Hamilton & Chase Tours
Epic Scotland — Private Package 11-day Scotland tour: The complete Scottish circuit — Edinburgh to Stirling via Speyside, Skye, Glencoe, and the Castle Trail.

11-Day Private Package Journey

Epic Scotland

The complete Scottish circuit — Edinburgh to Stirling via Speyside, Skye, Glencoe, and the Castle Trail.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided
From €3,990 per person 11 days / 10 nights
View Itinerary

Tour Overview

11 days across Scotland.

Scotland is a country of five million people, thirty thousand lochs, two hundred inhabited islands, and enough castles, distilleries, and battlefield sites to fill three weeks of serious travel. This eleven-day private journey is the complete Scottish circuit: Edinburgh in depth, St Andrews, the Speyside whisky trail, the Cairngorms, the Aberdeenshire castle circuit, Inverness and Culloden, the Isle of Skye with three full days, Eilean Donan, Glencoe and the Rannoch Moor, Stirling, and the Trossachs. The route runs clockwise from Edinburgh — east to St Andrews, north through Speyside and the Cairngorms, west to Inverness and Skye, south through Glencoe and Loch Lomond to Stirling. Every major Scottish landscape, cultural, and historical site is included. This is the tour for guests who have one visit to Scotland and want to understand it completely rather than experience a selection of its highlights.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1 — Arrival in Edinburgh
Day 1
1

Day 1

Arrival in Edinburgh

The city built on volcanoes.

Edinburgh is built on the remnants of extinct volcanoes — the Castle Rock, Arthur's Seat, Calton Hill — and the city's silhouette is inseparable from its geology. Your private driver meets you at Edinburgh Airport. The afternoon at leisure: the Castle, the Royal Mile, the closes and wynds of the medieval city, and the first of many encounters with Scottish whisky at a bar on the High Street. The National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street has the most important collection of Scottish material culture in existence. Welcome dinner in the Old Town at a restaurant whose menu is built on the Scottish larder — game, Aberdeen Angus, Hebridean seafood, and a whisky list that treats Scotland's national drink with appropriate seriousness.

  • Private airport transfer to Edinburgh
  • Edinburgh Castle and the Scottish Crown Jewels
  • National Museum of Scotland
  • Welcome dinner in the Old Town
4–5★ hotel, Edinburgh city centre
Day 2 — Edinburgh in Depth
Day 2
2

Day 2

Edinburgh in Depth

The Georgian New Town and the medieval layers.

Your private guide takes you through Edinburgh's layers: the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the room where Mary Queen of Scots watched her secretary murdered; Arthur's Seat — the 251-metre extinct volcano in the city park with views of the entire east coast of Scotland; the Georgian New Town of Charlotte Square and Heriot Row, James Craig's 1766 grid that is the most coherent urban planning of the 18th century. The Scottish National Gallery on the Mound, the Writers' Museum in the closes of the Royal Mile (Burns, Scott, Stevenson), and the Scotch Whisky Experience on Castlehill for those who want a formal introduction to the five Scottish whisky regions before Speyside.

  • Palace of Holyroodhouse — Mary Queen of Scots and Rizzio
  • Arthur's Seat — the city's ancient volcano
  • Georgian New Town — Charlotte Square and the Craig grid
  • Scottish National Gallery and the Writers' Museum
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Edinburgh city centre
Day 3 — St Andrews
Day 3
3

Day 3

St Andrews

The home of golf and Scotland's oldest university.

St Andrews sits on the North Sea coast of Fife — a town of cobbled streets, 15th-century university buildings, and the most famous golf course in the world. The Old Course has been played since at least 1552 and the rules of golf were codified here in 1754. The 18th hole, the Swilcan Bridge, and the Royal and Ancient Clubhouse are as familiar to golfers as any building in the sport. St Andrews Cathedral, destroyed in the Reformation in 1559, was once the largest building in Scotland and the destination of medieval pilgrimage from across Europe — the ruins still dominate the town's eastern skyline. St Andrews Castle on the cliff: the 13th-century fortress whose mine-and-countermine system (tunnels dug during the 1546–47 siege) is the only example of medieval siege warfare preserved underground in Britain. Overnight in St Andrews.

  • St Andrews Old Course — the 18th hole and the Swilcan Bridge
  • St Andrews Cathedral — the largest medieval building in Scotland
  • St Andrews Castle — the underground mine and countermine
  • St Andrews University — Scotland's oldest, founded 1413
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, St Andrews
Day 4 — Speyside — Glenfiddich and The Macallan
Day 4
4

Day 4

Speyside — Glenfiddich and The Macallan

The valley with more distilleries than anywhere else on earth.

