Balmoral Castle

 You arrive in Edinburgh, get your car and drive to Airth Castle Hotel (app.   30 miles). In Edinburgh take the M9 towards Stirling and follow it as far as  Junction 7. Then turn off and follow the A876 towards  Kincardine Bridge.  When you reach the first roundabout take the A905. The hotel is on the left side and there is a big sign. 

 In the morning you start at Airth Castle Hotel. Go back to the M9 and drive  towards Stirling. Shortly before you reach this town there is the historic  Battlefield of Bannockburn with a big tourist centre showing you the great  victory of the Scottish hero Robert the Bruce who defeated the English troops here in 1314 securing the Scottish independence for many centuries. 

 Spend some hours in Stirling, the so-called "Gateway to the Scottish  Highland". Park at the castle parking place, visit the mighty fortifications,  stroll through the picturesque centre of Stirling and the medieval Old Bridge  and continue to the famous Wallace Monument on the opposite hill. 

 Now take the A811 towards Loch  Lomond, which is one of the most beautiful  lochs of Scotland. Branch off to the A813 and you´ll reach Dumbarton with its  mighty castle hill and then take the A814 towards Helensburgh. Drive along  the sea lochs Gare Loch and Long Loch to Tarbet, where you reach the A85 towards Tyndrum. On the northern shore of beautiful Loch Awe stand the very old and picturesque ruins of Kilchurn Castle. 

 Now go back for 1 mile. At the junction with the A819 take this road and  follow it to your next stop at Inveraray, a wonderful village on the shore of  Loch Fyne with old white washed houses and a big castle which is the  residence of the Duke of Argyll. Go for a relaxing walk through the wide main street of Inveraray, visit Inveraray Jail and enjoy the great view on beautiful Loch Fyne. 
Tip: If you don´t want to visit Kilchurn Castle it would be better to branch off at Tarbet towards Arrochar. You´ll save much time!

 After you discovered Inveraray leave the village on the A83 towards  Lochgilphead. Continue on the A83 towards Tarbert and drive along Loch  Fyne until you reach your luxurious night quarters for the next two nights  called Stonefield Castle Hotel. This marvellous castle was built in 1837 throning on a gentle hill over the fishing village of Tarbert on the peninsula of Kintyre. It was once the residence of the chieftain of the Clan Campbell. 
(app. 120 miles if you do not visit Kilchurn Castle).

 Today you´ll have to decide whether you want to make a trip round the  peninsula of Kintyre or to visit either the Isle of Arran or the Isle of Islay. If  you choose Kintyre follow the A83 southwards. Drive along the shores of the  Gigha Sound to Campbelltown. Now take the minor roads leading to "Mull of Kintyre" which is well-known because of the famous song written by Paul McCartney). Then return on the road along the Kilbrennan Sound to Tarbert. 

 A trip to the Isle of Arran would be a very paying alternation. The passage  from Claonaig takes only 30 minutes. Arran is often described as "Scotland in  miniature" because there you can find almost every typically Scottish -  mountains, gentle hills, picturesque glens and quiet lochs. Arran is 20 miles long and 10 miles wide. A good 56 miles long road encircles the island and there is also a east-west connection in the middle of Arran. One of the most important sights is doubtlessly Brodick Castle on the east coast.

 If you make your decision in favour of Islay you will have to calculate more  time for the crossings. The ferry leaves at Kennacraig which is south of  Tarbert and carries you to Port Askaig (2 hours 45 min) or Port Ellen (1 hour  55 min). Islay is the most southern island of the Inner Hebrides. It is 25 miles long and 20 miles wide. On the island is one of the best known whisky destilleries of the world but also a lot of Celtic relics. The roads are rather narrow. 

It doesn´t matter where you will spend this day. In the evening you can enjoy your delicious dinner and spend a quiet and luxurious night in Stonefield Castle Hotel.

 Today you have to leave Stonefield Castle Hotel. Take the A83 going back to  Lochgilphead. There branch off to the A816 towards Oban. Near Kilninver  you should leave this road to visit the little Isle of Seil, which you can reach  by crossing the old stone bridge of Clachan. Enjoy a little walk through the main village called Easdale with its low white washed houses. 

 Oban is a very colourful and busy town. Leave the car and discover it during  an app. one-hour walk - it really pays! Visit the harbour watching the ferries  that leave for the Isle of Mull and the well-known "Oban Folly" on the hill  above the town. I´m sure you will be delighted by this charming place on Scotland´s wonderful west coast. 

