A Scottish Journey

Visit Scotland

{ "summary": [ "As soon as you step foot in Scotland, you’ll be under its spell. Revelling in mystical monsters, snug glens and infamous battles, allow yourself to breathe deeply and take it all in. Bask at the edge of the world where sea meets sky. Wander through centuries-old cities filled with a vibrancy for life. And discover a locally owned whisky room filled with flavours (and their secrets!) beyond your imagination. Wherever the path through Scotland takes you, rest assured the memories made here will last a lifetime." ], "itinerary": [ { "icon": "tour", "day": "1", "title": "Edinburgh", "image": "", "body": "Orange glows from low-lit lamps that dot centuries-old houses, leading the path to a stoned castle\non top of the hill. Paths smudged with long forgotten footsteps eager to tell their tale. And an array\nof locally owned stores that have stood the test of time. Edinburgh is the city that hosts our group\nmeet. We’ll gather with those we’re sharing this journey with, then clink glasses and share stories of\nour own as we tuck into a welcome meal." }, { "icon": "location", "day": "2", "title": "The Highlands", "image": "", "body": "This morning we’ll wind northwards, passing through the quaint villages of East Neuk where the sea\nbreeze will caress your cheeks with its fresh saltwater scent. \nThen: enjoy free time in St Andrews – where young royalty meets golf heritage. Seek out the\nUniversity of St Andrews, where a certain love story began its once-upon-a-time. Polish off your\ngolf facts with a venture around the British Golf Museum – home to a rich and colourful history that\nspans centuries. Or travel back in time to when St Andrews housed the largest cathedral in all of\nScotland; its ruins will evoke a sense of age-old nostalgia, inspiring you to imagine a time without\nmodern buildings, renovated houses and the latest technology. As we head northwards to our hotel\nin the Highlands, bask in the ever-changing scenery filled with rugged glens and dramatic hills." }, { "icon": "location", "day": "3", "title": "The Highlands", "image": "", "body": "Ah that fresh Highland air filling your lungs – there's no feeling like it! We’ll begin our day with a visit\nto one of the treasures Scotland is famed for... a magnificent castle. Prominent and majestic in\nstature, this piece of history looms over the land like the kings and queens who once lived within its\nwalls reigned over its people – with strength, power and perseverance. With a bounty of castles in\nthe area, you might be wondering which stronghold we’ll explore... We’ll give the honour of\ndivulging to your local Tour Leader. \nFollowing our stroll into the past, Mother Nature calls our name. Something to be aware of? The\nweather – as varied as it is in bonnie Scotland – will dictate the atmosphere you experience. Low\ncloud over mulls and glens promises an ethereal feeling that raises the hairs on the back of your\nneck – as though a Gaelic witch is brewing a storm, whilst clear blue skies vow vast scenery that\nnever ends. Our minds filled with lush landscapes and local tales, we’ll return to our hotel where we\ncan slumber and ready ourselves for Day 4’s ventures." }, { "icon": "location", "day": "4", "title": "Inverness", "image": "", "body": "Wake up and breathe in your morning coffee – another day of embracing all that Scotland has to\noffer is right beneath our noses. First: buckle up in the minicoach and watch a cacophony of green\nforest trees, imposing mountains and shimmering waters flit by from the comfort of your seat as\nwe travel towards the Highlands’ capital: Inverness. \nBefore we cross into city lines, let’s have a moment for the Highland Folk Museum. It’s Britain’s first\nopen-air museum buzzing with direct insight into the past. Embrace scurrying red squirrels, rugged\nthatched homes and a welcoming smile at every turn. And – for guests who have a passion for all\nthings film and TV, this was a location used for Outlander! \nOnwards to Inverness. Settle in for dinner with your newfound travel companions as a local\nbagpiper welcomes you to this evening’s meal, playing traditional notes in a melody that will stir the\nsoul." }, { "icon": "location", "day": "5", "title": "Inverness", "image": "", "body": "Greet Inverness with joy – this city is nestled in the heart of the Highlands, where the lingering\nbreath of the Loch Ness monster reaches its tall roofs and winding streets. During our walking tour\nwith a local guide, we’ll stroll along the cobbled streets of Old Town, glance towards the towering\nstructure of Inverness Castle, and hear the Scottish war-drums and bagpipes in our minds as\nancient tales of days gone by are shared. \nLater, secrets will be spilled – and hopefully not a single drop of liquid gold – as we experience a\nwhisky tasting at Malt Rooms, a business created by two locals and their love of traditional\nbeverages. More diverse than your usual distillery which proudly houses a signature label, the Malt\nRooms is home to a vast array of Scottish whiskies. So, ask yourself... will you prefer a smoked\nflavour that caresses your throat? Or will it be a sweet, fruity nectar that lifts your spirits? Bellies\nwarmed; the rest of the day is yours to roam the flourishing city as you please – perhaps that\nincludes a spot of haggis!" }, { "icon": "location", "day": "6", "title": "Isle of Skye", "image": "", "body": "Wave a fond “mar sin leat” (farewell in Scottish Gaelic) to the spirited city of Inverness – our next\nstop is just a short drive away, and it’s laden with the ghosts of a bloody battle from 1796. Embrace\nthe gooseflesh along your arms as you hear tales of the Jacobite Rising’s final, tragic, end. From\nharrowing history to magical mythology – keep your eyes peeled for Scotland’s favourite monster\nin the calming waters of Loch Ness. Any slight ripple could be her shyly welcoming you to her home!