August 11: Edinburgh––Braemar–Inverness
We check out of our Edinburgh hotel and travel northward to Braemar and Inverness.  Cross the Firth of Tay and from Dundee head into the Highlands with a lunch stop in pretty Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games for over 900 years. Drive through the Grampian Mountains, following the River Dee in the area where the Royal Family spends their summer holidays. Later, visit a Whisky Distillery, where your guide explains the ancient art of converting barley, water, and yeast into a heart-warming liquor. The next two nights are spent in the Highland capital. (B, D)

August 12: Inverness. Highlands Excursion
Fascinating visits on today’s excursion. At CULLODEN VISITOR CENTRE the story unfolds of the crushing Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish clans. Then call at CAWDOR CASTLE, setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth and for over 600 years home to the Thanes of Cawdor. View the castle rooms and take a stroll through the gardens. Back in Inverness, the rest of the day is free to explore this compact city. Our recommendation would be to join the Loch Ness Experience optional excursion including a cruise on the loch followed by supper at a local inn. (B)

August 13: Inverness–Wick
Continue an unforgettable journey through spectacular scenery to the remote northernmost part of Scotland. Follow the coast road to majestic DUNROBIN CASTLE, originally built in 1275 and for centuries the seat of the Dukes and Earls of Sutherland. Visit the formal gardens overlooking the North Sea and tour the castle’s opulent interior. Also enjoy a fascinating FALCONRY DISPLAY. Before dinner at your hotel in the tiny port of Wick you may want to join your Tour Director for an optional excursion to a village to meet the locals in a pub. (B,D)

August 14: Wick–Ullapool–Isle of Skye
Enjoy the panoramic views of Scotland from the Isle of Skye
A day to sit back and enjoy the breathtakingly wild and unspoiled scenery, some of the finest in Britain. The region is remote and the roads are single track and somewhat uneven. The northern coast is lined with miles of yellow sandy beaches and pretty estuaries. Heading inland, the hills and mountains take on a purple hue as the summer progresses, mists create an eerie atmosphere, and the glens and lochs form a picture-book landscape. This is Scotland at its best! Make a lunch stop in the quaint fishing port of ULLAPOOL, and it’s an early evening arrival on the Inner Hebridean Isle of Skye. (B,D)

August 15: Isle of Skye
A full day on Skye to absorb the breathtaking scenery of this spectacular and history-steeped isle. Explore Portree, the tiny island capital, then visit remote DUNVEGAN CASTLE, seat of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod since 1200, and learn of connections with Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora MacDonald. Take in the views of the Cuillin Hills on the way back to Broadford. (B,D)

August 16: Isle of Skye–Glenfinnan–Isle of Mull
Call at the Clan Donald Centre for a visit to its MUSEUM OF THE ISLES and an insight into 13 centuries of clan history before boarding your FERRY at Armadale to sail across the Sound of Sleat. Rejoin the mainland at Mallaig and follow the “Road to the Isles,” pausing at Glenfinnan, the site where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s standard was raised in 1745; then follow the shores of lovely Loch Linnhe.   We check into our hotel in Oban and enjoy our dinner and overnight. (B,D)

August 17: Isle of Mull–Inveraray–Glasgow
The morning we ferry to the Isle of Mull and enjoy touring. Next over the Pass of Brander and from Inveraray, follow the road known as “Rest and be Thankful” to the “Bonnie Banks” of Loch Lomond, the most famous loch of all. Back in Glasgow this afternoon your orientation city tour takes in the fine 12th-century cathedral, imposing university buildings, and elegant Georgian squares built by the wealthy tobacco barons. Time for last-minute shopping before enjoying a farewell dinner at your hotel. (B,D)

August 18: Return to USA
After breakfast we check out of our hotel and transfer to the Glasgow airport in time to make our homebound flight back to the USA. (B)