100% customisable travel idea
A week between Highlands & Islands Scottish landscapes and manor houses
Great Britain - Scotland - Edinburgh - Highlands - Trossachs
The life of a thistle
Your trip
The narrowness of the roads in the Highlands is legendary. As with all legends, there is some truth and some fiction involved. These narrow roads lined with stone walls do exist, but most of the time you'll be driving on modern roads. Driving a car does not pose any particular problems for an attentive driver. The pace of the trip means you do not need to put your foot down recklessly. You can take your time. From Edinburgh to Cove, your hotels have been chosen with care. For how they reflect the Scottish way of life, as well as for their comfort and convenient location, but also for their hospitality and elegance. In many establishments, Scottish cuisine has risen to the rank of gastronomy. Three outings are marked in your itinerary, so you have plenty to do: a walking tour of Edinburgh, a visit to the Oban distillery and a hiking and cycling cruise on and around Loch Katrine. We also recommend adding a hike on Skye to this. Along the way, you might fancy doing something unexpected or a slight setback may arise. To help you deal with this, you will have the contact details of our on-site Concierge.
Itinerary
100% customisable for you
Private transfer and one night in the West End, in a property made up of several neighbouring 19th-century townhouses. This property was formerly a maternity clinic, then halls of residence for students, before being converted into a hotel. So there is a long tradition of hospitality here. Behind the stone walls, a beautiful classic hotel unfolds, where vibrant blue, purple and green velvet mingles with oyster coloured leather. The most iconic piece in the hotel's art collection is a Tiffany lamp from the early 1900s. The rooms are superbly equipped and particularly comfortable. The same materials have been used here as in the common areas, with small brightening touches of satin. The restaurant serves European-inspired food with a Scottish twist. Breakfast and afternoon tea are both on the menu in keeping with British tradition.
Scheduled - Edinburgh walking tour. With a private guide, descend from the castle into the old town, where the medieval layout gives it a unique atmosphere. Then continue on to the Parliament and Palace of Holyroodhouse. Along the way, discover the most iconic attractions of the Scottish capital, listen to funny anecdotes (a national passion), and of course, enjoy a mug of tea in a local haunt.
Pick up your rental car and drive to Fort Augustus. One night at a hotel on the site of the Khilwhimen Barracks, a key location during the Jacobite risings in the 18th century. The building itself dates from the 1860s. The Highlands atmosphere is carefully crafted and restful. The rooms have that special cosiness the British are famous for. In the restaurant, Chef Sean Kelly works wonders with flavour, form, and colour in his small plates. You can’t fail to be impressed by his flawless technique producing as it does carefully crafted playful dishes, which are a pleasure to eat. In the brasserie, the food is simpler and more traditional, but always expertly prepared and truly delicious. The hotel embraces eco-consciousness and has a biomass boiler.
Drive to Portree, on the Isle of Skye (via the Skye Bridge). Stay for two nights above Loch Portree, in a Victorian mansion that has the feel of an ancestral home. The house seems better suited to welcoming a few distant cousins than guests. Aside from the tasteful refurbishment, you hardly feel like you are in a hotel. The comfortable rooms and printed fabrics, the furniture and hunting trophies, have a natural, authentic quality not often found in carefully designed hotels. Breakfast is served in the restaurant. Soups, platters, snacks and light bites are also available. The beautiful garden is perfect for a pleasant stroll.
The Cuillin are one of the main attractions on Skye. Go walking in the Red Cuillin or, if you are a keen hiker, in the Black Cuillin. The seaswept romance of these landscapes has long captivated travellers. Naturally there are few castles, which is only to be expected in Scotland. The history of Dunvegan Castle dates back to the 13th century. The castle itself is imposing and the extensive gardens are quite beautiful. As for Portree, it is a small picturesque harbour where the Skye Highland Games take place in August. Events include tossing the caber, hammer throwing, weight throwing, races and tug-o’-war, that rope pulling display of strength. Boat trips are an opportunity to spot grey and common seals, dolphins, porpoises, gulls, puffins, guillemots, and more.
Optional extra - Hiking day tour.
Drive to Armdale, then take the ferry to Mallaig. Drive to Glencoe. Stay for one night on the south shore of Loch Leven in a suite overlooking the water. The manor dates from the late 19th century. With its grey granite walls edged in red sandstone, the building is striking. Inside, the suites have an aristocratic atmosphere. You have a room with a lounge and a private dining room (where breakfast and any other meals you order are served). Once again, a well-stocked bar has been set up just for you. The fact that you have all this to yourself is made even more delightful by the setting. Massages are available for guests. And the fresh air that awaits you in the garden and beyond is right there on your doorstep.
Scheduled - Oban Distillery, on the road to Cove. Founded in 1794 and still one of the smallest in the country, it nonetheless played a key role in the development of Oban (once just a small fishing and trading village). On the tour led by a guide, discover the art, and it truly is an art or a craft, of whisky making. The distillery only makes single malt. Once the process has been explained, a tasting session brings it all together in a glass, served with some crystallized ginger. After the sheep of Skye, another symbol of Scotland is whisky, known the world over, but made in only a few places, this being one of them.
Stay for two nights just north of Cove, in a splendid Scottish baronial style neo-Gothic mansion on Loch Long. Pepper pot chimneys, bay windows, stained glass and wood panelling, this property has it all! The rooms have that special warmth that comes from polished wood and fine linens. The windows overlook the well maintained gardens. The chef cooks with remarkable precision, using top-quality ingredients. The overall effect is traditional, authentic and charming.
Scheduled - Loch Katrine bike and boat cruise. In the heart of the beautiful wooded Trossachs region, the water of Loch Katrine is especially pure. This freshwater loch is the main source of water for the Glasgow area, managed by Scottish Water. It is also a very popular place for walking. You approach it first by boat, sailing from Trossachs Pier in the east to Stronachlachar in the west. Enjoy the fresh air all around you as you sail on these calm waters. Then, you strap on your helmet and cycle back to the departure point. There are plenty of places along the way to stop and admire the breathtaking scenery, and enjoy the beauty of Scotland’s wilderness. As the sun sets, the landscape is beguiling. The clear sky fades behind a backdrop of steep, violet-tinged hills, with the wind whispering through deep green woods at their feet. The russet moors turn golden in patches, and with the shimmering water it creates a magnificent scene.
Drive to Edinburgh. Return the return car at the airport and return flight.
À la carte
This suggested itinerary can be customisable down to the smallest detail, including duration, stops and content. An à la carte menu of experiences is also available to create a journey that reflects who you are.
A day's hiking on the Isle of Skye
Accompanied by a private guide, you set off across the moors and peat bogs - and a few beautiful hills - to discover Skye. Along the way, you pass sheep farms. Sheep farming has been the main occupation on the island since the 19th century. Farmers’ favourite breeds are Cheviot (white face) and Scottish Blackface (black face). Both are hardy and provide excellent quality meat and wool. Sheep are a familiar sight on the island's grasslands, which are kept short by the sheep themselves. Black-legged kittiwakes are easily spotted. So are mountain hares. You need to be luckier to spot a corncrake or a goldeneye. Sheep enjoy heather; the pink bells of the grey heather are delightful; bog-myrtle signals the presence of peat bogs. Your guide will give you all the necessary information.
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