Day 1 – Wednesday - Edinburgh – Inverness
Departs 8.30am from Waterloo Place, Stand ZE (formally Strand E)
Main Stops: Glencoe, Harry Potter Bridge and Glenfinnan Monument, Loch Ness – Urquhart Castle (Adults £7.00 conc. avail) (March – September)
Photo stops: Hamish, Loch Tulla, Glencoe, Ben Nevis, Fort Augustus.
Information: Early History and Geology, Jacobite Rebellion, Loch Ness Monster legend. Wars of Independence, highland clearances and the romantic Scottish myth.
Leaving Edinburgh we head towards Stirling and we talk about William Wallace. His name has resounded through British history for 700 years. As we pass Stirling Castle you will see the National Wallace monument which marks the spot of his most famous victory over England and Edward the Longshanks in 1297.
We now pass Doune castle a 'must see' for Monty Python fans, then we stop in the Trossachs. Time for coffee and some photos of a living legend, Hamish the 'Hairy Coo'!
Back on the road, we pass Loch Luibnaig and we are now almost in the highlands. The landscape is changing quickly, there are mountains and lochs and stories about highland rouges like Rob Roy Macgregor.
Our journey continues to Loch Tulla for short break and some photos. Then we cross Rannoch Moor and on to Glen Coe. It is often considered one of the most spectacular and beautiful places in Scotland. The narrow glen shows a dramatically grim grandeur. The name Glen Coe is often said to mean "Glen of Weeping", some reference to the infamous events which took place there in 1692.
In Glencoe we will have some time for a short walk and some lunch . On a lighter note you may recognise this part of the Highlands, recently used in the movie 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban''.
After lunch the Harry Potter theme continues as we head to Glenfinnan to see for ourselves the most famous bridge in Scotland. The Glen Glenfinnan Viaduct has been used as a location for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as the Hogwarts Express crossed bridge. It also star’s in two subsequent Harry Potter films, The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire.
Scotland’s story continues here too, because Glenfinnan is where Bonnie Prince Charlie landed in 1745 to rally the highlanders and raise the Stuart standard. But this was the beginning of the end for Jacobites in the highlands as their story ends in tragedy on Culloden Moor months later.
We head north into the Great glen, this big valley divides the highlands, apparently you can even see it from space. Famous for its deep dark lochs and a certain monster. For thousands of years it is the natural route across the highlands. We drive it’s length, past Loch Ness to Inverness. But first we stop for a photo of Scotland’s highest mountain Ben Nevis.
A short stop in Fort Augustus, for some photos of Telford’s canal and lock system, then along Loch Ness ...eyes peeled for monsters!
We now visit Urquhart Castle (in winter photo stop only) on the banks of Loch Ness, an impressive site despite its ruinous state. For 500 years Urquhart castle has witnessed bloody battles and repelled invaders. Even standing up against Wallace’s auld enemy - Longshanks. There is a great exhibition with medieval artifacts and an audio-visual display.
We now continue to Inverness drop you off at your accommodation.
Accommodation
We chose Inverness not just because it’s the capital of the highlands, it also has great pubs with live music and restaurants to suit every pocket and taste. You can make a night of it on the town or take it easy and enjoy a wee walk down to the river Ness.
Either way, you now have free time until you are collected from your accommodation between 8.30 and 9.00am
Day-2 - Thursday – Inverness - Edinburgh
Main stops: Culloden battlefield (adults £10 conc. available), Clava Cairns, Pitlochry, St Andrews
Photo stops: Ruthven barracks, Forth Rail Bridge.
Information: Early Scots, Effect of Jacobite rebellion, clearances, Bonnie Prince Charlie, wildlife, Forth Bridge
You are collected from your accommodation between 8.30 and 9.00
We head straight to Clava Cairns. These are, 4000 year old, stone circles and burial cairns which form part of line of seven dotted along the south side of the valley of the River Nairn.
Then on to Culloden Moor, this is where the highland Jacobites were defeated by government soldiers in 1746. There is time to walk on to the battlefield site and visit the Culloden centre which has an excellent exhibition and audio tours of the battlefield are available.
Within days of their defeat 1500 Jabobites who although bloodied and battered gathered at Ruthven barracks south of Culloden only to hear that their prince had deserted them. We stop at Ruthven to hear the end of this tragic tale. And the beginning of another...the clearances!
We now pass vast heather moorlands and mountain views as we drive through the Cairngorm National Park. A chance to talk about this wonderful wilderness and the animals that live here.
Lunch is in Pitlochry, which is a delightful little town on the edge of the highlands. Since the arrival of the railway in 1863 the town has flourished as one of the premier tourist destinations in Scotland. It has a solid feel with a lively main street. There are plenty of restaurants and coffee houses and shops selling everything from traditional highland dress to locally produced jewelry.
After lunch and some shopping we head through Perthshire and Fife to St Andrews.
St Andrews is our last main stop, famous as the home of golf. But you will discover there is much more to St Andrews than just golf. We tour around the city starting with the Old Course for some photos then past the ancient cathedral ruins and castle. St Andrews University is the oldest in Scotland founded in 1413 and dominates the center of town. There is time to explore this city on foot or just stroll along one of the award winning beaches.
We then head south to Edinburgh crossing the river forth and stopping for a photo, in South Queensferry, of the Forth Rail Bridge. It amazed the world when it was completed in 1890 and has become an enduring symbol of Scotland’s engineering heritage.
Then back to Edinburgh before 8pm.