Discovering Solstice Scotland

Day 1 - Monday 17^th June - Welcome to Scotland

Arrive in Edinburgh today and be met at the airport by your Wilderness guide Susie, who will be joining you for the duration of your trip. Check into your welcoming hotel and take some time to relax before heading out to explore the vibrant, cobbled streets of the capital city. After stretching your legs and admiring the incredible architecture, perhaps enjoy a traditional afternoon tea, chatting with your guide about the adventure ahead. This evening, savour dinner and a relaxed early night.

Overnight: Edinburgh | The Bonham
Meals Included: None

Day 2 - Tuesday 18^th June - Explore Edinburgh

This morning, after a leisurely breakfast, Susie will take you to meet an expert Edinburgh guide who will take you on a walking tour of this ancient city, each winding close, gothic spire, and tumbling monument, each steeped in a rich tapestry of history. In the afternoon, visit Edinburgh Castle and immerse yourself in the fascinating history of this prestigious fortress, discover the home of Mary Queen of Scots, visit the oldest building in the city and see the Scottish crown jewels. Return to your hotel this evening to freshen up and relax before heading out for dinner.

Overnight: Edinburgh | The Bonham
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3 - Wednesday 19^th June - To the Coast

This morning, leave the cobbled cloisters of Edinburgh behind and travel to the sea-blown beauty of the west coast. Along the way, stop at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and enjoy lunch beside the shimmering water. Afterwards, head to a bird of prey centre where you can see these incredible raptors up close and witness their elegance, power and precision in the air. Continue your journey west and arrive in Loch Melfort this afternoon. Spend the night in your quiet hotel, relaxing in the peaceful tranquillity of nature.

Overnight: By Oban | Loch Melfort Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4 - Thursday 20^th June - The Solstice in Kilmartin Glen

After a leisurely breakfast, head out with your guide to explore Kilmartin Glen. An ancient and evocative place, human history here can be traced back an incredible 5000 years. Begin with a visit to the newly renovated museum, observing the fascinating artefacts and exploring enigmatic stone circles, burial chambers, standing stones, and rock carvings. Today is the summer solstice –  the longest day of the year and a time to celebrate after the long months of winter. The importance of this day to our ancestors is evident in the way many stone circles and other ancient monuments are aligned to the sunrise for this day. Throughout Scotland, folk come together in these ancient places to celebrate the sun and the life it sustains. Depending on how you feel, we can return to the standing stones in time for sunset – 10:15pm with twilight lasting until 11:30pm.

Overnight: By Oban | Loch Melfort Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5 - Friday 21^st June - RIB Trip to Mull

After waking to the rhythmic, melodic sound of the sea, head out for a private RIB trip to the remote island of Eileach an Naoimh, Gaelic for ‘rocky place of the saint.’ With a fantastic and attentive skipper, skim over the smooth sea to explore quiet, uninhabited islands. Keep an eye out for seals, porpoises, dolphins and even minke whales, enjoy the deep peace that comes from being far from busy streets. The monastery on Eileach an Naoimh was established in AD542 and was a site of both pilgrimage and burial in the middle ages, and is said to be the place where St Columba buried his mother. Now home to ruins of monastic buildings, including two chapels, beehive cells, and a graveyard, it is only accessible by private boat, so is one of the best-preserved monasteries in Scotland. Discover the mystical and somewhat intangible beauty of this special place arriving on Mull and heading to your cosy Highland accommodation.

Overnight: Mull | Pennygate Lodge Guesthouse & Restaurant
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6 - Saturday 22^nd June - Exploring Iona

As the morning sun slides across the water, enjoy a day of exploring the wonderful Isle of Iona – the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. Susie will drive to the southern westerly tip of Mull and together catch the small passanger ferry over to the island. Once ashore, visit Iona Abbey – one of Scotland’s most sacred sites and the burial place of ancient kings as well as the Nunnery. This afternoon walk from the shore to the highest point on Iona, keep a look out for otters slipping through the waves as well as sea eagles soaring through the endless sky. Enjoy the stunning turquoise water and the beautiful views before catching the ferry back to Mull and returning to your charming hotel for dinner.

