Highlights of Scotland - East Coast Tour

2 Days Edinburgh(B/-/)

Arrival Edinburgh Airport

On arrival at Edinburgh Airport, our representative will be there to meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check-in. Rest of the day at your leisure to explore Edinburgh.

Rosslyn Chapel and the Scottish Borders

Your tour takes you south to the beautiful Scotts View, overlooking the Tweed Valley. You then get the opportunity to visit the nearby statue of the great Scottish patriot, William Wallace. From here, you travel to Melrose where you can visit the ruined Melrose Abbey, founded by the Cistercians in the 12th Century. The Cistercian monks had close connections with the Knights Templar, and legend tells that Melrose Abbey is the burial place of Robert Bruce’s heart, brought back from the crusades in Moorish Spain.

Followed by a visit to Abbotsford House, home of Sir Walter Scott, the famous author.

Following lunch in Melrose, you make your way to the stunning 15th century Rosslyn Chapel, made world-famous in Dan Brown’s book, ˜Da Vinci Code. Here you have time to explore the chapel and find out more about the myths and legends surrounding the whereabouts of the Holy Grail.

After your visit to Rosslyn Chapel, you return to Edinburgh.

Overnight in Edinburgh 2 nights

Included : Accommodation and Breakfast

Day 3 Edinburgh to Cairngorm National Park via the Kingdom of Fife(B/-/-)

On this you will leave Edinburgh and travel north to South Queensferry.

You travel over the Queensferry Crossing and get a great view of one of Scotland’s greatest man-made landmarks, the Forth Rail Bridge. You then enter the Kingdom of Fife and stop in the traditional fishing village of Anstruther (known as ‘Ainster’ locally), where you can check out the old, cobbled streets and take a walk along the seafront to the harbour.

From Anstruther, we continue north to the medieval town of St Andrews. St Andrew is the patron Saint of Scotland, and according to legend, his remains were washed up on the Fife coast.

After St Andrews, you will take a pleasant drive through the rolling countryside of central Fife to Falkland. Falkland Palace dominates this old village and was one of the main residences of the old Royal family of Scotland, the Stewarts (Stuarts).

Leaving Falkland you will carry onto Royal Deeside, where we will visit Glamis Castle.

The family home of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Glamis Castle is the legendary setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth.

Overnight in Cairngorms

Included : Accommodation and Breakfast

Day 4 Travel through the Cairngorms via Royal Deeside to Aberdeen (B/-/-)

On this day you will be traveling via Royal Deeside. Queen Victoria’s decision to buy and develop Balmoral Castle had such a profound effect on the development of the area. In each of Banchory, Aboyne, Ballater and Braemar most of the important buildings were built in the Victorian era. Her influence can still be directly felt in the Victorian Heritage trail, the old station at Ballater and the interest inspired by the recent film ‘Mrs Brown’.

Hear all about Royal Deeside from your guide.

Overnight in Aberdeen

Included : Accommodation and Breakfast

Day 5 Aberdeen Craigievar & Dunotter Castle (B/-/-)

Craigievar Castle

A fairytale setting for a Scottish castle packed with history, armour and art.

Discover the beautiful pink castle said to be the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle.Explore the gardens and woodland trails, keeping an eye out for the rare pine marten.

Dunotter Castle

This dramatic and evocative ruined cliff top fortress was the home of the Earls Marischal, once one of the most powerful families in Scotland. Steeped in history, this romantic and haunting ruin is a photographer’s paradise, a history lover’s dream and an iconic tourist destination for visitors the world over.

Overnight in Aberdeen

Included : Accommodation and Breakfast

Day 6 Aberdeen to Elgin (B/-/-)

On this day you will be traveling from Aberdeen to Elgin and exploring the favorite tourist spots. This route is famous in a unique Scottish road trip taking you through the whisky distilleries of Speyside, the spectacular mountain passes of the Cairngorms National Park, the famous castles of Royal Deeside, the Granite City of Aberdeen, the rugged North Sea coastline to the east, and the picturesque seaside villages of the Moray Firth Coast.

Highlights

Peterhead Prison

Museum of Scottish Lighthouses

Time to explore many of the small fishing villages on the Moray Coastline

Overnight in Elgin

Included : Accommodation and Breakfast

Day 7 Elgin (B/-/-)

On this, you will be exploring the famous Speyside region.

Starting with a visit to the Speyside Cooperage followed by a couple of visits to 2 of their famous distilleries

Speyside Cooperage

No visit to Speyside would be complete without a visit to the Speyside Cooperage, the only cooperage in Britain with a visitor centre. The only working cooperage in the UK where you can experience the ancient art of coopering. Since 1947, the family-owned Speyside Cooperage has produced the finest casks from the best American Oak. Today the cooperage continues to work and produce the age-old product, still using traditional methods and tools. Although shipped across the world, many of the casks remain in Scotland, providing a vital ingredient in Scotland’s whisky-making process.

Macallan – Speyside Whisky

An obsession with quality has been the hallmark of The Macallan since its founding by Alexander Reid on a plateau above the river Spey in northeast Scotland. The distillery is surrounded by a 150-hectare estate with Easter Elchies House at its heart.

The Glenlivet Distillery – Speyside Whisky

The remote and isolated Livet valley made it ideal for illicit distillation. This is where their founder George Smith learned his craft. Hidden away from the Customs Officers and soldiers amongst the hills and abundant springs, George had time to distill slowly making a whisky that would soon become world-renowned.

The Moray Coast

Explore the small fishing settlements along the Moray coast.

Spent an enjoyable day exploring the string of small fishing villages along the Moray coast. Many of the settlements were established in the 18thC when crofting families cleared from inland estates to make way for their landlord’s sheep, were moved to the coast. It is a hostile and rocky coastline and the settlement grew up around the mouths of streams where a small harbour could be built.

Overnight in Elgin

Included : Accommodation and Breakfast

Day 8 Elgin to Inverness (B/-/-)

Today we leave the Moray area and travel to the Inverness Capital of the Highlands.

Following the Jacobite route, you will hear all about the Jacobites and the last battle on British Soil.

Highlights

Culloden Battlefield

Fort George

Overnight in Inverness

Included : Accommodation and Breakfast

Day 9 Complete tour of Loch Ness (B/-/-)

Your ultimate Loch Ness adventure. Travel the full length of the loch, explore wonderful waterfalls, and visit cosy villages. You can enjoy incredible views from a cruise, learn about the historic ruins of Urquhart Castle, and explore the less frequented south roads of the loch. This short-day tour lets you discover all the marvelous views and secrets of Loch Ness.

Highlights

Caledonian Canal

Urquhart Castle

Drumnadrochit

Invermoriston

Fort Augustus

Foyers

Falls of Foyers waterfall

Dores

Overnight in Inverness

Included : Accommodation and Breakfast

Day 10 Inverness (B/-/-/)

Relax! The time of exploring is over your tour is finished. We hope you had a fantastic time and looking forward to welcoming you to Scotland again. Why not stay for an optional night(s) to explore our Highland capital City on your own before returning home.

(Please contact us for a quote to extend your stay)

Turas math dhuibh! (Have a Good Journey)