Day 1 The tour will start at your chosen pick-up destination or designated pick-up point. Edinburgh Departures We will leave Edinburgh and drive towards our first stop, Callander, a small town situated on the River Teith, a little over an hour away. The town serves as the eastern gateway to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park; Scotland’s first National Park. This can be a great location to pick up lunch for later or get a morning coffee and cake/pastry. On the way towards Callander we will pass Stirling Castle & the Wallace Monument. This area is steeped in history and played huge roles in shaping early Scotland. Leaving Callander, we stop 5 minutes later to visit some Highland Cows and get an iconic photo of our famous residents. Just another short drive to our next stop which takes in a beautiful freshwater loch called Loch Lubnaig and we may possibly see some wild water swimmers brave the chilly but inviting clear waters. We will then drive west toward the famous A82 road which will take us towards Glencoe. Glasgow Departures Leaving Glasgow, we drive towards Loch Lomond entering the National Park, just after passing the town of Balloch. We will drive over the River Clyde where you will learn how important this river was in shaping Scotland’s biggest city. Passing through the historic town of Dumbarton your guide will point out Dumbarton Castle and tell you about William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots, who both stayed in the Castle. This town was the seat of power in the area until Vikings laid siege here in 870AD. Arriving at the beautiful conservation village of Luss, which sits on the “bonnie’ banks of Loch Lomond. You will have some time to take in the small village and walk down to the Loch to take in some of the best views found in the area. Your guide will tell you about Luss Parish Church built on the grounds of the ancient cemetery that dates back to the 7th century and even has a Viking Hogback gravestone estimated to be from the 11th century. The village was also the setting for a local TV series called Take the High Road. The Grade B listed cottages which give the village its character was left over from the workers of local slate quarries. Both Edinburgh & Glasgow Departures (The route will now be on the same itinerary until the tour ends.) We will then make our way out of the National Park, following the old drover’s route, and onto to the desolate wilderness of Rannoch Moor. Not long after this the majestic beauty of Glencoe will welcome us and we will make various stops through this mesmerising landscape. You may want to hear stories about Jacobites and the infamous Glencoe Massacre that took place in 1692 (inspiration for the Game of Thrones episode “Red Wedding”) or you might just want to enjoy the views and learn about the geology of the area. Highlights in this area include Buachaille Etive Mor (Scotland’s most photographed Mountain), The Three Sisters of Glencoe, and Loch Achtriochtan. Filming locations here include James Bond Skyfall, Highlander, Outlander and many more! Lunch can be taken in the area and if you preferred a sit-down type of lunch your guide can go through some options. (We recommend picking lunch up in the previous stop to make more time for extra stops in Glencoe, but this is entirely down to your preference). Continuing out of this area, we will drive along Loch Linnhe and up through the Great Glen towards Fort William where you will see the ruins of the old Fort and time permitting stop at the Old Inverlochy Castle ruins before making our way to the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct. This was the site of the start of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard. It has more recently gained fame through the Harry Potter movies and is a must see for any Potter fan. If time permits, we may even see the Jacobite steam train (AKA Hogwarts Express) passing over the viaduct; which is a highlight for many. We will then drive back towards Fort William to take us up to the Isle of Skye. The road back to Fort William offers the best views of Ben Nevis (Britain’s highest mountain). On the way up to Skye we will enjoy some more spectacular scenery passing through the Glens of Garry, Clunie and Shiel; passing the 5 Sisters of Kintail. Eventually we reach the Skye Bridge where we will cross “over the sea to Skye” Day 2 This day the itinerary can be made around what you really want to see the most. You can inform us when you book what you would like to see on Skye, or you can decide on the day and inform your guide. Please bear in mind that Skye is a big island and not all locations can be visited in 1 day (if you wanted to visit most locations, we advise booking the 4 day tour or longer if possible). Your guide will collect you at your