Tour Royal Highlands of Scotland.

Tour Royal Highlands Of Scotland

Tour Royal Highlands Of Scotland
Glamis Castle

Small intimate tour of Edinburgh and the Royal Scottish Highlands limited to 8-10 people in order to provide a more personal experience. In keeping the tour size small we are able to take advantage of accommodation, restaurant and sightseeing options that would not be available to a larger group. With a small tour size we can veer off the main tourist areas and get a real feel for this warm wonderful country. We will not rush you from venue to venue and each tour is designed to spend as little on the minibus as possible. We will stay in delightful and elegant city guest houses and fine country house hotels. Includes all accommodation, breakfast daily, all listed meals, all entrance fees and admissions, all taxes and guided minibus travel.

Features include: Edinburgh, Edinburgh Castle, Palace of the Holyrood House, Royal Mile Shopping, City Bus Tour of Edinburgh, Dunfermline Palace and Abbey, Falkland Palace, St. Andrews Castle, Cathedral and Old Course, Glamis Castle, Crathes Castle, Craigevar Castle, Balmoral Castle, Glenlivet Distillery, Inverness and Loch Ness, Spean Bridge Woollen Mill, Highland Folk Museum, Pitlochry, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, The Queen's View, Blair Castle, Dunkeld Cathedral, Beatrix Potter Garden, Scone Palace, Balhousie Castle and Blackwatch Museum and much more!

Tour Itinerary

Day 1 - April 16th - Depart for Edinburgh, Capitol city of Scotland

Day 2 - Arrive Edinburgh with enough time for some shopping and sightseeing on Princes Street or the Royal Mile. This evening we will gather for a Welcoming Dinner. Overnight Edinburgh.

Day 3 - This morning you will board an Open Top Bus for a Tour of the City. The tour has 24 hour hop off and on service for you to enjoy the city at your own pace and leisure. Your ticket will include a stop at Edinburgh Castle standing on the basalt core of an extinct volcano. On display is the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny. Your ticket also includes a visit to The Palace of the Holyrood House which is the official residence of the Royal Family when in Scotland. The afternoon is free to explore Edinburgh and the evening free to take in one of the many wonderful eateries to be found in Edinburgh. Overnight Edinburgh.

Day 4 - We make our way out of the city today with our first stop taking in Dunfermline Palace and Abbey. King Malcolm III married Queen Margaret here in 1070 and Charles I was born here in 1600. Our next stop is Falkland and Kind Kyttock's Tearoom for Afternoon Tea before visiting Falkland Palace which was the country residence of the Stewart Kings and Queens and a particular favorite of Mary Queen of Scots. The gardens contain the oldest tennis court in Britain
having been built in 1539. Our journey then takes us to just outside of St. Andrews where we dine in a 400 year old Coaching Inn. Overnight St. Andrews.

Day 5 - Before departing St. Andrews we will visit the Castle & Cathedral in this bustling college town. We will also make a quick stop to get a look at the Old Course which is the oldest golf course in the world! We now cross the Firth of Tay as we make our way to Glamis and Glamis Castle. On the way we Stop in Kirriemuir for Tea before visiting the Castle. Malcolm II was said to have died here in 1034 and Duncan's Hall was the legendary setting for Shakespeare's Macbeth. The castle is most well known for being the childhood home of the Queen Mother and birthplace of Princess Margaret. Our journey takes us far north through the Cairngorm Mountains to Ballater. Dinner and Overnight Ballater.

Day 6 - This morning our journey takes us into the Grampian Highlands and the Highlands Castle Trail. Our first stop is Crathes Castle. King Robert the Bruce granted the lands of Leys to the Burnett family in 1323 and the castle remains a splendid example of a Scottish Tower House. Our second stop is Craigevar Castle, Grampian's fairy-tale castle which exemplifies the best of Scottish baronial architecture. Our final stop of the day is Balmoral Castle purchased by Queen Victoria in 1848, the Estate has been the Scottish Home of the British Royal Family ever since. Dinner and Overnight Ballater.

Day 7 - Our northward journey today takes us Speyside and through Scottish Whisky Trail. We'll visit the Glenlivet Distillery established in 1824 by George Smith and the home of this world famous Single Malt Scotch Whisky. We then continue on to the Highland Capitol of Inverness where we take some free time to investigate the city and do some shopping. This afternoon finds us driving along the shores of Loch Ness with a stop at Oakwood Tearoom and Antiques for Tea before continuing on to Drumnadrochit for a possible Nessie sighting! Dinner and Overnight Fort Augustus on Loch Ness.

Day 8 - Our first stop this morning is at Spean Bridge Woollen Mill. We'll see some spectacular Highland scenery along the way. Once we arrive in Kingussie we will have a Pub Lunch at the Tipsy Laird before visiting the Highland Folk Museum , an open air museum with special features on costume, musical instruments and Highland furniture. Then we are off to Pitlochry where you are free to take in any of a number of wonderful eateries for dinner on your own in Pitlochry. Queen Victoria called Pitlochry one of the loveliest spa towns in all of Europe! Overnight Pitlochry

Day 9 - We'll take some Free Time this Morning to enjoy this lovely Highland town. We'll Stop for Tea at Atholl Villa in Pitlochry before taking in The Queen's View, one of the most spectacular sites in all of Scotland. No visit to the area is complete without visiting Blair Atholl and Blair Castle. Blair Castle exhibits over 700 years of history and over 32 rooms open to the public. Tonight it is out to Dinner in Pitlochry at the Old Armoury before taking in a Live Performance at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Overnight Pitlochry.

Day 10 - Our journey this morning takes us to Dunkeld and the 12th century Dunkeld Cathedral beautifully situated on the banks of the River Tay. We also stop in Birnum at the Beatrix Potter Garden and Visitors Centre. Afternoon Tea at the Atholl Arms on the River Tay before our arrival at Scone to visit Scone Palace and Moot Hill, the site of the famous Coronation Stone of Scone. The Stone of Scone or Stone of Destiny was brought here in the 9th century by Kenneth MacAlpine. Dinner on your own tonight in Perth. Overnight Perth.

Day 11 - This morning we visit Balhousie Castle which houses the Museum of the Black Watch commemorating the first ever Highland regiment. We will also visit Church of St John, founded in 1126. It was here that preacher John Knox delivered the fiery sermons which led to the destruction of many local monasteries. This afternoon is free to enjoy the lovely downtown area of Perth for Sightseeing and Shopping. We will meet up this evening for a Farewell Dinner and Theatrical Performance at the Perth Theatre. Overnight Perth.

Day 12 - To Edinburgh International for our return journey home.

Price:
Minimum Per Person Price: 2995 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 2995 US Dollar (USD)

Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price. This tour is only offered once a year in April. We are a small tour operation that prefers to arrange and conduct all of our own tours and so we can only offer a limited number of tours. We will not rush you from venue to venue and each tour is designed to spend as little on the minibus as possible. We will stay in delightful and elegant city guest houses and fine country house hotels. Includes all accommodation, breakfast daily, all listed meals, all entrance fees and admissions, all taxes and guided minibus travel.