Included Premium Highlights

    * Experience the sights & spectacle of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo (selected departures only)
    * Visit Edinburgh Castle for fine views over the city & to see the 'Honours of Scotland'
    * Embark on a guided cruise on Loch Lomond - one of Scotland's most beautiful lochs

Included Personal Insights

    * Enjoy a short tutorial about the origins of Scotch whisky

Included Other Excursions & Sights

    * See the Honours of Scotland (Scottish Crown Jewels) in Edinburgh
    * Drive along the Royal Mile past St Giles' Cathedral to Holyroodhouse Palace
    * See Edinburgh's 'New Town' & Sir Walter Scott Monument on Princes Street
    * Visit St Andrews with its cathedral, long-established university & famous golf course
    * Visit Culloden where the Jacobite Army under Bonnie Prince Charlie was finally defeated
    * Visit the Highlands capital of Inverness & drive along Loch Ness to spot the monster
    * Visit John O'Groats, the most northerly town of mainland Britain
    * Visit the fishing port of Ullapool & admire the scenery of the North West Highlands
    * See the Isle of Skye's dramatic Cuillin Hills & stay in its capital of Portree
    * View pretty Eilean Donan Castle, set on an island in a loch & surrounded by mountains
    * See the Second World War Commando Memorial & Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak
    * Travel through the dramatic scenery of Glencoe

Included First Class Services

    * Escorted by a professional Tour Director
    * Headsets for all guided visits & walking tours
    * Luxury air-conditioned 40-passenger coach with extended legroom & onboard restroom
    * Insight Hotels include all service charges, taxes & porterage
    * Insight Traveller document wallet, map book journal & information pack
    * Airport arrival & departure transfers at scheduled times on Day 1 & Day 8
    * Should your flights not coincide with these arrival & departure transfers, please make your own way to/from the airport

Included Quality Dining

    * Traditional Highl& dinner with Scottish entertainment (HD)
    * 7 full Breakfasts (B), 3 three-course Evening Meals with choice, or buffets, plus tea or coffee (D)
 

Day 1 - EDINBURGH

Welcome to Scotland - land of legend & romance, from the two great cultural cities in the south, to the dramatic mountains & misty lochs of the Highlands! On arrival at Edinburgh Airport, your airport transfer service leaves for the tour hotel at 09:00, 11:00 & 13:00. The rest of the day is yours to relax or start exploring. Perhaps take a stroll around the shops of Princes Street before joining your Tour Director & fellow travellers for a Welcome Drink. In the evening, selected departures attend the spectacular Military Tattoo - a colourful mix of pipes & drums, dance & display, set against the floodlit backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.

Hotel: Roxburghe

Day 2 - EDINBURGH SIGHTSEEING

Join a local guide to see the highlights of 'Athens of the North'. Drive along Princes Street to the ornate Scott Memorial, then tour the 18th century New Town with its classical Adam facades. Over in the Old Town, visit the castle, home of Mons Meg, the Stone of Destiny & Scotland's glittering crown jewels. See the house where John Knox lived & St Giles' Cathedral, where he preached his fiery sermons. At the bottom of the Royal Mile, stands the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of the Queen. The rest of the day is yours to explore the city. Perhaps research your family tartan in the Tartan Centre or visit the art treasures in the National Gallery. (B)

Day 3 - EDINBURGH - ST. ANDREWS - HIGHLANDS

Cross the Firth of Forth into Fife & make your way to St Andrews, where golf was born on the Old Course in the 15th century. After some time to explore, cross the Tay & drive to the charming Victorian resort town of Pitlochry, famous for its salmon leap. En route, hear an informative tutorial about the origins of Scotch whisky. Continue via Blair Atholl (whose castle is the home of Britain's only private army) & over the Grampian Mountains to your Highland hotel. This evening, you are invited to a rousing Highland style dinner with haggis and bagpipes.

Hotel: Highlander (B,HD)

Day 4 - HIGHLANDS - LOCH NESS - THURSO

Travel through the sparkling Spey Valley to Culloden Moor, where Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite army was finally crushed in 1746. Drive via the stately town of Inverness & along the shores of Loch Ness in search of the elusive monster. Now follow the rugged coast to John O'Groats at the northern tip of mainland Britain. The coastal road to Thurso then offers splendid views out over the Pentland Firth.

Hotel: Royal (B,D)

Day 5 - THURSO - ULLAPOOL

Through stunning & pristine landscapes along the northern coastline with its white sandy beaches, & further inland to misty valleys & glens, lochs & rushing waters. Arrive in the little fishing town of Ullapool on Loch Broom.

