Escape from it all and discover the beauty of Loch Ness, Inverness & the Highlands. Enjoy easy walks through the forest to a magical waterfall and along the banks of the Caledonian Canal. Take an optional cruise on mysterious Loch Ness.
Day 1
Leaving Glasgow, we begin our journey to the Highlands with a stop at the conservation village of Luss within the scenic Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. You can enjoy a stroll along the loch side and take in the views across to the mountains.
We then continue over the wild and desolate wilderness of Rannoch Moor which brings us to spectacular Glencoe, scene of one of the most shameful episodes in Scottish history – the Glencoe Massacre. Movies such as James Bond’s Skyfall, Rob Roy, and the first episode of Outlander have featured Glencoe. Filming for the third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, took place here in May and June 2003.
We’ll have the opportunity to stop here for lunch, stretch your legs and take in the breath-taking majesty of the Glen.
Heading north, we’ll travel the length of the Caledonian Canal along the Great Glen from Fort William to Inverness. Sixty miles of outstanding beauty best describes the Caledonian Canal. On this route you can opt to visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle and take short a cruise on Loch Ness. This castle stands on the edge of the deepest part of Loch Ness and is where most sightings of the Loch Ness monster have taken place.
We arrive early evening at Inverness where you have free time to enjoy the capital of the Highlands.
Day 2
As we leave Inverness behind, our first stop of the day will be at Culloden Battlefield. This famous location was the site of the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie & his Jacobite Army on 16th April 1746, launching the Highlands into a period of great change. You can visit the battlefield, memorial cairns & clan markers, as well as pay entry to the visitor centre if you wish.
A few miles south lies the 4000-year-old Prehistoric Burial Cairns of Clava. These beautifully preserved burial cairns reportedly inspired Diana Gabaldon’s Craigh Na Dun from Outlander.
We’ll continue south into The Cairngorms National Park, which is the UK’s largest National Park and is home to many rare and endangered species of wildlife.
There will be a short photo stop to enjoy Carrbridge’s historic packhorse bridge constructed in 1717. It’s considered to be the Highlands oldest surviving stone bridge. As we continue through the park, the beauty of this wilderness with its magnificent forests, rivers and wild mountains is where we’ll have lunch.
After lunch, our journey will bring us to the Ruthven Barracks. This structure was constructed after the unsuccessful Jacobite Rising in1715 to allow the government to control the Highlands. Upon their defeat at Culloden surviving Jacobite’s sheltered within the barracks waiting on word from Bonnie Prince Charlie. Upon word to disperse, they set the barracks alight.
Our final stop of the day is a refreshment stop in the Victorian town of Pitlochry, where you can browse the shops and pick up some final souvenirs. The tour then returns to Glasgow.
Share On