Overview
Itinerary
Depart from your hotel at 2:30 PM for a tour of Glasgow, famed for its Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture. Once 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 famous Loch Lomond, renowned for its unsurpassed beauty. Journey through Glencoe, 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, a colorful lochside garden filled with rare species of trees and flowers from around the globe, created in the wilderness by a father and daughter in the 19th century. You'll likely see wildlife including deer, otters, seals, and golden eagles, as well as huge California redwoods towering into the sky.
Continue on to your hotel in Gairloch, where you can relax in tranquil and scenic surroundings before dinner with your group. (B/D)
Spend time in the historic town of Dornoch before visiting 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 Scrabster on the northern coast of Scotland. Take a ferry to the Orkney Islands, where you will spend the next two nights. (B)
Explore 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, the best-preserved Neolithic settlement in Western Europe. Explore 400 year-old Skaill House, filled with fascinating archeological items, art, and furniture collected by the twelve generations of Lairds of Breckness who once lived there. 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 Strathpeffer, an elegant Victorian spa town, where you'll dine in your hotel. (B/D)
Embark on a scenic cruise along the historic Caledonian Canal, leading you to the legendary Loch Ness. Next, visit Culloden Battlefield, site of one of the most pivotal events in all of Scottish history. 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. Then, it's on to your Edinburgh hotel in the Grassmarket area of the old town. Relax before your festive Scottish evening, including a traditional dinner and lively entertainment. (Departures which include the Edinburgh Military Tattoo enjoy an evening to explore and dine independently.) (B/D)*
Explore the wide streets and elegant mansions in Edinburgh's Georgian “New Town” and the Royal Mile, the oldest part of the city. Tour the imposing Edinburgh Castle to see the Scottish Crown Jewels. Enjoy an evening to explore independently. Select departures attend the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade. (B)
Enjoy a day of independent sightseeing using the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus voucher. (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.
- 12 hot breakfasts (B) and 7 Dinners* (D)
- Novotel Glasgow Centre Hotel (4 Stars)
- Balmacara Hotel (3 Stars)
- Gairloch Hotel (3 Stars)
- Ayre Hotel (3 Stars)
- Highland Hotel (3 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.
- 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 vacations 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
Dates & Pricing
USD
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 Inquire. Additional savings may apply. 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. 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 CIE Tours. For cruise itineraries, cabin images are sourced from the cruise-line and 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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