Join me as we visit an incredible country by way of Private Small Group Touring. I'm Elana Christiansen, and I own a Travel Agency specializing in group trips. This one will be fairly active with a blend of fast-past activities and personal downtime. We'll have a private guide for the entire trip, so we'll be well taken care of. October is a fantastic time to be in Scotland! They call it the "cozy season." The itinerary is below, and please reach out if you have questions.
The map on the left shows our proposed route.
Arrive in Edinburgh this day (pronounced Edinbruh) and check into your hotel. This is an included pre-tour hotel stay to help you settle in. You have the day free to adjust to the time zone and possibly take a food tour if you're interested.
You'll have most of the day to yourself, and the activities start in the evening with a welcome meeting at the hotel.
During the evening meeting, we will meet our Chief Experience Officer (our local guide) and fellow travelers, and we'll learn more about the coming week. It will last about one hour. After the meeting, the group will go out to dinner together, which is optional.
Meals included: Breakfast
We'll walk through the historic streets with our tour guide seeing the iconic Royal Mile and the enchanting Grassmarket. We'll see architectural wonders like St. Giles Cathedral, the infamous Victoria Street, and Edinburgh Castle all while learning about the city's rich historical past.
Optional Ghost Tour of Edinburgh: Explore Edinburgh's fascination with the underworld. Famous for witch burning, grave robbing, and mysterious murders, this tour takes you down Edinburgh narrow alleyways and gruesome graveyards with plenty of stories to tell.
Meals included: Breakfast
We'll board a bus to the town of Pitlochry. Along the way, we’ll stop to visit the historic Stirling Castle, a centuries-old monument that remains a symbol of Scottish independence and national pride. Stirling Castle is one of Scotland’s grandest castles due to its imposing position and impressive architecture.
After exploring the grounds, the Great Kitchens, the Queen Anne Gardens, and the Stirling Heads Gallery, we’ll walk down the hill to the city center and enjoy lunch on our own. We'll then drive to the Scottish Crannog Centre on the banks of Loch Tay, where we’ll join a historical expert for a guided visit of the facility and museum.
The Scottish Crannog Centre Visit: On the tour, we’ll learn about the crannogs (houses built on artificial islands over water) and get a glimpse into the lives of the people who lived in them 2,500 years ago. We'll see ancient artifacts and learn skills and technologies of the past with hands-on demonstrations. We'll arrive in Pitlochry in the evening and have dinner on our own.
Meals included: Breakfast
We'll go on a guided walk of Pitlochry with a local specialist and learn the history of the town, about the landscape, and hear tales of local life in the surrounding hills. We'll learn about the customs, the culture, and the pastimes of Pitlochry. The guided walk will finish at the Blair Atoll Distillery for a Whisky tasting experience.
Blair Athol Distillery Visit
This central Perthshire town sitting on the banks of the River Tay has had a distillery since 1798, making Blair Athol’s plant one of the oldest legal whisky-making sites in Scotland. The original name was Aldour after the water which supplied the distillery with its process water. We'll learn the distillery’s unique history as an experienced guide leads us through the journey of Blair Athol’s single malt from grain to glass. The tour finishes with a tutored whisky tasting of three drams and a complimentary memento to bring home.
Meals included: Breakfast
Sheepdog Farm Visit - Kincraig
We'll visit a sheepdog Farm in Kincraig for a demonstration of these cute pups in action. We'll meet the dogs, learn about their training routines, and gain a deeper understanding of how they are herd sheep. The man who owns the land is a Scottish laird who will also tell stories of Highland culture as we tour the farm grounds.
Culloden Moor Visit
We'll visit the infamous Culloden battlefield, site of the Battle of Culloden, known as the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. I'm talking to you, Outlander fans! Explore the battlefield and moor at your own pace, or opt to join a guided tour.
Scenic Drive Along Loch Ness
We'll then enjoy a scenic drive along Loch Ness. This freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands is best known for alleged sightings of Nessie, the fabled Loch Ness Monster.
Meals included: Breakfast
We'll get to explore the Isle of Skye on a full-day excursion, which was occupied in prehistoric times, then settled by Gaelic-speaking Scots from Ireland in the first centuries BC.
Along the way, we'll stop at the famous Fairy Pools, a natural waterfall phenomenon whose frigid pools are a vivid aqua blue. Legend has it that selkies would come here, shed their skins, change into human form for the night and bathe in the pools under a full moon.
We'll have lunch, then visit Portree, the main town on the Isle of Skye. We'll spend time wandering the bustling port and cultural center.
We'll travel across the Glenfinnan viaduct, 100 ft above the ground, then return to Fort William for an evening of dining on our own.
Meals included: Breakfast | Lunch
We'll depart for Glasgow in the morning passing through the Scottish Highlands, stopping at incredible vistas along the way, like the Three Sisters Viewpoint.