 Now it is time to leave Oban on the A85. Your next stop is Dunstaffnage   Castle, which is a mighty fortification off the west coast. It dates from the 13th  ct although most parts of it goes back to the 15th ct. Once a Campbell fortress  this defiant castle still guards the meeting place of Loch Etive and the Firth of Lorne. Some miles north there is picturesque Barcaldine Castle. 

 Follow the A82 north and drive along the sea loch of Loch Linnhe until you  reach Ballachulish on the shores of Loch Leven. There a road bridge crosses  the loch and continues to Fort William, your next destination. Don´t miss to  stop here for a while to discover this colourful and busy town on the northern shore of Loch Linnhe. Go for a walk in the pedestrian zone and buy your Scottish souvenirs for those who stayed at home. You´ll find everything typically Scottish there. Fort William is also the place where the famous Caledonian Canal has its southern end. 

Now get back to the A82 and follow it to Invergarry which lies app. in the middle of Loch Oich. Nearby is the Glengarry Castle Hotel, where you´ll spend the next night. Enjoy an excellent dinner and the typically Scottish hospitalityerreicht and let the day die away on the shores of Loch Oich. 
Day miles: app. 125

 Today you should get up early because you will have to drive app. 160  miles. Your next stop on the A82 is Fort Augustus. Here, where the mythical  Loch Ness ends, you should really visit the world-famous locks of the  Caledonian Canal and the nice Benedictine abbey. Now continue on the A82 and drive along the shores of Loch Ness towards Inverness. 

 Your next stop is Urquhart Castle. This defiant castle ruin on Loch Ness is  beside Eilean Donan Castle the most famous and also one of the biggest  castles of Scotland. It was probably built by the Lords of the Isles in the 13th ct  and blown up in 1692 by Clan Grant in order to secure that it cannot fall into the hands of the Jacobites. 
Tip: Here are the deepest points of Loch Ness (app. 750 ft), and here Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, was often seen so sit down on the castle walls and watch out for it!

 Shortly after Urquhart Castle you again should stop at Drumnadrochit. In this  nice little village is the biggest Nessie souvenir shop where you can buy  everything associated with the monster. Enjoy a cup of coffee in the nice  tearoom and then visit the "Loch Ness Exhibition Centre" where the long search for Nessie is shown in detail. You will also see a submarine used to explore Loch Ness. 

 Your next destination is Inverness on the northern end of Loch Ness. It is a  modern and very busy town which has recently become the capital of the  Scottish Highland. Go through the crowded pedestrian zone, walk along the  River Ness and visit the modern castle on a low hill above the town. 

 Now it is time to leave Inverness on the A96 that leads to Nairn, Elgin and  finally Aberdeen. Stop at the famous Battlefield of Culloden - a sad place  amidst an inhospiable moor where, on April 16th, 1746, the Scottish forces  were eradicated by the English troops under the Duke of Cumberland. It was the last battle on British soil and resulted in the loss of Scotland´s independence. Visit the tourist centre and the battlefield. 

 The next stop is at Castle Stuart, which is only a few miles east of Culloden. It  is one of the most beautiful Scottish tower houses and stands directly beside  the road. 
 Shortly after the airport of Inverness you reach a road junction. Hier you can choose whether you want to see Fort George, a very big fortification from Jacobean times on the coast (take the A9006 to the left) und/or visit the marvellous Cawdor Castle (turn to the right). Both are first-class sights! 

 Back on the A96 continue to Nairn, a little town on the Moray Firth, and  finally, having passed the historic Battlefield of Auldearn, the splendid  Brodie Castle. 
 The next little town called Forres is also well worth a stay. Road signs will lead you to the famous 21 ft engraved "Sueno Stone" dating back to the 7th ct. which is a little bit outside the town protected by panes of thick glass.

 Now continue on the A96 to Elgin. In this busy little town you really should  see the ruins of the medieval cathedral, the so-called "latern of the North". It  was burnt down by the notorious "Wolf of Badenoch". You find it outside the  town centre in a lovely park and you can visit it. The nearby bishop´s palace is well worth a visit too.

 Your next destination on the A96 is Keith and finally Huntly. Both towns are -  beside Dufftown - centres of the world-famous "Whisky Trail". Nowhere else  you can visit such a big number of whisky destilleries than in this region. The  very old castle ruins of Huntly and the medieval castle hill, a so-called "motte", prove that Huntly already exists for a very long time. 

 In Huntly you have to leave the A96 to continue your journey on the A97  going south now. North of Rhynie you can visit one of Scotland´s finest  castles called Leith Hall. South of Lumsden you reach Kildrummy, a little  village with an incredible big castle ruin. Certainly the day is already passing away now and therefore it is time to register at Kildrummy Castle Hotel where you will spend the next luxurious night. 

