West Coast Arran & Skye Discovery

DAY 1

We spend our first night in Glasgow at the contemporary Radisson Blu Hotel ideally located close to the central railway station. Spend time admiring Glasgow's Charles Rennie Mackintosh architecture or explore the city using the 'Clockwork Orange', Glasgow's underground system before our first dinner together this evening.

DAY 2

After breakfast we have a guided tour of Glasgow central rail station. This fascinating behind the scenes tour takes you high above Glasgow Central Station and beneath Glasgow's streets and tells tales of how Glasgow became the second city of the British Empire. This tour will be split between two groups with time at leisure to explore Glasgow either prior to or upon completion of the tour. We reconvene at the Radisson Hotel to collect our luggage in time for our rail journey heading out of the city into beautiful Ayshire and to our base for the next two nights, the Riverside Lodge Irvine. On arrival we will meet our private coach which will transfer us to the hotel in time for our evening meal together.

DAY 3

Today, after breakfast, we join our private coach which will transfer us to the port at Ardrossan where we board the ferry and sail to Brodick on the Isle of Arran, known as ‘Scotland in Miniature’. Here we visit Brodick Castle which occupies a picturesque spot by the sea, bedecked with gardens, surrounded by hills, and overlooked by the majestic Goatfell mountain. After free time for lunch in Brodick, we take a scenic drive around some of the island with time for photo stops, before we board our ferry back to the mainland and transfer back to the Riverside Lodge in time for our evening meal.

DAY 4

Today we have an early start as we depart Ayrshire and journey north, our private coach will transfer us to Glasgow Queen Street station where we board our Scotrail service to enjoy a stunning part of the West Highland line, admiring the watery landscapes of the Firth of Clyde and Gareloch. With scenery becoming ever more dramatic, we trundle beside Loch Long and skirt the ‘bonnie banks’ of Loch Lomond before climbing into the western Highlands. At Crianlarich, we continue northwards, over Rannoch Moor towards our destination of Fort William. On arrival there will be free time for lunch before we rejoin our coach and transfer to the Ben Nevis distillery for a fascinating tour & tasting. Later in the afternoon we head to the fishing village of Mallaig via the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct. Upon arrival we catch the ferry to Armadale on Skye and make our way to our hotel in time for our evening meal.

DAY 5

Today we journey to the northwest corner of Skye to visit the famous Dunvegan Castle & Gardens. Built on a rocky outcrop on the shores of Loch Dunvegan, Dunvegan is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. After our visit, we enjoy a scenic drive accompanied by a local knowledgeable guide who will bring the magnificent scenery to life with their commentary, they point out areas of interest along with fascinating facts and history of the island, we will journey around the northern Trotternish Peninsula via Duntulm, before returning to our hotel in time for our evening meal.

DAY 6

After a leisurely breakfast we say goodbye to the Isle of Skye and make our way by private coach to the pretty town of Pitlochry. We stop at the legendary Loch Ness along the way where we attempt to track down the world’s shyest monster on a 50-minute cruise of Loch Ness. Brimming with history and monster tales, the real stars of the Loch are its castles, monuments, and scenery. Sit back and relax as we cruise past Cherry Island, the loch’s only island, and enjoy a fabulous loch-side view of the striking Fort Augustus Abbey. We then continue to Inverness station where we board our Scotrail service which will take us through the stunning scenery of the Caringorm national park passing the mountain resort of Aveimore enroute to our final destination of Pitlochry. On arrival we walk the short distance to our hotel for the next two nights, The Fishers hotel, in time for our evening meal together.

DAY 7

We spend today relaxing in our hotel and exploring the picture-postcard town of Pitlochry. Popular for over 150 years as a holiday destination, the town boasts Queen Victoria as one of its original visitors. Enjoy a stroll along Main Street in this charming resort, with its many attractive shops, bars, and tearooms to discover.

DAY 8

We bid farewell to Pitlochry as we make our way homeward.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner