Scottish Highlands & Whisky Trail Road Trip

Trip Features

Epic Scenery

Showcases landscapes that elevate parts of the journey.

Iconic Landmarks

Features renowned sites that capture the essence of each destination.

Rural Charm

Highlights countryside settings rich in character, culture, and tranquillity.

Trip Itinerary

At a Glance

DAY

Arrive in Edinburgh

DAY

Scone Palace to Royal Deeside Sightseeing

DAY

Explore Castle Fraser Garden and Estate

DAY

Discover Distillery tour in Speyside

DAY

Experience Inverewe Gardens Sightseeing

DAY

Embark on a Loch Ness Cruise

DAY

24-hour Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off City Sightseeing

DAY

Depart from Edinburgh

Travel Itinerary

Trip Starts

Trip Stop

Trip Ends

Detailed Itinerary

DAY

Arrive in Edinburgh

Multi Day Tour

Arrival - Pick up Rental Car

Arrive at Edinburgh Airport and pick up your hired car. Depart for the north of Scotland crossing the Forth Road Bridge if coming from Edinburgh and continue up the M90 to Perth.

Your Accommodation

Salutation Hotel

One of Scotland's most historic hotels. The Salutation Hotel is situated in the heart of the historic City of Perth. Reported to be the Oldest established hotel in Scotland, the Salutation has been welcoming guests through its doors since 1699. One of the most famous patrons to sample our hospitality was Bonnie Prince Charlie who stayed here in 1745, at the height of his struggle to regain the throne for the Stuart Kings. Today, the welcome is as warm as it ever was offering traditional hospitality with all modern comforts.

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DAY

Scone Palace to Royal Deeside Sightseeing

Multi Day Tour

Scone Palace - Royal Deeside Sightseeing

After your Full Scottish Breakfast, you have the option to visit Scone Palace, the family home of the Earl of Mansfield and also the site of the famous coronation Stone of Scone, brought there in the 9th century by Kenneth MacAlpine, King of Scots. Continue your journey to Pitlochry, a small Highland town. Stop at the Salmon Ladder where you may be lucky enough to see salmon leaping! From Pitlochry, travel towards Braemar. You will take the very scenic and dramatic road over the Spittal of Glenshee one of the highest points in Scotland and also site of one of Scotland's ski resorts. Descend into Braemar which sits in the heart of Royal Deeside, the favoured holiday area for the Royal Family in Scotland. If time allows, visit Balmoral Castle (open May - July only), home of Royal Family.

Meal

Breakfast

Your Accommodation

Holiday Inn Express Aberdeen City Centre

This pleasant city hotel is located close to the city center and there are many shops, bars, restaurants and lively nightlife venues to be found in the near vicinity. Links to the public transport network can easily be reached on foot and the sea is just 100 m away. The welcoming hotel was opened in 2002 and comprises a total of 5 floors with 155 rooms. Facilities include a foyer with a 24-hour reception desk, a lift, a bar, a TV room and an air-conditioned restaurant with a non-smoking area in addition to a conference room, a bicycle hire service and a public Internet terminal.

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DAY

Explore Castle Fraser Garden and Estate

Multi Day Tour

Castle Fraser Garden and Estate

Take a trip into Aberdeen, Old Aberdeen is lovely and is where the university is based. See Kings College, a chapel famous for its rich woodwork dates from the 16th century. Nearby is St Machar's Cathedral, mainly 15th century it is a granite structure of simple austere grandeur. Two notable features are the West Front with its twin castellated towers and the painted wooden Heraldic Ceiling in the nave, dated 1520. Visit Duthie Park and Winter Gardens - a beautifully laid out 50-acre park with floral displays in all seasons including a "rose mountain". There are two boating ponds and many interesting sculptures and mountains. The Winter Gardens feature exotic plants, flowers, birds, fish and turtles. Outside Aberdeen, visit Crathes Castle which has royal historic associations dating from 1323 when the Land of Leys were granted to the Burnett family by Robert the Bruce. The castle features some remarkable late 16th century painted ceilings. There is a large walled garden and the great yew hedges date from 1702, fascinating examples of topiary. Return to your accommodation overnight.