 Today you will have to drive app. 160 miles too. Go back the few miles to  Mossat where the A944 branches off the A97. Take it. Near Alford which is the  place of a historic battlefield too) take the A980 until you reach one of the best  known Scottish tower houses, the beautiful Craigievar Castle. It was built in  1626 and can be visited. 

 Now you again have to make your choice. You can either take the A93  through the lovely Royal Deeside which you will reach at Banchory. Follow it  towards Aberdeen until you reach the marvellous Crathes Castle. Or, near  Craigievar, you can branch off to the B9119 which will bring you back to the A97 and finally to the A93 without visiting Crathes. 

 Now drive on the A93 westward. You soon will reach Ballater, a pretty little  town in Royal Deeside, before you arrive at the entrance of a real highlight of  your Scotland tour - the Royal Balmoral Castle. If the royal family isn´t there  you can visit the great gardens but not the castle itself. Usually the castle grounds are closed in August and early September. 

 The next stop is Braemar. Beside a fine old tower house that stands near the  road before you reach the village from the east Braemar, lying in the heart of  the mighty Cairngorm mountain range, is world-famous for its Highland  Games that are held on the first Saturday in September and visited by the Queen and her family. 

 Now one of the most remoted regions of central Scotland lies ahead. Driving  over the lonely and often foggy Pass of Drumochter and the quiet village of  Dalwhinnie with its well-known whisky destillery, you will reach Blair  Atholl, the splendid castle of the Dukes of Atholl, who are allowed to have a private army. This is a first-class sight, so don´t pass by without visiting it! 

 Leaving the little towns of Pitlochry and Dunkeld with its beautiful little  cathedral behind you now go south to Perth, which is one of the biggest cities  of Scotland and gave its name to the Australian Perth. There are not many  sights in Perth that would be worth a visit but you should go for a walk through the pedestrian zone and have a look at the cathedral of St John. 
Some miles outside the city to the north-east is Scone Palace with the coronation hill of the ancient Scottish kings on nearby Moot Hill. Then you can also visit the two fine tower houses Elcho Castle and Huntingtower Castle which stand near Perth too. 

 Now take the M9 southward towards Edinburgh. Passing by the pretty little  town of Kinross and the old Scottish capital Dunfermline you reach the  famous Forth  Road Bridge at North Queensferry that will bring you across  the wide Firth of Forth. Soon after crossing the Firth of Forth you reach the suburbs of Scotland´s capital Edinburgh that lies to the left. 

 Leave the M9 and follow the A90 to Edinburgh. In the city centre there begins  the A1 which leads to Haddington and further to Dunbar and Berwick-upon- Tweed on the east coast. Take it until you reach Musselburgh and then branch  off to the A6094 towards Dalkeith and Bonnyrigg. A few miles outside this little town stands Dalhousie Castle, the last castle hotel of your Scotland tour. 

 Today you will explore Scotland´s capital and its famous sights. Please  inform yourself using a good Scotland guide but don´t miss the following  sights:
 Visit the castle, the old main street called "The Royal Mile" with its old "landings", the cathedral of Str Giles, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Calton Hill. Then make a shopping tour through Princess Street and have a look at Charlotte Square in the "New Town". 
In the evening you drive back to Dalhousie Castle Hotel.

 You return your hired car and leave Scotland.
 

 Get your hired car at Edinburgh Airport and leave Scotland´s capital on the  A8 and finally on the M9. If you landed in Edinburgh Turnhouse the highway  M9 is just off the airport area. Follow the M9 passing Falkirk until you reach  Stirling, which is the first destination of your roundtrip. 

 Spend some hours in Stirling, the so-called "Gateway to the Scottish Highland".  Park at the castle parking place, visit the mighty fortifications, stroll through the  picturesque centre of Stirling and the medieval Old Bridge and continue to the  famous Wallace Monument on the opposite hill. 
 Don´t hurry! You have plenty time to reach your hotel/B&B in time!

 Leave Stirling using again the M9 and branch off where a road sign announces  the A811. Follow this road as far as Drymen, a village near the world-famous  and romantic Loch Lomond. Drymen is an excellent starting point to explore  one of the most beautiful lochs of Scotland. Here you will spend your first night in this fascinating country. 

 Today you should spend at least the forenoon to discover whether Loch  Lomond is really one of the most beautiful lochs of Scotland. Around noon  take the A811 towards Alexandria and Dumbarton with its historic castle  hill and drive on the A814 towards Tarbert via Helensburgh. Alternatively you can, in Dumbarton, take the A82 which is leading up as far as Inverness. 

