Scotland's Highlands and Islands

Days 1-2

U.S. / Inverness, Scotland / Embark Ship

Fly overnight and arrive in Inverness. Board Lord of the Glens and settle into your cabin. Gather for a reception and dinner, followed by a special performance by a troupe of young Scottish dancers. Dinner is included on Day 2.

Day 3

Culloden / Clava Cairns / Loch Ness / Fort Augustus

Visit Culloden, where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite forces met defeat in an infamous 1746 battle that had decisive consequences for life in the Highlands. See the Bronze Age standing stones and tombs of Clava Cairns. Set sail on the Caledonian Canal, built in the early 1800s to connect disparate lochs that thread across the Great Glen. Traverse Loch Ness, steeped in monstrous legend, then ascend impressive locks to moor at Fort Augustus village, where an evening hike awaits.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Laggan Locks / Corpach / Glenfinnan

Continue along the Caledonian, gliding along a tree-lined canal known as Laggan Avenue, then onward across picturesque Lochs Oich and Lochy before descending Neptune's Staircase—eight interconnected locks that drop 64 feet to the sea loch at Corpach. Opt for a drive to spectacularly scenic Glenfinnan, its famous 21-arch viaduct made even more so by the Harry Potter movies. Or enjoy a bracing paddle along Loch Linnhe with Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis, as your backdrop.

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Loch Linnhe / Oban

Sail through Loch Linnhe to reach Oban, a lively town whose name is revered in whisky circles. Consider visiting a distillery or scoping out the panoramic Oban Bay views from McCaig’s Folly, a hilltop monument with inner gardens whose circular design and arches mimic the Colosseum. This evening, enjoy a Scotch whisky tasting aboard the ship.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6

Isle of Mull / Iona / Duart Castle / Tobermory

Having reached Atlantic waters and the Hebrides, we disembark for a drive across the Isle of Mull and ferry-crossing to Iona, a picturesque island long revered as a Christian pilgrimage site. Stroll through St. Oran’s Chapel and the royal cemetery where Scottish kings, including the actual Macbeth, are buried. Back on Mull, tour Duart Castle, home and stronghold of Clan MacLean for the past eight centuries with the dungeons to prove it. Sail on to quaint Tobermory, where we overnight and learn about the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s efforts to protect marine life in these waters.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7

Tobermory / Isle of Eigg or Isle of Rum / Inverie

Depart for either Eigg or Rum, depending on weather conditions. Each island is home to fewer than 100 souls but and is teeming with wildlife. Among the possible sightings: Atlantic seals, minke and humpback whales, dolphins, harbor porpoises, and Manx shearwaters. If on Eigg, a hike or bike around the islet reveals views of the imposing crag of Sgurr. If on Rum, the marquee attraction is fanciful Kinloch Castle, completed in 1900 by a textile baron who clearly did not know when to stop decorating.

We then sail to the tiny village of Inverie and stop at the community-owned and operated Old Forge, the most remote pub in the British Isles, where you can chat with Inverie’s residents over a pint of local ale.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

Armadale, Isle of Skye / Kyle of Lochalsh

Continue north to the Isle of Skye. At the Museum of the Isles, trace the legacy of the 1,300-year-old Clan MacDonald, the Lords of the Isles, who once ruled the west coast of Scotland. Survey the ruins of Armadale Castle, the MacDonald’s ancestral home, and ramble through its beautiful woodlands and gardens. Sail onward to Kyle of Lochalsh for spectacular coastal and mountain views on a guided walk. Or explore Eilean Donan Castle, a one-of-a-kind landmark stacked on a tidal island at the confluence of three lochs. Celebrate your adventures at a farewell dinner.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

Kyle of Lochalsh / Disembark Ship / Inverness

Following breakfast on board, disembark in Kyle of Lochalsh for a scenic Highlands drive to Inverness. Then transfer to the airport for your return flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast