Immerse yourself in the glory and grandeur of Scotland on the Lowlands, Highlands, West Coast and Skye (5-day Tour). To join the tour you should arrive at 11 George Square, Glasgow by 0930h (09.30 am), where you will meet your driver/guide and board your mini-bus.
The tour starts by heading north through the stunning lowland countryside of Fife and Perthshire. Take a woodland walk along the riverside at Dunkeld and visit its ancient cathedral, then travel into the heart of the Highlands and explore Loch Ness, where you can take a cruise (in season, payable direct).
Your first day ends at Drumnadrochit, a beautiful welcoming village on the banks of Loch Ness. Here you will spend the night at the 3-star Drumnadrochit Hotel. This comfortable hotel has a restaurant, a bar/lounge, and a coffee shop/café, and is located close to the Loch Ness 2000 Exhibition Centre and Original Loch Ness Monster Visitor Centre. Additional amenities include gift shops/newsstands and shopping on site.
The hotel's 28 guestrooms have satellite TV, direct-dial phones, and coffee/tea makers. The bathrooms offer shower/tub combinations, makeup/shaving mirrors, and hair dryers. Dinner can be obtained in the hotel restaurant (payable direct).
After a delicious Scottish breakfast (included in your tour price) you will set off through magnificent Glen Affric. How about a stroll up to a stunning waterfall surrounded by ancient Caledonian forest? You then pass the Torridon Mountains, visit beautiful Eilean Donan Castle (in season) and go on, over the sea, to the magical Isle of Skye.
You will spend the night on the Isle of Skye at Kyleakin Hotel, which has glorious gardens. All the rooms benefit from central heating, en-suite bathroom, direct dial telephone, colour television, hair drier and tea and coffee making facilities. Dinner can be obtained in the hotel restaurant (payable direct).
After a restful night and breakfast (included) you'll have the whole of the third day to explore Skye's mysteries and landscape. Your driver/guide will take you around by mini-bus to see the sights. Lose yourself amongst the spectacular scenery of the Cuillin Mountains, the slanting hills of Quiraing and the incredible Trotternish Peninsula. And keep a look-out for Hebridean wildlife such as red deer, otters and seals.
You will spend another night at the delightful MacKinnon Country House Hotel, as above.
After breakfast (included) say goodbye to the island and travel south past Ben Nevis (Britain's tallest peak) and down the dramatic west coast and through the haunting landscape of Glen Coe (scene of the terrible massacre of the MacDonald Clan).
You will spend the night in the pretty seaside town of Oban at the The Royal Hotel. This comfortable hotel stands in the centre of town close to the harbour and ferry terminal and affords enchanting views across to the islands of Mull and Kererra. Built in 1895, the 3-Star AA awarded hotel offers traditional Scottish hospitality within quality modern surroundings. Free wifi is available in all public areas. Dinner can be obtained in the hotel restaurant (payable direct).
When you have finished breakfast (included) you will set off to explore Scotland's ancient past at Kilmartin Glen, which is in some ways Scotland’s equivalent of Stonehenge. It’s certainly one of the largest collections of prehistoric monuments in Scotland, including standing stones, burial cairns, stone circles and more. You’ll also see the remains of the fortress of the Scots at Dunadd, believed to be the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dal Riata.
At the end of the day, return to Glasgow where you will be dropped back at the starting point.