Overnight: Mull | Pennygate Lodge Guesthouse & Restaurant
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7 - Sunday 23^rd June - Duart Castle and the West

After a leisurely breakfast this morning, set out with your guide to visit Duart Castle. Perched on a high crag at the end of a peninsula, the castle presides over the channel between the island and the mainland. A 14th Century Keep, it was left to ruin before being fully refurbished at the beginning of the 20th Century. Visit the magnificent Great Hall and the Clan Exhibition, learning about the castle’s history and some of the dark tales that shroud its past like thick cobwebs. Later, leave the beautiful island of Mull behind and travel back to the mainland. Wind your way along the coast, where the heather-cloaked mountains rush up to meet the sky and settle into your accommodation complete with pool.

Overnight: Glencoe | Holly Tree Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 8 - Monday 24^th June - Discover Glencoe

Sigh, wind in the pine;

River, weep as you flow;

Terrible things were done

Long, long ago.

– Douglas Alexander Stewart

One of Scotland’s most famous glens, the tragic history of Glencoe is only eclipsed by its otherworldly beauty. The site of a terrible massacre in 1692 where, on a cold winter night, the MacDonald Clan offered shelter and hospitality to the Campbells only to be ruthlessly attacked in the middle of the night. Today you’ll visit the thoughtful Glencoe visitor centre to learn the history as well as ancient geology of the area before setting out with your guide to hike a rowan-hung gorge until you reach the Lost Valley. This enclosed meadow – high, green and hidden by the precipitous tors that shutter off the sky, is said to be where the Macdonald clan used to conceal their rustled cattle. As you walk, hear more tales of Glencoe, and as ethereal mists blow over the rugged peaks, listen for the eerie voices that are said to be carried upon a northerly wind. As light slides down the moor-clad mountains, return to your cosy hotel and enjoy dinner.

Overnight: Glencoe | Holly Tree Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 9 - Tuesday 25^th June - The Cairngorm National Park

Today, travel to the Cairngorms National Park. On the way, stop off at the Nevis Range to take a gondola up the flanks of Aonach Mor. At the top, enjoy a short walk with your guide, being rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, including the mighty peak of Ben Nevis. This afternoon, visit the Highland Folk Museum and delve into Scotland’s rich cultural heritage. This mile-long open-air township has an extensive collection of historic buildings and exhibits that showcase traditional rural life in the Highlands dating back to the 1700s. See Highland cows learn about the traditional tools used to light fires and tend the land. Later, settle into your lovely accommodation this evening, surrounded by wild meadows, moors and mountains.

Overnight: Grantown-on-Spey | Dunallan House
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 10 - Wednesday 26^th June - Clava Cairns, Culloden & the Highland Wildlife Park

This morning, visit Clava Cairns, a fascinating Bronze Age burial cairn surrounded by standing stones. Built over 4000 years ago, the opening of the chamber aligns with the midwinter sun but was also a place of celebration at midsummer. Afterwards, visit the evocative Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Center, where you can learn about the famous battle that took place in 1746 and the impact it had on Scottish history. Later this afternoon, visit the Highland Wildlife Park and encounter rare and endangered species, including tigers, polar bears, lynx, and snow leopards. The park focuses on conservation and works with programs worldwide to support reintroducing these amazing animals into their natural habitat.

Overnight: Grantown-on-Spey | Dunallan House
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 11 - Thursday 27^th June - Hermitage Walk and Return to Edinburgh

Leave the Highlands behind today and begin your journey back to Edinburgh. Along the way, stop to wander through the forests at The Hermitage, which is home to some of the tallest trees in Scotland. In Edinburgh this evening, join a tour into the city’s past, exploring the underground vaults and winding streets where dark stories lurk in the shadows. This evening, enjoy a final delicious dinner under the city’s twinkling lights and settle in for your last night in Scotland.

Overnight: Edinburgh | The Bonham
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 12 - Friday 28^th June - Depart for Home

After a relaxed breakfast this morning, check out of your hotel. Susie will take you to the airport in plenty of time to check in and then begin your journey home.

Meals Included: Breakfast