Insight - Country Roads of Scotland - Classic Group (04/2024 - 09/2024) (B905ZN19)

9 Days From Edinburgh to Glasgow 
Tour Style: Country Roads
Insight Brochure Price from $3,595.00
Brochures: Europe & Britain Premium 2023 v2, Europe & Britain Premium 2024 v1
Visits: Scotland

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Set foot on the stomping grounds of the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, see the grand Georgian architecture of Glasgow and sail across the sea to the Isle of Skye—the most beautiful island of the Inner Hebrides. Join Local Experts on this grand Gaelic tour as you pass Britain’s northernmost point at John O’Groats and board a ferry to the Orkney Islands. Enjoy a quieter pace of life on these tranquil isles as you explore the 5000-year-old village of Skara Brae and the mysterious Ring of Brodgar. In Wick, whet your whistle with a wee dram of whisky at the Old Pulteney Distillery or visit the fascinating Heritage Museum on this Insight Choice. After exploring the charming cobbled streets of St. Andrews, take afternoon tea at Blair Castle—the historic home of the Atholl family for over seven centuries.
Choice Highlights

• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Wick: Visit the highly rated Wick Heritage Museum to gain a full picture of this once thriving fishing community and how your visit helps keep the story of this town alive.  The Wick Society is committed to preserving and promoting Wick's proud heritage for the inspiration of future generations. They collect, collate and display the many artefacts that tell the history of Wick and their community ethos is one of welcome and sharing. Wick Heritage Museum advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities. Alternatively, visit the Old Pulteney Distillery to taste a wee dram of whisky.
• Wick: Whiskys are known for their distinctive flavours, often bursting with the power and subtlety of the sea. Share a wee dram with a master distiller who imparts the age-old techniques.

Well-being

• : Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
• : Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19.All Travel Directors, Well-Being Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhanced well-being and hygiene protocols.
• : We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
• : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Travel Director

• : "One food I really love introducing my guests to is haggis because it’s surprisingly really nice and they love hearing about how it’s made. "
• : "Towering mountains, glittering lochs, beautiful forests, crumbling toothy ancient castles, rushing rivers, grand vistas, clear air... there's nowhere else like the Highlands, in how it looks but also how it feels: strong, bright, impressive and light."
• : "It's magical to see how a group of guests comes together over the course of our trip. I can always tell when that's happening because suddenly the enthusiasm is palpable."

Authentic Dining

• Edinburgh: Enjoy a relaxing Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant and get to know your fellow travellers.
• Blair Atholl: Visit Blair Castle and Gardens, which has been home to the Atholl family for over seven centuries, and tour the ballroom to learn about the history of the estate. Relish a delicious afternoon sipping on freshly brewed coffee or tea and tasting homemade scones with berry jam and sweet cream.
• Wick: Whiskys are known for their distinctive flavours, often bursting with the power and subtlety of the sea. Share a wee dram with a master distiller who imparts the age-old techniques.
• Glencoe: Your adventure culminates with a wonderful Celebration Dinner. Enjoy the best Highland hospitality and market-fresh ingredients accompanied by delicious wine or beer.
• Dining Summary: 6 Dinner with Wine (DW), 8 Breakfast (B), and 1 Afternoon Tea (AT)