Meal

Breakfast

Your Accommodation

Holiday Inn Express Aberdeen City Centre

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DAY

Discover Distillery tour in Speyside

Multi Day Tour

Distillery tour in Speyside

Travel north towards Inverness. In the morning follow the Whisky Trail and visit one of the many famous distilleries in the area. You can visit Glenfiddich, McCallan, Grants, Cardhu and many more. Each distillery provides an audio-visual show and then a guided tour of the distillery to learn of the processes and for many the highlight is a tasting at the end of the tour. The choice of what to see and do in the Speyside area is vast - visit a Scottish castle such as Brodie, Cawdor (made famous by the Shakespeare's Macbeth), and Ballindalloch. Visit Culloden Moor, site of the last land battle on British soil, wander around Inverness, capital of the Highlands, take the Strathspey Railway from Boat of Garten to Aviemore; or watch the Ospreys at Loch Garten.

Meal

Breakfast

Your Accommodation

Hotel Mercure Inverness

Situated in the heart of Inveness' vibrant City Centre, Mercure Inverness Hotel boasts a dramatic Highlands backdrop with the Old Town and a thriving selection of shops and nightlife on the doorstep. This modern 3-star hotel is six miles from Loch Ness and 200 metres from Inverness railway station. Complimentary high speed WIFI is available throughout the hotel. The Brasserie restaurant is open for tempting meals and you can work out in the onsite fitness room.

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DAY

Experience Inverewe Gardens Sightseeing

Multi Day Tour

Inverewe Gardens Sightseeing

Enjoy a day visiting the West Coast of Scotland. Travel across to Ullapool, a quaint fishing village. Then travel down past the dramatic Corrieshalloch Gorge to the Inverewe Gardens, run by the National Trust. These magnificent gardens have a famous rhododendron collection and who would expect to find palm trees in Scotland. Return through the magnificent scenery of the Torridon area and past Loch Maree.

Meal

Breakfast

Your Accommodation

Hotel Mercure Inverness

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DAY

Embark on a Loch Ness Cruise

Multi Day Tour

Loch Ness cruise

Today travel south again going via Loch Ness. Loch Ness forms part of the Caledonian Canal a feat of some great engineering by Thomas Telford linking East Scotland with West by using a series of lochs linked by a canal system. Stop at Urquhart Castle, a very scenic spot and also the place where the most sightings of "Nessie" have been. Continue towards Fort William, which nestles beneath the highest mountain in Great Britain - Ben Nevis. If time allows, why not take a ride up in a gondola at Anoch Mor which on a good day will offer stunning views over the west coast. From Fort William, start travelling south. Travel through the beautiful and mysterious Glencoe, which is great for walking and climbing and full of nature. You then travel over Rannoch Moor and into the heart of the Trossachs, known as the “gateway to the Highlands”. Stop at Stirling Castle, which has played such an important role in much of Scotland's vibrant history. The Great Hall has just been refurbished and the Visitor Centre has a very good audio-visual exhibition explaining much of the history. Return towards Edinburgh area where you will stay overnight.

Meal

Breakfast

Your Accommodation

Murrayfield Hotel

Tucked away in one of Edinburgh's cozy corners, Murrayfield Hotel is your base for exploring the Scottish capital in style. If you're a local, there's no better place to be than the Bothy for your favourite comfort foods or pints on matchday! Whether you’re visiting the capital for business, leisure or a family getaway, we have the perfect place to call home. Located just a couple of minutes away from Edinburgh Zoo, and opposite the national Murrayfield Stadium which frequently plays host to major live sporting events and music concerts, you'll never be far away from a good time. The Bothy Pub & Restaurant is the perfect place to relax after a hard day's shopping or sightseeing. Join us for dinner and tuck into one of our Scottish classics, the ideal accompaniment to a gin perfect serve or warming glass of red.

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DAY

24-hour Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off City Sightseeing

Multi Day Tour

24-hour Edinburgh City Sightseeing

Enjoy a full day in Edinburgh. In the morning, go up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, which dominates the Edinburgh skyline. The Castle is site of the oldest building in Edinburgh - St Margaret's Chapel and the Crown Jewels of Scotland. Continue down the Royal Mile - take time to explore the many "closes" which run off this street and which hold so many secrets. There are many restaurants, pubs and souvenir shops on the Royal Mile for a lunch stop. In the afternoon at the foot of the Royal Mile, visit Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the King whilst he is in Scotland. The Palace has a wonderful ballroom and staterooms to visit. To end the day, go into the New Town to admire the Georgian architecture and the well-laid out streets that are in complete contrast to those of the Old Town. Return to your accommodation overnight.

