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Day 1 Arrival - Edinburgh
 Arrive
at Edinburgh/Glasgow Airport and pick up your self-drive car.
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 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. Continue via Pitlochry, a small Highland town 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 famous for its whisky producing
tradition. Follow the Whisky Trail & visit one of the many
famous distilleries in the area. click to see Distillery
information 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. Visit Culloden Moor, site of the last land
battle on British soil. Continue on to Inverness Area for overnight.
Day 3 Inverness - Inverewe
Gardens - Inverness
 Enjoy
a day visiting the 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.
Return through the magnificent scenery of the Torridon area and
past Loch Maree. Return to the Inverness area for overnight.
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. Continue north visiting
Dunrobin Castle and Gardens bringing to life the lives 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 some great engineering by Thomas Telford linking
East Scotland with West by using a series of lochs linked by
a canal system. Make a stop at Urquhart Castle, a very scenic
spot and also the place where the most sightings of "Nessie"
have been. Continue towards Fort William, which nestles beneath
the highest mountain in Great Britain - Ben Nevis. From Fort
William, continue south to Oban.
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 St. Columba landed
in 563 brought Christianity to Scotland from Ireland. You can
also visit the famous abbey founded by St. Columba 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 overnight 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 on to 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
All too soon it is time to leave Scotland. Return your car at
the airport and check in for your flight home.
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