Top Rated Highlights

• Edinburgh: A hush descends and eyes turn to the castle. The skirl of the pipes rises and drums crack the night air as a tide of tunics and tartan flood from the drawbridge. For a limited time in August, witness the incredible spectacle of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
• Edinburgh: Your Local Expert walks with you inside the walls of the Edinburgh Castle to view the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Stone of Destiny and Mons Meg.
• Edinburgh: Explore the city with your Local Expert as you travel along Princes Street to see the Scott Memorial, the neoclassical Adam facades of New Town and the official Scottish residence of the King, Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• St. Andrews: Visit the university town where the famous beach scene from 'Chariots of Fire' was filmed and see the golf course where the sport was created.
• Pitlochry: Visit this town, famous for its salmon leap.
• Inverness: See the River Ness, Inverness Castle and beautiful scenery as you explore the history of this Highland city.
• Inverness: At the exciting Culloden Visitor Centre, discover why the Battle of Culloden lasted only an hour yet changed the Highland way of life forever.
• Loch Ness: Drive along the shores in search of the legendary monster.
• John o' Groats: Visit Britain's most northerly, yet tiny, mainland village.
• Isle of Skye: See the dramatic Cuillin Hills and stay in pretty Broadford.
• Eilean Donan: Stop for a photo of this gorgeous castle.
• Fort William: Enjoy an excellent view of Ben Nevis from the World War II Commando Memorial.
• Glencoe: Your Travel Director will lead you on an orientation of this Highland village on Loch Leven.
• Loch Lomond: Enjoy time to explore the beautiful 'Queen of Scottish Lochs'.
• Glasgow: See the grand public buildings, including George Square and St. Mungo's Cathedral.

Make Travel Matter

• Wick: Visit the highly rated Wick Heritage Museum to gain a full picture of this once thriving fishing community and how your visit helps keep the story of this town alive.  The Wick Society is committed to preserving and promoting Wick's proud heritage for the inspiration of future generations. They collect, collate and display the many artefacts that tell the history of Wick and their community ethos is one of welcome and sharing. Wick Heritage Museum advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities. Alternatively, visit the Old Pulteney Distillery to taste a wee dram of whisky.
• Glencoe: Join a ranger in the spectacular Valley of Glencoe, learn about the protection of this rare ecosystem and the important work reintroducing lost indigenous species to its flora and fauna. The Natural Reserve carries out important scientific research and conversation initiatives to protect the fragile biodiversity including rare alpine flowers, mosses, mountain hares, red deer and birdlife such as golden eagles. This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.

Insight Experiences

• Orkney Islands: Cruise to the windswept Orkney Islands on a full day guided journey. Come face-to-face with relics spanning human history, from pagan stone circles to reminders of wartime tragedy. Join a Local Expert for a fascinating journey into the history of this remote part of the world.

