Your itinerary
Day 1
Day 1: Start Edinburgh
Royal Mile, old Castle, home of the brave, Edinburgh is going to turn it on from start to end. With days of adventure up ahead, we’ll kick off the evening with the option to indulge in a whisky tasting where you can get to know your new Contiki family of 27-35 year olds.
Day 2
Day 2: Edinburgh
Today is yours to roam free – but if you want to get the low down on the history of this city why not join our local guide for an optional tour of Edinburgh Castle (which is resting on an extinct volcano!!) to kickstart your love affair with this city. Or maybe you’ll do a spot of tartan shopping on Princes Street.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 3
Day 3: Edinburgh to Scottish Highlands
It’s time to blaze a trail out of Edinburgh & head for the Scottish Highlands. On the way to the main affair of the day we’ll stop by St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf, would you believe? As well as Scotland’s oldest university town. Already blown away by the beauty of the rugged mountain scenery en route, we’ll arrive in the Scottish Highlands amped up for mystical tales and a chance to compete in some traditional Highland games.
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 4
Day 4: Scottish Highlands to Glasgow via Loch Ness and Dundreggan
We might be coming down from a high (geographically speaking) this morning, but as we seek out the stunning Loch Ness, the mood will only be rising. We’ll stop to see lovely Loch Ness and hop on board for a cruise of the most voluminous lake in the UK – containing more water than all the lakes of England and Wales combined! It’s also rumoured to contain something else, something far more legendary which you’re sure to have heard of… Small pitstop! We’ll check out the lush, hilly rewilding centre here to learn about how Scotland’s native animal species are reintroduced into the wild. Plus, you have the option afterwards to canoe across the stunning southern end of Scotland’s most famous lake and see even more wildlife along the way. We’ll arrive into Glasgow tonight, grab a bite to eat and then hit the hay ready for some more exploration in the am!
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5
Day 5: Glasgow
Wakey wakey everyone. We’re up bright and early this morning. Next stop, Stirling! We’ll make a stop in Stirling, the town where William Wallace took on the English and yelled “Freeedom!” (and also known for its famous hill-top Castle). Today, we’ll also check out the epic engineering feat called the ‘The Kelpies’ in Helix Park. Get involved with everything great about Glasgow. Live music on every corner, a gothic cathedral & plenty of quirky characters make this city unique. Plus, you’ve got the option to celebrate our final night in Scotland with a local meal accompanied by a live, traditional music.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 6
Day 6: End Glasgow
Our trip ends this morning after breakfast. Say goodbye to your travel squad, and get started on planning the next big travel adventure.
Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Age Range
Age 27-35
Dining Summary
- 5 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Dinner (D)
FAQs
- London: You’ll need Essential Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)From?January 8, 2025, UK law means that if you’re entering/transiting through border control in the United Kingdom (UK) and Northern Ireland you’ll need an?Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)?before you travel. Confused? Don’t be – just read on here.
- London: A modular trip means fellow travellers will join and leave at various locations. There’ll be some goodbyes, sure, but there’ll also be plenty of hellos with new like-minded travellers.
Included Experience
- St. Andrews: If you like golf, you’ll love St Andrews. But if you think it spoils a nice walk in the park, there’s also Swilcan Bridge.
- Loch Ness: Sit back, relax and cruise along the loch with your Contiki crew. But keep your eyes peeled and camera ready for mythical ‘Nessie’.
- Scottish Highlands: Ever wondered how native animal species – like the Scottish Red Squirrel, Lynx and Beavers – are reintroduced into the wild? Come learn about it all from an expert (who’ll also tell you how the Caledonian pine forest is being reforested too!). Every penny you spend here will directly support Trees for Life, a TreadRight supported project.
- Stirling: Explore the sights of Stirling and get a selfie with the memorial to the iconic Scottish knight.
- Mallaig: We’ll visit Helix Park, home to The Kelpies (horse statues, standing at 100ft tall & weighing more than 300 tonnes each). It’s a wonder to behold. Plus, there’s also an adventure play park with woodlands and boardwalks for some added fun.
Canoeing on Loch Ness
Paddle the tranquil southern reaches of Loch Ness on a guided canoe outing, skimming along reed-lined shores with mountain ridges beyond. Learn basic strokes, keep an eye out for otters and birdlife, and enjoy the hush of water beneath your hull.
All equipment is provided and routes are chosen for conditions by qualified leaders. This active option is at additional cost and bookable on tour—perfect for those wanting a close, nature-led perspective on Scotland’s most storied loch.
Edinburgh Castle Guided Visit
Explore the fortress crowning an extinct volcano on a guided visit to Edinburgh Castle. Take in sweeping views over the Old and New Towns, step into the Great Hall and St Margaret’s Chapel, and see the medieval Mons Meg bombard.
Hear how the Honours of Scotland and the Stone of Destiny symbolise royal power, and how centuries of siege shaped this citadel. This visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour.
Glasgow Traditional Music Dinner
Savour a convivial Scottish meal accompanied by live traditional music in Glasgow—think fiddle sets, lilting ballads, and the rhythm of the bodhrán. Sample local flavours such as haggis with neeps and tatties, paired with a malt or a craft ale.
Hosts share the stories behind the tunes and the city’s legendary music scene. This evening is at additional cost and bookable on tour, offering a warm blend of food, song and Glasgow spirit.
Highland Games Taster Experience
Join a hosted Highland games taster and tap into Scotland’s playful clan spirit. Try safe, lightweight versions of classic events—caber toss technique, tug-of-war, and team relay challenges—cheered on by your group.
Guides share the tradition’s origins at village gatherings and the role of music, tartan, and friendly rivalry. The mix of exertion, laughter, and sweeping Highland backdrops delivers a lively slice of living culture.
Stirling Old Town Orientation & Wallace Monument Viewpoint
Explore historic Stirling with a guided orientation, tracing lanes that climb toward Stirling Castle on its volcanic crag. Pause for photos of the National Wallace Monument rising over the landscape and the River Forth winding below.
Hear stories of the Wars of Independence, from the victory at Stirling Bridge to the legacy of Robert the Bruce. The town’s mix of medieval fabric and spacious views makes this a compact lesson in Scottish nationhood.
The Kelpies at The Helix Park
Visit The Kelpies at The Helix, a pair of 30-metre steel horse-head sculptures that mirror in the canal basin. Walk the pathways to admire their engineering detail and the way light skims across 100-ft steel giants.
Learn how artist Andy Scott drew on the horsepower of Scotland’s working horses and the heritage of the Forth & Clyde Canal. This is modern Scottish myth-making on an epic, photogenic scale.
Edinburgh Whisky Tasting Evening
Taste a curated flight of regional drams at a hosted Edinburgh whisky tasting, comparing Highland, Speyside, and Islay styles. Learn to nose for peat smoke and heather, discuss cask influence, and swap first impressions with your travel mates.
An expert host explains how copper stills, maturation, and water source shape flavour. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, ideal for those keen to sample regional whiskies in their cultural heartland.
Dundreggan Rewilding Centre – Trees for Life Visit
Visit the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre with Trees for Life to discover how native woodlands and wildlife are being restored in Glenmoriston. Walk interpretive trails through young Caledonian pine forest and look for red squirrels, pine martens, and raptors circling above.
Engagements with expert guides reveal how peatlands are protected, how beavers shape waterways, and how future reintroductions are debated. Your time here directly supports community-led conservation, connecting travel with tangible habitat renewal.
St Andrews Old Course, Cathedral Ruins & University Town Walk
Explore the medieval seaside town of St Andrews, pausing by the Old Course and the Swilcan Bridge before wandering cobbled lanes toward the wind-battered cathedral ruins and castle clifftops. Soak up North Sea views and student-filled quads that give this compact town its lively pulse.
Hear how St Andrews became the birthplace of golf and how Scotland’s oldest university, founded in 1413, shaped national thought and tradition. Photo stops reveal the mix of scholarly calm and bracing sea air that makes St Andrews distinctive.
Loch Ness Scenic Cruise
Cruise the dark, peat-stained waters of Loch Ness aboard a local vessel, gliding between forested slopes and pebbled shores as the Highlands close in around you. Keep your camera ready to watch for ‘Nessie’ and the silhouette of Urquhart Castle on its rocky promontory.
Learn why this deep rift lake holds more water than all of England and Wales combined, and how glacier-carved valleys created the Great Glen. Crisp air, rippling wavelets, and far-off gull calls set a quietly dramatic scene.
