'Scottish Isles & Glens' Reviews
On the downside, the tour company, CIE, chose to deliver our 'welcome pack' to the first hotel, rather than to our home. This appears to be their practice for Australians. This was in the least inconvenient as it meant we would not have the benefit of the provided backpacks for our outward journey. All other participants, who were from the USA, had their packs delivered to their homes. The impact was exacerbated by the packs not being there when we arrived, so we were without backpacks, name-tags, maps etc for the whole trip. It was only after pestering our guide that we finally received our packs on the very last day of the trip.
Our other concern was that the the quality of some of the hotels was below our expectations, with cramped rooms and bathrooms lacking power outlets etc, This is understandable in small remote towns, but the worst examples were actually in Glasgow and Inverness. We shared those hotels with other tour companies, such as Trafalgar, so we were not alone in the experience. The multiple tour groups also made meals, especially breakfast, a bit of a bunfight and far exceeded lift capabilities. We chose to walk up 5 flights at one stage, Would we do it again? Probably not with CIE. Their offices are in Ireland and USA and they appear to be not well geared for Australian participation.
Brochure
CIE Ireland & Britain (2024)
Availability
A definite departure means minimum numbers have been reached for this departure to operate. Your Global Journeys Travel Advisor will check the availability of your departure date when you enquire. Additional savings may apply. We guarantee the lowest price in Australia. T&C’s apply.
Tour & cruises prices are per person. Prices shown have savings applied, are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Prices and trip information are correct at the time at this point in time, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking and are subject to change by CIE Tours. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from CIE Tours. 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.
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