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Insight Tour Itinerary

Day 1	Welcome to Edinburgh
	Welcome to Scotland - land of legends and romance, from the great cultural cities in the south, to the dramatic mountains and misty lochs of the Highlands. On arrival at Edinburgh airport, transfers depart for your hotel at 09:00, 11:00 and 13:00. Then the rest of the day is yours to relax before joining your Travel Director at 16:30 for a Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant. On select departures, during your time in Edinburgh you will also attend The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo — a colourful mix of pipes and drums, dance and display, set against the floodlit backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.
	Visits: Edinburgh
	Meals: Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Malmaison Hotel Edinburgh.
Day 2	Edinburgh, The Capital of Culture
	Join a Local Expert to see the highlights of the city. In the Old Town, see the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of the King. Drive along Princes Street to the ornate Scott Memorial, then see the 18th century New Town with its neoclassical Georgian facades. Venture up the Royal Mile to visit Edinburgh Castle, home of Mons Meg, the Stone of Destiny and Scotland’s Crown Jewels.The rest of the day is at leisure; why not visit the art treasures in the National Gallery?
	Visits: Edinburgh
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Malmaison Hotel Edinburgh.
Day 3	To St. Andrews and the Highland Capital of Inverness
	Cross the Firth of Forth into Fife and journey to St. Andrews, passing the Old Course, home of golf since its creation in the 15th century. Enjoy free time to explore. Perhaps stroll to West Sands Beach where the famous 'Chariots of Fire' scene was filmed? Alternatively, wander to St. Andrews University where the love story of Kate Middleton meeting her Prince Charming began. Cross the Tay and journey to the charming Victorian resort town of Pitlochry, famous for its salmon run. Continue via Blair Atholl and pass the Grampian Mountains on the way to the sparkling Spey Valley. Stop at Blair Castle and Gardens, which has been home to the Atholl family for over seven centuries. Tour the magnificent ballroom and learn about the history of the estate. During your visit relish a delicious cream tea. Continue to Inverness, where your luxury hotel is set within four acres of manicured grounds.
	Visits: Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Inverness
	Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon Tea, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness., Pentahotel Inverness.
Day 4	Culloden, Loch Ness and onto Thurso
	See Culloden Moor in the morning, where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite army was crushed in 1746. Visit the Culloden Visitor Centre before continuing along the shores of Loch Ness. Keep your eyes peeled for the legendary monster! Next, follow the rugged coast north to the fishing port of Wick. Explore Wick with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the Old Pulteney Distillery to taste a wee dram of its award-winning whiskeys. Alternatively, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a visit to the highly rated Wick Heritage Museum and hear about the past of this once thriving fishing community.
	Visits: Inverness, Culloden, Loch Ness, Wick, Thurso
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: The Pentland Hotel, Thurso.
Day 5	A Day in the Orkney Islands
	Start the day by driving to the most northerly inhabited village in mainland Britain, John O’Groats. Board the ferry to the beautiful Orkney Islands where the countryside is breathtakingly majestic and the tranquillity supports a quieter pace of life. Here the hardy locals say they live ‘below the wind and above the water.’ Your Local Expert accompanies you as you visit the 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae, the mysterious Ring of Brodgar, Kirkwall and the small chapel built by Italian prisoners during World War II.
	Visits: Thurso, Orkney, Thurso
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: The Pentland Hotel, Thurso.
Day 6	Over the Sea to Skye
	Travel through stunning, pristine landscapes along the northern coast with its white sandy beaches, and further inland to misty valleys and glens, lochs and rushing waters. Then it’s ‘Over the Sea to Skye,’ the largest and most beautiful island of the Inner Hebrides. On the way to Broadford, hear romantic tales of how young Flora MacDonald helped rescue Bonnie Prince Charlie and see the dramatic Cuillin Hills.
	Visits: Thurso, Skye
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: The Dunollie Hotel, Broadford.
Day 7	Through the Scottish Highlands to Glencoe Relaxed Start
	Explore this wild and beautiful island on your own, before crossing to the Kyle of Lochalsh. Stop for a photo at remote Eilean Donan Castle, which under a clear sky offers a perfect reflection in its loch. Move on to the WWII Commando Memorial where there is a fine view of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. Enjoy spectacular scenery en route to the Valley of Glencoe. Join a ranger for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, learn about the protection of this rare ecosystem and the important work reintroducing lost indigenous species to its flora and fauna. In the evening, enjoy market-fresh Scottish ingredients and wine, as you get together with your newfound friends for a sumptuous Celebration Dinner. Don't be surprised if, by the end of the evening, you're 'Toasting to the Lassies' or singing 'Auld Lang Syne'.
	Visits: Skye, Eilean Donan Castle, Glencoe
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Ballachulish Hotel, Glencoe., Isle of Glencoe Hotel & Leisure Centre.
Day 8	Along the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond to Glasgow Relaxed Start
	Spend time around peaceful Loch Lomond, ‘Queen of Scottish Lochs’ according to Sir Walter Scott and the largest in Great Britain. Perhaps experience the beauty and tranquillity of the loch with an optional cruise before continuing to Glasgow? An orientation drive through the city will show you the grand public buildings, including George Square and St. Mungo’s Cathedral. Then the rest of the afternoon is at your leisure.
	Visits: Glencoe, Loch Lomond, Glasgow
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow.
Day 9	Depart Glasgow
	Departure transfers arrive at Glasgow airport at 06:30 and 09:00.
	Visits: Glasgow
	Meals: Breakfast

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Available Room Types: Single, Triple, Twin, Twinshare
Child: ages 5 to 17