Day
1: Highland Perthshire, Blair Castle, Lagganside & Boat of Garten
Head
north over the Forth Bridges and into Highland Perthshire - the "Heart of
Scotland". Continuing up the A9, you will pass Dunkeld, Pitlochry and Blair
Castle (home of the Dukes of Atholl and their private army), any of which make
a lovely stop with plenty to see. Further north and over the Drumochter Summit,
look out for herds of deer here in Spring and Autumn. Passing the Highland villages
of Dalwhinnie and Newtonmore, you can leave the main road to visit Lagganside,
the heart of "Monarch of the Glen" country, with its forested hills
and serene lochs. Enjoy the great views across Loch Laggan to Ardverikie house
(Glenbogle), and imagine yourself as the Highland Laird as you wind your way through
this stunning area. Returning to the main road, continue north past Kingussie,
before turning off to Boat of Garten. The fabulous hills you will be seeing all
around are the Cairngorm Mountains - a spectacular plateau with 6 peaks over 4000
feet. You are booked in Boat of Garten for the next 2 nights. The hotel is privately
owned and was built in Victorian times for the prestigious Strathspey Steam Railway
which still makes regular journeys into Aviemore.
Day
2: Flexible day
Today you have the freedom to explore this wonderfully
rich area. What you choose to do very much depends on your interests. May we suggest
visiting the Ospreys at Loch Garten where there is live TV coverage of the birds
in their nest at the RSPB observation hide or following the famous Speyside Malt
Whisky Trail - 60% of Scotland's Malt Whisky is produced in Speyside and most
distilleries offer a guided tour with a dram at the end! There are many charming
villages to visit - Grantown-on-Spey being the "capital" of the area.
Aviemore is a bit more commercial and is the center for tourism throughout the
year. Most of the Strathspey area is privately owned by the Glen More Forest Park
and Rothiemurchus Estate. Between them they provide a plethora of year round activities
and actively encourage recreational use of their land, giving you the freedom
to roam virtually anywhere you like. Day
3: Scenic Journey Back to Starting Point
Begin your journey back
towards your starting point. You should have plenty of time to take a more scenic
route back than the dual carriage A9 you drove up on. You can take the superb
road through Royal Deeside. Here you will pass Ballater, where Queen Victoria
first arrived by train from Aberdeen, as well as Braemar and Balmoral, where the
Estate and Castle is still owned by the Royal Family. You will also cross over
the highest mountain pass in Britain, known as the Devils Elbow, and down into
Glenshee, another fine area for winter sports. You can head east to visit Dundee,
the capital of Tayside and the home of Captain Scott of the Antarctic's ship,
Discovery. Cross over the Tay Bridge and you will be in Fife, designated as the
ancient Kingdom of Fife by the Picts in the 4th century. It's 120 miles of coastline
peppered with ancient but still active harbors and fishing villages, castles and
ruins steeped in history, long sandy beaches and some of the best golfing in the
world.
Departures: Any day Tour
includes:
- 2 nights Table d'hote Dinner and Bed
& Breakfast at The Boat Hotel, Boat of Garten Tour
not included:
- Vehicle. Car Hire/Rental can be
arranged by us from as little as $36.28 per day
- All items of a personal nature
and phone calls
- Lunch and refreshments
- Entrance fees to visitor attractions
Important
Information:
This tour is designed
to start from lowland Scotland Edinburgh/Glasgow/Stirling/Perth), but could be
started from northern England (with an early start!!) or even from central Scotland
or Inverness. Mileages are approximate. The roads in the Highlands can be very
hilly and many are single track. When calculating drive times, it's best to estimate
your speed at no more than 40 mph. Edinburgh
/ Glasgow - Dunkeld : 55 / 75 miles
Dunkeld - Kingussie : 57 miles
Kingussie
- Boat of Garten : 27 miles
Boat of Garten - Grantown-on-Spey : 10 miles
Grantown-on-Spey
- Tomintoul : 13 miles
Tomintoul - Braemar : 31 miles
Braemar - Blairgowrie
: 34 miles
Blairgowrie - Dundee : 19 miles
Dundee - St. Andrews : 13 miles
St.
Andrews - Edinburgh / Glasgow : 49 / 77 miles |
