SPIRIT OF SCOTLAND

Muirtown to Banavie

Sunday, Day 1 Muirtown

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

Monday, 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, on our tour today we drive through stunning hilly scenery to take a closer look at one of Scotland’s best known exports, whisky, at the Glen Ord distillery, founded in 1838 on the Black Isle by the Mackenzies of Ord. A fascinating description of the maturing and ageing process of single and blended malts is followed by our special tasting. Dinner on board.

Tuesday, 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 visit Culloden Moor, scene of the last major battle on British soil in 1746. If there is time, we end our tour at the Clava Cairns, a pre-historic clan chieftain burial site dating back to 2,000 B.C. Our cruise today is through Loch Dochfour and down Loch Ness with perhaps a chance of spotting “Nessie” before arriving at Fort Augustus. Dinner on board.

Wednesday, Day 4 Fort Augustus to Kytra

After breakfast, our cruise takes us up the “flight”, as the locals call it, at Fort Augustus and then on to our pretty mooring at Cullochy. Later, we encounter some of Scotland’s bloody past as we visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle in a spectacular setting overlooking Loch Ness. Then we have the option of a gentle drive to the Invermoriston Falls and the “Old Bridge” designed by Thomas Telford where you may even see a salmon leaping, or perhaps a visit to the Clansmen Centre in Fort Augustus for a demonstration of traditional Scottish crafts including kilt-making. This evening we have dinner ashore at a local restaurant..

Thursday, 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.

Friday, 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 nearby Spean Bridge Woollen Mill, or perhaps 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.

Saturday, Day 7 Banavie

Passengers disembark at 9.15 after a hearty Scottish breakfast for their transfer back to the **designated drop off point by minibus

 

Banavie to Muirtown

 

Sunday, Day 1 Banavie

Guests are met at our designated meeting point in Inverness and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Spirit of Scotland. A champagne welcome by the Captain and crew and perhaps an early evening stroll before our first dinner on board.

Monday, Day 2 Banavie to Laggan

We begin our week this morning with a cruise through Moy Bridge, the last hand-operated bridge of its type on the waterway, before crossing Loch Lochy. As we approach our mooring at Laggan, a Highland Piper may be there to greet us with a stirring rendition of traditional Scottish music. After lunch on board, our tour today takes us to Dalwhinnie Distillery, built in 1897 and the highest distillery in Scotland. We are given a fascinating description of the maturing and ageing process of their whiskies, each with its distinctive characteristics, followed by a special tasting of several single malts. If time permits, we can also visit the ruins of Old Inverlochy Castle. Dinner on board.

Tuesday, Day 3 Laggan to Kytra

This morning we cruise across the very scenic Loch Oich, perhaps stopping en route for a spot of fishing or a gentle stroll, then onto our pretty mooring at Kytra. After lunch on board 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. Dinner on board.

Wednesday, Day 4 Kytra to Fort Augustus

After breakfast, we visit the private Highland Club, a spectacular exclusive set of residences and a former 19th century Benedictine Monastery. Here we are treated to a falconry and birds of prey demonstration*** on the banks of Loch Ness, and the majesty of the swooping birds against the backdrop of the sweeping Scottish Highlands is not easily forgotten. There is time to explore the pretty village of Fort Augustus before lunch on board, after which we cruise to Fort Augustus and down the “flight of locks” as the locals call it, to moor opposite the Benedictine Abbey at the entrance to Loch Ness. This evening we dine ashore at a local restaurant.

Thursday, Day 5 Fort Augustus to Dochgarroch

This morning we enjoy a picturesque cruise across world-famous Loch Ness, with perhaps a chance of spotting “Nessie”, where en-route we pass Urquhart Castle, navigating closely beneath its spectacular 13th century ruins, before continuing our cruise to moor at the hamlet of Dochgarroch. After lunch we visit Cawdor Castle*, forever immortalised in Shakespeare’s “Scottish Play”, Macbeth. The picturesque gardens have been listed amongst the top 100 in the UK. The castle contains a superb collection of tapestries, pictures and furnishings and is still in use as a home for the Dowager Countess of Cawdor who resides there for several months of the year. Dinner on board.

Friday, Day 6 Dochgarroch to Muirtown

This morning, our final cruise takes us through Tomnahurich swing bridge to the locks at Muirtown, where there is the opportunity to take a bicycle ride or stroll to the sea lock with wonderful views over the Moray and Beauly Firths. After lunch we visit Culloden Moor, scene of the last major battle on British soil in 1746, where English Government troops faced the Highlanders of “Bonnie Prince Charlie”. If time allows, then we take a tour of Clava Cairns, a pre-historic clan chieftain burial site dating back to 2,000 B.C and setting for the Outlander TV series. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.

Saturday, Day 7 Muirtown

Passengers disembark after a hearty Scottish breakfast for their transfer back to the **designated drop off point by minibus in Inverness.

On alternative weeks the itinerary is in reverse direction.  This itinerary is subject to change.

 **The designated meeting and drop off point is Inverness

*The Cawdor Castle excursion is between 1st May and 6th October only.  An alternative excursion to Fort George will replace it either side of these dates. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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