Summer in Scotland

For any traveler that has to travel overnight to Scotland, you'll want to depart on June 22 to arrive on June 23.

Welcome to Edinburgh! With varying arrival times, today is a relaxed one. We recommend taking the bus into the city from the airport, it's a great sustainable and affordable option. You are able to access your rooms after 3PM, so if you arrive before then feel free to drop your bags at the hotel and enjoy some free time.

All meals are on your own today, there are lots of options and price points for you to choose from. Tonight the group will gather to go over the itinerary and expectations for traveling together!

Today it's all about Edinburgh! After breakfast at the hotel, the group will meet in the lobby for a walking tour of the Royal Mile, including Edinburgh Castle. This stretch of street is a "living witness to Scottish history since the Middle Ages". You'll wind your way up and down through the small alleyways, known as "Closes". Imagine what life here used to be like hundreds of years ago, as you learn how the area transformed into what you see today. You'll also visit Edinburgh Castle, a fortress filled with stories and fabulous panoramic views of the city. 

After an included group lunch at Amber, the afternoon is yours! A few suggestions: 

• A hike up Arthur's Seat or Calton Hill - which your Guide Ali would love to take you on! 
• Create an Islander Harris Tweed handbag - book this experience in advance. 
• Browse Edinburgh's boutique bookstores. 
• Take a stroll through the Princes Street Gardens or Deans Village
• Enjoy a whisky or grab a pint at a pub
• A visit to Greyfriars Kirk, this historical cemetery is rumored to have inspired some of the names in Harry Potter 
• Visit the Writer's Museum, National Museum of Scotland, or National Galleries
• Check out local artisan markets like Tron Kirk & Scottish Design Exchange
• A whisky tasting at Johnnie Walker Princes Street or The Scotch Whisky Experience

This evening we'll gather again for our welcome dinner at The Dome! 

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before departing Edinburgh this morning. Alison will pick-up your private van for the rest of the trip and then collect everyone at the hotel. First, you'll take a quick photo stop at The Kelpies, the largest equine statues in the world. Then we continue on to Stirling Castle, which is one of the most important in Scotland both historically and architecturally. 

For lunch today we'll enjoy the café at Deanston Distillery. You can try a whisky as well if you like! As we hit the road again, we'll wind our way through the north of the beautiful Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. 

As we arrive in Oban we'll take in the harbor from above at McCaig's Tower. After checking into our hotel, dinner is on your own. Making dinner recommendations in advance while we are in Oban are *highly* recommended. If you prefer takeout there are multiple options as well. 

If you don't choose to join the optional experience to see the puffins and Fingal's Cave (oh we so hope you do!), you'll have today free in Oban. This town is great to enjoy on foot and there are a lot of options for things to do. Below are some ideas for you: 

• Visit the Oban Distillery
• Ferry ride to:
  • Isle of Kerrera
  • Isle of Mull (then take the bus to Tobermory)
• Walk the promenade to Dunollie Castle
• Oban Chocolate Company
• Oban War & Peace Museum
• Local boat trip (if in season) to see things like wildlife, castles, and/or whirlpools
• Sea Kayaking
• Taste test which fish n' chips establishment you think is the best! 

If for any reason the optional experience is canceled today, Alison will also offer a guided trip to Kilmartin Glen. 

Meals are on your own today, but anyone who went out for the day tour to the islands will be back in time for dinner in case you want to link up with others. Again, it's either takeout or make reservations in advance! 

Enjoy an included breakfast at the hotel before having some free time in Oban. A few suggestions: 

• Tour the Oban Distillery
• Walk the promenade to Dunollie Castle
• Shop at the Oban Chocolate Company
• Visit the Oban War & Peace Museum

Grab lunch during your free time and then the group will hit the road in the early afternoon. You have some truly beautiful Highland views to take in today, so make sure your camera is charged! Glens, waterfalls, rivers, moors, and more. Rain or shine, these landscapes are truly awe-inspiring. 

Tonight, you have a one-night hotel stay in Fort William. Dinner tonight is included at a local establishment!

Breakfast is included today at the hotel and then you'll hit the road to take in the history and landscapes of the Western Highlands. You'll journey out and back to Mallaig, stopping along the way for important sights. In Mallaig, enjoy the walking waterfront, cute shops, and art gallery. We'll support a small, woman-owned business today and pre-order graze boxes (think cheese boards) for a picnic lunch. If the sky is clear today, we'll enjoy a ride up the Aonach Mòr gondola as well! 

Finally, we arrive in Inverness for the last two nights of our trip together. Our hotel is perfectly located right in the city center. While dinner is on your own, there are dozens of great options to choose from! 

Have a bite of breakfast on your own and then enjoy your last full day in Scotland! The group will depart together for a walk through the magical Reelig Glen, just outside the city. You'll be surrounded by lush greens as you listen to the birds and sounds of the babbling brook that flows through the glen. Afterwards, you'll tour the ruins of Urquhart Castle, located on the West bank of Loch Ness. Lunch is at a darling farm café where you'll have the chance to meet their Highland Cows! 

This evening we'll gather together again to enjoy the beautiful River Ness Walk before our farewell dinner at The Kitchen Brasserie! 

If you have time before your flight, grab breakfast at another of Inverness's great restaurants. It's a quick 20 minute taxi ride out to the Inverness airport. There is also an option to add on a transfer south, back to the Edinburgh airport if you prefer to book a roundtrip flight in and out of EDI. If you choose this option, make sure that your flight departs after 2PM to allow for enough time for the drive from Inverness.