A Journey Through Scotland - Orkney, Cairngorms & Highlands

NEW FOR AUGUST 2026, take an epic journey right up through a wide variety of beautiful Scottish landscape to the north of the spectacular Highlands This is a wonderful opportunity to stay on mystical Orkney (actually a group of 70 scattered islands) and although just a few miles of ocean separate Orkney from Scotland's north coast, you can feel the magic and mystique as soon as the ferry casts off from the mainland. The journey is also very much the destination with a stay in the mighty, majestic Cairngorms as well as historic Caithness. There is so much to discover en-route including Dunrobin Castle, the Castle of Mey, the Falkirk Wheel and a Hairy Coo Safari! An epic adventure where memories will last a lifetime!\n\nTo see July departure (slightly different itinerary/different hotels), please click here\nHighlights
- 1 overnight in Newcastle with dinner & breakfast- 2 overnights in Kingussie with dinner & breakfast- 3 nights in Kirkwall with breakfast & 1 dinner- 1 night in Castletown with dinner & breakfast- 2 nghts in Pitlochry with breakfast & 1 dinner- 1 night in Lockerbie with dinner & breakfast- Return crossing Scrabster - Stromness- 3-course carvery dinner with soft or hot drink (Northlink)- Porterage throughout- En-route stop in Edinburgh- Return trip on Cairngorm Mountain Railway- Rothiemurchas Coach 'Safari' with deer feeding & meet the hairy coos- Entrance to Dunrobin Castle- Entrance to Castle Mey- Light lunch on Castle of Mey day- Local guide for a full day discovery of Orkney- Entrances to Skara Brae & Skaill House and Italian Chapel- Trip on the Falkirk Wheel

Your Itinerary
DAY 1 - After joining your holiday coach, you head north with suitable stops en-route for lunch and refreshments. Continue to your overnight stop at 4* Holiday Inn Newcastle - Jesmond. DBB\n\nDAY 2 - Head north of the border today with the opportunity to stop in Edinburgh, the truly delightful capital, with its atmospheric cobbled streets of the old town to the attractive Georgian avenues of the new town. The setting is wonderfully striking, perched on a series of extinct volcanoes and rocky crags. There is plenty to see from the iconic Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Royal Mile to famous Princes Street and Edinburgh's venerable department store, Jenners. Travel on through the glorious mountainous scenery of the Cairngorms National Park to check in for the next 2 nights at 3* Duke of Gordon Hotel in Kingussie. DBB\n\nDAY 3 - Today, take an exhilarating ride on Scotland's only funicular railway, the Cairngorms Mountain Railway - in just 5 minutes you reach the 'Top Station' at over 3,500 feet above sea level where you can enjoy panoramic views stretching down to Loch Morlich and the Spey Valley beyond. There is a shop and a 270-degree immersive exhibition as well as the UK's highest restaurant. Return to the Base Station where your coach awaits to take you on the Rothiemurchus, for an insight into traditional Highland estate life amongst the ancient forests and mountains to experience wild Scotland in its glory. A ranger will board the coach to take you on a 'safari' around the estate stopping for wonderful views of the Cairngorms, a chance to feed deer by hand and to encounter some wonderful hairy highland coos. Return to the hotel later this afternoon.\n\nDAY 4 - Depart the Cairngorms to continue your journey north via the Kessock Bridge which divides the Beauly and Moray Firths near Inverness and along the East Coast. A visit is included along the way to magnificent Dunrobin Castle, the most northerly of Scotland's great houses and fashioned in the style of a French chateau with towering conical spires. Head to Scrabster for the evening crossing to Stromness on Orkney. During the 90-minute crossing enjoy the view of the spectacular granite outcrop of The Old Man of Hoy. A 3-course carvery dinner with a soft or hot drink is included during the crossing. On arrival on Orkney, it's just a short hop to the capital, Kirkwall for an evening check in at 3* Kirkwall Hotel, right on the harbourside, for your 3 night stay (2 nights BB & 1 night DBB). The last night of your stay on Orkney gives you the opportunity to dine at leisure in Kirkwall.\n\nDAY 5 - Discover Orkney with a local guide for a full day exploring Orkney's mainland including Skara Brae, an amazing Neolithic village which lay buried by sand for 4000 years; the stone Ring of Brodgar and the standing Stones of Stenness; the delightful chapel built by Italian POWs and Scapa Flow where the remains of scuttled battleships rest. A visit to Skaill House, the finest 17th Century mansion in Orkney, is also included. History can be felt everywhere where life is defined by the past and sculpted by the sea. Orkney is a unique and fiercely independent archipelago with its history is inextricably linked with Scandinavia. For an Orcadian, the Mainland means the largest island in Orkney rather than the rest of Scotland. May operate by local coach. Dinner is included at the hotel this evening.\n\nDAY 6 - Enjoy a day at leisure in Kirkwall which stands at the dividing point between East and West Mainland. One of Kirkwall's best features is its sandstone St Magnus Cathedral, widely considered the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland. The original town is one of the best-preserved examples of an ancient Norse town. Other sites of historical interest include including the medieval Bishop's Palace and Earl's Palace (entrance approx. £8.50 pp in 2025). Orkney's thriving creative scene is unrivalled, with an enormous variety of island businesses designing everything from jewellery, ceramics and woodwork, to textiles, artwork and photography - so you may be able to pick up a wonderful memento. The hotel is B&B today, so you are free to choose where to dine at leisure in the town this evening.