Scotland River Cruise (Scottish Highlander)

Description

For a magical barge cruise, Scotland is hard to surpass. We cruise sedately through the Great Glen between Inverness and Fort William, navigating beautiful lochs and the engineering masterpiece that is the Caledonian Canal. Ancient castles perched on the water’s edge, heather-clad hillsides and arguably the finest inland cruising in the world offer our clients unforgettable experiences on a handpicked barge cruise. Scotland’s legends of the past, the taste of single malt and the mythical inhabitant of Loch Ness all contribute to a magical charm only experienced in the dramatic Highlands.

Scottish Highlander has the atmosphere of a Scottish country house with subtle use of tartan furnishings and landscape paintings. At 117 feet long, she is spacious and has every comfort for cruises in Scotland in all weathers. Let the marvels of this stunning land unravel before your eyes from the hull of this stunning vessel.

Cuisine is traditional Scottish fare – salmon, game and seafood, prepared by your own Master Chef, and the hotel barge’s experienced crew of four will take care of your every need.

A cruise aboard Scottish Highlander along the Great Glen through some of Scotland’s finest scenery will be unforgettable. According to guests who have experienced a barge cruise, Scotland is one of the top regions to see from the water.

The 8 passenger Scottish Highlander has been designed specifically for our Highland cruise with plenty of interior viewing space to protect you from the elements including a cosy observation area in the wheelhouse. Aboard a luxury barge cruise, Scotland’s lochs and the Caledonian Canal are accessible whatever the weather.

Please Note: Golf, Honeymoon, Family, Whisky Trail Theme Departures Available. Please contact us for more details.

On alternate weeks the cruise will be in the reverse direction.

Trip Name

Scotland River Cruise (Scottish Highlander)

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Hotel Barge / River Boat Length: 117 feet / 35.66 meters Passenger Capacity: 8 Scottish Highlander has the atmosphere of a comfortable Country House with subtle use of tartan furnishings and landscape paintings, a reminder of the spectacular surroundings to be seen on your voyage through the Great Glen. At 117 feet long, she is spacious and has every comfort needed for enjoying the magnificence of the Highlands during Spring, Summer and Autumn. The warm and welcoming saloon features rich-coloured wooden panelling, large picture windows and comfortable leather Chesterfield sofas to relax in, perhaps with a mellow single malt whisky from the very well-stocked bar. Accommodation for eight guests is in three twin/double staterooms and one larger twin/double junior suite, each one centrally heated and with en suite facilities. There is a cosy observation area behind the wheelhouse where you can admire the passing scenery and chat to the Captain about life on the Caledonian Canal and its interconnecting lochs. On the forward deck area, there is more seating where you can take in the far-reaching views and take photographs as Scottish Highlander plots her course past landmarks such as Urquhart Castle perched alongside Loch Ness. A cruise on mystical waterways aboard Scottish Highlander as you marvel at some of Scotland’s finest scenery will be one that stays in the memory for a long time. Cuisine is traditional Scottish fare – salmon, game and seafood, prepared by your own Master Chef, and the hotel barge’s experienced crew of four will take care of your every need.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1 Muirtown

Guests are met at the Glenmoriston Townhouse Hotel in Inverness and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Scottish Highlander. Champagne Welcome and perhaps an early evening stroll to the sea lock with wonderful views over the Moray and Beauly Firths. Dinner on board

Day 2 - Day 2 Muirtown to Dochgarroch

Our first cruise will take us up the Muirtown lock flight and through Tomnahurich swing bridge, with an option to walk alongside River Ness to the hamlet of Dochgarroch. After lunch on board, we visit Culloden Moor, scene of the last major battle on British soil in 1746, next it’s on to the Muir of Ord distillery, founded in 1838 by licence holders Robert Johnstone and Donald MacLennan. We are given a fascinating description of the maturing and ageing process of their whiskies, each with its distinctive characteristics, followed by our special tasting of several single malts. Dinner on board.

Day 3 - Day 3 Dochgarroch to Fort Augustus

This morning we enjoy Cawdor Castle, forever immortalised in Shakespeare’s “Scottish Play”, Macbeth. The picturesque gardens have been listed as being amongst the top 100 in the UK. The castle contains a superb collection of tapestries, pictures and furnishings and the Dowager Countess of Cawdor still lives there for part of the year. Then we take a tour through the Clava Cairns, a pre-historic clan chieftain burial site dating back to 2,000 B.C. Later, we cruise through Loch Dochfour and down Loch Ness, where en route we pass Urquhart Castle, navigating closely beneath its spectacular 13th century ruins, before continuing our cruise to Fort Augustus. Dinner on board.

Day 4 - Day 4 Fort Augustus to Kytra

After breakfast, there is time to explore the pretty village of Fort Augustus before our cruise takes us up the “flight” and then on to our pretty mooring at Kytra. After lunch on board, we visit the private, Highland Club, a spectacular exclusive set of residences and a former 19th century Benedictine Monastery with a fascinating history. It is here we are treated to a falconry and birds of prey demonstration on the banks of Loch Ness, the majesty of the swooping birds against the backdrop of the sweeping Scottish Highlands is not easily forgotten. This evening we dine ashore at a local restaurant.

Day 5 - Day 5 Kytra to Laggan

This morning, we take in some of the finest scenery Scotland has to offer as we drive to one of its best known and most photographed castles, Eilean Donan, which has featured in movies such as “Highlander” and James Bond’s “The World Is Not Enough” and overlooks three sea lochs. The afternoon cruise today can be partially walked as we cross the very scenic Loch Oich, perhaps stopping en route for a spot of fishing, and onto the pretty Laggan Avenue. As we approach Laggan, our Highland Piper may greet us with a stirring rendition of traditional Scottish music. Dinner on board.

Day 6 - Day 6 Laggan to Banavie

Our final cruise today will see us cross Loch Lochy, passing Gairlochy, where there is the option to visit the Clan Cameron Museum. We continue on to Moy Bridge, the last fully hand-operated bridge on the canal to moor at Banavie beneath Ben Nevis and a stroll from Neptune’s Staircase leading down to Loch Eil. After lunch on board, our tour today takes us to the mystical battlefield of Glencoe, famed for one of the darkest days in Scottish history. Alternatively, we can enjoy some breath-taking panoramic views on a cable car ride to the summit of Aonach Mor mountain. If time permits, we can also visit the ruins of Old Inverlochy Castle. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.

Day 7 - Day 7 Banavie

After breakfast, guests are transferred by private chauffeured minibus to their choice of location in Inverness.

Day 8 - Please Note:

Please note, the excursion to Cawdor Castle is only possible between early May and the end of September. A visit to Fort George will replace it either side of these dates.This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Visit Glencoe, scene of treachery between the Campbell and MacDonald clans
Tour of the Glen Ord whisky distillery with a private tasting
Visit The Prestigious and Private Highland Club
Falconry Demonstration on the banks of Loch Ness
Cruise Lochs Dochfour, Ness, Oich and Lochy
See Eilean Donan and Urquhart castles
Visit Culloden Moor, scene of the last battle on British soil in 1746
Tour Cawdor Castle and gardens, home of Shakespeare’s Scottish Play
Spectacular scenery, wildlife and folklore
Visit Clava Cairns, a prehistoric burial site
Extraordinary river, canal and loch cruising
Excellent walking opportunities