Oban and Loch Lomond

Unforgettable sights, high peaks, dramatic views, waterfalls and wildlife to name a few are waiting for you to discover. This is a Highland holiday with peace, relaxation and a taste of a care-free way of living.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Hotel for 4 nights with breakfast & dinner with welcome drink included
• Overnight hotel for 2 nights with breakfast & dinner
• Optional excursion to Mull & Iona
• Included excursion to Glencoe & Inveraray
• Included excursion to Loch Lomond with boat cruise
• Visit to Helensburgh
• Main hotel provides porterage and tea/coffee after dinnerDAY 1 Departure: A morning departure stopping for lunch en route to our overnight hotel.

DAY 2 Travel to Oban: Our journey takes us through the Scottish Borders to Callander set on the edge of the Trossachs and at the southern edge of the Highlands. After lunch we continue by way of Lochearnhead and Loch Awe, to Oban and our hotel.

DAYS 3-5 At leisure in Oban with one optional* and two included excursions. A resort and ferry port situated on a sheltered bay, Oban has been an important western coastal destination since the coming of the railway in 1880. The town has a promenade and a harbour busy with ferries running to various islands in the Hebrides. Oban also has a distillery and a variety of other tourist attractions, such as Dunollie Castle and McCaig’s Folly.

Optional* excursion - Mull & Iona: This excursion takes you to the Islands of Mull and Iona. From Oban the seaward view is dominated by the rocky peaks and green slopes of the Mull Mountains. Mull is the largest island of the Inner Hebrides. Tobermory, known by many children as Balamory, is a summer resort and the chief town. Iona, separated from Mull by the Sound of Iona, is hilly, with shell beaches. Farming, livestock grazing, and fishing remain, but tourism is the main industry. The island is famous as the early centre of Celtic Christianity. St. Columba landed there from Ireland in 563 and founded a monastery. In 1203 a Benedictine monastery, of which there are remains, was established.

Glencoe & Inveraray: From Oban we travel alongside Loch Linnhe to Glencoe, where time will be allowed at the visitor centre. From there it’s on to Inveraray which enjoys a picturesque setting on the shores of Loch Fyne, where it meets Loch Shira. Built on the site of an earlier fishing village in the mid 1700s, Inveraray's Front Street and harbourside are fascinating and attractive. On the harbourside is Inveraray Cross, a tall, beautifully carved stone cross dating back to the 1300s or 1400s which once served as the market cross of the original village.

Loch Lomond with boat cruise: Journey to the “Bonnie Bonnie Banks” and join a boat cruise with live commentary. Ben Lomond stands guard over Loch Lomond, the largest expanse of freshwater in Great Britain and the romantic centrepiece of the National Park. In the north the loch is deep and narrow, bound by steep sided mountains. Further south it spills into an island studded panorama.

DAY 6 Travel to overnight hotel via Helensburgh: This morning our journey takes us via the picturesque resort of Helensburgh before making our way back through the Scottish Borders to our overnight hotel.

LAST DAY Travel home: We depart for home, arriving during the evening.Caledonian Hotel, Oban

Regarded among many as the grandest hotel in Oban, this Victorian hotel lies in the very centre of the town, with all the shops and attractions right on the doorstep. Features include a spacious bar and seaview restaurant. Each of the en suite bedrooms offer TV, hairdryer and tea/coffee making facilities. There are no ground floor rooms available however there is a lift to all floors and porterage is included.