Scottish Castles & Manor Houses

8 days
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Self-Guided / Independent Tour
Arrive in Edinburgh and pick up the rental car that will be yours for the duration of your trip. Begin your Scottish tour in the capital city and see your first castle - Edinburgh Castle. From there, drive to three diverse places: Aberdeen, Inverness, and Argyll. Visit the lake where the fabled Loch Ness monster lives and explore Scottish castles that sit at...
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$2,882
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Overview

Trip type
Self-Guided / Independent Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Scottish Heritage Pass

What's this trip about?

    Arrive in Edinburgh and pick up the rental car that will be yours for the duration of your trip. Begin your Scottish tour in the capital city and see your first castle - Edinburgh Castle. From there, drive to three diverse places: Aberdeen, Inverness, and Argyll. Visit the lake where the fabled Loch Ness monster lives and explore Scottish castles that sit atop cliffs overlooking lochs and ocean. Stroll through Aberdeen's glittering city (buildings were built with locally quarried grey granite, which can sparkle like silver) and buy an argyle sweater in its birthplace of Argyll. For the duration of your trip, use the Scottish Heritage Pass which gives you access to over 120 of Scotland’s top visitor attractions. 

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIndependent
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityEdinburgh
End CityScotland

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • Local Immersion & Homestays
  • Relaxing Retreats

Destinations

  • Europe
  • United Kingdom
  • Scotland

Attractions

  • Edinburgh
  • Inverness

Activities

  • Culture
  • Historic sightseeing
  • History
  • Homestays & Cultural Immersion
  • Relaxing Retreat
  • Ruins & Archaeology
  • Independent

Trip includes

    • Round-trip economy class airfare to Edinburgh (EDI)
    • Manual economy rental car for the duration
    • Accommodations in hotels listed, or similar: 1 night in Edinburgh at the Macdonald Houstoun House or similar
    • 1 night in Aberdeen area at the Norwood Hall Hotel, or similar
    • 2 nights in the Inverness area at Tulloch Castle, or similar
    • 2 nightsin Argyllat Loch Melfort House or similar
    • 1 nightin Edinburgh at Macdonald Houstoun House or similar Breakfast daily
    • The Scottish Heritage Pass, granting free entrance to Scotland's most outstanding historic attractions, such as Edinburgh Castle, Urquhart Castle and much more (available only for travel April through October)
    • Service charges and 20% VAT Please Note: While we always do our best to ensure that at least one or more castle-style property is included in your confirmed accommodation, we unfortunately cannot guarantee this as castle hotels are limited throughout Scotland. Please note that you will have plenty of opportunities to visit various historic castles during this trip with the use of your included Heritage or Explorer Pass.

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Itinerary

Day 1 Welcome to Edinburgh!

After collecting your baggage, pick up your rental car and let your adventure begin! Your visit starts in Edinburgh; on the drive from the airport to your hotel, see the elegant Charlotte Square and the tree-lined crescents of the 18th century Georgian New Town...

Day 2 Edinburgh - Perth - Royal Deeside

Depart Edinburgh and cross the Forth Estuary via the impressive suspension bridge on M90 to Perth. The city of Perth is the former capital of Scotland and is situated at the head of the River Tay - famous for its salmon. Near Perth is Scone Palace, the private ...

Day 3 Royal Deeside - Inverness

Traveling through the Cairngorm Mountains you will leave the area on the A941 to Dufftown and the Spey Valley. Many of the famous malt whiskeys are produced in this region - Cardhu, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and Tamdhu to name but a few. Later in the day, you wil...

Day 4 Inverness

Spend your day at leisure in the area - there are endless opportunities to explore! Do some sightseeing in the city of Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, which combines some rich and romantic history with the present. Travel further into the Highlands to ...

Day 5 Inverness - Loch Ness - Fort William - Argyll

From Inverness, follow the A82 south along Loch Ness, the most famous of all Scottish Lochs. It is approximately 800 feet deep and is famous for its monster, "Nessie." Loch Ness forms part of the Caledonian Canal which runs through the Great Glen.

Contin...

Day 6 Argyll & Surroundings

Today is free to discover this beautiful area. Perhaps pay a visit to Campbeltown, set on a deep bay sheltered by Davaar Island and the surrounding hills. Enjoy a guided tour and find out the secrets of whisky making in Kintyre at the Springbank Distillery, fou...

Day 7 Argyll - Stirling - Edinburgh

You have the choice this morning to take the A85 or A83 towards Crianlarich. From here you can take a small detour to Killin to see the Falls of Dochart, the dramatic waterfalls rushing through the center of the picturesque village. Drive along Loch Lubnaig thr...

Day 8 Depart Scotland

It's time to bid Scotland farewell today; following breakfast (or depending on the time of your return flight), make your way back to the airport to return your rental car and begin your journey home.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $2,249
Price per day$281
Last Updated: 7/13/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Great Value Vacations.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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