Name: Tour Commencing Edinburgh Sun 13 Jun 2027
SKU: 476
Availability: InStock

Description

6 Day Tour of Scotland hosted by Alistair Heather taking in the following locations

A guided walking tour of Edinburgh
Two nights in the Central Highlands, with a unique visit to a bagpipe workshop
Glencoe and Ben Nevis
A small boat out to a puffin colony, where we can meet puffins!
Upmarket Hotels
Private Whisky tastings

All tours have a maximum capacity of 6 persons

Your Scottish Itinerary

Day 1

Day One in Scotland

Edinburgh

“The most beautiful of all the capitals of Europe.”

* Poet John Betjeman

We will explore the great city of Edinburgh on foot. Alistair lived in Edinburgh for many years so knows the place like a local. We will walk the famous Royal Mile, exploring the secret back courts, hidden gardens and surprising medieval architecture, all the while sharing stories from the city’s present and past.

In our small group, we will visit the Palace of Holyrood House at the foot of the Royal Mile. This palace, and the ancient 12th century Abbey within the Palace grounds, have been at the heart of Scotland’s story since the very beginning. We’ll tour the beautifully appointed rooms, which are still used by the King and Queen today on their Royal Visits and for their famous annual Garden Party.

We will share a lunch together, included in the tour price.

In Edinburgh, you will choose your own hotel. Hotel costs for this part of the tour are not included in the overall tour price. This is to allow flexibility to those who may be extending their stay in Edinburgh or arriving at other airports. Alistair is happy to offer advice on hotel options in Edinburgh, as well as transport from the airport.

This will be an unforgettably rich introduction to one of the finest cities on earth.

Day Two In Scotland

Dunkeld

Alistair will collect you from your accommodation in Edinburgh, before setting off for Dunkeld.

We’ll pass across the famous bridges and stop for a view of the Forth Rail Bridge, the most spectacular of Scotland’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Dunkeld has for centuries been famed as the gateway to the highlands, with the river crossing here understood as the line separating the Gaelic speaking Highlands from the Scots and English speaking Lowlands. It is a beautiful stone town, rich in history.

We will check into our very comfortable accommodation, where we will stay for two nights, included in the tour price.

We will then journey to the wooded hills behind the village to a hidden jewel: the bagpipe workshop of Hamish Moore. Hamish is the fifth generation of piper in his family, and it is a tradition he proudly bears. He and his son have been continuing to handcraft sets of pipes in Dunkeld for decades now, and are esteemed as some of the finest players and makers in the world.

We will get an exclusive tour of the bagpipe making workshop, not available through any other tour, and enjoy traditional Scottish tunes with Hamish.

Our lunch will be brought to us in the workshop. We will share a meal amongst 19th century furniture, with heritage crockery and – if needed – by a roaring fire. Lunch is included in the tour price.

As we digest, Alistair will introduce us to the national spirit with a personalised ‘Whisky Flight’. This is a sharing of numerous rare, unusual or exclusive bottlings of Scotland’s finest whiskies, with introductions to all of the distinct whisky regions within Scotland. This will be an informal and friendly introduction to whisky; there’s no need for expertise.

We’ll return to our accommodation, and eat together at one of the fine inns in Dunkeld, which is included in the tour price.

Day Three In Scotland

Royal Cairngorms

We will breakfast in Dunkeld before heading into the Highlands proper. The Cairngorm Mountains surround us as we explore the villages of Braemar and Ballater.

Braemar is very much at the heart of the mountains. A small village of just a few hundred souls, Braemar is famous for its hospitality as well as the natural beauty of the surrounding woods and hills. It has also been central to the evolution of Scotland.

It was from Braemar village centre that the largest Jacobite rising was begun, as the clan chiefs of the old Highlands assembled their armies to march south. We will explore this history, as well as the older histories of the landscape, of the hunter gatherers, of the 1000 year old Royal connections in the area and of the changing face of the land.

We’ll explore Braemar Castle, a beautiful example of a 16th century tower house, which has surprising connections to some of the 20th century’s biggest fashion names.

In the afternoon, we will have an Art Afternoon Tea at the Five-Star hotel The Fife Arms, which hosts a world-class collection of artwork, including a Picasso. This experience at the luxury hotel is included in your tour price.

If the weather is fair, we will explore the landscape of the Cairngorms, the rushing waters of the Linn of Dee, take the chairlifts to the top of the mountain plateau, the woodland walks and the scenic viewpoints.

If the weather is against us, then we’ll head for the Royal Family’s home in the Cairngorms at Balmoral, or explore Royal Lochnagar, an excellent local distillery.

Return to Dunkeld, where we will dine separately at our own expense.

Day Four and Five In Scotland

Out West to the Puffins

We’ll drive west together, taking in the dramatic mountain scenery. We’ll explore castles, lochs, vast vistas. And we’ll share stories.

We’ll head to the farthest west point on the Scottish mainland, out on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. We’ll meet a small boat that’ll take us to the tiny uninhabited islands of Staffa and Lunga, where thousands of happy little puffins live. They love having human visitors, because we keep other predators away, so we can get right up close and watch their funny flights and preening rituals.

Day Six In Scotland

Stirling

We return to the centre of Scotland, to the famous medieval town of Stirling. We will explore on foot the sites of famous battles, and uncover lesser-known curios such as the medieval dungeon in the modern shopping centre, the witches cottage in a car park, and the open air archaeological site where you can find your own fragment of history.

We will visit Stirling Castle and drink in the incredible views across highland and lowland from the storied battlements.

We will share lunch together near Stirling, before returning to Edinburgh and our individual accommodations.

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Description

Your Scottish Itinerary

Edinburgh

“The most beautiful of all the capitals of Europe.”

* Poet John Betjeman

Reviews

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