We'll have lunch in Loch Lomond, and embark on a boat cruise in the afternoon from the village of Luss. We'll sail south around the islands passing the Narrows, a winding stretch of water separating Inchconnachan and Inchtavannach Islands, and enjoy live commentary with tales and fascinating facts about the lake. We'll arrive in Glasgow in the evening and enjoy dinner on our own.
Meals included: Breakfast
Spend the day in the port city of Glasgow, known for its Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture, as well as its rich shipbuilding history.
In the morning, we'll take a street art tour with a local guide, who will point out stunning murals and share the stories and inspiration behind each piece and the artists that created them. The art scene in Glasgow has developed dramatically over the last decade and we'll stroll through alleys and under bridges to uncover some of the wall art making this city an art treasure.
The afternoon is free time to explore Glasgow as you wish. Visit the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum or join a brewery tour. In the evening, we'll get together for a farewell dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast | Dinner
Our tour ends this morning and you are welcome to catch a flight home anytime you'd like or stay for another night or two and continue to experience this incredible city.
Meals included: Breakfast
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: The Scottish Crannog Centre Visit, Stirling
- Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Pitlochry Guided Walk, Pitlochry
- Edinburgh orientation walk
- Edinburgh Castle Visit & Audio Tour
- Pitlochry orientation walk
- Sheepdog farm visit
- Loch Ness scenic drive
- Isle of Sky day visit
- Culloden Moor visit
- Stirling Castle visit
- Whisky distillery tour and tasting
- Glencoe visit
- Glasgow street art tour
- Free time in some of the cities
- Incredible experiences with great people
- All transport between destinations and to/from included activities
- Some meals
- All accommodations
Accommodations
Hotels (9 nts)
On this trip you can expect to stay in small family-run hotels or pensions (with the exception of the start and finish hotels, which are often larger city hotels), which will vary a little in standard and facilities: some may not have elevators or air-conditioning, but most importantly all are locally-run, with some traditional character, and in excellent central locations to give you maximum time for exploring the sights.
Note that most accommodations in Europe do not have air conditioning. Air conditioning is not routinely installed in European homes and workplaces. However, nearly all hotels will provide a standing or desk fan for your room on hot nights. If you do not already have one in your room, please ask your CEO to organize one for you with reception.
Meals
9 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Transportation
Private vehicle, boat, walking.
Staff & experts
Professional guide for the entire trip, professional tour guides for our walking tours
Please Note: I'm inviting people on this trip that will be good travel companions. We'll be spending 10 days together so flexibility in attitude and a "go-with-the-flow" mindset is crucial. We'll be on the move everyday and some of our days will be long. My ideal scene is that we're a supportive group that can have fun together.
Click here to schedule a consult with me about the trip after you've read through the information below:
$4,000 per person, not including flights to Scotland.
This is based on double occupancy. If you're traveling solo and want to book a room alone, the single traveler supplement is $1,999/per person. There are 3 single spaces available.
Deposit is $350 to hold your space is due now. It is non-refundable, but it is transferrable or you can apply it towards another tour.
Final payment is due on or before Aug. 1, 2025.
I have 12 spots left of 16.
We need at least 8 people for the trip to go, so please do not purchase flights until you hear from me. This trip is for people 18 years old and over only.
Optional Pre-trip and Post-trip hotel nights to add in Edinburgh and/or Glasgow will be posted here as soon as I have that information.
Travel Insurance is required for this trip. I have 2 companies that I can recommend or you can purchase on your own.
A U.S. Passport with at least 6 months validity is required for this trip. If you don't have a passport, please start the process now. The passport office is receiving record numbers of applications, and your application can take longer than anticipated.
Please talk to your doctor about any possible medical considerations or vaccines needed for traveling to Scotland.
Fitness Level: 2 out of 5. Light walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels.
Cancellation Policy
- Cancellation 60 days or more prior to departure = Deposit paid will become a Lifetime Deposit (LTD) and stay on file in your name to use on a G Adventures trip in the future.
- Cancellation between 30 and 59 days prior to departure = LTD + 50% loss of final payment
- Cancellation within 30 days of departure = LTD + 100% loss of final payment
While it is our intention to adhere to the route outlined here, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The Trip Details document, which I will email you upon registration, is a general guide to the tour and region and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered.
Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.
I'm partnering with G Adventures for this trip and they support Planeterra International Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to turning travel into impact by helping local communities earn an income from tourism. Planeterra connects underserved local communities to the benefits of tourism by developing and supporting small community-owned businesses. These businesses support Indigenous people, empower women, grant youth access to employment opportunities, and protect the environment. Planeterra also works to ensure these businesses have a thriving customer base by integrating their projects into G Adventures’ itineraries globally.
G Adventures also has a program called Trees for Days, and they will thoughtfully plant 9 trees for each person going on this trip.
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