Scotland Tour

Explore the enchanting landscapes of Scotland as you visit iconic cities like Edinburgh, Oban, Inverness, and St Andrews. Immerse yourself in history by touring majestic castles and enjoy the rich flavors of Scotch at local distilleries. Drive through the breathtaking Highlands, stopping at serene lochs to take in the stunning views. Conclude your adventure with the unforgettable Military Tattoo Festival in Edinburgh, a celebration of music and culture that you won't want to miss.​​

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ITINERARY:

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Day 1: July 27th - Arrive in Edinburgh

 

The Isle of Skye hiking group will receive transport back to Edinburgh by the afternoon. Any new participants will arrive and take transportation to the hotel. Enjoy the evening relaxing and getting to know some of your fellow travelers. Head out into Edinburgh for a dinner of your choosing.

 

Day 2: July 28th - Edinburgh Tour

 

After breakfast the next morning, we will meet our local tour guide for an exploration of the Old Town area of Edinburgh, which will includes stops at the Scottish National Galleries, the Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse Palace, Greyfriar's Bobby, the Grass Market, and St. Gile's Cathedral to name a few. This tour should last approximately 7 hours with a fine-dining experience at The Witchery (click for information), an exquisite restaurant near the Edinburgh Castle, occurring shortly thereafter. (B)

 

Day 3: July 29th - Edinburgh Free Day

 

The previous's days tour will get you acquainted with Old Town, Edinburgh. Now feel free to explore on your own. The endless shops will keep most of you preoccupied, but maybe you would enjoy visiting the National Museum of Scotland, which is free to the public, and kept my wife and I entertained for hours on our last journey to Scotland. Later that afternoon maybe you will dart over to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society for a dram at their non-member bar or instead opt to walk about 20 minutes to the Royal Botanic Gardens. Before heading to dinner we will all enjoy a tour at the Scotch Whisky Experience, an immersive attraction, which takes visitors on a sensational journey through Scotland's 5 whisky producing regions and lasts about 75 minutes. This knowledge will come in handy for the tastings we do in the Highlands and Speyside regions in the upcoming days. Afterwards we will stay onsite to eat dinner at the Amber Restaurant and Whisky Bar, which offers Scottish cuisine and whisky pairings. (B)

 

Day 4: July 30th - The Highlands, Loch Lomond, and Oban

 

After saying our goodbyes to the Edinburgh only crowd, the next part of our journey begins. After breakfast, we will be picked up by our tour leader the next portion of our private tour of Scotland. Your excess luggage will be stored at the hotel before we go. Today we will head west into the heart of the Highlands with stops at the Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond, the Inveraray Castle, the Kilchurn Castle for a photo, and finally with a tasting or tour at the Oban Distillery in the town of Oban where we will stay for the evening. Enjoy our magnificent accommodations and a laid back night strolling through this amazing coastal resort town. (B)

 

Day 5: July 31st - Glencoe, Loch Ness, and Inverness

 

Our journey continues today as we head further into the Highlands exploring Glencoe, the famed filming location of the Bond film "Skyfall". We will next stop in Fort William, a beautiful town at the foot of Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the United Kingdom. We then will stop at the Glenfinnan Viaduct, a railway location many people know from the Harry Potter movie series. Finally, we will visit the famed Loch Ness for an afternoon boat cruise. Afterwards, we will retreat to Inverness for the evening and grab dinner at a local restaurant. (B)

 

Day 6: August 1st - Speyside Region and Historical Sites

 

Today we will visit a variety of historical sites, including the Clava Cairns, the Culloden Battlefield, the Blair Castle, the Queen's View viewpoint, Pitlochry, etc. During the day we will also visit our final distillery, likely Tomatin, for a tour and a tasting while getting to experience yet another famous whisky region, Speyside. We will conclude our day with an overnight in St. Andrew's. (B)

 

Day 7: August 2nd - St. Andrew's, Return to Edinburgh, and the Military Tattoo Festival

 

For our last full day in Scotland, we have a lot of activities. For those interested in golfing, today marks an opportunity to potentially golf at the famed St. Andrew's. For those who decide not to play golf, we will explore the town of St. Andrew's. This will include visiting the St. Andrew's Cathedral. Afterwards, we will venture to the fishing villages of Anstruther and Fife. Finally, we will head back to Edinburgh. We are quite fortunate to be in the city during the International Festival, which draws crowds from around the world. To conclude our stay we will go to a night performance of the Military Tattoo Festival at the Edinburgh Castle (SEE VIDEO BELOW), which features military bands from around the world. This is your opportunity to see more than 200 bagpipe players perform. (B)

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Day 8: August 3rd - Depart for Home

 

This is it. Grab breakfast and say goodbye to this magical city and all of the friends you have made. Grab a taxi to the airport and head back to the United States. (B)

 

 

Note: Itinerary is subject to change should something unforeseen interfere with our plans (i.e. road closures; facility construction; issues surrounding the weather; etc). That is unlikely to occur but worth mentioning. An example of a change could be a switch of a distillery due to summer schedules shifting. These would be communicated to the group well in advance.

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