Day 1
We depart from your local area and travel to the gardens of Cawdor Castle, near Nairn. William Shakespeare immortalised Cawdor in Macbeth as the scene of Duncan's murder, however, both the castle and its history are colourful enough without the aid of myth. A turreted 14th century tower, protected on one side by a gully and on the other by a dry moat, rises majestically from the woods of the Nairn Valley. The magnificent gardens include vast herbaceous borders, a rose garden, a peony walk and a kitchen garden - there is also a fascinating holly maze and a romantic bluebell woodland walk.
Later we will continue to Inverness to our accommodation at the Best Western Inverness Palace Hotel, centrally located on the banks of the River Ness. All rooms are en-suite with tv, hairdryer and tea/coffee-making facilities. The hotel’s facilities include a gymnasium, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. Dinner will be served in the evening.
Day 2
Enjoy your full Scottish breakfast. This morning we will visit Dunrobin Castle - the château-style ancestral home of the Dukes of Sutherland. The castle is a wonderful early 19th-century fantasy castle with a touch of the Loire and a dash of Bavaria. Below the castle is a magnificent example of a formal nineteenth century garden. The gardens are laid out on terraces which descend to the sea. We continue to John O'Groats before having an afternoon visit to the private gardens and former home of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, at the Castle of Mey. Dinner will be served on our return to the hotel.
Day 3
After breakfast we have a long but most rewarding day as we drive across the north of Scotland to visit Inverewe gardens, unquestionably one of the most outstanding gardens in the country. The northern road into Inverewe is spectacular - towering mountains and breathtaking vistas. The view from above Gruinard Bay has to be seen to be believed.
Famous gardens do not always live up to their reputations but it would be hard to imagine anyone failing to be excited by Inverewe, when at this time of year it will be at its most colourful. The balmy Gulf Stream Drift Climate promotes luxuriant growth and today it is a jungle of mature exotic trees and shrubs laced with winding walks, rising and falling, giving sudden glimpses of shimmering water through the foliage. We will return to Inverness via Loch Maree and Achnasheen, another spectacularly scenic journey. Dinner will be served on our return to the hotel.
Day 4
Enjoy your full Scottish breakfast. This morning en route home we have included a visit to Abriachan Gardens, near Drumnadrochit where you will have the added benefit of being able to purchase plants from the adjoining nursery. We expect to arrive at your original pick-up point during the evening.