Scotland
May, June, July, Aug, Sept£599 pp
Over five days, you’ll traverse from the historic capital to the rugged Highlands, with highlights including Stirling Castle, the scenic landscapes of Glencoe, the mystery of Loch Ness, and perhaps a taste of Scotland’s famous whisky.
Please select from Optional Extras at checkout.
By road: Edinburgh is approx 42 miles east of Glasgow via the M8 motorway.
By public transport: There are regular trains to/from Edinburgh. Check traveline.info for the latest public transport information.
By air: There are flights to/from Manchester, London and Inverness airport.
If you chose to hire a car you can collect/drop off at the airport.
You can purchase evening meals either at the accommodation or nearby. When our adventure travel planners send you the schedule with your itinerary you could prearrange directly with the accommodation or during the trip.
For lunches we would suggest bringing some of your own favourite snack bars and then asking the accommodation for a packed lunch for the following day and also supplementing that at stops en-route.
Accommodation is generally at B&B, guest houses and small hotels. Once booked in, your adventure planner will send you a list of your booked accommodation. It is possible to adjust according to preference at this stage so please mention it if you wish to change.
If you would like to bring your four legged friend, then we will do our best to source dog friendly accommodation. It is usually possible but if it were not, then we would suggest a change of date to enable it. There may be a small surcharge for the overnight stays. Therefore, once booked in, please alert your adventure travel planner that you would like to bring your dog and we can proceed from there.
For available dates please click on the ‘book now’ option on the left hand side on desktops or at the bottom on mobiles. You can reserve your space via this route.
After placing your booking with us, you will in the first instance receive an automated email from our system confirming receipt of your reservation. If you don’t receive it, it is worth checking your spam/clutter folder.
In the process of placing your booking, you will generally set up an access password to our online gateway where you can review the details of the booking.
Your personal adventure travel planner will then be in touch with you to start to confirm the details. This contact will usually be taken up in the working day after receipt of your booking, but may, in busy times, take a little longer. The adventure travel planner will then liaise with you regarding the details of the course. If you have any specific requirements, please do mention it at this stage.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end at some point and when you arrive at your final destination, some people like to treat themselves to a night’s stay at the end. And why not? You’ve earned it. You can arrange this as an optional extra with your adventure travel planner.
Arrive at your accommodation in Edinburgh
Driving Distance: ~150 miles / 240 km
Driving Time: ~4.5 hrs (with stops)
Highlights:
Edinburgh Castle – start your morning exploring Scotland’s most iconic fortress
Stirling Castle – one of Scotland’s grandest castles and key to its medieval history
Doune Castle – featured in Outlander and Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Scenic drive through Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park en route to the Highlands
Distillery Stop: Deanston Distillery (near Doune) – riverside tastings and tours
Dinner Tip: The Laroch Restaurant – locally sourced Highland cuisine
Driving Distance: ~120 miles / 190 km
Driving Time: ~4 hrs
Highlights:
Glencoe Valley – dramatic peaks and waterfalls (stop at Three Sisters viewpoint)
Fort William – gateway to Ben Nevis, UK’s highest mountain
Urquhart Castle – ruins overlooking the mysterious waters of Loch Ness
Optional boat cruise on Loch Ness
Distillery Stop: Ben Nevis Distillery (Fort William)
Dinner Tip: The Mustard Seed (Inverness) – modern Scottish bistro
Driving Distance: ~90 miles / 145 km
Driving Time: ~3 hrs (plus stops for tastings!)
Highlights:
Culloden Battlefield & Clava Cairns – history and mystery from the Jacobite era
Cawdor Castle – beautiful gardens and Macbeth connections
Enter Speyside, Scotland’s whisky heartland
Distillery Stops (choose 2–3):
Glenfiddich (Dufftown) – world-famous tours & tastings
Aberlour – classic Speyside smoothness
The Macallan – cutting-edge visitor centre and tasting experiences
Glen Grant – lovely gardens for a stroll post-dram
Dinner Tip: Copper Dog Pub (Craigellachie)
Driving Distance: ~120 miles / 190 km
Driving Time: ~4 hrs
Highlights:
Scenic drive through the Cairngorms National Park
Ballindalloch Castle (known as the “Pearl of the North”)
Glenlivet Distillery – historic site and tasting tours
Balmoral Castle – the King’s Scottish residence (open seasonally)
Explore Braemar village and nearby walks along the River Dee
Dinner Tip: The Bothy Braemar – cosy Highland cooking
Driving Distance: ~150 miles / 240 km
Driving Time: ~4.5 hrs
Highlights:
Glamis Castle – childhood home of the late Queen Mother, near Forfar
Scone Palace (Perth) – where Scottish kings were crowned
Drive through Highland Perthshire with its forests and waterfalls
Optional stop in Pitlochry – charming town with:
– Edradour Distillery (smallest traditional distillery in Scotland)
– Blair Athol Distillery
Return to Edinburgh for evening departure or final overnight
Dinner Tip: The Scran & Scallie – modern Scottish gastropub
The trip ends at the end of the journey unless you have booked extra nights or other optional services with us.
Timings and mileages are approximate.
We will always endeavour to accommodate you in the locations detailed in the above itinerary. Due to very high demand, some accommodation providers may occasionally have limited availability and so we may need to accommodate you in an alternative location, nearby.
We know you have a choice of companies providing trips for your next adventures. Here are some of the reasons you should choose to travel with Maximum Adventure: