Itinerary

DAY 1 — U.S./Fly overnight to Edinburgh, Scotland

DAY 2 - 3 — Edinburgh
Arrive this morning in Edinburgh and check in to the George Hotel. This is the perfect vantage for your outings in the city Robert Louis Stevenson described as “what Paris ought to be.” Scotland's capital is a city of contrasts: tall, dark buildings in medieval Old Town and classical architecture in Georgian New Town. Explore fortified Edinburgh Castle, overlooking the panorama of the Firth of Forth. See the Scottish crown jewels and the Stone of Scone, on which kings and queens have been crowned for more than 1,000 years. (B)

DAY 4 — Edinburgh/Inverness/Embark Ship
From Edinburgh, drive to Inverness, capital of the Highlands. The elegant Lord of the Glens awaits our arrival.(B,L,D)

DAY 5 — Culloden/Loch Ness/Fort Augustus
Today Highland history comes alive at legendary Culloden Battlefield, where Bonnie Prince Charlie fought in 1746. Visit the impressive 18th-century Fort George, built to ensure that the Jacobites would never rise again, and see the ancient standing stones of Clava Cairns. In the afternoon, sail the length of Loch Ness, past the ruins of Urquhart Castle, and moor at Fort Augustus. (B,L,D)

DAY 6 — Caledonian Canal/Laggan Locks
This morning is at leisure to explore Fort Augustus. After lunch, we sail scenic Loch Oci along tree-lined Laggan Avenue, where golden eagles are often spotted. Join a guided walk in this natural area of Scotland. Moor at Laggan Locks. (B,L,D)

DAY 7 — Glencoe/Banavie
Cross Loch Lochy this morning to Banavie, in the shadow of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain. Explore rugged Glencoe, some of the finest walking country in the Highlands rich with flora and fauna, and hear tales of the infamous MacDonald massacre of 1692. Moor at Banavie. (B,L,D)

DAY 8 — Neptune’s Staircase/Oban
Our day begins with everyone on deck as the Lord of the Glens descends Neptune’s Staircase, a series of eight locks that lowers our ship to sea level. Sail to Oban, where we have a guided walk, including a whisky distillery and McCraig’s Folly. Moor Oban. (B,L,D)

DAY 9 — Inner Hebrides: Isle of Mull/Tobermory
Sail across magnificent Loch Linnhe to the Isle of Mull, where Highland cattle dot the wild landscape. Visit photogenic Duart Castle, an impressive fortress (with a dungeon!) and the ancestral home of Clan MacLean where we have a lovely mid-morning tea. Continue to Tobermory, an attractive town with pastel houses and a unique clock tower. Moor Tobermory. (B,L,D)

DAY 10 — Inner Hebrides: Iona/Tobermory
Today we explore Iona, the heart of Celtic Christianity. Walk through the ancient nunnery and along the stone walls to 12th-century Iona Abbey, where sixty kings lay buried including Duncan and Macbeth. Visit Torosay Castle with its magnificent gardens. Moor Tobermory. (B,L,D)

DAY 11 — Inner Hebrides: Isle of Eigg
Observe the local marine and birdlife of this remote island community: Atlantic seals, minke whales, dolphins, porpoises and a variety of seabirds. Overnight Eigg. (B,L,D)

DAY 12 — Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye/Inverie
Sail into the Sound of Sleat to Armadale on the rugged Hebridean Isle of Skye, legendary for its snowcapped Cuillin Mountains. Go on a nature hike or take a scenic drive to Dunvegan Castle. Cruise scenic Loch Nevis and moor at Inverie, a remote community with no roads in or out. (B,L,D)

DAY 13 — Inner Hebrides: Kyle of Lochalsh/Inverewe Gardens
Sail along the Sleat Peninsula, known as the Garden of Skye, to arrive at Kyle of Lochalsh. Visit famed Inverewe Gardens. Tempered by the Gulf Stream, the delightful gardens are an anomaly of subtropical color—grown at the same latitude as St. Petersburg! Moor at Kyle of Lochalsh. (B,L,D)

DAY 14 — Kyle of Lochalsh/Disembark/Inverness/Home
After breakfast, disembark in Kyle of Lochalsh and drive to Inverness for flights home, or on to other adventures. (B)

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