Discover the beauty of Scotland on a 7-day getaway cruise aboard the elegant barge hotel Spirit of Scotland. Take an evening stroll at Banavie before the start of the tour. Cruise along Lochs Lochy, Oich and the famous Loch Ness and perhaps a chance to see "Nessie". Take a stop at one of the finest sceneries 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". Tour Cawdow Castle and gardens, a setting that is forever immortalized in Shakespeare's "Scottish Play", Macbeth. Explore the mysterious battlefield in Glencoe, famed for one of the darkest days in Scottish history.
Highlights
Tour of Cawdor Castle and gardens, home of Shakespeare’s Scottish Play
Cruise Lochs Lochy, Oich, Ness and Dochfour
Visit to Culloden Moor, scene of the last battle on British soil in 1746
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 the Glenmoriston Townhouse Hotel in Inverness and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Spirit of Scotland. A champagne welcome by the Captain and crew and perhaps an early evening stroll before our first dinner on board.
Your excursion today will take you to the mystical area of Glencoe, renowned for its geographical beauty and famed for one of the darkest days in Scottish history. Alternatively, you can enjoy some breath-taking panoramic views on a cable car ride to the summit of Aonach Mor mountain. If time permits you can visit the ruins of the 13th century, Old Inverlochy Castle, before embarking on your first cruise, through Moy Bridge, the last hand-operated bridge of its type on the Caledonian Canal. En route, you may visit the Clan Cameron Museum, before crossing Loch Lochy. As you approach our mooring at Laggan, a Highland Piper may be there to greet you with a stirring rendition of traditional Scottish music. Dinner on board.
This morning, you will 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 been featured in movies such as “Highlander” and James Bond’s “The World Is Not Enough” and overlooks three sea lochs.
Our afternoon cruise today takes you across the very scenic Loch Oich, perhaps stopping en route for a spot of fishing and enjoying a walk, then onto a pretty mooring at Cullochy. Dinner on board.
This morning you will cruise to Fort Augustus and down the “flight” as the locals call it, to moor opposite the Benedictine Abbey at the entrance to Loch Ness. There is time to explore this pretty village, then after lunch on board, you can take a gentle drive through stunning scenery to see the falls of Foyers, set in a dramatic gorge leading to Loch Ness and made famous in a 1787 poem by Robbie Burns. This evening you will have dinner ashore at a local restaurant.
This morning you will enjoy a picturesque cruise across world-famous Loch Ness, with perhaps a chance of spotting “Nessie”, where en route you will visit Urquhart Castle, mooring right below its spectacular ruins, before continuing your cruise to moor at the hamlet of Dochgarroch. After lunch you can visit 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 is still in use as a home for the Dowager Countess of Cawdor who resides there for several months of the year. Then you can visit Culloden Moor, scene of the last major battle on British soil in 1746 and end your tour at the Clava Cairns, a pre-historic clan chieftain burial site dating back to 2000 B.C. Dinner on board.
This morning, your final cruise will take you through Tomnahurich swing bridge and through the locks to Muirtown, where there will be the opportunity to take a bicycle ride or walk to the sea lock with wonderful views over the Moray and Beauly Firths. After lunch, you can 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 our special tasting of several single malts, including The Singleton. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.
Day 7: Muirtown | 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.
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Stateroom
The 130 sq ft air-conditioned cabins offer a choice of twin or double beds and are complemented by well-designed en-suite shower rooms. Each room has porthole windows, TV with DVD player.
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
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day 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
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
