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SAMPLE SCOTLAND ITINERARY
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8-night Vacation in Scotland |
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Day 1 |
Arrive at
Glasgow Airport, collect your self-drive rental
car and head north-east from Glasgow, to Pitlochry in
Perthshire.
En route, you
could visit Scone Palace, near Perth, which was the
coronation place of many Scottish monarchs, including Macbeth and
Robert the Bruce. It has impressive collections of antique
furniture, paintings and porcelain.
Overnight in Pitlochry at Westlands
Hotel (very comfortable, 3-star traditional country hotel).
Dinner, bed
and full Scottish breakfast included tonight.
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Day 2 |
Today, you could
hike from Pitlochry along the banks of Loch Faskally,
River Garry and River Tummel (there are several marked
walking trails out of Pitlochry, this is just one of them).
On your return,
you could spend some time shopping in the town, as there are
many shops selling Scottish gifts and other merchandise.
This evening,
you could have dinner at The Old Armoury Restaurant in
Pitlochry, which serves modern Scottish cuisine.
Overnight in
Pitlochry, accommodation as above.
Bed and full
Scottish breakfast only included tonight.
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Day 3 |
Today, you will
make your way west to the Isle of Skye. Your route will take
you through Glen Spean and Glen Garry, past Eilean Donan Castle
and across the Skye Bridge.
Eilean
Donan has been lovingly restored by the Clan MacRae society, and is
worth a visit. (This is quite a long drive, so make an early
start.)
Overnight at Dunvegan on Skye
at the Dunorin House Hotel, a small hotel
in a very scenic location, serving excellent food. It is owned and
run by native Islanders who will make sure that you receive very
warm hospitality on their Island.
Dinner, bed
and full Scottish breakfast included.
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Day 4 |
Today, you can
explore the north end of Skye – the largest in the Inner
Hebrides.
You could visit
Dunvegan Castle or the Museum of Island Life, then
hike across the
Trotternish Peninsula from Staffin to
Uig (leave your car at Uig, then take a taxi to
Staffin to start
your walk there. The route follows a narrow single-track road which
is inaccessible to heavy vehicles. Distance: approx. 6 miles, Time
required: approx.
3 hours).
In the evening
you could have dinner at The Three Chimneys, one of the best
restaurants in Scotland (advance booking in essential, so please let
us know if you’d like to do this).
Overnight at Dunvegan on Skye,
accommodation as above.
Bed and full
Scottish breakfast only included tonight.
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Day 5 |
Today, you could
hike from Dunvegan along the western side of Beinn Bhreac
to
Claigan.
Distance out and back: approx. 7 miles, time required: approx. 3
hours.
Or else you
could visit the tiny island of Raasay, which is situated off
the east coast of
Skye. (A
shuttle ferry crosses to Raasay from Sconser, the journey time is 15
minutes.
No bookings
possible, just turn up and board.)
If you feel like
doing some shopping, the place to head for is Portree.
Overnight at Dunvegan on Skye,
accommodation as above.
Dinner, bed
and full Scottish breakfast included tonight.
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Day 6 |
Today, you will
return to the mainland by ferry from Armadale to Mallaig,
then make your way eastwards along the Road to the Isles from
Mallaig to Fort William. From Fort William you will turn south and
drive along the shore of Loch Linnhe to Oban, on the west
coast of Argyll.
Just north of
Oban, you could stroll round Dunstaffnage Castle, scenically
situated on a promontory in the sea loch, with fine views of the
Argyll Mountains and across to the Islands of Lismore and Mull.
This evening, you could have dinner at Eeusk
(eeusk means fish in Gaelic), or
The Waterfront
(both of them are excellent seafood restaurants.)
Overnight in Oban at Glenburnie House
(a super guest house, right on the waterfront, your room will
overlook Oban Bay).
Bed and full
Scottish breakfast only included tonight.
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Day 7 |
Today, you will
cross over by ferry to the beautiful Isles of Mull and Iona.
You will drive
through the southern part of Mull, the most beautiful of the
Inner Hebrides, and then cross over to the tiny pedestrian Isle
of Iona, the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. Iona
Abbey was founded by St. Columba when he arrived on the island
from Ireland in 563AD. Iona is a very peaceful place, and ideal for
a coastal walk. It has some beautiful, natural beaches with
incredible silvery-white sand.
Time permitting,
you could also visit Torosay Castle and its beautiful
gardens, before returning to the mainland in the evening.
This evening,
you could have dinner at The Manor House Hotel (it’s on a
hill with panoramic views over The Bay, and the food is excellent).
Overnight in Oban, accommodation and meals
as above.
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Day 8 |
Today, you will
make your way back to Glasgow Airport, where you will return
your rental car and spend your last night in Scotland.
En route you
could stop in the Stirling area to visit Stirling Castle,
Bannockburn, and the Wallace Monument. Stirling
Castle is considered by many to be the “best” castle in
Scotland, and was a Royal Palace in medieval times and up till the
end of the 16th C. Mary Queen of Scots was crowned here
at the age of 9 months, and spend much of her childhood here.
Bannockburn was the site of one of
Scotland’s most important battle victories against English forces,
in the year 1314.
The
Wallace Monument was built in the 19th
Century to honor William Wallace, also known as Braveheart, who was
a Scottish military hero in the 13th Century.
Overnight at Glasgow Airport at The
Holiday Inn (directly across the street from the terminal
building).
Room only (no
breakfast) included tonight.
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Day 9 |
Arrange an
early wake-up call, and then walk across to the Airport Terminal
to catch your flight back to London, with onward connection to the
USA.
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