Leaving your chosen pick up location in the Glasgow area we are just under a 1-hour drive to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. Crossing over the Erskine bridge and passing through the historic town of Dumbarton your guide will point out Dumbarton Castle & Dumbarton Rock once the seat of power in the region the town was all but destroyed by Vikings in the 11th century. William Wallace was imprisoned in Dumbarton Castle before being taking to London after being betrayed in 1305 by Sir John Menteith who handed him over to the English. Our first stop on the tour will be on the “bonnie bonnie” banks of Loch Lomond the largest body of water by surface area in Britain. It takes its name from the mountain that lies across the water on the eastern shore called Ben Lomond Scotland’s furthest south Munro. (Mountains above 3000ft) with Crossing the Highland Boundary Fault line which runs diagonally across Scotland we officially enter the Highlands where the landscape dramatically changes from the flat plains of the Lowlands into stunning rugged mountains & shimmering lochs. There is an abundance of rich history of tales of Clan warfare and Viking battles that have shaped the area we see today. Continuing north we climb towards Rannoch Moor. This 1000ft plain is covered by heather, peat bogs, and numerous lochs. It blends into the impressive mountain scenery of Buachaille Etive Mor (meaning 'the great shepherd of Etive') quite spectacularly. This leads us on to Scotland’s most famous valley, Glencoe. This area was created through volcanic eruptions many millions of years ago and was sculped into the beauty we see today by the last ice age around 18,000 years ago. We will make various stops throughout this area capturing some of the most impressive sights in Scotland. Your guide will tell you about some of the movies that have been filmed in the area and also teach you about one of Scotland’s most despicable crimes that took place here called the Massacre of Glencoe which was also inspiration for a scene in the famous TV series Game of Thrones “Red Wedding”. Passing out of Glencoe we start to approach “The Great Glen” a natural fault line that goes from coast to coast. Thomas Telford used the natural bodies of water that sit along the Great Glen to aid in the building of a famous water way called the Caledonian Canal that was completed in 1823 a then engineering marvel of its day. Driving through Fort William you will see what is left of the old garrison whilst possibly getting views of Ben Nevis Scotland’s highest mountain weather permitting. 45 minutes after Fort William we will arrive at Fort Augustus which sits right on the shores of Loch Ness where we will have our main stop of the day which gives us time for lunch and time to explore the town. After your lunch, you get the option to take the five-star Cruise Loch Ness boat cruise* It is said being on the water gives you the best vantage point of spotting the monster “Nessie” and admire the beauty of this mysterious Loch. *The cruise on Loch ness is weather permitting and can be arranged on the day with your guide who will book this for you at additional cost. After leaving Loch Ness and the town of Fort Augustus there is still plenty to see as we drive towards The Cairngorms our second National Park and the biggest in the UK. On the way through the Cairngorms, we have the option of stopping in at Dalwhinnie whisky distillery the highest distillery by altitude where you can browse the visitor centre and maybe sample a dram or two. With some great landmarks still to visit we will make stops at Pitlochry for refreshments and a photo at Stirling Castle will finish of the day perfectly before arriving back into Glasgow and at your chosen drop off location. **If you wanted to change cites and instead be dropped in Edinburgh, Inverness or anywhere else please inform us beforehand and we can arrange this. (a small surcharge may apply)