Speyside is the river valley of the River Spey between the Cairngorms plateau and the Moray Firth. It contains approximately forty whisky distilleries — a third of all the distilleries in Scotland — because the river water is pure, the barley from the surrounding fields is excellent, and the tradition of illicit distilling that preceded legalisation established the skills that the licensed industry inherited. Glenfiddich in Dufftown: the world's best-selling single malt, family-owned since 1887, with copper pot stills that produce the same spirit by the same method as William Grant used when he founded the distillery. The Macallan in Craigellachie: the distillery whose 2018 Foster + Partners visitor centre is one of the finest contemporary buildings in Scotland, and whose Sherry-cask matured whisky commands the highest auction prices in Scotch. Private tours with Hamilton & Chase access to restricted areas.

  • Glenfiddich — world's best-selling single malt, family-owned since 1887
  • The Macallan — the Foster + Partners building and the Sherry-cask whisky
  • Speyside valley — 40 distilleries in one watershed
  • Private distillery access
Meals: Breakfast 4★ hotel, Speyside
Day 5 — Speyside Continued and the Cairngorms
Day 5
5

Day 5

Speyside Continued and the Cairngorms

Strathisla, the Speyside Cooperage, and Britain's highest national park.

Strathisla in Keith: the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands, built in 1786, whose twin pagoda roofs are the most photogenic distillery architecture in Scotland and whose spirit is the heart malt of Chivas Regal. The Speyside Cooperage at Craigellachie: the only working cooperage in Scotland open to visitors, where casks are made and repaired by hand at a rate of 100,000 per year — the coopers work with the rhythm of craftsmen who have done the same thing for two centuries. The Cairngorms National Park in the afternoon: Britain's largest national park, covering 4,528 square kilometres of sub-Arctic plateau and ancient Caledonian pine forest. The Cairngorm Mountain funicular railway ascends to 1,086 metres above sea level — the highest railway in the British Isles — with views across the plateau to the North Sea.

  • Strathisla — 1786, the oldest distillery in the Highlands
  • Speyside Cooperage — 100,000 casks per year, open to visitors
  • Cairngorms National Park — Britain's largest
  • Cairngorm Mountain Railway — the highest in Britain
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Inverness
Day 6 — Culloden and Aberdeenshire Castles
Day 6
6

Day 6

Culloden and Aberdeenshire Castles

The last battle on British soil and the castle country of the northeast.

Culloden Moor, four miles east of Inverness: the site of the last pitched battle on British soil, fought on 16 April 1746, where the Jacobite cause ended in forty-five minutes and the Highland clan system was dismantled in the aftermath. The visitor centre provides exceptional historical context. Craigievar Castle: the 1626 pink tower house whose seven storeys and corbelled turrets are the purest expression of the Scottish Baronial style — intact, family-owned, and preserved exactly as it was on completion. Dunnottar Castle on its sea cliff above the North Sea: the clifftop fortress where the Scottish Crown Jewels were hidden from Cromwell's forces in 1651 and smuggled out in a seaweed basket.

  • Culloden Battlefield — the last battle on British soil, 1746
  • Craigievar Castle — the 1626 pink tower house that inspired Disney
  • Dunnottar Castle — the Crown Jewels hidden in a seaweed basket
  • Aberdeenshire castle country
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Inverness or Deeside
Day 7 — Eilean Donan and the Road to Skye
Day 7
7

Day 7

Eilean Donan and the Road to Skye

Three sea lochs and the bridge to the island.

The drive west from Inverness follows the Great Glen to Kyle of Lochalsh. Eilean Donan Castle at the confluence of three sea lochs — Duich, Long, and Alsh — is the most photographed castle in Scotland: the Mackenzie fortress rebuilt between 1911 and 1932 in a form that has become the archetypal image of Scottish heritage. The Five Sisters of Kintail rise above to the east — five peaks above 900 metres that are one of the defining ridge walks in Scotland. The Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh, crossed since 1995, ends the ferry era that isolated the island for centuries. Portree by evening: the harbour town of coloured houses that is Skye's only town and the base for the island's exploration.

  • Great Glen drive to Kyle of Lochalsh
  • Eilean Donan Castle — three sea lochs and the Five Sisters
  • Skye Bridge crossing
  • Portree harbour — the coloured houses of the island capital
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Portree, Isle of Skye
Day 8 — Skye — North: The Quiraing and the Trotternish Ridge
Day 8
8

Day 8

Skye — North: The Quiraing and the Trotternish Ridge

The most dramatic geological landscape in the British Isles.

