This tour centred in Inverness will take you through some stunning areas of the Highland region. We have history at Dunrobin Castle and Inverness; dramatic scenery in the Cairngorm National Park, the Rothiemurchus Estate and Loch Ness; and a treat for the palate at Tomintoul Whisky Castle and the home of Baxters Soup.

ITINERARY

Day 1 Leaving the south coast early in the morning we make our way via the Dartford Crossing to our hotel in the Durham area for our overnight stop.

Day 2 We travel through the Northumbrian National Park and enter Scotland. Our Journey continues over the Forth Road Bridge via Perth and Aviemore to the Thistle Hotel on the edge of Inverness for our 6-night stay.

Day 3 Today is free to enjoy Inverness or stay at the hotel and maybe treat yourself to a spa treatment. There are local buses to take you into town. You might like to visit the castle, situated in the centre of the town with exhibitions about medieval life in the Drum Tower. There are also lots of pleasant tea shops and shopping opportunities.

Day 4 A few miles west of Inverness the Great Glen opens up to reveal the dark, mysterious expanse of Loch Ness, and today we explore the area on land and on the water. We have a one hour cruise on the loch (with possible sightings of Nessie). We then drive down to Urquhart Castle and continue our tour of the loch with remarkable views all the way.

Day 5 Today our journey takes us to Easter Ross and we stop at Ullapool on the shores of Loch Broom. This afternoon we visit Dunrobin Castle where there will be ample time to explore this magnificent castle and its grounds. It is expected that there will be a falconry display in the afternoon. We return to Inverness in time for dinner.

Day 6 A day full of flavour! Travelling via Nairn and Elgin we visit the Baxters Soup Visitor Centre to discover the history of this Scottish staple in the old grocery shop originally opened by George Baxter in 1868. The Baxters Highland Village also has speciality shops stocking wines, whiskies, clothing, cookware and, of course, a wide range of soups! The journey continues through Keith and Huntly and we return to the hotel via Tomintoul and the Whisky Castle, and Grantown on Spey.

Day 7 We visit Aviemore and take a ride on the Cairngorms Funicular Railway to the summit of Cairn Gorm. You will experience stunning views from the Ptarmigan Top Station at 1,097 metres above sea level, making this the UK’s highest mountain railway. In the afternoon we visit the Rothiemurchus Estate, owned by the 17th Laird of Rothiemurchus. We have arranged for the services of a ranger to accompany us on a coach safari to get the best views of this estate, which stretches from the River Spey to the summit of Braeriach, Britain’s third highest mountain. There will be opportunities to get close to the resident highland cattle and beautiful red deer.

Day 8 Departing after breakfast, we travel south via Pitlochry and then by the motorways to our overnight hotel is in the Lancashire area.

Day 9 After breakfast we continue southwards making suitable refreshment stops along the way. We reach the local area early evening and meet our taxis for the last leg of the journey home.