8-Nights Country Roads of Scotland - Small Group from $5,350

Insight Vacations

OFFER ID 1517255

Country Roads Of Scotland - Small Group
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. Enjoy a quieter pace of life on the tranquil Orkney islands as you explore the 1000-year-old Norse Town of Kirkwall 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, enjoy cream tea at Atholl Palace.

Dining Summary

6 Dinner (D)
8 Breakfast (B)
1 Afternoon Tea (AT)

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. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities.
Wick: Appreciate the distinctive flavors of a selection of whiskies as you share a wee dram with a master distiller.

Authentic Dining

Edinburgh: Enjoy a relaxing dinner at a local restaurant and get to know your fellow travelers.
Pitlochry: Atholl Palace, built as a Victorian Baronial retreat, is over 130 years old. The Palace plays host to your afternoon tea. You are welcomed into the banqueting room to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea accompanied by sandwiches, scones, Scottish shortbread and traditional Scottish tablet.
Glencoe: Your adventure culminates with a wonderful evening enjoying the best Highland hospitality and market-fresh ingredients.

Insight Choice

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. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities.
Wick: Appreciate the distinctive flavors of a selection of whiskies as you share a wee dram with a master distiller.

Make Travel Matter

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. . Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.

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: Visit Edinburgh Castle to view the Scottish Crown Jewels, Mons Meg and other artefacts with your Local Expert.
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.
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 Center, 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.
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. Visit the 5000-year-old village of Skara Brae.
Isle of Skye: See the dramatic Cuillin Hills and stay in pretty Broadford.
Eilean Donan: Stop for a photo of this gorgeous castle built on an island in the Loch.
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.

8 nights from $5,350 per person

Itinerary

Click here for Full Itinerary Details

Itinerary Details

Insight Vacations: Country Roads of Scotland - Small Group

Day 1 - Welcome to Edinburgh
Join your Travel Director for dinner at a local restaurant. On select departures, during your time in Edinburgh you will also attend The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo — a colorful mix of pipes and drums, dance and display, set against the floodlit backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.
Accommodations: Malmaison, Edinburgh
Meals: Dinner

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 and Scotland’s Crown Jewels. The rest of the day is at leisure; why not visit the art treasures in the National Gallery?
Accommodations: Malmaison, Edinburgh
Meals: Breakfast

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. Stop at Atholl Palace and Gardens for a delicious cream tea. Originally opened in Victorian times, the hotel retains many traditional features. Continue via Blair Atholl and pass the Grampian Mountains on the way to the sparkling Spey Valley.
Accommodations: Kingsmills, Inverness
Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon Tea, Dinner

Day 4 - Culloden, Loch Ness and onto Thurso
Keep your eyes peeled for the Loch Ness monster this morning during a scenic drive along the legendary lake. See Culloden Battlefield in the morning, where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite army was crushed in 1746. Visit the Culloden Visitor Center. Next, with Insight Choice discover the fishing port of Wick. Choose to visit the Old Pulteney Distillery to taste a wee dram of its award-winning whiskies. 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.
Accommodations: The Pentland, Thurso
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5 - A Day in the Orkney Islands
Start the day by boarding 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 Travel Director accompanies you as you visit the 5000-year-old village of Skara Brae, the old Norse Town of Kirkwall, the mysterious Ring of Brodgar, Kirkwall and the small chapel built by Italian prisoners during World War II.
Accommodations: The Pentland, Thurso
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

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.
Accommodations: The Dunollie, Broadford
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 - Through the Scottish Highlands to Glencoe Relaxed Start
This morning 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 dinner. Don't be surprised if, by the end of the evening, you're 'Toasting to the Lassies' or singing 'Auld Lang Syne'.
Accommodations: Ballachulish, Glencoe
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

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.
Accommodations: Radisson Blu, Glasgow
Meals: Breakfast

Day 9 - Depart Glasgow
Today, bid farewell to your journey along the country roads of Scotland as you transfer to the airport.
Meals: Breakfast

Featured Destinations

Broadford

Wick

Glasgow

Glencoe

Thurso

Inverness

Inverness is an excellent tourism destination. With its suspension bridges across the River Ness and old stone buildings, it is a pretty place well-known for its floral displays. Walk along the river banks and to the Ness Islands for an escape from the hustle and bustle of the shops. Cross the river on little bridges and visit Bught Park. The Floral Hall has a sub-tropical horticultural extravaganza with a small waterfall, fish and all sorts of plants and trees. Walk up the river in the other direction and see Ben Wyvis on the skyline. Inverness has an excellent museum and art gallery. Local history talks take place here. Eden Court Theater, situated near the cathedral, has events listings and incorporates part of the old Bishop's Palace and is said to be haunted by the 'Green Lady' ghost of a wife of one of the bishops who hanged herself there. Also check out art.tm which is an art gallery and studio. The Spectrum Centre has a cafe and is the meeting place for local clubs and education classes. Look out for Scottish Showtime music and dance performances during the summer.

Excursions

Inverness: The Scottish Highlands - 8 hours

Edinburgh

Dominated by the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle, this picturesque city offers shopping on Princes Street, the grandeur of the Royal Mile, St. Giles Cathedral and historic Palace of Holyrood House, where Queen Mary lived and many Scottish kings were wed. Or venture across the moors to marvel at the scenic Highlands.

Excursions

Edinburgh: Royal Edinburgh - 8 hours

With Scotland's most famous castle dominating the city, Edinburgh provides a fantastic introduction to this magical country. This morning you will receive a warm welcome by your local guide as you disembark your cruise for your full day sightseeing tour (8 hours) by private vehicle.

You will first head up to Edinburgh Castle, where you will see the 'Honours of Scotland', or the Scottish Crown Jewels, and have the opportunity to admire striking views across the city. Drive along the Royal Mile to the imposing Holyrood Palace*, the Queen's Official Residence in Scotland.

Continue the Royal theme this afternoon, with a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia. Built in Scotland, and now permanently moored here, this famous ship hosted many official voyages during her working life. Your guide will bring the Royal Yacht Britannia’s intriguing history to life prior to the short transfer back to your cruise ship.

*You will tour the staterooms of the palace if no member of the Royal Family is staying here at the time.

Highlights:

Privately guided tour of Edinburgh Castle
Visit Holyrood Palace (Subject to Royal Visit)
Discover the history of the Royal Yacht Britannia

Tour Duration: 8 Hours

Tour Can Operate: Morning/ Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions:

Private transport by BMW 7 Series or similar for 1 or 2 passengers or Viano (6 passenger seats) or similar for 3, 4, or 5 passengers or Sprinter for 6 passengers.
Expert local guide for stated sightseeing 8 hours in Edinburgh
Entrance fees to all sights and museums
All taxes

Exclusions:

All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
Gratuities
Supplement for public holidays
Anything not specifically mentioned in the “Inclusions” list above.

Edinburgh: Introducing Edinburgh - 4 hours

Vacation Details

Valid Date Ranges

05/03/2025 - 05/11/2025

from $5,350 per person

06/07/2025 - 06/15/2025

from $5,395 per person *

07/05/2025 - 07/13/2025

from $5,450 per person *

08/30/2025 - 09/07/2025

from $5,575 per person *

* This departure has been designated a guaranteed departure by the operator, meaning that the minimum number of guests has been met, although still subject to weather and other conditions.

Prices Start At

from $5,350 per person

Length

8 Nights

Air City

Call for airfares from your city.

Vacation Rating

Deluxe

Remarks

Trip prices are per person, land only, based on double occupancy and reflect applicable discounts. Trip prices and discounts are subject to change. Airfare is additional. Tour prices, dates and itineraries are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking. Other restrictions may apply.

All fares are quoted in US Dollars.

OFFER ID

1517255

Reference this number when contacting our agency so we may better serve you. Also keeping this number handy will allow you to locate this document again quickly.

Request More Info!

OVERVIEW SUPPLIERS DESTINATIONS DEALS

Vacations Search

Between

And

Escorted Tours Only

Land Only Tours