Hotel: Caledonian (B,D)

Day 6 - ULLAPOOL - ISLE OF SKYE

An exciting day takes you alongside Loch Carron, past remote Eilean Donan Castle, which under a clear sky offers a perfect reflection in its loch. Then it's 'Over the Sea to Skye' the largest & most beautiful island of the Inner Hebrides. Hear romantic tales of young Flora MacDonald & how she helped to rescue Bonnie Prince Charlie, who fled in disguise after his defeat at Culloden. See the island's most famous feature, the Cuillin Hills on your way to Skye's capital, Portree.

Hotel: Tongadale (B,D)

Day 7 - ISLE OF SKYE - LOCH LOMOND - GLASGOW

Enjoy a feast of scenic splendour as you return to the mainland & head past Loch Garry into the Great Glen. Stop along the way at the Second World War Commando Memorial which affords fine views of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain. Your route continues via the Victorian town of Fort William on the shores of Loch Linnhe & through the infamous Valley of Glencoe, its dramatic peaks still echoing with the ghastly cries of massacred clansmen. Your highlight for today is a cruise on the blue waters of Loch Lomond, the 'Queen of Scottish Lakes' & largest in Great Britain. It's not far now to the Clyde Valley & your hotel in the vibrant commercial city of Glasgow.

Hotel: Marriott (B)

Day 8 - GLASGOW

Your tour comes to an end after breakfast. Departure transfers arrive at Glasgow Airport at 07:00 & 09:00. (B)

Your Insight tour already includes a host of bonus highlights and comprehensive sightseeing. However, there is an exciting array of optional excursions which will turn an already amazing experience into the trip of a lifetime! These are entirely optional and can be booked through your Tour Director/Local Representative at the commencement of your tour. All prices are quoted in local currency. Payment can be made in cash or by Visa, Mastercard or American Express. To help your pre-tour budgeting we suggest you allow approximately GBP £35 per person per day for optional excursions.

EDI01 - SCOTTISH DINNER & CABARET
Join us for a memorable evening of traditional singing, dancing and bagpipe playing. There is food, wine and a great atmosphere to enjoy. Join in with the singing, will show you a Highland dance or two and there's a chance to sample Scotlandís national dish - haggis. It is a grand night and a wonderful way to celebrate an evening in Edinburgh. GBP £47

EDI05 - ROSSLYN CHAPEL TOUR & TRAIL
With a local guide, we drive out of Edinburgh to the tiny village of Rosslyn, where we have a tour of the famour Rosslyn Chapel. Visit one of Scotland's most unusual 15th Century buildings, famed for its associations with the Knights Templar, the Masonic movement, and now 'The Da Vinci Code'. Intricate carvings of New World plants and secret chambers make this a must on any visit to Scotland. Afterwards there is the opportunity to visit the chapel shop and maybe take a stroll in the beautiful Rosslyn Glen before returning to Edinburgh. GBP £18

BLA01 - BLAIR CASTLE
Blair Castle is at the hub of a breath-taking historic landscape. This magnificent ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl is Scotland is most visited historic house. It is the home of the Atholl Highlanders, Europeís only remaining private army, and is brimming with treasures inside and out. GBP £14

BLA02 - SHEEPDOG DEMONSTRATION
Visit a working sheep farm for a demonstration of the training and working of Border Collies. GBP £11

TH01 - CASTLE OF MEY
This is the most northerly castle in Britain, owned and restored by the late Queen Mother and where she spent many happy summers for nearly 50 years. It has a spectacular setting on the coast with views of the Orkney islands. Very much a family home this is a rare chance to see the relaxed and informal way the Royal Family live when away from the public eye. The tour takes in the Queen Mother's bedroom, library, drawing room, Princess Margaret's room, and the kitchens. Of special interest are the gardens, the greenhouses and the Shell Garden where she loved to sit with its old fashioned shrub roses and climbers. GBP £16

SKY01 - ISLE TOUR
An opportunity to travel around the Trotternish Peninsula with a local guide. Hear about the way of life on this remote inner Hebridean island with its stories and legends. On this tour of the 'Isle of Mist' you will see the Old Man of Storr, the red and black Cuillin mountains, Kilt rock and the graveyard where Flora McDonald is buried. This is an opportunity not to be missed. GBP £12.5

GLA02 - GLASGOW DINNER
Enjoy an evening of Scottish fayre in a local restaurant. After your three course dinner we take a drive around the city.
GBP £28

Booking Conditions & Other Important Information

CLICK HERE to view.