V2 - Amy Raats Travel- Highland Explorations

Day 1 - Tuesday 2^nd July - Welcome to Scotland

On arrival at Edinburgh you will be met by your private driver guide and you’ll set off on your Highland adventure.  Leaving the city you’ll head north into the Cairngorms National Park, stopping off for a leg stretch or some scenic views on the way.

Your home for the next few nights is the unique 5* Fife Arms Hotel, created by acclaimed gallery owners Hauser & Wurth. Once you are settled into your room, take a tour of the numerous artworks and antiques around the hotel.

Overnight: Cairngorms | Fife Arms
Room Type: 1 x Scottish Culture Room as a Twin
Meals Included: None

Day 2 - Wednesday 3^rd July - Castles and Cocktails

This morning you will set out to explore the Balmoral Estate, the favourite home of her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  Embrace the stillness as you walk along, with just the sounds of the birdsong and perhaps the babbling brooks for company.  Later on, enjoy a tour of the famous Castle with your guide –  hearing stories of the Royals and their summers here.

Back at the hotel you will meet a local forager and enjoy a few hours creating cocktails from the plethora of wonderful edible treats that are found the in hedgerows and undergrowth.  A truly unique experience to enjoy – Slainte!

Overnight: Cairngorms | Fife Arms
Room Type: 1 x Scottish Culture Room as a Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 3 - Thursday 4^th July - To Glencoe

Spend the morning enjoying some more of the beautiful countryside with your guide – perhaps enjoying one last hike under the canopy of the towering pine trees as the squirrels jump from branch to branch above your heads.  Heading west you will stop off in the pretty town of Pitlochry to enjoy some lunch and perhaps a wander around the boutique shops before continuing on towards the highest mountain range in the UK.  Pass underneath the impressive site of Ben Nevis before arriving at the former home of Lord Strathcona that overlooks the lochs and the mountains beyond.

Overnight: Glencoe | Glencoe House
Room Type: 1 x One Bedroom Suite set up as a twin

Day 4 - Friday 5^th July - Jacobite Steam Train

After a relaxed breakfast, head out to hop aboard the Jacobite Steam Train. Warm drink in hand, sit back and relax as it chugs through some of the most stunning scenery of the Highlands. Cross the Glenfinnan viaduct (a location made famous in the Harry Potter films) which overlooks Loch Shiel and the Jacobite monument. Arrive in Mallaig, where your guide will meet you off the train and you’ll enjoy a lovely lunch of fresh local produce before returning to your hotel by road so you can see the train thundering along back to the mountains.

Tonight, you will meet a local storyteller at a traditional walkers tavern – here sit back with a warming drink and let the myths and legends of days gone by wash over you before returning to your hotel for the night.

Overnight: Glencoe | Glencoe House
Room Type: 1 x One Bedroom Suite set up as a twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5 - Saturday 6^th July - To Edinburgh

It is time to leave the jagged mountains and echoing valleys as you set off to the bright lights of Edinburgh.   On the way, you will stop off at Scone Palace – the crowning place of the Kings and Queens of Scotland.  Enjoy a tour through the hallways and across the grounds that were trodden by royalty of the past.

After lunch continue on the journey to Edinburgh where you will check into your boutique accommodation in the heart of the city.  Tonight, you can set off to start exploring the city and some of the delicious delicacies in one of the many restaurants, or simply relax at the hotel and reflect on the wonderful memories the last few days have given you.

Overnight: Edinburgh | The Balmoral
Room Type: 1 x Superior King set up as a Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6 - Sunday 7^th July - Exploring Edinburgh

Head out of the city today to visit one the breathtaking Rosslyn Chapel, made famous by The Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown called this chapel “the most mysterious and magical chapel on earth” and there are certainly lots of unanswered questions about this unique building. Originally founded in 1446, the chapel features intricate carvings and decorations which have prompted many different theories connected with the Knights Templar and the Freemasons amongst others.

Back in the city, you’ll head to Leith to take a tour around the floating palace which was decommissioned in 1997, seeing where the late Queen Elizabeth slept and worked as her favourite home toured the world.

Overnight: Edinburgh | The Bonham
Room Type: 1 x Superior King set up as a Twin
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7 - Monday 8^th July - On to your next adventure

A private transfer will collect you this morning and take you to the Old Course hotel to meet up with the rest of your group for the next part of the adventure.

Meals Included: Breakfast