Braveheart Tour & Highlands

Day 1             Edinburgh

Collect your car in Edinburgh and spend the day taking in the mix of old and new in Scotland’s main city. Overnight Edinburgh.

Day 2             Edinburgh – Perth – Dunnotar Castle – Aberdeen

Leave Edinburgh to the north crossing the imposing Forth Road Bridge and carry on in the direction of Dundee and Aberdeen. Take the opportunity to visit some of the castles that lie along the way such as Scone Palace near Perth, which was once the crowning place of Scottish Kings, and Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven on the way to Aberdeen, where William Wallace laid siege to an English garrison in 1297. Overnight in the Aberdeen area.

Day 3             Aberdeen – Whisky Trail – Inverness

Head north along the east coast of Scotland through picturesque fishing villages before turning northwest at Aberdeen until you reach Keith and the Strathisla Distillery. From here follow the Malt Whisky Trail, sampling some fine whiskies along the way, before heading to the Inverness area for overnight.

Day 4             Inverness – Ullapool – Inverewe Garden – Inverness

Travel northwest towards Ullapool and then follow the unspoilt coastline south to Gairloch. Visit the unusual Inverewe Gardens, where many exotic plants grow thanks to the warm current of the Gulf Stream, then head back to the Inverness area for overnight.

Day 5             Invernees – Loch ness – Isle of Skye – Fort William

Follow the shore of Loch Ness south past Urquhart Castle, which William Wallace besieged during his uprising, and stop at the Nessie Exhibition Centre at Drumnadrochit to find out about the legendary monster who is said to live in the depths of the loch. From there travel west to the Isle of Skye, passing Eilean Donan Castle on the way, and spend the rest of the day exploring the breathtaking scenery of Scotland’s best-known island. At the end of the day take the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig and travel to the Fort William area for overnight.

Day 6             Fort William – Glen Coe – Loch Lomond – Stirling

Spend some time in Fort William, the bustling town that lies at the foot of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, before exploring the striking yet diverse scenery south around Glencoe. Continue south along the beautifully tranquil Loch Lomond and then travel east to Stirling to visit, if time allows, the town’s mighty royal castle, close to the scene of William Wallace’s famous victory over the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Overnight in the Stirling or Perth area.

Day 7             Stirling – Loch Trail – Stirling

This morning visit some of the lochs in the area, such as Loch Tay, renowned for its water sports, or Loch Katrine, the inspiration for Sir Walter Scott’s poem “The Lady Of The Lake”. Then take time to pay homage to one of Scotland’s greatest heroes, William ‘Braveheart’ Wallace, at the Wallace Monument near Stirling, at the point from where Wallace himself watched the English army approach across Stirling Bridge before leading his men to their famous victory. Overnight in the Stirling or Perth area.

Day 8          Stirling – Edinburgh

Today travel to Edinburgh to return the car.