Whisky Coast & Scottish Islands - 12 days

Edinburgh - Trossnachs National Park - Oban - Islay. Departing Edinburgh this morning, we head west, first visiting Trossnachs National Park. Admire some of the country's famous scenery and perhaps taste some regional delicacies. We then make our way through the mountainous Western Highlands to Oban, a port town once the strategic heartland of great feuding clans.





Modern Oban is known for two things, seafood and whisky. We have the opportunity to taste both, including a dram of locally produced whisky and an optional seafood lunch.





We then make our way through the Kilmartin Glen, home to standing stones and historic fortified strongholds dating back more than 1,500 years. At Kennacraig, we catch the ferry to the island of Islay. The crossing takes around 2 hours, and you can see the Paps of Jura as we sail past the island of Jura. Landing at Islay, we make our way to our accommodation in Bowmore.





Please note: Check-in closes at 08:15 on day 1 (tour departs at 08:30) - Edinburgh Bus Station Pick Up, Gate J and Gate K, inside Edinburgh Bus Station, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH1 3DQ.





Accommodation: Bowmore Cottages, The Bruce or similar

Tuck into breakfast at the accommodation before we depart on a day of whisky adventures! We are visiting three distilleries today, starting with Bowmore, one of the oldest distilleries in the whole of Scotland. There's an included tour and whisky tasting before we continue to Ardnahoe Distillery, where we can try more whisky and enjoy an included lunch of Scottish specialities. We then travel through the beautiful countryside of Islay to our third distillery. This will either be Bruichladdich or Bunnahabhain, depending on the departure. Bruichladdich specializes in unpeated whisky, whilst Bunnahabhain is the most remote distillery on the island. Feeling slightly light-headed, we then head back to Bowmore, where the evening is at leisure.





Accommodation: Bowmore Cottages, The Bruce or similar

Today we are exploring the southern half of Islay, one of the most beautiful of the Scottish Isles. First we visit the distillery at Ardbeg, owned by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy! There's an included tour and tasting here, plus we enjoy lunch in the vibrant restaurant.





The final distillery of our tour is Laphroaig, a 200-year-old distiller known to be a favourite of the British Royal Family.





Throughout the day, we will also stop at some of the island's main highlights. See the historic ruins of Kildalton church and Dunyvaig Castle, which was once held by the chiefs of the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg. We then return to Bowmore for our last night on Islay.





Accommodation: Bowmore Cottages, The Bruce or similar

Islay - Inveraray - Oban. This morning we take the return ferry back to the mainland and replace the smell of whisky with the crisp air of the Scottish Highlands. We pass through the pretty village of Inveraray on the shore of Loch Fyne. There's a stop here as we change minibuses and guide. Some of your group will be returning to Edinburgh, but we are continuing our Scottish adventure! Meet the rest of the group before we continue to Oban for the evening.





Accommodation: Kathmore, Altavona or similar

Oban - Mull - Iona - Oban. It's an early start this morning as we take the ferry to the Isle of Mull. Take in dramatic coastlines and wild natural beauty, and keep your eyes on the skies for majestic white-tailed eagles, the UK's largest bird of prey.





We then take another ferry to Iona, the birthplace of Celtic Christianity and home to the ancient burial grounds of famed Scottish kings. We can see the historic abbey and take in more of the windswept coastline of the Scottish Isles.





There's an optional small boat trip to the uninhabited island of Staffa to see the basalt columns of Fingal's Cave. We then return to Oban on the ferry.





Accommodation: Kathmore, Altavona or similar

Oban - Glencoe - Fort William - Plockton. Driving north along the coast, we pass Castle Stalker and visit Glencoe, a truly beautiful location haunted by the 1692 Glencoe Massacre. Around 30 members of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were slaughtered here for failing to pledge allegiance to King William III and Mary II.





We then pass through Fort William and past Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Great Britain. Continuing through the Great Glen, we arrive in Plockton, a small fishing village known for its palm trees! We overnight here.