\n\nBack onto the minicoach for our next stop: Plockton! Or, as it’s lovingly known as to the locals –\n“The Jewel of the Highlands”. Seek out fresh, rose-coloured tulips growing in bunches. Cast your\neyes over quaint homes that seem to have tumbled out of an old fairytale. Follow the mountain line\nunder a cloud-filled (or clear blue!) sky. Most importantly, feel the peace this place brings to your\nsoul. \n\nOur journey takes us to our home for the next two nights – the Isle of Skye – where we’ll stay at a\nfamily-owned hotel surrounded by fragrant gardens and splendid views just a peek through your\nwindow. But first, a group dinner with decadent food awaits our arrival!" }, { "icon": "location", "day": "7", "title": "Isle of Skye", "image": "", "body": "Do you know the origins of the word ‘Skye’? It’s derived from Old Norse ‘skuy’ meaning ‘cloud\nisland’. That may be an indicator of today’s weather – but don’t let that stop you from experiencing\nthe isle’s mythic charm. Today’s journey begins in Portree – a quaint fishing village, and Skye’s\ncapital. Dotted along the harbour is a line of pastel-coloured buildings bright enough to tussle with\nany cloudy day. Stroll beside calm waters, breathe in that fresh Scottish air and pick up a spot of\nlunch (including Scottish favourite Irn-Bru!) ready to eat during our travels later. \nThen, we’ll immerse ourselves in the gentle hum of mountains, lochs and castles as golden eagles\ncircle in the sky and wild dolphins jump in the sea. A taste of the sights our eyes will twinkle at\ntoday? The Old Man of Storr – famed for hiking and views, Kilt Rock – a cascading waterfall with\nplunging depths, and Quiraing – a walking route where every tickle of wind caresses your cheek.\nThis evening, enjoy dinner at your own leisure – we suggest embracing the island life with a plate (or\ntwo!) of fresh seafood." }, { "icon": "location", "day": "8", "title": "Isle of Mull", "image": "", "body": "From one island to another, our adventure continues. Let’s dive into the origins of Scottish Gaelic a\nlittle, giving you some food for thought as we pass through languid lochs, gleaming glens and\nmagnificent Munros (mountains to us!). Irish settlers, known as Scoti, brought the language with\nthem during the 4th or 5th century. From then, the language travelled through the land like a rush\nof water until the 16th century when it began to decline due to the immergence of English. Some\nwords are preserved and many pockets of the population hope to revive Gaelic culture today. After\na lunch stop in Mallaig (try to find some shortcakes to fill that spot!), our Tour Leader will share\nmore stories and historic anecdotes alongside folklore and fairytales about the enchanted setting\nwe find ourselves in until we settle in our new home for the next two nights: Mull." }, { "icon": "location", "day": "9", "title": "Isle of Mull", "image": "", "body": "Do you believe in fairies? How about mermaids, seal people and sea monsters? Today’s stop, the\nIsle of Iona is a bewitched island, filled with magic, mischief and mystery. Every gale, every scent of\nseawater, and every patch of glen could hold a tiny glimmer of mystical intrigue if you look close\nenough. During our meander across Iona, we’ll visit Iona Abbey. Being the oldest Catholic church in\nthe UK (and one of the oldest in Western civilisation), this sacred site holds an unearthly amount of\nhistory within its stone walls. If you wander to the edge of the land, you can look out onto the\nglistening waters and imagine the legends of the deep. Is that a flick of a fin you’ll see in the\ndistance? Upon our return to Mull, we’ll toast to our Scottish journey and the friendships made with\na final dinner together." }, { "icon": "tour", "day": "10", "title": "Edinburgh", "image": "", "body": "One final adventure for the road? Before we head back to the point where our tale began, let’s\ncreate a few more memories for the postcards we send back home. We’ll briefly stop in Oban for\nsome free time after we arrive at the mainland. The seafood capital of Scotland boasts a bustling\nport, crashing waves that rival the anger of the old gods, and all the colours of the rainbow dotted\nalong the harbour. \nOur second-to-last stop takes us to Stirling where its magnificent hilltop castle will raise the hairs on\nthe back of your necks as it presides over the city and all who wander there. Once we’re inside its\ngleaming walls adorned with immaculately painted crests, high ceilings and rich, decadent\nmaterials, we’ll soak up sweeping views, gasp at the enormity of it all, and wonder what whispers\nhaunt the rooms. Our final journey aboard the minicoach is now upon us, so settle in, swap your\nfavourite memories, and follow the back roads to Edinburgh with a heart full of Scottish stories." } ] }

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