Grand Tour of Scotland

15 days, 14 nights

 

 

Experience Scotland at a leisurely pace with this 15-day itinerary, starting with its wonderful city of Edinburgh and the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old and New Town. Continue to the granite city of Aberdeen, marvel in its multiple royal castles and historic palaces nearby, and take in a lot of history before traveling to the highlands to see all that Western Scotland has to offer.

 

Highlights

• Experience firsthand the famous Scottish Highlands and marvel at the breathtaking glens.
• Picture yourself on the battlefield of Culloden, where the Jacobite uprising took place in the 17th century.
• Taste the amazing food and drink that Scotland is famous for, including the infamous haggis, neeps and tatties.
• Experience historic old distilleries and taste some of the new gin being produced in Scotland.
• Stroll along the historic Royal Mile in Edinburgh city and venture down some of the closes or lanes that were very early examples of gated communities.
• See some spots used in movies such as Skyfall and Harry Potter.

 

Overnight Stops

14 nights total

Edinburgh (2) – St Andrews (1) – Aberdeen (2) – Inverness (2) – Isle of Skye (2) – Glencoe (2) – Loch Lomond (2) – Glasgow (1)

Why not add a night to your trip and stay in Dublin or London?

 

Sample Itinerary

 

Day 1: Arrive in Scotland

Welcome to Scotland! Once you’ve exited customs, you will find your private driver waiting for you in the arrivals hall, ready for the short transfer into Edinburgh. If your arrival is early in the morning, drop your luggage at the hotel and head out to start your discovery of this fabulous city!

Highlights (included): Hop-on/hop-off sightseeing tour, Edinburgh Castle with afternoon tea, Scotch Whisky Experience, Palace at Holyroodhouse
Highlights (optional): Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour

Overnight in Edinburgh
Tenon Recommends: Intercontinental Hotel The George
 

Day 2: Edinburgh

Walking an ancient volcano might not come to mind when you think of activities in Edinburgh, but Arthur’s Seat, located in Holyrood Park adjacent to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, is a nice morning workout! At 251 meters above sea level, the views over the city are the reward for the climb – or perhaps the reward can be a dram at the Holyrood Distillery, the newest distillery in the city in nearly 100 years.

Highlights include: Treasures of the Old Town tour, Holyrood Distillery
Optional highlights: Walking food tour of Edinburgh, Edinburgh gin tour

Overnight in Edinburgh
Tenon Recommends: Intercontinental Hotel The George
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 3: Edinburgh to St Andrew’s

While crossing over the Queensferry bridge on your way to St Andrew’s, you will be amazed at this modern creation. Did you know that this bridge is the largest cable-stayed bridge in the world? Stop in Queensferry first and take some photos of this and the Forth Bridge, another UNESCO World Heritage Site that Scotland boasts. For Outlander fans, go a little further on for the possibility to detour to Falkland, which was used in the series to portray Inverness.

Highlights include: St Andrew’s Cathedral, St Andrew’s Castle, St Andrew’s food tour.
Optional highlights: Falkland Palace, St Andrews ghost tour, Old Course walking tour, British Golf Museum, Eden Mill gin experience, golf

Overnight in St Andrews
Tenon Recommends: Hotel Du Vin
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 4: St Andrews to Aberdeen

Move on to Aberdeen, also known as the Granite City or Silver City because of the granite used in many of its buildings. Before reaching Aberdeen, be sure to visit Dundee, a UNESCO City of Design. Visit the V&A Museum and see the RRS Discovery, on which Ernest Shackleton and his team had their first and highly successful journey to the Antarctic.

Highlights include: Glamis Castle, Dunnottar Castle
Optional highlights: RRS Discovery, V&A Museum

Overnight in Aberdeen
Tenon Recommends: Jurys Inn Aberdeen
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 5: Aberdeen

Take time today to discover the city of Aberdeen by seeing its Maritime Museum and the Gordon Highlander Museum, which tells the story of the 200-year old regiment said to be the finest regiment in the world. How about meeting Aberdeen highland cows today and tasting the world-famous Aberdeen beef on a unique farm visit?

Optional highlights: Aberdeen Maritime Museum, Gordon Highlander Museum, Highland beef farm visit

Overnight in Aberdeen
Tenon Recommends: Jurys Inn Aberdeen
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 6: Aberdeen to Inverness

Known as Scotland’s Castle Trail, Aberdeenshire has so many castles to view! As you travel to Inverness, one castle you must stop at is the beautiful Baronial-style Fyvie Castle. Traveling on toward the tip of Cairngorms National Park, you have the opportunity to visit the Glenlivet Distillery, founded in 1824. Continue on to the highlands, and then to your destination of Inverness for the night.

Highlights include: Fyvie Castle, Aberlour distillery
Optional highlights: Glenlivet Distillery, Speyside Cooperage

Overnight in Inverness
Tenon Recommends: Kingsmills Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 7: Inverness

Learn today about the history of the Jacobite rising, which culminated in a fierce battle in nearby Culloden. Immerse yourself at the visitor center in a 360-battle immersion theater, which will get your heart racing as you experience what it would have been like in that battle. Head onward to Loch Ness to see if you have any luck in finding the shy Nessie!

Highlights include: Culloden Visitor Centre, Loch Ness cruise
Optional highlights: Inverness Castle viewpoint, golf

Overnight in Inverness
Tenon Recommends: Kingsmills Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 8: Inverness to the Isle of Skye

Wake up early today to make the most of your trip to the Isle of Skye. Before taking the bridge over to the Isle of Skye, be sure to see Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most iconic Scottish castles. Cross over the Skye Bridge to Kyleakin and you’re on the Isle of Skye. Just a short drive away is Portree, the largest town on the island and your final destination for the day. If you have the time and energy, traverse the Scorrybreac Loop walk, which offers views over to the Isle of Raasay.

Optional highlights: Eilean Donan castle

Overnight in the Isle of Skye
Tenon Recommends: Skeabost Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 9: Isle of Skye

Discover more of the charm of the Isle of Skye today, traveling to the tip of the island to Trotternish and the area of Quiraing, which is a photographer’s dream. You will need some energy for that trek, so if you are in need of an easier day, travel west to Dunvegan Castle & Gardens, the seat of the Clan MacLeod.

Highlights include: Dunvegan Castle & Gardens, Talisker Distillery

Overnight in the Isle of Skye
Tenon Recommends: Skeabost Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 10: Isle of Skye to Glencoe

Leave some time this morning to travel a little south of Portree to see the Fairy Pools at Glenbrittle. Beautiful rock pools of crystal-clear spring water fed by a series of waterfalls, this spot is one not to miss. Then it’s back over the bridge and on to Glencoe.

Highlights include: Glencoe Mountain Resort chairlift
Optional highlights: Fairy Pools, Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glenfinnan Monument

Overnight in Glencoe
Tenon Recommends: Kings House Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 11: Glencoe

See why so many drivers enjoy Glencoe’s amazing roads. You might even recognize Glen Etive from the James Bond Skyfall movie. Walkthrough Glencoe, take a chairlift ride or walk part of the West Highland Way. A trip to the Glencoe Visitor Centre will explain the history of the area and the gruesome 1692 Massacre of Glencoe, where 38 members of the Clan MacDonald were murdered.

Highlights include: Glencoe electric bike activity
Optional highlights: Glencoe Visitor Centre

Overnight in Glencoe
Tenon Recommends: Kings House Hotel
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 12: Glencoe to Loch Lomond

See Scotland’s other national park, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, today. Loch Lomond is the largest lake in Scotland and is a great base to discover the central belt of Scotland. Some unique activities include taking a seaplane trip over the loch or visiting the Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre.

Highlights include: Hawk Walk at Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre
Optional highlights: Loch Lomond cruise, Loch Tay Safari with 4×4 driving

Overnight in Loch Lomond
Tenon Recommends: Lodge at Loch Lomond
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 13: Loch Lomond

Savor more of the beautiful scenery today by paying a visit to some of the lovely little towns in the area, such as Luss, Arrochar or Balloch. For whisky lovers, just under 1 hour away is the stunningly located Glengoyne Distillery, which has a fantastic visitor center with plenty of tour options, including a masterclass or blend-your-own whisky class.

Highlights include: Loch Lomond seaplane trip
Optional highlights: Glengoyne Distillery visit

Overnight in Loch Lomond
Tenon Recommends: Lodge at Loch Lomond
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 14: Loch Lomond to Glasgow

Enjoy the last views of the loch today. When you stop for lunch, you will learn how to make the ultimate Scottish haggis dish. Then it’s on to Stirling Castle, the castle in which almost every Scottish monarch either lived, was crowned or died. Just 10 minutes away is The National Wallace Monument where you can see the sword used by Scottish hero William Wallace. Arriving in Glasgow in the afternoon affords you time to visit this city, which is very different architecturally than Edinburgh but is a city with a lot of character. Enjoy a night out in Glasgow with a beer tour!

Highlights include: Stirling Castle, Stirling haggis experience, Glasgow beer tour
Optional highlights: The National Wallace Monument, Doune Castle

Overnight in Glasgow
Tenon Recommends: Jurys Inn Glasgow
(Breakfast included)

 

Day 15: Departure

Say goodbye to Scotland today. Fly home with memories that will last a lifetime and a desire to return and see more of what Scotland has to offer. As the Scots say, Haste ye back!
(Breakfast included)

 

Pricing

From $3,197 per person based on double occupancy*
*Price shown is an example of what to expect for a self-drive vacation. Each itinerary is customized and can change depending on seasonality, availability, etc.

This trip can be booked as a self-drive tour or chauffeur tour.

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