2027 Balmoral Castle & the Scottish Highlands

From a morning pickup in your local area, we travel by coach to our overnight hotel.

Balmoral Castle & the Scottish Highlands

After breakfast, we leave our overnight hotel and begin our Scottish journey with a visit to the stately Blair Castle, set amid the dramatic landscapes of Highland Perthshire. Ancestral seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl for over 750 years, the castle offers a rich tapestry of Scottish history. Inside, grand 18th-century rooms and an opulent Victorian ballroom showcase a remarkable collection of portraits, antique weaponry and family heirlooms. Outside, the castle is framed by beautifully landscaped gardens and tranquil woodland, where red deer and Highland cattle are a common sight.

We then travel north through the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, passing through a landscape of ancient pine forests, rushing rivers and heather-covered hills. Our destination is the Coylumbridge Resort Hotel, tucked among the trees near Aviemore, where we’ll stay for the next four nights surrounded by Highland beauty.

Balmoral Castle & the Scottish Highlands

We begin our day with a visit to Broomhill Station, famously known to fans of the BBC series Monarch of the Glen as Glenbogle. Here, we board the charming Strathspey Steam Railway and journey through the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. As the vintage train chugs along, we are treated to sweeping views of misty mountain peaks, heather-covered moorland and ancient Caledonian woodland.

We disembark in Aviemore, a lively Highland town surrounded by wilderness and popular for its stunning views of the Cairngorms.  We continue by coach to Fort William. Nestled at the foot of Ben Nevis – the UK’s highest mountain – Fort William is often called the outdoor capital of the Highlands. There is time to explore the town’s scenic waterfront or soak up the views across Loch Linnhe, before we travel back to the hotel.

Balmoral Castle & the Scottish Highlands

Today’s excursion begins with a visit to Balmoral Castle, the grand Scottish holiday home of the Royal Family, which was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852. At the time, they were enchanted by the scenery of the Highlands. Being one of two personal residences, Balmoral offers us an insight into the priorities and pleasures of the Royal family, as we explore the exquisite grounds, which include meticulously maintained formal, water and vegetable gardens.

Afterwards, we travel to the picturesque village of Ballater in the heart of Royal Deeside. Take a stroll to admire the historic buildings, browse the Ballater Gallery, which showcases Scottish artists with international reputations, or discover the painstakingly restored royal waiting room at the Royal Station, which re-opened in August 2018 after a devastating fire.

Please note: Balmoral Castle access is to the grounds, gardens and Ballroom.

Balmoral Castle & the Scottish Highlands

Today promises a rich blend of Highland landscapes and legendary lore as we journey first to Inverness, followed by the iconic shores of Loch Ness. Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, welcomes us with its vibrant atmosphere and striking setting on the banks of the River Ness. Our day continues with a visit to the Loch Ness Visitor Centre in the village of Drumnadrochit. Here, we delve into the myths and mysteries surrounding Scotland’s most famous loch, learning about the science, stories and sightings that have fuelled fascination with the elusive Nessie for generations.

Balmoral Castle & the Scottish Highlands

After breakfast, we check out of our hotel near Aviemore and travel south to the historic city of Stirling, often called the gateway between the Highlands and Lowlands. Set against some of Scotland’s most scenic countryside, Stirling is crowned by its magnificent medieval castle, dramatically perched on a volcanic crag. After a look around, we continue our journey to the iconic village of Gretna Green, long associated with romantic elopements and runaway weddings. Later, we arrive at our overnight hotel.

Balmoral Castle & the Scottish Highlands

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and board the coach for the journey home.

Visit the Loch Ness Visitor Centre in Drumnadrochit for immersive exhibits that probe the legend of Nessie through science, storytelling and folklore. Engage with multimedia on sonar surveys, eyewitness accounts and the loch’s mysterious depths, set within a landscape of brooding waters and steep, forested slopes.

Contextual displays explain how geology, light and imagination shape sightings on this long, narrow, glacial loch. Step outside to the village atmosphere, with viewpoints toward the iconic waters of Loch Ness and, nearby, the dramatic ruins of Urquhart Castle across the shoreline.

