Day One – Arrive into Edinburgh Airport and collect rental car. Possible visits today include Rosslyn Chapel, linked with the Knights Templar and recently featured in the novel by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code, or Edinburgh Castle. Learn the history of the passageways and closes off the Royal Mile during a Witchery Tour. Overnight Edinburgh or surrounding area.
Day Two – Depart hotel and drive by Loch Lomond, through Inveraray and into mysterious Kilmartin Glen where over 350 ancient monuments are scattered across the landscape. These include burial cairns, rock carvings, and standing stones, some of which date back 5,000 years. Overnight Oban area.
Day Three – Day trip to Mull, the spiritual sanctity of Iona and the unique structure of Fingal’s Cave on Staffa (ferry/coach tour – leave the car in Oban). Overnight Oban area.
Day Four – Depart hotel and travel north, with optional side-trip into haunting Glencoe. Continue north through the Great Glen with a stop at Urquhart Castle to view Loch Ness, then a visit to stunning Corrieshalloch Gorge. Overnight Ullapool.
Day Five (must fall on Wed or Fri) – Day trip to Lewis to view the Callanish Stones, laid out as a distorted celtic cross, the individual stones vary from 1m to 5m in height, Dun Carloway Broch overlooking Loch Roag on the west coast of Lewis and Arnol Blackhouse which offers in insight into the way of like once widespread in Lewis (ferry/coach tour – leave the car in Ullapool). Overnight Ullapool.
Day Six – Depart hotel and travel east, visiting Culloden Battlefield and the three burial cairns at Balnuaran, the Clava Cairns, which date back to around 2000BC they are set within a kerb of large boulders in a scenic woodland setting. Into Aberdeenshire, Archaeolink is a living history park where you travel 10,000 years in one day from the Mesolithic to a Roman Marching Camp. The area is also renowned for a series of recumbent stone circles dating back to around 3000BC. Overnight Aberdeen area.
Day Seven – Depart hotel and travel south, perhaps visiting the ruins of Dunnottar Castle clinging to craggy cliffs south of Stonehaven, or Glamis Castle, which is said to be one of the most haunted castles in Scotland. The historic town of St Andrews, believed to be the final resting place of the martyred apostle, is home to Scotland’s oldest university, the ruined 15th century castle and the remains of what was at one time the most impressive cathedral in Scotland. If time allows, finish the day with a visit to Stirling Castle. Overnight Stirling area.
Day Eight – Depart hotel, return car at Edinburgh or Glasgow airport and head for home.
The above package includes:
- 7 nights accommodation
- Breakfast daily
- Suggested sightseeing itinerary
- Sightseeing Pass (7 day GB Heritage Pass)
- 2 ferry & coach day tours to the Scottish Islands
- Witchery Tour – walking tour of Old Edinburgh
- Hire of a self-drive automatic car (2 pax) or self-drive automatic minivan (4 pax)
2 pax - £859.00 per person based on two sharing
|