\n\nDAY 7 - It's time to bid farewell to Orkney and the North of Scotland. Retrace your steps with a mid-morning ferry back to the mainland. Once back on the mainland, enjoy an included excursion to the Castle of Mey, the beloved residence of the Queen Mother, which stands in a magnificent setting on the north coast of Caithness with glorious views across the Pentland Firth. The castle, with its jutting turrets, is kept as it was when The Queen Mother was in residence and the gardens are a delight with her personal touch apparent everywhere. Enjoy an included light lunch before continuing on to John O'Groats, with its dramatic coastal location. Situated at the top of mainland Britain, whilst it is not the most northerly point (that's Dunnet Head), John O'Groats is certainly best known as the end point of the 874 mile trek from Land's End in Cornwall. Check in to the 3* Castletown Hotel in Castletown near Thurso for your overnight stay. DBB\n\nDAY 8 - Head south today back along the East Coast via Inverness, the 'Capital of the Highlands' and through the mighty, majestic Cairngorms National Park - nature's playground of mountains, rivers and lochs Your destination today is Pitlochry which nestles amongst the stunning scenery of Highland Perthshire, alongside the refreshing greenery of the surrounding forests. Pitlochry is one of Scotland's most beautiful and vibrant places to visit. Stay for the next 2 nights, right in the heart of Scotland with its warm hospitality, clear sparkling air, beautiful scenery, rich clan history and fine local food. Check into centrally located 3* Fishers Hotel. 1 night DBB (arrival night) and 1 night BB\n\nDAY 9 - A full day Pitlochry at leisure in the heart of Highland Perthshire, offers a wide range of amenities, shops, restaurants and cafes. It is also a paradise for walking with an excellent network of well-marked routes, ranging from gentle strolls to challenging hikes, and surrounded by dramatic scenery - there is something for everyone to enjoy. All the Pitlochry walks start and finish in the town centre and are clearly marked with colour-coded sign posts. One of the most popular short walks starts from the main street, across the River Tummel to the dam on Loch Faskally, to view the salmon ladder and the Hydro Station. The Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre is open 10.00 - 16.30 every day except Mondays and showcases the rich history of hydro electricity in the north of Scotland and how it transformed lives. The hotel is B&B today, so you are free to choose where to dine at leisure in the town this evening.\n\nDAY 10 - Your final day in Scotland as you continue your journey south with a stop at the iconic Falkirk Wheel for an included trip on the world's only rotating boatlift. It was constructed to replace a series of 19th century lock gates and is the showpiece of the Millennium Link project which re-established coast-to-coast navigation of the canals. Your final overnight hotel is 4* Dryfesdale Country House Hotel, just outside Lockerbie. The hotel dates back to 1762 and is set amid acres of magnificent grounds with stunning views of the beautiful Scottish countryside. No lift but plenty of ground floor rooms. DBB\n\nDAY 11 - As your epic adventure comes to end, head back to interchange today with comfort stops en-route, arriving home during the evening.\nVarious Hotels Minimum 3*
See itinerary for individual overnight hotels\nAUGUST 2026\nDUKE OF GORDON HOTEL, KINGUSSIE - 2 nights\nSituated in the Cairngorms National Park in the Spey Valley, this classic 3* hotel is a grand 18th-century country manor. Comfortable guestrooms feature Highlands-inspired decor, tea and coffeemaking facilities and free Wi-Fi. Amenities include a wood-panelled bar with hunting lodge style decor, an elegant Scottish restaurant with a fireplace, a sun terrace, garden and coffee shop. There is a lift to the first & second floors as well as some ground floor rooms.\n\n\nKIRKWALL HOTEL, KIRKWALL - 3 nights\nThe 3* Kirkwall Hotel is a modern, family-run hotel in a fine Victorian building right on the picturesque harbour front of Kirkwall town, close to the marina and the main shopping area. There is a stylish Harbour View restaurant serving locally sourced fare, a whisky bar, plus a casual sports bar / pub with big screen TV, a pool table and darts. Guestrooms are contemporary yet characterful, with a decor that gives a gentle nod to the town's fishing heritage with statement headboards and warm textiles. Hospitality tray, HD TV, iron & ironing board plus free WiFi are included. Seaview rooms are subject to a small supplement. There is a lift to all floors.\n\n\nFISHER'S HOTEL, PITLOCHRY - 2 nights\nIn the heart of Pitlochry since 1830, 4* Fishers Hotel enjoys a unique setting within the town. Originally built as a coaching inn, it has the convenience of a town centre location, yet with an aura of peace and tranquillity that comes from the prize-winning gardens to the rear. Following a fire in 2017, much of the hotel has been refurbished and now features a new restaurant and breakfast room. Many of the hotel's bedrooms enjoy views of the garden and surrounding mountains and the restaurant overlooks the gardens and the zen garden. The Coach House Bar (interlinked with the hotel) is front facing onto the street. All the bedrooms are en-suite with flat screen TV and tea / coffee making. There is a lift to most floors.