Explore Inverness, a compact city unfolding along the River Ness. Walk riverside paths toward the red-sandstone Inverness Castle, browse the Victorian Market’s wrought-iron arcades, and sense the meeting point of Gaelic culture and contemporary Highland life in lively cafés and independent shops.

History echoes from the Old High Church and nearby battlefields of Culloden, shaping a city once contested by clans and crowns. Pause for photos and reflection on the bridges where salmon flicker in the current and the firth’s sea light softens the skyline.

Experience Fort William beneath Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest peak, where streets open to long views across Loch Linnhe. Wander the waterfront promenade, watch sea birds skim the tidal narrows, and enjoy the rugged backdrop that earns the town its title as the outdoor capital of the Highlands.

Local heritage links the West Highland Line, the Caledonian Canal and mountaineering pioneers who mapped these crags. Pause for photos and reflection as shifting weather paints the slopes—from silver haar on the loch to sunbursts over Glen Nevis.

Explore Ballater in the heart of Royal Deeside, where granite shopfronts display Royal Warrants and cafés look toward the River Dee. Browse local galleries and craft stores, and appreciate the crisp Highland air that has long attracted royal visitors from nearby Balmoral.

At the restored Royal Station, see exhibits and the recreated royal waiting room—rebuilt after the 2015 fire and reopened in 2018—to trace journeys once made to this elegant village. The setting blends small-town warmth with living royal connections.

Discover Stirling, a historic gateway between Highlands and Lowlands. Walk cobbled streets toward the volcanic crag crowned by Stirling Castle, and scan the skyline for the National Wallace Monument. The Old Town’s closes and kirks frame stories of monarchs, sieges and state ceremony.

From the esplanade and city viewpoints, consider how geography shaped Scotland’s destiny—from William Wallace to Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn. Pause for photos and reflection where broad farmland meets the first Highland hills.

Visit Gretna Green, famed for runaway weddings since 1754 when couples fled English restrictions to wed under Scots law. Wander the heritage quarter to see the Famous Blacksmiths Shop, where ceremonies once took place over the anvil, a powerful symbol of forged unions.

Interpretive displays and local storytellers evoke “anvil priests,” coaching inns and border lore. This stop blends romance and social history, illustrating how a quiet village became shorthand for love defying convention.

Visit Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family’s Highland retreat beside the River Dee. Stroll through formal, water and kitchen gardens framed by Scots pines, and admire the estate’s Scottish Baronial architecture against heather-clad hills. Inside, step into the Ballroom to view changing displays of artworks, photographs and gifts linked to generations of royal residence.

Gain insight into a private world shaped by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, purchased in 1852. As most rooms remain in private use, public access focuses on the grounds, gardens and Ballroom, offering an intimate perspective on royal tastes, seasonal life and Highland traditions.

Board the Strathspey Steam Railway at Broomhill Station—familiar to viewers as “Glenbogle”—and settle into vintage carriages as the locomotive threads through ancient Caledonian pine forests, open moorland and views to the Cairngorm plateau. The rhythmic clatter and coal-fired aromas evoke a slower age of Highland travel.

Arriving in Aviemore, explore this lively Highland hub with mountain outfitters, cafés and sightlines to Cairn Gorm. Pause for photos and reflection along the main street and riverside paths, where the modern resort atmosphere meets the wild landscapes that have long defined Badenoch and Strathspey.

Explore Blair Castle, ancestral seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl for over 750 years. Discover 18th-century rooms, a grand Victorian ballroom and collections of portraits, Jacobite relics and ceremonial arms linked to the Atholl Highlanders, Europe’s only private army. The interiors reveal centuries of shifting power, taste and Highland identity.

Step outside to landscaped grounds where sculpted avenues lead to the walled Hercules Garden and serene ponds, with woodland walks that may reveal red deer on distant slopes. The setting in Highland Perthshire adds sweeping drama to this storied estate.