Experience the magic of Edinburgh and the mystique of the Scottish Highlands, soaking up history and local culture as you travel to fabled places from Glencoe and the Isle of Skye to Loch Ness. 

Request a Tailor-Made Itinerary Request Itinerary or Ask Us A Question or Call 855-215-8690
 The Quairang on the Isle of Skye
The Quairang on the Isle of Skye
 The iconic Eilean Donan Castle, Scottish Highlands
The iconic Eilean Donan Castle, Scottish Highlands
 Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Scotland: A Tailor-Made Journey to Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands

9 days from $8,999

Experience the magic of Edinburgh and the mystique of the Scottish Highlands, soaking up history and local culture as you travel to fabled places from Glencoe and the Isle of Skye to Loch Ness. 

Request a Tailor-Made Itinerary

or call 855-215-8690
Accommodations

* Click on hotel name to visit hotel web-site.

Intercontinental Edinburgh The George

Edinburgh, Scotland

Based around five Georgian townhouses built at the end of the 18th century, The George has been welcoming guests for nearly 150 years. Suites are located in the townhouses, whereas standard rooms are in a newer building. Elegant common rooms as well as guestrooms feature classic décor and excellent service and amenities. The hotel opens onto George Street in the very heart of Edinburgh, and its popular Printing Press Bar and Kitchen offers an upstairs bar and a restaurant that highlights Scottish ingredients. 

Loch Lomond Arms

Luss, Scotland

The Loch Lomond Arms is an attractive 17th-century coaching inn with a few rooms above its traditional bar and restaurant. Situated at the end of Luss’s main street, it is conveniently located for exploring the villages of the western shore as well as the loch itself. The bar has a lively, friendly atmosphere, while the restaurant has a casual air and serves excellent dishes, with a focus on seasonal and local ingredients. Individually styled rooms have contemporary decor with traditionally Scottish elements like tartan bed throws.  

Ballachulish Hotel

Glencoe, Scotland

The Ballachulish is a lovely hotel in a fantastic setting: just outside Glencoe Village on the shores of Loch Linnhe. Built from local stone bricks, the main building is traditionally Scottish and grand in appearance. Despite the often chilly temperatures outside, the hotel stays warm and welcoming, and its old-fashioned decor lends a comforting charm. The hotel lounge is large and homelike, providing a welcome atmosphere for guests to relax with a drink from the bar in front of the TV or open fire. The good choice of dishes served in the hotel’s Bùlas Bar & Bistro which focuses on locally sourced ingredients.

Eilean Iarmain

Isle of Skye, Scotland

This charming Victorian pub-style property is set right on the water’s edge. The hotel’s staff place great emphasis on speaking Scots Gaelic, welcoming guests in the language, and the public bar encourages locals to come and chat in Scots Gaelic. Local fishermen regularly come straight from their day’s work to have a drink at the bar, giving it a wonderfully friendly atmosphere. Rooms are styled fairly traditionally, with plain walls and carpets, dark wood furniture and flowery bedspreads and cushions. None of the rooms have a TV, and music isn’t played in the bar. The dining here is wonderful, offering seasonal, locally sourced ingredients for either a à la carte menu or, once a week, a five-course tasting menu.

Glenmoriston Townhouse Hotel

Inverness, Scotland

Set on the banks of the River Ness, the Glenmoriston Town House Hotel is an attractive property just a short walk from the city center. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, and some have great views across the river to the mountains north of the city. The stylish restaurant is popular with locals, and on weekends, a pianist plays for guests in the lounge. The bar is one of the best in the city, where you can choose from 30 gins and over 250 different whiskies. 

Gift Membership – Friends of Smithsonian

When you travel on a tailor-made journey, you will receive a Friends of the Smithsonian Archivist Circle membership*. Benefits include:

  • A Smithsonian annual engagement calendar with full-color images of exceptional art and artifacts, mailed in the fall.
  • Subscription to Smithsonian, the award-winning magazine of the arts, sciences, and history. Early access to Smithsonian magazine produced events.
  • Invitations to four exclusive virtual programs for Friends of the Smithsonian members with Smithsonian experts.
  • 10% discount in Smithsonian Museum Stores (good on purchases up to $200); 10% discount with the SmithsonianStore.com, and Folkways Recordings
  • Recognition in the Friends of the Smithsonian Honor Roll, displayed electronically on the National Mall in the Membership Reception Center
  • Special member rate for tickets to the Smithsonian’s IMAX® theaters and Einstein Planetarium.
  • Free admission to the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.
  • A complimentary copy of the annual Smithsonian museum guidebook.
  • Invitation to a special welcome event for new members at a Smithsonian venue.

*Offer only available for first-time Smithsonian members. 

Reading List

Highly Recommended

Stone Voices
By: Ascherson, Neal
Scotland: A Very Short Introduction
By: Houston, Rab
A History of Scotland: Look Behind the Mist and Myth of Scottish History
By: Oliver, Neil
DK Eyewitness Scotland (Travel Guide)
By: DK Eyewitness

Also Recommended

Scotland - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture (28)
By: Scotney, John, Culture Smart!
The Scottish Highlands: A Cultural History (Interlink Cultural Histories)
By: Beattie, Andrew
The Crofter and the Laird
By: McPhee, John
A Traveller's History of Scotland (Interlink Traveller's Histories)
By: Fisher, Andrew
Highland Clans
By: Moffat, Alistair
To the Lighthouse
By: Virginia Woolf
Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other
By: Heughan, Sam
Sea Room: An Island Life in the Hebrides
By: Nicolson, Adam
Waverley (Oxford World's Classics)
By: Scott, Walter, Sutherland, Kathryn
24x36 World Wall Map by Smithsonian Journeys - Tan Oceans Special Edition (24x36 Laminated)

*As an Amazon Associate, Smithsonian Journeys earns from qualifying purchases.

Travel Insurance

For the convenience of our travelers, Smithsonian Journeys includes a basic medical expense and evacuation plan through Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand, at no additional charge. This plan provides post-departure Medical and Dental coverage of $250,000 per person and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage of $1,000,000 per person (U.S. Residents Only). Note: For full details regarding these coverages please review the following Plan Documents here.

In addition, we recommend that travelers purchase a travel protection plan to help protect their travel investment from unforeseen events such as cancellation due to illness, flight delays due to adverse weather, baggage loss, and more. For your convenience, Smithsonian Journeys offers an optional Travel Protection Plan administered by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand. For those interested, optional "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage is available for an additional charge. Note: Certain eligibility requirements apply and Cancel for Any Reason coverage is not available to New York residents. For full details regarding this coverage please review the following Plan Documents here.

To learn more about the Travel Protection Plan, you may visit https://www.generalipartner.com/smithsonianjourneys or call the administrator, Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand at (866) 501-3252.

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