accommodation at an agreed time of your choosing (we would recommend no later than 0900). If following our most popular route our first stop will be at Sligachan Old Bridge. This has some wonderful views of Skye’s famous Red & Black Cuillin hills. The old bridge gives an iconic view of the black hills in the background, which makes for a great photograph. From Sligachan you may wish to visit the Fairy Pools and Talisker Whisky Distillery (tours must be booked in advance) or make the longer drive out to Neist Point Lighthouse and maybe visit Skye Weavers in Glendale. Lunch can be in the picturesque town of Portree, Skye’s capital, before going around the Jurassic landscape of the Trotternish Peninsula. This landscape was formed over 300 million years ago when soft and hard lava set over a Jurassic sediment giving it its’ strange but beautiful rock formations. Highlights here can include views of the Old Man of Storr, Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock, The Quiraing, Duntulm Castle and Fairy Glen. Time spent on this peninsular is down to your preferences. You might want to visit the museum of Island Life which is a preserved township of cottages each one depicting, as closely as possible, the conditions the people of Skye would have lived in during and before the 19th Century. Also, beside the museum is the famous Kilmuir cemetery which is the resting place of the late Lady Flora Macdonald, who famously helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape "over the sea to Skye", as well as the famous fashion designer Lee Alexander. We conclude the day with a visit to the ferry port of Uig, the gateway to the Outer Hebrides, which is also home to the Isle of Skye Brewery. Day 3 With the extra day on Skye this is entirely up to the group what we do with this day. It could be spent slowing down the pace of day 3 and visiting sites and attractions that were missed the day before or you might want to visit other locations like Elgol and do a boat trip to visit what could be one of the most beautiful Lochs in Scotland, Loch Coruisk. (Only accessed with a boat trip from Elgol. Please see Misty Isle Boat trips in attractions section). You may want to visit the peninsular of Sleat, home to Clan Macdonald and visit Knock Castle ruins which sits just behind Toraphaig Whisky Distillery, Skye’s newest whisky distillery which is only just over 5 years old. Dun Scaith Castle ruins are impressive as well and can offer great views over to Glasnakille which sits on the coast not far from the clearance villages of Suisnish & Boreraig. This is a little off the beaten track but worth it to enjoy the ruins but also the views which on a good day looks over to the Black Cuillin Mountains. Other options could include a visit SkyeSkyns a local tannery in the north of the island in Waternish and maybe visit Trumpan Church Ruins which is nearby. This is a site with some dark history to go along with it. Coral Beach is in this area as well and could be added on to the visit of Waternish. Day 4 We will leave the island via the Skye Bridge. From the bridge we will head back along the A87 towards Eilean Donan Castle. (The most photographed castle in Scotland) You will have the option and time to enter the castle or if preferred we can visit various vantage points to capture some great photos of the castle. We then drive towards Loch Ness. Time permitting, we always recommend a stop at ‘Chocolates of Glenshiel’ on the way which was founded by Finlay Macdonald when he was 16 years old and has gone on to win many awards; and even provides to Selfridges in London. You may see how they make the chocolate through the viewing window in the café. We arrive in the picturesque village of Fort Augustus (one of 3 Forts built during the Jacobite rebellions). You will have the option to do a boat cruise on Loch Ness; world famous due to its underwater resident – Nessie! Or just tour the town and grab some lunch. After enjoying Loch Ness, we will then make our way back down the Great Glen heading south with some photo stops along the way. Capturing the Nevis Mountain Range and Grey Corries from the Commando Memorial, just outside of Spean Bridge. The drive will then take us East across the Grampian Mountains, along Loch Laggan, which has been the site for several film sets. Continuing into the Cairngorm National Park (the biggest national park in the United Kingdom), we will pass ‘Dalwhinnie’ - Scotland’s highest Whisky Distillery at 1200ft above sea level. The road then joins the main artery connecting the Highlands to the Lowlands - the A9. Arriving at Perthshire there will be an option to stop in one of the Highland towns of either Pitlochry or Dunked, before entering back into the hustle and bustle of the Lowlands and finishing up at your chosen drop off location.