Discover the beauty of Scotland on a 7-day getaway cruise aboard the cozy barge hotel Scottish Highlander. Explore the mysterious battlefield in Glencoe, famed for one of the darkest days in Scottish history. Tour Cawdor Castle and gardens, a setting that is forever immortalized in Shakespeare's "Scottish Play", Macbeth. Cruise along the mystical Loch Ness and perhaps a chance of spotting the "Nessie". Take a stop at one of the finest scenery in Scotland and the most photographed castle, Eilean Donan, which has been featured in movies such as "Highlander" and James Bond's "The World Is Not Enough".
Highlights
Visit Glencoe, where the famous battle between the Campbell and MacDonald clans took place
Cruise Scotland's Lochs including Loch Ness and try to spot "Nessie"
Tour Cawdor Castle and gardens, home of Shakespeare’s Scottish Play Macbeth
Explore one of Scotland's best known and most photographed castles, Eilean Donan
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Guests are met at Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Scottish Highlander. Champagne Welcome and if you wish, an early evening stroll to the sea lock with wonderful views over the Moray and Beauly Firths. Then perhaps savour one of the hotel barge’s many single malts before your first dinner on board.
Your first cruise will take you up the Muirtown lock flight and through Tomnahurich swing bridge, with an option to walk alongside River Ness to the hamlet of Dochgarroch. After lunch on board, you will visit the Glen Ord distillery, founded in 1838 on the Black Isle by the Mackenzies of Ord. You will be given a fascinating description of the maturing and aging process of their whiskeys, each with its distinctive characteristics, followed by a special tasting of several single malts, including The Singleton. Dinner on board.
This morning you will enjoy Cawdor Castle, forever immortalized in Shakespeare’s “Scottish Play”, Macbeth. The picturesque gardens have been listed as being amongst the top 100 in the UK. The castle contains a superb collection of tapestries, pictures and furnishings and the Dowager Countess of Cawdor still lives there for part of the year. Then you will visit Culloden Moor, scene of the last major battle on British soil in 1746. If there is time, you will end your tour at the Clava Cairns, a pre-historic clan chieftain burial site dating back to 2,000 B.C. Later, you will cruise through Loch Dochfour and down Loch Ness, where en route we visit Urquhart Castle, mooring right below its spectacular ruins, before continuing your cruise to Fort Augustus. Dinner on board.
After breakfast, we visit the private Highland Club, a spectacular exclusive set of residences and a former 19th century Benedictine Monastery. Here we are treated to a falconry and birds of prey demonstration** on the banks of Loch Ness, and the majesty of the swooping birds against the backdrop of the sweeping Scottish Highlands is not easily forgotten. There is time to explore the pretty village of Fort Augustus before lunch on board, after which your cruise takes us up the “flight”, as the locals call it, at Fort Augustus and then on to your pretty mooring at Cullochy. This evening we are given a tutored private whisky tasting at charming The Glenmoriston Arms Hotel, followed by dinner in the hotel restaurant.
This morning’s cruise can be partially walked as we cross the very scenic Loch Oich, perhaps stopping en route for a spot of fishing, and onto the pretty Laggan Avenue. As we approach Laggan, your Highland Piper may greet us with a stirring rendition of traditional Scottish music. After lunch on board we take in some of the finest scenery Scotland has to offer as we drive to one of its best known and most photographed castles, Eilean Donan, which has featured in movies such as “Highlander” and James Bond’s “The World Is Not Enough” and overlooks three sea lochs. Dinner on board.
Today, your final cruise will see us pass through Moy Bridge, the last fully hand-operated bridge on the canal, before mooring at Banavie beneath Ben Nevis and a stroll from Neptune’s Staircase leading down to Loch Eil. After lunch on board, your tour today takes us to the Ben Nevis Distillery for a tour and private tasting of several single malts. Captain’s Farewell Dinner and of course, the opportunity to enjoy another wee dram or two.
Day 7: Banavie | Disembark
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, guests are transferred by private chauffeured minibus to their choice of location in Inverness.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$5,690
Rates are subject to change without notice. Book early to get the best rate.
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Stateroom
Twin/Double bed in 115 sq ft cabin, including en-suite facilities. Hairdryers and toiletries are provided.
Select a Date
Suite
Twin/Double bed in 148 sq ft cabin, including en-suite facilities. Hairdryers and toiletries are provided.
Initial deposit is 25%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by Credit card, check, and bank transfer. All final payments by credit card subject to a surcharge of 2.5% and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
8 hours ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 day ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