 From Tarbert take the A82 through a very remote region until you reach  Crianlarich and then Tyndrum where you have to branch off to the A85. Now  you are following the River Lochy to the picturesque castle ruin called  Kilchurn Castle which stands in a beautiful scenery on the northern shore of Loch Awe. 

 Now go back one or two miles to the road junction where the A819 branches  off and follow that road to your next stop in Inveraray, a wonderful village on  the shore of Loch Fyne with old white washed houses and a big castle which  is the residence of the Duke of Argyll. Go for a relaxing walk through the wide main street of Inveraray, visit Inveraray Jail and enjoy the great view on beautiful Loch Fyne. 
Tip: If you don´t want to visit Kilchurn Castle it would be better to branch off at Tarbet towards Arrochar. You´ll save much time!

 After you discovered Inveraray leave the village on the A83 towards  Lochgilphead. Continue on the A83 towards Tarbert and drive along Loch  Fyne until you reach your luxurious night quarters for the next two nights  called Stonefield Castle Hotel. This marvellous castle was built in 1837 throning on a gentle hill over the fishing village of Tarbert on the peninsula of Kintyre. It was once the residence of the chieftain of the Clan Campbell. 
(app. 120 miles if you do not visit Kilchurn Castle).

 Take the A83 going back to Lochgilphead. There branch off to the A816  towards Oban. Near Kilninver you should leave this road to visit the little  Isle of Seil, which you can reach by crossing the old stone bridge of Clachan.  Enjoy a little walk through the main village called Easdale with its low white washed houses. 

 Oban is a very colourful and busy town. Leave the car and discover it during  an app. one-hour walk - it really pays! Visit the harbour watching the ferries  that leave for the Isle of Mull and the well-known "Oban Folly" on the hill  above the town. I´m sure you will be delighted by this charming place on Scotland´s wonderful west coast. 
From here take a ferry of the Caledonian MacBrayne line to the Isle of Mull. 

 You can reach the beautiful Isle of Iona by crossing the Isle of Mull on the  picturesque singe-track road A849. The passenger ferry leaves at Fionnphort  where this road ends. The crossing is very fast - just 20 minutes but you  cannot take your car with you so you have to explore Iona on foot. Nevertheless Iona should be one of your main destinations in Scotland. Here was the birth place of the occidental Christianity. It was St Columba who founded a small monastery here in the 6th ct. From here Christendom spreads like wildfire throughout €ope. Moreover 48 kings were buried near the abbey so you can feel the the presence of a long goneby but nevertheless still vivid past with every step you make. 

Tip: You should book the ferry Oban – Craignure and back in advance, particularly if you want to visit Mull and Iona in the main season. If you want we can do this for you. 

 On the A828 you continue along the coast to Fort  William, a little town near  Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. Don´t miss to stop here  for a while to discover this colourful and busy town on the northern shore of  Loch Linnhe. Go for a walk in the pedestrian zone and buy your Scottish souvenirs for those who stayed at home. You´ll find everything typically Scottish there. Fort William is also the place where the famous Caledonian Canal has its southern end.

 Leave Fort William heading north along Loch Lochy, the southmost loch of  the Caledonian Canal as far as Invergarry. Now branch off and take the A87,  the so-called "the Road to the Isles", which is one of the best known and  probably the most beautiful road in the British Isles. Amidst unforgettably great Highland sceneries you cross Glen Shiel until the foggy silhouettes of the "Five Sisters of Kintail" appears in front of you - 5 mighty peaks southeast of Loch Duich.  

 Near Shiel Bridge you finally reach phantastic Loch Duich, and there,  throning majesticly on its small island, it is waiting you your visit - Eilean  Donan Castle, the probably most beautiful fortification in the British Isles. This unforgettable view with the "Five Sisters" in the background will doubtlessly be one of the absolute highlights of your Scotland tour. 

 Passing picturesque Highland villages you finally arrive at Kyle of  Lochalsh,  which is the final point of the British Railway. Here the Skye ferries left in  former days. Nowadays you can easily reach Skye using the gigantic road  bridge which was built some years ago with the effect that Kyle of Lochalsh has lost much of its importance and Skye much of its island charakter. Nevertheless it would be near to a sacrilege not to visit the most famous and for many people the most beautiful island of the Hebrides. 

You´ll spend one night on the island. 

 Today you will go for a trip around the Isle of Skye. These sights are the most  beautiful and important ones: Dunvegan Castle on the west coast, which is the  residence of the chieftain of Clan MacLeod of Skye, the "Old man of Storr", a  huge rock stack and the "Kilt Rock", both on the east coast, the cottage museum of Kilmiur on the north coast, where you too can find the grave of Flora MacDonald who saved Bonnie Prince Charlie from being captured by the English, then, of course, Portree, the capital of Skye, the Talisker whisky destillery and, in the south, Armadale Castle, the residence of the MacDonalds of Sleat. 
You spend the night in the same accommodation.

 At Kyle of Lochalsh you reach the Scottish mainland again. Continue on the  A87 for a while and then branch off to the A890 towards Achnasheen. You  drive along Loch Carron - again amidst great Highland sceneries. Arriving at  Achnasheen choose the A832 and go west through the very remote and quiet region of Wester Ross to Kinlochewe. Continue along the wonderful and lonely Loch Maree until you reach the west coast near Gairloch. 

 Some miles northeast of Gairloch, directly on the A832, you find the most  beautiful gardens in the north of Scotland - Inverewe Gardens. You should  absolutely stop here and visit this incredible collection of plants, trees and  shrubs. You will be delighted by the splendor of the blooming flowers, particularly if you visit the gardens in spring.  Planen Sie hier unbedingt einen  mindestens zweistündigen Aufenthalt ein! Sie werden von der Blumenpracht  überwältigt sein! In nearby Gruinard Bay is Gruinard Island, a tiny isle which is a forbidden area since its surface was infected by milt bacteria by the British army. 

 Now your journey continues eastward along Little Loch Broom to Braemore  Junction in the quiet wilderness of the Scottish Highland. Here the A832  meets the A835, which would bring you to the tourist centre of the  northwestern coast called Ullapool. However, you now should continue on the A835 eastward through another very remote and lonely region around beautiful Loch Glascarnoch. On your way to Garve you will only pass the picturesque old Aultguish Inn. 

 Shortly before you reach Garve you will come to a road junction with the  A832. Take it again and go on towards health resort Strathpfeffer where you  should have a look at the very old and majestic Castle Leod before carrying  on to the beautiful little town of Dingwall. Near Conon Bridge you cross the Cromarty Sound and are now on the peninsula of "Black Isle". After crossing the peninsula you arrive at Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands, where you will spend the next night. 

 This morning you have to decide what to do next. You can either take the  A82 southward along Loch Ness and visit the famous Urquhart Castle and  the "Nessie" centre at Drumnadrochit. Or you choose the more beautiful  single-track road along the eastern shore of Loch Ness. Both roads meet again in Fort Augustus. Here you should visit the world-famous locks and the nice modern Benedictine abbey. 

 Now follow the Caledonian Canal using the A82 as far as Spean Bridge and  branch off to the A86 there. Continue along Loch Laggan until you reach  Laggan. Here is the geographical centre of Scotland. On the road junction take  the A889 southward. Now one of the most remoted regions of central Scotland lies ahead. Driving over the lonely and often foggy Pass of Drumochter and the quiet village of Dalwhinnie with its well-known whisky destillery, you will reach Blair Atholl, the splendid castle of the Dukes of Atholl, who are allowed to have a private army. This is a first-class sight, so don´t pass by without visiting it!

 Near Bridge of Garry you can branch off to the B8019 to enjoy the famous  panorama of Loch Tummel at Queens View. Leaving the little towns of  Pitlochry and Dunkeld with its beautiful little cathedral behind you now go  south to Perth, which is one of the biggest cities of Scotland and gave its name to the Australian Perth. There are not many sights in Perth that would be worth a visit but you should go for a walk through the pedestrian zone and have a look at the cathedral of St John. 
Some miles outside the city to the north-east is Scone Palace with the coronation hill of the ancient Scottish kings on nearby Moot Hill. Then you can also visit the two fine tower houses Elcho Castle and Huntingtower Castle which stand near Perth too.  

 Now take the M9 southward towards Edinburgh. Passing by the pretty little  town of Kinross and the old Scottish capital Dunfermline you reach the  famous Forth  Road Bridge at North Queensferry that will bring you across  the wide Firth of Forth. Soon after crossing the Firth of Forth you reach the suburbs of Scotland´s capital Edinburgh that lies to the left. 

 If you still have time enough on your last day in Scotland you can go shopping  along Princess Street or visit some of Edinburgh´s famous sights like the castle,  the old main street called "The Royal Mile" with its old "landings", the cathedral  of St Giles, the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Calton Hill. Then make a shopping  tour through Princess Street and have a look at Charlotte Square in the "New Town".
Then you return the hired car and leave Scotland by plane or ferry.