Accommodation: Sabhal na Mara, Hillview, Haven Guest House or similar

Plockton - Skye - Plockton. Today we will be exploring the remote Isle of Skye, but there is no fixed itinerary for the day. The weather can be unpredictable, so your guide will choose the best highlights to show you in accordance with the conditions and any events that may be happening on the island during your visit. We are likely to be hiking, in order to enjoy the dramatic scenery of the island. Options include The Quiraing hill walk and the Old Man of Storr Walk, probably the most famous trail on the island. We can also see the Neist Point Lighthouse. Spend the day taking photos, sampling the view and enjoying everything this pristine environment has to offer. In the late afternoon, we return to our accommodation in Plockton.





Accommodation: Sabhal na Mara, Hillview, Haven Guest House or similar

Plockton - Loch Ness - Inverness. Today we visit Eilean Donan Castle, a 13th century fortress, located on an island. We then drive to Loch Duich and the Five Sisters of Kintail, taking in more of Scotland's dramatic scenery. There's a stop for lunch at Loch Ness, so keep your eyes peeled for 'Nessie', the Loch Ness monster!





We then stop in the village of Spean Bridge. Here our group splits once more, as some travellers will be returning to Edinburgh, whilst we continue north to Orkney. Our guides will be on hand to help you move your luggage and introduce you to the new group for the remainder of our trip. We then complete our journey to Inverness, travelling up the entire 23-mile length of the Great Glen.





Accommodation: Dalmore, Pine Guest House, Aye Stay or similar

Inverness - John o'Groats - Kirkwall. Departing Inverness early, we head past Dunrobin Castle and along the coastline of the northeast Highlands, taking in some of Scotland's most dramatic scenery. If the ferry timetables allow, we will enjoy a stop at John o'Groats, on the north-eastern tip of Great Britain. Arriving in Gills Bay, we board the ferry to Orkney, crossing Pentland Firth. Landing on the archipelago, we stop for a visit to the colourful Italian Chapel before arriving in the former Viking stronghold of Kirkwall, capital of the Orkney Islands. The evening is free, we recommend paying a visit to the magnificent Viking Cathedral of St Magnus, dating back to the 12th Century.





Accommodation: Bellavista Guest House, Heatherlea B&B, Hildeval B&B or similar

Today we explore Orkney, taking in the stunning nature of green pastures and windswept sandy beaches alongside Orkney's past. We take in the 5,000-year old village of Skara Brae, A Neolithic settlement older even than the Pyramids of Giza or Stonehenge! We also take in the prehistoric stone circle at Brodgar and the Druidic standing stones at Stenness. Each of these sites is UNESCO-listed as part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney.





We also visit Maeshowe, home to a number of well-preserved Viking runic inscriptions, dating back to the 12th century. We then return to Kirkwall for the night.





Accommodation: Bellavista Guest House, Heatherlea B&B, Hildeval B&B or similar

Kirkwall - Ullapool. This morning after breakfast, it is time to depart Orkney, as we take the return ferry back to the mainland. We then take a spectacular drive along the northern coast of Scotland, taking in the stunning Ben Loyal and Ben hope mountains and a picturesque coastline. We stop to admire Ardvreck Castle in the far north-west mountains of Assynt before reaching Ullapool, a pretty whitewashed fishing village located at the mouth of Loch Broom. The evening is at leisure.





Accommodation: Foinaven, Ullaviews, The Sheiling Guest House or similar

Ullapool - Edinburgh. Today we make our way back to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, but we have a number of fascinating stops along the way. We see where the River Droma plunges 6o metres over a cliff into the Corrieshalloch Gorge and we enjoy views of Loch Glascarnoch as we pass Inverness.





We also make a short stop at Culloden Moor. This was the site of the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the last stand of the Jacobites who suffered a crushing defeat by the troops of the Duke of Cumberland. Interestingly, this was the last battle to have been fought on the British mainland.





Next we see the ancient standing stones at Clava Cairns, made famous by Diana Gabaldon in the ‘Outlander’ books. We then journey around the edge of the Cairngorm mountains, past lush pine forests and make our way back to Edinburgh, where our tour ends.





Please note: This tour ends at 19:00 - Edinburgh Bus Station Drop Off, Gate J and Gate K, Edinburgh Bus Station, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH1 3DQ.