Cliffs & Castles 9 Day Driving Tour
9 Day car tour that reaches deep into Scotland including time in Fife, the castle country around Balmoral and the wilds of Wester Ross.
Fishing villages of Fife - St Andrews - Castles of Deeside - Wild Wester Ross - Applecross - Skye - Eilean Donan Castle - Ben Nevis - Kilchurn Castle - Trossachs - Stirling
Day 1
After arrival at Edinburgh airport, cross the impressive suspension bridge over the Forth Estuary and head into the ancient Kingdom of Fife.
Following the East Coast pass through the quaint small fishing villages of Largo, Pittenweem, Anstruther and Crail in the East Neuk. (1)
Overnight in Fife.
Tip: Anstruther is famous for Fish & Chips but the locals would choose Pittenweem Fish and Chip Shop instead!
Day 2
Take some time this morning to discover St Andrews (2), Scotland’s famous university town and centre of golfing history.
Continue to travel north via Dundee on to Coupar Angus, where you may want to visit 17th century Glamis Castle, (2) childhood home of the Queen Mother.
Later travel via Blairgowrie and the Pass of Glenshee to Braemar (3), where the Royal Highland Games take place each year, attended by the Royal Family.
Overnight in the Royal Deeside area.
Day 3
For a day excursion in the area follow the A92 coastal road to Stonehaven. Take a walk and visit nearby Dunnottar Castle (4), a ruined fortress perched on a rocky cliff 160 feet above the sea. Return inland towards Banchory. (5)
Here you could visit Crathes Castles which is famous for its beautiful gardens, before you follow the A93 road, pass Aboyne and arrive in Ballater.
If open, see nearby Balmoral Castle, (6) the family holiday home of the Royal Family for over a century.
Returning back to your hotel in the area later in the afternoon. Overnight as day 2.
Day 4
This morning it is time to leave the Royal Deeside and travel through the Spey Valley, with its many famous Malt whisky distilleries, such as Cardhu, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Tamdhu, to name only a few.
Continue via Nairn, (7) popular seaside resort famous for its golf course and beautiful sandy beaches, to Inverness.
Heading further northwest from here and into Wester Ross. You will pass beautiful Loch Maree, if time allows stop for a short nature walk here.
Later arrival at Gairloch for overnight.
Day 5
Today you have all day to spend in this beautiful part of the world.
You can drive through Badaco on the B8056 to Red Point beach (9) where you can go for a walk between the beautiful high sand dunes. On a clear day you will be able to look over to the Isle of Skye.
Or visit Rua Reidh Lighthouse – leave the car behind at the signposted parking spot and walk the last 3 miles to the lighthouse. There is a small visitor centre and the option to look over the Atlantic from the viewing area.
Overnight in the Gairloch area.
Tip: The seafood platter at the Old Inn in Gairloch is excellent and comes straight off the ships from the harbour across the road. There is also a good selection of beers available!
Day 6
Time to leave Wester Ross and travel through some spectacular scenery this morning. You head back to Loch Maree and turn onto the A896 to Torridon and Shieldaig. Travelling along the A896 there is a turnoff to Appelcross (A), a beautiful little highland village worth visiting. Be careful though, the single track road leading there is not for the faint hearted.
Later continue to Loch Carron and to Dornie. Here you can visit Eilean Donan Castle (C) which has been made famous by the film ‘the Highlander’.
Continue on to Fort William, which lies in the shadow of Ben Nevis (D) - Britain’s highest mountain at 1344 metres. If you travel via Invermoriston and Fort Augustus you can also take a glance at the south end of famous Loch Ness!
Overnight in Fort William area.
Day 7
After breakfast, take the A861 road towards the West Coast, passing Glenfinnan Monument. (E) Onto Arisaig and Mallaig where you take the ferry (F) to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, the largest of the Inner Hebrides islands.
Return to Fort William for overnight.
Day 8
Leaving Fort William today, follow the A828 which takes a winding route through beautiful coastal scenery. Stop at Castle Stalker (F). At Connel turn off to travel over the Pass of Brander. At the north side of Loch Awe is Kilchurn Castle (G) which is worth a visit!
Continue past Tyndrum and later follow the banks of Loch Lomond on at the A82, Scotland’s largest and probably most beautiful loch. Make a stop at the conservation village of Luss. (H)
Overnight in the Stirling area.
Day 9
Depending on departure time there might be time to pay a visit to Stirling this morning and see Stirling castle. (I)
Later transfer to Edinburgh airport for check in and departure.
Accommodation:
- 1 night in Fife
- 2 nights in Grampian/ Royal Deeside area
- 2 night in Gairloch/ Wester Ross area
- 2 night in Fort William area
- 1 night in Stirling area
Tour includes 1 overnight in a castle style hotel!
Inclusions
- 7 nights accommodation in hotels as per category given, in rooms with private facilities;
- 1 night in a castle style hotel;
- Breakfast daily, Scottish or Continental depending on hotel;
- o Service charge and VAT at 20%;
** Please note that there are no 4 star hotels in the Gairloch area, therefore a 3 star will be included in the package instead.
Exclusions
- Entrances,
- car hire.
- Ferry booking to Skye is not included but can be booked by in advance if required.
The Little Details
- Months of Operation: All Year
Rates & Dates
Rates for the periods below. Please note that tours can vary vary depending on accommodation
| priced per person | Three Star | Four Star |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15 - Mar 16* | 397.9 | 495.65 |
| April 16 | 430.1 | 573.85 |
| May, June & Sept 16 | 443.9 | 593.4 |
| July 16 | 457.7 | 611.8 |
| August 16 | 472.65 | 622.15 |
| Oct 16 – Mar 17* | 416.3 | 557.75 |
| Sole occupancy supplement | 212.75 | 247.25 |
Booking Notes
The Booking Process
Please note that exact hotel accommodation cannot be guaranteed before booking as we use small hotels where availability varies. If you have a specific request we can take that into account but overall tour prices may vary
Castle Visited
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Dunnottar Castle
Striking position overlooking the sea near Stonehaven makes this one of the most inspiring and exciting castles to visit whatever the weather or season!
-
Balmoral Castle
Eight miles west of Ballater is the area's main attraction, Balmoral Castle. You can visit the gardens and some of the castle between April and July during the year...
-
Eilean Donan Castle
One of the world's quintessential castles: Eilean Donan is familiar from films and stunning in its romantic location. Open daily.
-
Kilchurn Castle
One of the most photographed castles in Scotland and in a strong position on the loch. A stronghold for the Campbells of Glenorchy. Used between 1475 to 1745
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Stirling Castle
Scotland's most strategic castle with a dominating position over the gateway to the North of Scotland.
-
Doune Castle
Built for the Regent Albany, Doune Castle is a magnificent late 14th century courtyard castle that is familiar to film buffs for its role in Monty Python's Life of Brian.
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Glamis Castle
Family home to the Queen Mother and ancestral home to the Countess of Strathmore and family. It is open to the public throughout the summer. Won Best Attraction in the UK 2015!
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