The Trotternish Ridge is a 30-kilometre escarpment of basalt columns and landslip topography that runs down the eastern spine of northern Skye. The Old Man of Storr — the 50-metre basalt pinnacle above the Sound of Raasay — is the most photographed landscape feature on Skye. The Quiraing at the northern end of the ridge: the largest active landslip in Britain, a landscape of tilted grass tables, vertical rock walls, and pinnacles that appears constructed rather than natural and changes character with every shift of weather. Kilt Rock: the sea cliff of columnar basalt whose pattern resembles the pleats of a Highland kilt, with a waterfall dropping to the Sound of Raasay. The Fairy Glen near Uig: the miniature landslip landscape of conical grass hills and terraced steps.

  • Old Man of Storr — 50-metre basalt pinnacle above the Sound of Raasay
  • The Quiraing — the largest active landslip in Britain
  • Kilt Rock — columnar basalt sea cliff
  • Fairy Glen — the miniature landslip landscape near Uig
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Portree, Isle of Skye
Day 9 — Skye — South: The Fairy Pools and Talisker
Day 9
9

Day 9

Skye — South: The Fairy Pools and Talisker

The Black Cuillin, the blue mountain pools, and the island's only distillery.

The southern half of Skye is dominated by the Cuillin Ridge — the Black Cuillin of gabbro and the Red Cuillin of granite, the finest mountain ridge in Britain and the hardest rock-climbing south of the Norwegian fjords. The Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle: the series of clear blue pools and waterfalls fed by the Cuillin streams, reached by a 5-kilometre walk across open moorland with the ridge rising above. Talisker Distillery on the western shore: the only distillery on Skye, producing a peaty, coastal single malt with a distinctive maritime character since 1830. The distillery sits in a valley open to the Atlantic and the spirit carries the salt air. Dunvegan Castle — the stronghold of the MacLeod clan, continuously inhabited since the 13th century and the oldest occupied castle in Scotland — with the MacLeod Fairy Flag, the clan's most sacred possession.

  • Fairy Pools — clear mountain pools below the Black Cuillin
  • Talisker Distillery — the island's only single malt, since 1830
  • Cuillin Ridge viewpoint — the finest mountain skyline in Scotland
  • Dunvegan Castle — the oldest occupied castle in Scotland
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Portree, Isle of Skye
Day 10 — Glencoe and Loch Lomond
Day 10
10

Day 10

Glencoe and Loch Lomond

The valley of the Massacre and the Highland gateway loch.

The drive south from Skye crosses the mainland at Kyle of Lochalsh and runs through Glen Shiel beneath the Five Sisters, past Loch Cluanie and Glen Garry, and onto Rannoch Moor — the vast, empty plateau of peat bog, loch, and mountain that is one of the last true wildernesses in Western Europe. Glencoe opens suddenly: the glacial trough of the Three Sisters, the valley floor of the River Coe, and the Glencoe Massacre site at the head of the valley. The valley walk along the River Coe and the Three Sisters viewpoint are accessible to all fitness levels. Fort William below Ben Nevis — the highest mountain in the British Isles at 1,345 metres — then south along the Great Glen to Loch Lomond, the largest freshwater loch in Britain. The lochside villages of Luss and Tarbet for the overnight.

  • Rannoch Moor — the last wilderness in Western Europe
  • Glencoe — glacial valley, Three Sisters, Massacre site
  • Ben Nevis view from Fort William — 1,345 metres, the highest in Britain
  • Loch Lomond — the largest freshwater loch in the British Isles
Meals: Breakfast 4★ hotel, Loch Lomond shore
Day 11 — Stirling and Departure
Day 11
11

Day 11

Stirling and Departure

The gateway castle and the end of the circuit.

Stirling stands at the narrowest point of the Forth Valley — the strategic chokepoint between the Lowlands and the Highlands that determined Scottish history for five centuries. Stirling Castle: the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, the residence of the Scottish court through most of the 15th and 16th centuries, and the castle that changed hands more times than any other in Scotland. The Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig — the Victorian tower to William Wallace, victor of Stirling Bridge in 1297 — gives the view of the Forth Valley that explains why Stirling mattered. The drive south to Edinburgh Airport, with time for Princes Street and Grassmarket for any final purchases, is one hour. Your private driver transfers you at the agreed time. Eleven days and the full circuit of Scotland completed.

