Arrival at Edinburgh Airport and transfer to hotel in the Edinburgh area. Dinner and overnight stay.

Panoramic visit in the morning to Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, to discover the 1700s Georgian quarter, with its elegant squares and avenues, mansions with neoclassical façades, the mediaeval quarter and Edinburgh Castle. Afternoon free for visits to galleries and museums, for shopping on the Royal Mile or Princes Street, or for a stroll in the Royal Botanic Garden. Return to hotel in late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay.

After crossing the famous Forth Road Bridge, a visit to Falkland Palace and its gardens. Departure for St Andrews, an elegant and picturesque town with beautiful beaches on the shores of the North Sea. St Andrews is the world’s golfing capital, and celebrities like Tiger Woods and Sean Connery play here. It also has Scotland’s oldest university, and Prince William studied here. Visits to the ruins of the castle and cathedral, destroyed during the Reformation, St Andrews having previously been Scotland’s religious capital. Check-in at hotel in the East Coast area for dinner and overnight stay.

Departure in morning for Aberdeen, stopping at Stonehaven, a small fishing port south of Aberdeen, with view of Dunnottar Castle and stop for photos. Continuation towards Aberdeen, Great Britain’s biggest oil industry port. Panoramic tour of Aberdeen, with the port, St Machar’s Cathedral and Duthie Park, with rose gardens and one of Europe’s largest winter gardens. Departure for visit to Pitmedden Garden and its remarkable display of aromatic and traditional plants. Visit in afternoon to the imposing Fyvie Castle, with a magnificent spiral staircase, splendid collections of portraits, tapestries and period furniture, and a park for enjoyable strolls. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Departure from Montrose in the morning for visit to Crathes Castle, perfect example of a 1500s tower house. Continuation towards the Speyside area, the heart of Scotland’s whisky industry and the country’s leading exporter. Visit to a whisky distillery (Glenfiddich or similar), discovering the secrets of this traditional drink and with final tasting session. Departure for Elgin, a small and elegant town, with visit to the ruins of the majestic Elgin Cathedral, once one of Scotland’s largest. Continuation to hotel in the Inverness area for dinner and overnight stay.

Possibility of morning cruise (1 hour, with supplement) on mysterious Loch Ness, where many sightings of the famous Loch Ness Monster have been reported over the centuries. Continuation alongside Loch Ness with visit to Urquhart Castle, then following the banks of the Caledonian Canal linking Inverness and Fort William, stopping at Fort Augustus to see a spectacular series of locks built in the early 1800s. Arrival at Fort William and at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles, then continuing along Glen Coe, an ancient valley formed by a glacier. Departure for Loch Lomond, the British mainland’s largest lake, surrounded by spectacular landscapes. Stroll in the picturesque village of Luss on the shores of the loch. Continuation to Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city, for dinner and overnight stay in a hotel on the outskirts.

Transfer in morning to Glasgow city centre, with panoramic tour of the city, nominated UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999. Departure for Culzean Castle, with its view over the waters of the Firth of Clyde. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Transfer with assistance to Edinburgh Airport for flight home.