Embark on a 7-day cruise aboard the Scottish Highlander. Explore Scotland’s Caledonian Canal. The itinerary begins in Muirtown and includes a cruise through Loch Ness, with visits to historic and cultural sites such as Cawdor Castle, Culloden Moor, Clava Cairns, Urquhart Castle, and Eilean Donan Castle. Guests enjoy guided tours, a falconry demonstration, whisky tastings, and scenic walks along the canal. Highlights include cruising past Ben Nevis and Neptune’s Staircase, visiting Dalwhinnie Distillery, and optional activities like fishing or exploring small villages. The journey ends in Banavie with return transport to Inverness. This is a detailed, experience-driven trip through the Scottish Highlands, combining culture, history, nature, and local food and drink.
Highlights
Stroll Muirtown sea lock with views of the Moray and Beauly Firths
Tour Cawdor Castle and its top-ranked UK gardens and collections
Visit Culloden Moor, site of the 1746 Jacobite final stand
Explore Clava Cairns, a 4,000-year-old burial and ritual site
Activity options vary depending on destination and operator. Activity level is determined by the range and intensity of activities you choose to participate in. Discuss with your Trip Planner which options are best for you.
Guests are greeted at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Scottish Highlander. A Champagne Welcome awaits, followed by an optional early evening walk to the sea lock, offering stunning views across the Moray and Beauly Firths. Later, relax with a choice of fine single malts from the barge’s collection before enjoying your first dinner on board.
Your first cruise takes you up the Muirtown lock flight and through the Tomnahurich swing bridge, with the option to walk along the River Ness to the hamlet of Dochgarroch. After lunch on board, visit Cawdor Castle, famously linked to Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Its beautifully maintained gardens rank among the top 100 in the UK, while the castle itself houses an exceptional collection of tapestries, artwork, and period furnishings. The Dowager Countess of Cawdor still resides here part of the year. Dinner is served on board.
This morning, enjoy a visit to Culloden Moor, scene of the last major battle on British soil in 1746, where English Government troops faced the Highlanders of “Bonnie Prince Charlie”. If time allows, then take a tour of Clava Cairns, a prehistoric clan chieftain burial site dating back to 2,000 B.C, and setting for the Outlander TV series. After lunch onboard, cruise through Loch Dochfour and across Loch Ness, where en route you pass Urquhart Castle, navigating closely beneath its spectacular 13th century ruins, before continuing your cruise to Fort Augustus. Dinner on board.
After breakfast, visit the private Highland Club, a spectacular exclusive set of residences and a former 19th-century Benedictine Monastery. Here, you 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 you up the “flight”, as the locals call it, at Fort Augustus and then on to your pretty mooring at Cullochy. This evening, you are given a tutored private whisky tasting at the charming The Glenmoriston Arms Hotel, followed by dinner in the hotel restaurant.
This morning’s cruise can be partially walked as you cross the very scenic Loch Oich, perhaps stopping en route for a spot of fishing, and onto the pretty Laggan Avenue. As you approach Laggan, your Highland Piper may greet you with a stirring rendition of traditional Scottish music. After lunch on board, take in some of the finest scenery Scotland has to offer as you 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 you 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 you to the Dalwhinnie 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.
$6,090
Rates are subject to change without notice. Book early to get the best rate.
Select a Date
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
Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
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