Fora Travel – Scottish Adventure
Friday 17th May – Monday 27th May 2024
Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Friday 17th May – Monday 27th May 2024
Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights
Arrive in the architecturally stunning city of Edinburgh today and settle into your lovely accommodation. Depending on your arrival time, you may wish to head out and explore the winding alleys and cobblestone streets. This evening, enjoy dinner and a good night’s sleep.
Overnight: Edinburgh | Kimpton Charlotte Square
Room Type: Twin Premium
Meals Included: None
After breakfast, meet your expert guide in the foyer of your hotel and head out for a day spent exploring the beautiful cobblestone streets of the city. Full of history, the capital is very accessible by foot. Wander up the Royal Mile, stopping to visit the architecturally stunning St Giles Cathedral, and enjoy panoramic views from Edinburgh Castle. Pick up a coffee and a pastry from one of the wee artisan shops, dipping into local galleries, cheesemongers and bookshops. If you fancy an afternoon with a twist, head to the Surgeons’ Hall Museums, which holds one of the largest collections of surgical pathology in the world. This evening enjoy dinner under the twinkling lights of the city.
Overnight: Edinburgh | Kimpton Charlotte Square
Room Type: Twin Premium
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast, catch the train north into the enchanting beauty of the Cairngorms National Park. Disembark in the pretty village of Kingussie, where your Wilderness guide will be waiting on the platform. Visit the ruins of Ruthven Barracks (an impressive fortification built after the 1715 Jacobite uprising) before going on a short hike in the nearby Glen Feshie forest. The Uath Lochans, known locally as the Paw Print Lochans, are a hive of biodiversity. Raised boardwalks wind through reedy marshlands. Look out for a glimpse of the occasional frog and the glittering wings of dragonflies as they dart over the wetlands. Climbing a short way to Farleitter Crag, this small hill offers incredible elevated views of the water, forest and surrounding Cairngorm Mountains. Relax in your cosy Highland guesthouse tonight.
Overnight: Cairngorms | Coig na Shee Guest House
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Today, enjoy a hike in the beautiful Cairngorms National Park. At over 4500 sq km it is the largest National Park in the UK and with miles of winding rivers, make it Scotland’s most prolific whisky-making region. With your guide, choose a hike that suits you – perhaps head out onto the alpine plateau of the Cairngorms Mountain range and bag a sought-after Munro. Or choose to explore the Caledonian pine forest which is the oldest forest in Scotland and the last of the woodland that once covered the whole of the UK. Make a stop at Tulloch Ghru, the heavily wooded area where Claire meets the clansmen for the first time. The woods provide the scenic backdrop for Claire and Jamie’s intimate ride to Castle Leoch.
Overnight: Cairngorms | Coig na Shee Guest House
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Head north this morning to visit Culloden Battlefield and its richly researched and engaging visitor centre. Learn about one of the most harrowing battles in Scottish history and walk across the rough moor where the Jacobites and the Government fought in 1746. Take the opportunity to visit Clava Cairns – a well-preserved Bronze Age cemetery complex of passage graves, ring cairns, kerb cairns and standing stones, and the inspiration for Outlander’s Craigh Na Dun. After lunch, enjoy a beautiful coastal walk, identifying flora and fauna with your knowledgeable guide. Return to your cosy Highland guesthouse this evening and relax.
Overnight: Cairngorms | Coig na Shee Guest House
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Today you’ll leave the Cairngorms National Park for Skye, but not before enjoying a visit to the Highland Folk Museum, which is where the Mackenzie village scenes were filmed, and it’s here that Dougal and his party visit to collect rent. A different type of museum, this mile-long township invites you to walk into the past. Consisting of 30 frozen-in-time dwellings, you’ll journey from the early 1900s to the 1700s, and experience Highland life over three centuries. Afterwards, enjoy a scenic drive west to the magical Isle of Skye. Ribbon your way through rolling hills, heathery moors and along the banks of deep, dark lochs. Before crossing the Skye Bridge, stop to visit Eilean Donan Castle. With its striking position and turbulent history, it’s one of the most recognised images of the Scottish Highlands. Arrive at your lovely accommodation later this afternoon, taking some time to settle in before a delicious dinner.
Overnight: Skye | Marmalade Hotel
Room Type: Premier Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
This morning head out with your guide to explore the dramatic landscape of the Quiraing on the northern peninsula of Skye. As you walk, admire the stark rock formations that rise from the rugged ground like the great ruined battlements of a long-forgotten war. Chat with your guide about the geology and history of the area, enjoying the incredible sweeping views of the islands, mountains and sun-clipped shores that stretch in every direction. This afternoon, visit Dunvegan Castle, a Hebridean fortress which has been home to the same family for over 800 years. Learn about the family ancestry and stroll around the formal gardens, perhaps pausing for a home bake and cup of tea, all the while admiring the stunning views.
Overnight: Skye | Marmalade Hotel
Room Type: Premier Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Feeling rested, head south with your guide, arriving in Elgol – a tiny hamlet scattered along the western cliffs of the Strathaird peninsula. From a small jetty, board the charming Bella Jane and sail over Loch Scavaig into the very heart of the Black Cuillin. As the lovely first mate provides some fascinating history about the surrounding islands, look for sleepy seals lounging on the warm rocks. Upon reaching the shore, leave the boat to explore Loch Coruisk, also known as the Cauldron of the Waters, a deep dark loch that stretches like a shadow below the impressive volcanic peaks. Choose to walk around the loch or climb the rugged mountain of Sgurr na Stri – which is considered by many to offer one of the wildest and most spectacular views in Scotland.
Overnight: Skye | Marmalade Hotel
Room Type: Premier Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Enjoy breakfast before travelling to the mainland by ferry from Armadale on Skye, to the small fishing village of Mallaig. Journey to Fort William on the Jacobite Steam Train, soaking in the spectacular scenery along the way. Once back with your guide, a short transfer will take you to Glencoe, where the Glencoe Inn, nestled against the backdrop of towering peaks, offers a warm Highland welcome.
Overnight: Glencoe | Isles of Glencoe
Room Type: Feature Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Enjoy breakfast before meeting your guide and heading out to explore Glencoe, which also features in the opening credits in the first seasons of Outlander. The spectacular Glencoe, carved out centuries ago by glaciers and volcanic eruptions, offers some wild and scenic hiking. One great option is to hike along a narrow rowan-hung gorge until you reach the Lost Valley. This enclosed meadow – high, green, and hidden by precipitous tors, is said to be where the Macdonald clan used to conceal their rustled cattle. Surrounded by jagged peaks that shift in and out of mountain mist, visit the Glencoe Center to learn about the landscape’s haunting history.
Overnight: Glencoe | Isles of Glencoe
Room Type: Feature Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Head out from your accommodation following a hearty breakfast, and make your way to Glasgow to conclude your trip. Depending on when you need to arrive you may wish to stop off for a short hike en route as you pass through the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Once in Glasgow, your guide will drop you at your accommodation before departing, or the airport if you are heading straight off.
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch