5 day Highlands, Isle of Skye and Inverness

• Our first stop is the mighty Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument. This commanding position at the foot of the Highland boundary has been fought over for thousands of years as a strategic point to control the entire country.
• We continue north/west into the mountain wilderness to visit Etive Mor, an extinct super volcano known locally as “the Shepard of Glencoe”. Here we turn off the beaten path into Glen Etive for spectacular scenery and hopefully spot Red Deer in their native habitat.
• Next stop is Scotland’s most desired spot, Glencoe. Towering mountains on all sides and a bloody history make this an unforgettable experience to all who visit.
• Our final port of call is the town of Fort William at the foot of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, where we stop for the evening. (Fort William will be our overnight stop)

Day 2

• We start the day with a visit to Thomas Telford’s engineering masterpiece, Neptune’s staircase. Constructed 200 years ago it’s part of the Caledonian Canal system. This series of 8 locks lifts boats some 70ft from the sea level to Loch Lochy above.
• We then head west to Glenfinnan and Loch Shiel for one of Scotland’s finest views. Here we will see the Glenfinnan viaduct which featured in Harry Potter and the Jacobite memorial.
• We continue along the spectacular road to the Isles and catch a ferry for the short journey from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye.
• In Skye we visit Armadale castle. Dating from the 1650’s this became the seat of Clan Donald. The powerful MacDonald’s of Armadale were the Lords of the Isles.
• We continue north across the wild terrain of Skye to your hotel of choice. (The Isle of Skye will be our overnight stop)
• May to October the Jacobite steam train (featured in Harry Potter) is running which gives you the option to travel to Mallaig by steam train then continue with us on the ferry. This MUST be booked in advance, as tickets will be sold out on the day.

Day 3

• We start with driving a loop round the geological wonder of the Trotternish peninsular. We visit The Old Man of Storr (featured in the movie Prometheus) then continue to the 200ft Kilt rock waterfall.
• We then visit the strange landscape of the Quiraing. This volcanic wonder is one of the most beautiful sites on the island.
• Next we visit another bizarre feature known as the Fairy glen. It can only be described as a miniature mountain landscape suitable for elves and goblins.
• We continue west across the island to Neist Point where you have the opportunity to walk out to the lighthouse. We then visit the only remaining inhabited castle on Skye. Home to Clan Macleod for the last 800 years, Dunvegan Castle and gardens is a great place to immerse yourself in history with the longest continuous habitation of any castle in Scotland. (Overnight stay on the Isle of Skye)

Day 4

• We make our way off the island via the Skye Bridge back to the mainland where we visit Scotland’s most photographed castle, Eilean Donan. It features in many movies including James Bond, Highlander and Maid of Honour.
• We continue east through the rugged mountain landscape to the mighty Loch Ness. Here we climb aboard the Jacobite cruise ship to give you time on the mysterious water and hopefully catch a glimpse of the illusive Loch Ness monster “Nessie”.
• We continue along the shore of Loch Ness to the only city in the highlands, Inverness where we will stop for the evening. (Overnight stay in Inverness)

Day 5

• We start the day with a visit to Culloden battle field where the British government troops fought the Jacobite army in 1746. The Scots suffered a heavy defeat and this was to be the last ever battle on UK soil. The visitor centre has a state of the art 360 degree theatre which allows you to immerse yourself in the battle and hear real accounts from those who fought.
• From Culloden we move a few miles along the road to the see the 4,000 year old Clava Cairn burial chambers. This exceptionally well preserved Bronze Age cemetery is one of Scotland’s most sacred prehistoric sites.
• We continue back south through the beautiful Cairngorm Mountains to highland Perthshire where we visit the stunning Blair Castle. Home to the Duke of Atholl for more than 700 years. This pristine white castle has a large armoury which includes weapons used during the battle of Culloden.
• We continue south to Edinburgh where we sadly say farewell.