Meal

Breakfast

Your Accommodation

Murrayfield Hotel

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DAY

Depart from Edinburgh

Multi Day Tour

Departure

Unfortunately, it is time to leave Scotland. Return to the airport.

Meal

Breakfast

What to Expect

Explore what moves you.

Dunnottar Castle

Aberdeen

Urquhart Castle

Edinburgh's Royal Mile

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Michael at Goway Travel was great to work with. We were planning a pre-trip with him prior to a group tour. He worked with us to hit the special places we wanted to visit and things we wanted to do. The accommodations arranged exceeded our expectations. Local guides were all amazing. This was the third trip we booked through Goway, and we will definitely book with them again in the future David Picka

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Goway Travel has South Pacific travel Consultant and they are all very experienced. ALICE was the agent who took care of my travel to Australia and she suggested best hotel accommodations excursions and worked within my budget. I had wonderful trip without any problems. Alice was very helpful and we are planning another trip will contact her.Saral

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Alice Teramoto Put together a perfect trip to Aitutaki and Rarotonga. The tours she included added to the experience. She was the glue to combine the complete package and would highly recommend her services.Valued Customer

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We just came back from a wonderful trip to Portugal. From the time I contacted Goway until now, I have been more than satisfied with our experience. Our agent Michael put together a 8 day package with all the requirements we had asked for. The 8 day trip went so seamless & took all the stress off us travelling in Portugal. Michael not only listened to what we wanted, but he was so quick to respond to all of our calls, emails & concerns. The transfers, hotels & tours he arranged were the best. We would highly recommend Goway. I can hardly wait to book our next adventure with Goway. Cathy

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I just returned from a wonderful trip to Sweden and Norway. I had the good fortune of working with Michael Keon who helped me plan and customize an interesting and balanced itinerary. All of the logistics went well, flights, transfers, hotels in great locations, travel between destinations, fjord safaris, cruises and guided tours with knowledgeable guides to inform and make the experience even more memorable. Michael was responsive to all of my questions and made it so easy to both prepare for and ultimately enjoy the trip. Looking forward to planning the next one!Gail

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Just got back from a fabulous safari holiday in Tanzania. The trip was amazing! Exceeded my expectations. The people, the local team at Sense of Africa, the food, the accommodations (Karibu camps: Elephant Springs+Lion’s Paw and Sametu), the safari from the sky (hot air balloon)… I can keep going. Perfect way to celebrate my 50th bday. Thanks again to Alice Teramoto and Goway for making this happen! Truly a trip of a lifetimeKARISSA CARRASQUILLO

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I have had Melissa Moses plan our trips for us for quite a few years. She always finds interesting sights for us to see, the hotels are always beautiful and everything runs perfectly. Can't wait to get started on the next adventure. Andrea Jones

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Just returned from a two week trip to Prague, Vienna and Budapest booked by Michael Keon at Goway This was our second trip booked with Michael Hotels were all excellent, in great locations, transfers to and from airports went without a hitch and train travel was exactly as planned. As we worked through all the details of planning the trip, he responded to lib questions promptly, making finalizing the trip very easy I would highly recommend him as a travel agent, and we will be using him again Kevin Bourke

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Katie's knowledge and support were the primary reason the trip worked so well. Everything went smoothly, and the vacation could not have been any better. The hotels were wonderful, the two tours we took went well, and there were no issues with flights or transfers. GERAR

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What do the experts say?

Rebeka Cameron

Team Lead

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For somewhere a little lesser known, make sure to visit Dunfermline, the old capital of Scotland. Rich in history, it’s home to the impressive Dunfermline Abbey where many Scottish kings and queens are buried, including Robert the Bruce.

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Rebeka Cameron

Team Lead

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Many tourists don’t realize how diverse Scotland’s regions are, each area has its own distinct culture, accents, and traditions. For example, the Outer Hebrides have a strong Gaelic heritage that’s still thriving.. Also, Scotland has some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in Europe, especially on the west coast and islands.

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Danette Jeoffroy

Destination Specialist

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Scotland hosts two amazing events - Edinburgh Tattoo in August, and Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve). Edinburgh hosts one of the world’s biggest and most iconic New Year’s celebrations!

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Danette Jeoffroy

Destination Specialist

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The best times to visit Scotland are late spring (May to June) and early autumn (September to October). During these months, the weather is generally milder, and the landscapes are especially beautiful

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