Country Roads of Scotland - Small Group - From £4,275

Arrive in Edinburgh to meet your Travel Director and small group over dinner at a local restaurant. It’s an easy, warm first evening with Scottish flavours and relaxed conversation. On select departures, your first night on tour includes the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, where performers sweep across the esplanade in a powerful mix of movement, music and color — a memorable introduction to Scotland’s capital.

Join a Local Specialist for a guided tour of Edinburgh. In the Old Town, see the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of the King. Drive along Princes Street to the Scott Monument, a Victorian Gothic tribute to Sir Walter Scott whose stories helped shape Scotland’s global image, then take in the 18th-century New Town with its neoclassical Georgian facades. Venture up the Royal Mile to visit Edinburgh Castle, home of Mons Meg and Scotland’s Crown Jewels. Later, enjoy a Highland bagpiping masterclass before time at leisure.

Cross the Firth of Forth into Fife and journey to St Andrews. You’ll pass by the Old Course — the home of golf since its creation in the 15th century. With some free time to explore, perhaps stroll to West Sands Beach where the famous Chariots of Fire scene was filmed. For a royal connection, wander to St Andrews University where the current Prince and Princess of Wales first met. Next, you’ll travel to Pitlochry and stop at Atholl Palace and Gardens for a delicious Victorian-style afternoon tea. Finally, you’ll continue through Blair Atholl and the shadow of the Grampian Mountains before the landscape opens into Spey Valley and the Highland capital of Inverness.

Follow the length of Loch Ness, keeping your eyes peeled for the monster, and watching dark water and steep hills roll past as your Travel Director shares the loch’s legends. At Culloden Battlefield, the Visitor Centre will bring the final Jacobite uprising in 1746 into clear focus. Next, continue to Wick for a choice of activity — visit Old Pulteney Distillery for a coastal-style whisky tasting, or join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the Wick Heritage Museum to explore the stories of this once-thriving fishing port. End the day in Thurso for dinner with your fellow travellers by the northern coast.

Start the day by boarding the ferry to the beautiful Orkney Islands, where open skies and green fields meet a slower rhythm of life. Here the hardy locals say they live ‘below the wind and above the water’. With your Travel Director, you’ll explore the Italian Chapel, built by WWII prisoners, then continue to Kirkwall for a look at its Norse heritage. Visit Skara Brae, a 5,000-year-old village, and walk among the standing stones of Brodgar. Finally, return to Thurso for dinner.

Travel west along Scotland’s northern edge, where pale beaches give way to moorland, deep glens and winding rivers. Cross ‘Over the Sea to Skye’, where the island opens in a sweep of rugged slopes and quiet lochs. Hear the tale of Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie as the Cuillin Hills rise ahead, before continuing to picturesque Portree. Later, settle in for dinner in this charming island town.

Start the morning with an orientation of Portree alongside your Travel Director. Admire the pastel-coloured houses lining its harbour and discover the town’s Jacobite connections, including the Royal Hotel, where Flora MacDonald bid farewell to Bonnie Prince Charlie before his escape. Then cross back to the mainland. Pause for photos at Eilean Donan Castle, reflected perfectly in still water when the light is right. Next, you’ll continue to the WWII Commando Memorial, where bronze figures gaze towards Ben Nevis. Continue through Fort William to absorb the dramatic scenery of Glencoe, the Glen of the Weeping, where the dreadful massacre of the MacDonald clan took place in 1692. In the evening, get together with your newfound friends for a sumptuous Highland dinner made with market-fresh Scottish ingredients.

Spend time around Loch Lomond, ‘Queen of Scottish Lochs’ according to Sir Walter Scott, where wooded islands and quiet water create one of Scotland’s most peaceful scenes. If you choose, take an optional cruise to see the loch from the waterline. Continue to Glasgow for an orientation drive past its grand public buildings, George Square and St Mungo’s Cathedral. Enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure, exploring the city’s creative, confident character.

Today, bid farewell to your journey along the country roads of Scotland as you transfer to the airport.