8 Day Scottish Highland Car Tour
A wonderful car tour of some of Scotland's finest castles, lochs, islands, and gardens, with 7 nights accommodation included.
Perthshire – Speyside – Wester Ross – West Coast – Isles of Mull, Iona, Staffa – Loch Lomond & the Trossachs
Tour Itinerary
- Day 1 Arrival Edinburgh
- Day 2 Edinburgh – Perthshire – Speyside Inverness Area
- Day 3 Ullapool – Wester Ross Inverness Area
- Day 4 Easter Ross Inverness Area
- Day 5 Loch Ness – Fort William Oban
- Day 6 Isles of Mull, Iona and Staffa Oban
- Day 7 Loch Lomond - Stirling Trossachs
- Day 8 Departure
Day 1 Arrival - Edinburgh
Arrive at Edinburgh/Glasgow Airport and pick up your (hire) car (if required). Depart for the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. As one of Europe's must see destinations Edinburgh offers much for the visitor, great museums and art galleries, fantastic shopping, great restaurants and bars and one of the most unforgettable skylines with Edinburgh Castle dominating the centre of the city overlooking Princes Street Gardens.
Overnight in Edinburgh.
Day 2 Edinburgh – Inverness Area
After your Full Scottish Breakfast depart Edinburgh heading north crossing the Forth Road Bridge with its dramatic views of that Victorian feat of engineering, the Forth Railway Bridge. Continuing north, visit Perth and Scone Palace, the family home of the Earl of Mansfield and also the site of the famous coronation Stone of Scone, brought there in the 9th century by Kenneth MacAlpine, King of Scots.
Continue on to Pitlochry, a small Highland town that is a gateway to the Highlands proper. Why not pause at the Salmon Ladder at the Faskally Dam where you may be lucky enough to see a salmon leaping!
From Pitlochry, travel towards Inverness. You will take the very scenic & dramatic road over the Drummochter Pass, one of the highest roads in Scotland. Descend into Speyside, an area of Scotland famous for its whisky producing tradition and distilleries. You can follow the Whisky Trail and visit one of the many famous distilleries in the area - Glenfiddich, McCallums, Grants, Cardhu and many more. Each gives an audio-visual show and then a guided tour of the distillery to learn of the whiksy distilling process and for many the highlight is a tasting at the end of the tour. The choice of what to see and do in the Speyside area is huge – there are castles – Brodie, Cawdor (made famous by the Shakespeare’s Macbeth), and Ballindalloch. You could visit the still baleful and bleak Culloden Moor, site of the last land battle on British soil and the site where Bonnie Prince Charlie's rebellion was destroyed under the musket fire of the "Butcher Cumberland" Hanoverian troops.
Continue onto Inverness Area for overnight.
Day 3 Inverness – Inverewe Gardens - Inverness
Enjoy a day visiting the North West Coast of Scotland. Journey across to Ullapool, a quaint fishing village. Then travel down past the dramatic Corrieshalloch Gorge to the Inverewe Gardens, run by the National Trust. These magnificent gardens have a famous rhododendron collection and who would expect to find palm trees in Scotland - this is not global warming, but the bounty of the Gulf Stream which brushes up against the coast here. Return through the magnificent scenery of the Torridon area and past Loch Maree. Return to the Inverness area for overnight stay.
Day 4 Inverness –Dunrobin Castle
Today begins with a visit to the capital of the Highlands, Inverness before heading for a day trip into the northern highlands. Head for the Kessock Bridge and the Black Isle, in reality a peninsula decked out in a thousand shades of green. A maze of quiet country roads and forest tracks, the area is a delight to explore. It is a naturalist paradise with attractions such as the bird reserves and Munlochy and Udale Bay and the famous dolphins that can be viewed on cruises from Cromarty.
Motoring northwards visit Dunrobin Castle and Gardens bringing to life the easy lives through the centuries of the Earls of Sutherland. Here you can enjoy a display of the ancient sport of falconry in the gardens of the castle.
Return to the Inverness area for your overnight stay. Accommodation in Inverness area.
Day 5 Loch Ness – Fort William - Oban
Today travel south again going via Loch Ness. Loch Ness forms part of the Caledonian Canal a feat of great engineering by Thomas Telford that linked East Scotland with West by using a series of lochs connected by a canal system. Make a stop at Urquhart Castle, a very scenic spot on the North of the loch and also the place where the most sightings of “Nessie” have been made (supposedly).
Continue East towards Fort William, which nestles beneath the highest mountain in Great Britain – Ben Nevis. If time allows, why not take a ride up in a gondola at Aonach Mor; on a clear day you will enjoy stunning views over the west coast.
From Fort William, continue south for an overnight in Oban. You might want to take a diversion via the crags of Glencoe
And before reaching Oban, stop for a view of Castle Stalker situated in solitary and romantic splendour on its own small island.
Day 6 Isle of Mull
Today take a day boat trip to Mull, Iona and Staffa. The tour leaves from Oban Harbour and is renowned as one of the best day tours in the UK, providing a scenic route through the beautiful island of Mull and a visit to the Isle of Iona where Columba landed in 563 brought Christianity to Scotland from Ireland. You can also visit the famous abbey founded by St Columbus before you continue on to the uninhabited Island of Staffa, which is famous for its basaltic formations, the best know of which is Fingals Cave, immortalised in Mendelssohn’s Herbridean Overture. Return to your ovenight in Oban area.
Day 7 Oban – Loch Lomond – Stirling
Today depart Oban passing through the Brander Pass travel through the beautiful and mysterious Rannoch Moor and into the heart of the Trossachs, known as the “gateway to the Highlands”. Follow the banks of Loch Lomond and then travel onto Stirling.
Finish today with a visit to Stirling Castle, which has played such an important role in much of Scotland’s vibrant history. The Visitor Centre has a very good audio-visual exhibition explaining much of the history.
Overnight Stirling area.
Day 8 Departure
Unfortunately it is time to leave Scotland. Return to the airport and leave your car but retain your memories
Inclusions
- 7 night’s accommodation in the above style of accommodation sharing a twin/double room with facilities inclusive of Scottish breakfast.
- Please note with the mixed package the clients will have 3 overnights in B&B, 3 overnights in a Hotel and 1 overnight in a Manor.
- Welcome Pack
Exclusions
- Car Hire - we can help and advise on this
- Evening meals
- Lunches
- Personal expenses
- Entrances detailed in itinerary
The Little Details
- Min Age: NA
- Tour Vehicle Type: Self-Driven
- Months of Operation: April, May, June, July, August, September, October
- Duration of Tour: 8 days
- Departure Point: Edinburgh
- Departure Point: Edinburgh
- Duration of Tour: 8 days
Rates & Dates
Tour Prices
| Accommodation Type | April to October | August Supplement | Single Supplement |
|---|---|---|---|
| B&B | £330.00 | £40.00 | £130.00 |
| Inn/2 Star | £390.00 | £46.00 | £140.00 |
| 3 Star Hotel | £470.00 | £60.00 | £190.00 |
| Mixed | £435.00 | £35.00 | £170.00 |
| Manor | £680.00 | £75.00 | £260.00 |
Priced per person
Please note that with the mixed package you will have 3 overnights in B&Bs, 2 overnights in a hotel and 2 overnights in a Manor (4 star country house hotel).
Simply choose the date you'd like to start the tour and the type of accommodation you'd like, and our partners JAC Travel will book your accommodation for you.
Booking Notes
Click on the 'Book This Tour Now' button for our secure online booking form. Please be aware it can take several days for JAC Travel to book the accommodation for you; we'll then take payment and email you the list of your accommodation.
Cancellation Charges
Please note that when a customer cancels any confirmed JAC Travel Tour, a standard charge of 10% of the booking price will be made to cover administration costs. For cancellations more than 10 days prior to the start date, full refund less 10% admin fee. For cancellations within 10 days of the start date - no refund will be made.
Some Places We Will Visit
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Perth
The heritage of Perth is easy to trace owing to the number of interesting historical sites within walking distance of each other.
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Pitlochry
Small Highland tour that is a frequent stopping place for coaches travelling along the A9. Somewhat a one road town of shops and cafes.
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Inverness
The Highlands' largest town and enjoying a real renaissance over the past ten years as young professionals have moved to the city. The gateway to the far north and a fun night out if you stay.
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Fort William
Fort William is the gateway to the Western Highlands and one of the country's main tourist centres. It stands at the head of Loch Linnhe, with the snow-topped mass of Ben Nevis towering behind.
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Stirling
As you'd expect with such a strategically important town, Stirling has a long and fascinating history and is packed with major historical sights.
Castle Visited
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Dunrobin Castle
Scottish baronial castle that thinks it is a chateau on the Loire. One of a kind in Scotland and the ancestral home to the Dukes of Sutherland and family.
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Stirling Castle
Scotland's most strategic castle with a dominating position over the gateway to the North of Scotland.
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Urquhart Castle
Semi ruinous castle in strong position beside Loch Ness controlling the route North. Captured by Robert the Bruce by clever negotiation. Visitor centre open all year.
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Cawdor Castle
14th Century castle that is still inhabited by the original family. Outstanding gardens and very interesting interior make this an excellent day out. Near Nairn.
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Brodie Castle
16th century castle incorporating early work and including much later work. Now in care of NTS and open to public
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Castle Stalker
Privately owned castle set in splendid isolation in the middle of a loch. Truly a fairytale castle. You expect a damsel in distress to appear at a window.
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Kilchurn Castle
One of the most photographed castles in Scotland and in a strong position on the loch. A stronghold for the Campbells of Glenorchy. Used between 1475 to 1745
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Duart Castle
Duart Castle (Caisteal Dhubhairt in Scottish Gaelic) is a castle on the Isle of Mull with stunning views across the sound towards Oban. The castle dates back to the 13th century and is the seat of Clan MacLean. The interior is well preserved and is open to the public.
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