  • Stirling Castle — the most important fortress in Scottish history
  • Wallace Monument and the Battle of Stirling Bridge, 1297
  • Forth Valley view — the chokepoint that determined Scottish history
  • Private transfer to Edinburgh Airport
Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

4–5★ hotel, Edinburgh

Edinburgh

2 nights

4–5★ hotel

Old Town or New Town

Two nights allows the full Edinburgh programme

4–5★ hotel, St Andrews

St Andrews

1 night

4–5★ hotel

Town centre

The Old Course Hotel is the landmark property; Rufflets is the finest country house alternative

4★ hotel or distillery estate, Speyside

Speyside

1 night

4★ hotel or distillery estate

Dufftown or Aberlour

Some Speyside distillery estates offer guest accommodation — ask about availability

4–5★ hotel, Inverness

Inverness

2 nights

4–5★ hotel

City centre

Two nights as the base for the Cairngorms, Culloden, and Aberdeenshire days

4–5★ hotel, Isle of Skye (Portree)

Isle of Skye (Portree)

3 nights

4–5★ hotel

Portree

Three nights on Skye — the only way to do the island properly

4★ hotel, Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond

1 night

4★ hotel

Lochside

The transition night between Glencoe and Stirling

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

  • 10 nights in 4–5★ hotels and Highland country houses
  • Daily breakfast at each property
  • Welcome dinner in Edinburgh
  • Private airport transfer at Edinburgh
  • Private vehicle and driver throughout
  • Edinburgh guided visits — Old Town, New Town, museums
  • St Andrews guided visit — Old Course and Cathedral
  • Glenfiddich and The Macallan private distillery tours and tastings
  • Strathisla and Speyside Cooperage visits
  • Cairngorm Mountain Railway
  • Culloden Battlefield guided visit
  • Craigievar and Dunnottar Castle guided visits
  • Eilean Donan Castle guided visit
  • Skye north and south full-day guided circuits
  • Talisker Distillery and Dunvegan Castle visits
  • Glencoe guided valley walk
  • Stirling Castle guided visit
  • Wallace Monument visit
  • All entrance fees for guided visits
  • 24/7 travel specialist support
  • Hamilton & Chase digital travel booklet

Not Included

  • International flights to Edinburgh / from Edinburgh
  • Travel insurance (required — we can arrange on request)
  • Meals not listed
  • Personal expenses
  • Gratuities for guides and drivers
  • Whisky purchases
  • City tax (collected by hotels)

Good to Know

  • This itinerary departs and returns to Edinburgh — no domestic flights required. The routing is designed so no single day exceeds three hours of driving.
  • Scottish midges are worst June–August in calm Highland conditions. Head nets and DEET repellent are essential for the Fairy Pools walk and any Glencoe walking.
  • Skye accommodation books up far in advance for July and August — this tour should be booked at least six months ahead for summer dates.
  • Edinburgh Festival in August transforms the city but fills accommodation. We work with preferred properties that maintain availability — expect premium pricing for August dates.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Outer Hebrides extension

A two-day extension from Skye to Harris and Lewis — the white-sand beaches of Luskentyre, the Callanish Standing Stones, and the Harris Tweed weavers. Requires two additional nights.

From €245 pp

St Andrews golf round

A round on the Old Course — ballot applications managed by Hamilton & Chase. Success not guaranteed; New Course is an excellent alternative.

From €350 pp

Jacobite Steam Train

The Fort William to Mallaig steam train across Glenfinnan Viaduct — can be added to Day 10 before heading to Loch Lomond.

From €85 pp

Distillery blending masterclass

A private session at Glenfiddich where the guest blends their own bottle of whisky from component casks with the master blender.

From €145 pp

"We had been to Scotland twice before and thought we knew it. Eleven days with Hamilton & Chase showed us Scotland as a country with a continuous narrative — from Culloden to The Macallan, from Glencoe to the Quiraing. The three days on Skye in particular: every other tour we had seen gave the island an afternoon. Three days is what it deserves."

James & Sarah K.

New York, USA · Epic Scotland, September 2025

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

Is eleven days too long for Scotland?

No — eleven days is the minimum to do the full circuit justice. Shorter itineraries require choosing between Speyside and Skye, or between Edinburgh and the Highlands. This tour makes no compromises. Guests who have more time can extend into the Outer Hebrides, the Orkney Islands, or a longer Cairngorms stay.

What distinguishes this from the Highlands and Skye tour?

The Highlands and Skye tour (8 days) gives three nights on Skye and includes Glencoe and Inverness but not the whisky trail, the Aberdeenshire castles, or St Andrews. Epic Scotland adds all of these, making it the complete cultural and landscape circuit rather than a Highland-focused journey.

Private Package Journey

Epic Scotland

11 days / 10 nights

From €3,990

per person

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