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Ring of Brodgar
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4.8
Read 60 reviews

Explore Scotland's coasts and islands

Head a little off the beaten path on this tour of Scotland's rugged Highlands, coastal byways, and the archaeological treasures on Orkney and the Isle of Skye.

Trip details

Tour start Glasgow

trip-destination

Tour end Edinburgh

12 icon

Days

11 icon

Nights

18 icon

Meals

Highlights

Ring of Brodgar
Ring of Brodgar

This stone circle is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Heart of Neolithic Orkney.

Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye

Admire the rugged coastlines and ancient ruins of this Scottish island.

Orkney
Orkney

These islands encompass dramatic vistas, Neolithic sites, tall sandstone cliffs and seal colonies.

Inverewe Gardens
Inverewe Gardens

Enjoy a garden of Eden in the unlikeliest of places, with 2,000 exotic plant species from around the world, including towering California redwoods, a "Savage Garden" of carnivorous plants, and rhododendrons from China, India, and Nepal.

Loch Ness Cruise
Loch Ness Cruise

Cruise across this lake known for sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, also known as "Nessie".

Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle

Admire the beautiful ruins of a Scottish icon by land — and from the dark waters of Loch Ness.

Skara Brae
Skara Brae

Discover the ruins of a 5,000-year-old village, unearthed by the sea more than a century ago.

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Itinerary

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slide Day 1Glasgow Arrival | City Tour
Your tour begins at 2:00 PM at your Glasgow hotel. Enjoy a tour around the city famed for its Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture. A prosperous port city due to international trade and shipbuilding, today it is Scotland's cultural hub. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group and dinner at your hotel (D)
Take a ferry to the Isle of Bute for stunning island scenery and a guided tour of the 19th-century Mount Stuart House. Spend some time in Rothesay, the main town on the island. Enjoy free time in Glasgow and dine independently. (B)
Travel along the famous Loch Lomond, renowned for its unsurpassed beauty. Journey through Glencoe, often considered one of Scotland's most beautiful regions. Travel through Fort William and stop and visit the romantic Eilean Donan Castle, spectaculary situated on an island at the meeting of three loch. (B, D)
Explore the Isle of Skye and its associations with Bonnie Prince Charlie. Tour Dunvegan Castle, the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and former stronghold of the Chiefs of MacLeod. Enjoy photo opportunities including stunning Kilt Rock. Stop in picturesque Portree with its brightly painted houses clustered around the bay. Enjoy free time before dinner at your hotel. (B, D)
Take in the Highland scenery as you head to Inverewe Gardens, where a haven of tropical trees and shrubs has been created. Continue to Ullapool, an active fishing and ferry port, and check in to your hotel near the harbor. (B, D)
Admire the rugged mountains, coastline, and vast areas of open land of the sparsely populated northernmost section of the Highlands. Learn about the Highland Clearances, a tragic period of history when many peasants were forced off the land and emigrated to the United States, Australia, and other countries. Take advantage of the many photo opportunities along the way. Continue to Scrabster on the northern coast of Scotland and take a ferry to the Orkney Islands. (B)
Discover Orkney, starting with a drive across the Churchill Barriers, created during World War II to deter German submarines. Next, explore the tiny Italian Chapel, with its elaborate paintings. Travel on to the Ring of Brodgar, a Neolithic henge and stone circle that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Skara Brae to see the well-preserved 5,000-year-old village dwellings and return to Kirkwall to see St. Magnus Cathedral. Enjoy free time in the afternoon and evening to browse around the town and dine independently. (B)
Board a ferry back to the mainland and head to Dunrobin Castle, dating to 1275 and renovated in the mid-1800s. With 189 rooms, this grand castle in northern Scotland resembles a French chateau and its gardens were inspired by those at the Palace of Versailles. Continue south to Inverness, the principal town in the Highlands. (B, D)
Keep your camera handy as you visit the picturesque ruins of Urquhart Castle and take a cruise on Loch Ness. Stop at the Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre to learn about the conflict that led to the end of the clan system in Scotland. Walk around the moor and see monuments to the various regiments who lost men. Return to Inverness with time to relax, shop, or walk alongside the river before dinner at your hotel. (B, D)
Immerse yourself in farm life and watch as skilled dogs round up sheep. Spend some free time in the Victorian town of Pitlochry. Visit Blair Athol Distillery to see how whisky is produced and enjoy a tasting. Travel on to Edinburgh and check into your city centre hotel. Enjoy a festive Scottish dinner with lively, traditional entertainment. (B, D)
Discover Edinburgh's highlights including the wide streets and elegant mansions of the 200-year-old Georgian “New Town” and the Royal Mile, the oldest part of the city. Tour the imposing Edinburgh Castle to see the Stone of Destiny and the Scottish Crown Jewels. Enjoy an evening free to explore independently. (B)
Your tour ends after breakfast. (B) B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner >

Where you’ll stay

Novotel Glasgow Centre Hotel

Novotel Glasgow Centre Hotel Glasgow, Scotland

The 4-Star Novotel Glasgow Centre is conveniently located in the heart of the vibrant city. This...
Balmacara Hotel Exterior

Balmacara Hotel Scottish Highlands, Scotland

This traditional Highland hotel is beautifully located on scenic Loch Alsh, with views of the Isle...
The Royal Hotel

The Royal Hotel Ullapool, Scotland

One of the premier luxury hotels in the Scottish Highlands, the Royal will delight the most...
Ayre Hotel

Ayre Hotel Kirkwall, Scotland

The Ayre Hotel is one of Orkney's finest hotels and is situated in the principal town of Kirkwall...
Columba Hotel exterior

Columba Hotel Inverness, Scotland

This grand hotel has a great location in the heart of Inverness, yet in a ...
Bar

Apex Grassmarket Hotel Edinburgh, Scotland

This contemporary hotel is a 7-minute walk from Edinburgh Castle, which can be viewed from some of...
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Inclusive package with no hidden extras

What's included?

  • Full daily breakfast and many meals*
  • An evening of Scottish entertainment
  • Transportation (Buses, shuttles & ferries)
  • Welcome drinks with your group
  • Free Wi-Fi on luxury coaches
  • All entrance fees to attractions
  • Comprehensive travel itinerary

 

*Breakfast is not included on Day 1

Our welcome gift to you

  • A travel backpack
  • Travel adapter
  • Rain poncho
  • Luggage strap and tags
  • Documents wallet

From our travelers

Dunrobin Castle

This holiday tour of Scotland was the second time I traveled with CIE. The best by far! I wouldn’t contemplate booking with any other company. Our brilliant tour guide Graham was so friendly and knowledgeable.

Vanessa
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See what people are saying about this trip

5
CIE Tours Customer
1 year 9 months ago

It was great

4
Kenneth F Haines Jr
1 year 11 months ago
Generally a Good Experience

We recently took the 12 day Scottish Isles and Glens tour. Some thoughts:

- Arrive a day before the tour starts at 3 pm. especially if traveling from the US or Canada. Most flights into Glasgow are red eye arriving late morning. You will be too wiped out to start the tour (a bus ride around the City and a stop at the bagpipe center).

- There is space in the hold of the bus for any carry on bags. The overhead bins on the bus are too small for anything bigger than the CIE backpack.

- Bring a facecloth as the hotels, except for the Apex Grassmarket, do not provide them.

- If you want to extend your stay at the end of the tour, contact the hotel directly yourself. We heard horror stories from other tour guests who got charged extraordinary rates by booking through other parties.

- A typical day means breakfast at 7:30 am and a tour start at 8:30 am. Return to the hotel around 5:30 pm generally.

- Hotels will not have A/C - will need to open windows to cool things off.

- Be prepared to climb into tubs that are much higher than those in US. Tough for those with mobility issues.

- Big plus in not handling baggage especially in the hotels which did not have a lift.

- Long days on bus. Wider and more comfortable seats would have been nice. On our tour, you were assigned a seat on day 1. the next day you moved two rows back and kept doing so until you reached back and then moved to other side of bus and worked way forward.

- Time at some stops was too quick - a common problem on tours

- At the welcome dinner, tour guide promised a drink. Turned out to be limited to beer (limited selection) and wine

5
Kenneth and Becky Johnson
1 year 11 months ago
Exceptional tour experience!

The tour was very good—good itinerary, great information delivered in a lively way with humor and music and treats for everyone on the bus! All the accommodations were satisfactory, however CIE should rethink starting the tour at Novitel in Glasgow. The room in which our welcome and orientation took place was noisy. (Another tour group was going through a buffet line right behind us .and we could hardly hear our tour director.)

5
Joan Wickham Sugg
1 year 11 months ago
On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a 25

On a scale of 1 to 10, this tour was a 25. I had always wanted to visit Urquhart Castle and Skara Brae. Now I have. The tour director, Graham Bruce, was amazing.

5
Ms. Cathleen A Madge
2 years ago

Enjoyed the trip very much

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