The Highland Fling
The train pulls out of Waverley and Edinburgh falls away behind you. Two days, and for once, none of them belong to anyone's schedule but yours, no itinerary to share, no pace but your own. By the time the Cairngorms rise up on either side of the carriage, something in the pace of things has already changed, and the country most people only ever glimpse from a coach window starts to open up properly, glens with no one else's voice in them, roads that feel like they were built for exactly one car.
This is the Highlands compressed into their finest hour, not a shorter version of something bigger, but its own complete thing. Eilean Donan, rising out of three lochs. Glen Coe, the glen that opened Skyfall, and one of the most storied landscapes in Scotland. A night at Inverlochy Castle, restaurant overseen by Michel Roux Jr, the kind of place people remember long after they've forgotten most hotels they've stayed in. Afternoon tea overlooking the Old Course at St Andrews, on the way back.
A guide with you throughout, there to tell you what you're actually looking at, not just point you toward it. Every detail arranged before you arrive.
This is what a weekend away is supposed to feel like.
Experience Details
Pricing
From £2,355 pp (based on two sharing)
Private Guided.
Tour Type
Trip Duration
2 days 1 night
Tour Itinerary
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Day One: The Great Glen and the West Coast
First-class rail from Edinburgh Waverley to Inverness, through the Cairngorms and over Drumochter Pass, the highest point on Britain's railway. A private car takes us south along Loch Ness to Urquhart Castle, then west through Glen Shiel to Eilean Donan Castle, before we finish the day at Inverlochy Castle beneath Ben Nevis.
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Edinburgh Waverley Station (departure)
Inverness (rail arrival, private car meets you)
Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness
Glen Shiel (scenic drive)
Eilean Donan Castle
Inverlochy Castle, Fort William (overnight)
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Inverlochy Castle Hotel.
The first sight of Inverlochy Castle Hotel, rising at the foot of Ben Nevis, tends to stay with people. It's a nineteenth-century castle hotel that knows exactly what it is: quietly grand rather than showy, full of storied antiques and the kind of atmosphere that doesn't need to try. Queen Victoria stayed a week here in 1873 and called it the loveliest spot she'd ever seen.
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Description text goes here
Day Two: Glen Coe and the road home
We begin in Glen Coe, standing in the glen itself for the story of 1692, before the drive southeast across the emptiness of Rannoch Moor and through Perthshire to St Andrews, for afternoon tea overlooking the Old Course. Home to Edinburgh by early evening.
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Glen Coe
Rannoch Moor (scenic drive)
St Andrews — afternoon tea, Old Course Hotel
Return to Edinburgh
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Description text goes here
Inclusions
Rail First-class, Edinburgh to Inverness
Transport: Private chauffeured vehicle, both days
Guide: Jonathan, travelling with you throughout
Accommodation 1 night, Inverlochy Castle, double occupancy
Meals: Breakfast
Afternoon tea: Old Course Hotel, St Andrews
Entries: Urquhart Castle, Eilean Donan Castle
Exclusions
Dinner (reservations made on request)
Lunch on day two
Travel insurance
Personal spending money
Gratuities
Flights or travel to/from Edinburgh
Any activities not listed in the itinerary
Your Guide
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Jonathan Ellenor
Jonathan leads every StoryLed tour personally. He's lived in Edinburgh for twelve years, in Stockbridge, and still adds new stops to his routes on a fairly regular basis — if he finds something worth showing you, it goes in.
His background is in marketing rather than academic history, which shapes how he guides more than you'd expect. He's less interested in reciting dates than in finding the shape of a good story — a hook, a build, a payoff — and he'll spend the first part of any tour working out what you're actually curious about before deciding where to take you. Ask him about the Reformation or ask him about Harry Potter; he's equally happy either way.
A few things worth knowing about Jonathan:
His favourite spot in the city is Inverleith Park, just up the road from home the view back across to the castle and skyline from there is one he never quite gets used to.
His go-to restaurant is Little Capo in the New Town, and he's fairly evangelical about it if you ask.
His secret tip for visitors: the roof terrace at the National Museum of Scotland, which has one of the best skyline views in the city and is somehow always quiet.
His Sunday spot is Books and Cups in Stockbridge but go early, before the rest of Stockbridge has the same idea.
Before every tour, without fail: a cuppa and a biscuit at Cafe Edinburgh.
His favourite Scottish word is haar, the sea mist that rolls in over the city in the morning and evening. Give it a week here and you'll start reading the sky for it too.
Jonathan is fully insured, first aid trained, and currently working toward formal tourist guide accreditation.
[ FAQ ]Common Questions
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A 25% deposit secures your dates, with the balance due 14 days before departure. Free cancellation up to 7 days before departure.
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Scottish weather is unpredictable in every season. If road conditions require it, the itinerary may be adjusted on the day for safety, always with the best available alternative in place.
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Yes, let us know at the time of booking and I'll pass this on to the hotel and restaurant in advance.
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The journey is priced for a minimum of two guests. Solo travellers are very welcome with a single room suplement TBA.
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It isn't included, but we'd strongly recommend it for a trip of this value, particularly given multi-day travel and weather-dependent routes in the Highlands.
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Layers, and a proper waterproof, regardless of season. Comfortable shoes for uneven ground at castle sites and viewpoints. Scottish weather can shift quickly, even in summer.
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Very possibly. Enquire with what you have in mind and we'll talk through whether it fits within the three days.
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No, the trip begins and ends at Waverley Station however, do ask its something we can arrange.