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Lord of the Highlands - Heart of the Highlands
From $2,995
We are sorry to inform you that due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it has become necessary to reschedule this tour. Your safety and wellbeing are our utmost priorities, so we do hope you understand this enforced change of travel arrangements. A new date will be confirmed shortly. For more information, please read our full statement about the Coronavirus here. If you are booked onto this tour, you can get in touch with our friendly sales team on 800-782-0295, who are ready to help.
Summary
In 2020 the hugely popular ‘Lord of the Glens’ will be joined by a brand new sister ship, the ‘Lord of the Highlands’.
The challenge, as with her sister ship, was to craft a vessel that could both transit the intricate waters of the Caledonian Canal as well as navigate the sheltered waters around Scotland’s hauntingly beautiful fretted west coast, the result being a splendid craft whose elegance calls to mind that of a luxury yacht.
There are 21 outward facing state cabins spread over two decks, four with their own small balcony, each named with references to John Buchan’s “THIRTY-NINE STEPS”. Each cabin is finished in hardwood finishes, plush carpeting, dressing table, stool, wardrobe, satellite tv, and en suite facilities with shower, wc and washbasin. All state cabins are air conditioned and heated with an internal telephone and picture windows. The cuisine is excellent, freshly prepared on board by a loyal and long serving brigade of chefs, drawing on the rich bounty of locally sourced produce.
This seven-night cruise combines both fresh and saltwater cruising, as the Lord of the Highlands sails from Kyle of Lochalsh to the islands of Skye and Mull to Oban, featurning some of the remote and breathtakingly beautiful scenery of Scotland’s west coast, and then through the Caledonian Canal to Inverness.
Highlights include Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy and Thomas Telford’s engineering masterpiece Neptune’s Staircase, a series of eight interconnected locks that takes vessels back to sea-level near Fort William. In between our cruising, there is also a full programme of shore excursions including visits to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, the little islands of Eigg and Iona, colourful Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, romantic Eilean Donan Castle, the Glenfinnan Monument, Culloden Battlefield and prehistoric Clava Cairns.
Keeping you safe on your next tour
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FREE 'Travel Safe' kits for every traveller
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COVID-19 insurance
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Self-drive options
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Enhanced Health and Safety audits
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Distanced seating on coaches
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'Get me home' service and private airport transfers
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COVID protocols at our hotels, and aboard our cruise ships
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Packed lunches and flexible dining options
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Flexible balance payment date and COVID-friendly refund conditions
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COVID-testing and medical training for tour staff
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Constant monitoring and post-tour tracing
Your itinerary
Day 1 -
Travel under own arrangement to Inverness (rail/air connections can be arranged on request). A coach transfer is provided from Inverness Airport (approx. 1300hrs) or Inverness Bus Station (approx. 1530hrs) to Muirtown Basin, Inverness, where we embark the MV Lord of the Highlands.
This evening we will be joined by members of the crew for a welcome reception before dinner. We moor here overnight.
| Hotel | Lord of the Highlands |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Dinner |
Day 2 -
After breakfast this morning we depart by coach on an excursion to the National Trust for Scotland’s Visitor Centre at Culloden, the scene of the last battle fought on British soil in 1746, and the Clava Cairns, a group of exceptionally well-preserved burial cairns that were built about 4000 years ago. We set sail this afternoon on the Caledonian Canal, built between 1803 and 1822 to connect Loch Ness with the Great Glen’s three other lochs. This most famous of Scottish lochs is 23 miles long, a mile wide and up to 600ft deep, which is a lot of water in which to hide if you are a monster! Whether ‘Nessie’ is a relic from the age of dinosaurs or just a carefully cultivated myth remains to be seen, but keep a careful look out just in case! On the way we pass by the ruins of Castle Urquhart, which provides the perfect photo opportunity.
We ascend an impressive flight of locks that runs through the heart of Fort Augustus, where we moor this evening.
| Hotel | Lord of the Highlands |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 3 -
After breakfast this morning we sail through the tree-lined section known as Laggan Avenue and into Loch Lochy, where we continue until we descend Neptune’s Staircase, a set of eight interconnected locks. We arrive in the village of Corpach, nestled in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. In the afternoon we depart by train on the West Highland railway, travelling over the impressive Glenfinnan Viaduct.
We moor overnight in Corpach.
| Hotel | Lord of the Highlands |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 4 -
Today after breakfast we enter the ocean, passing mysterious lochs and islands until we reach Oban, the seafood capital of the Highlands. Join us for a walk up to McCaigs Tower, dominating the skyline of the town with great views of the Western Isles. We moor overnight here.
| Hotel | Lord of the Highlands |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 5 -
Following breakfast this morning we sail to Craignure, the main ferry port of Mull, pausing for photographs in front of Duart Castle, the 13th century home of the Chief of Clan MacLean. We depart by coach for a visit to the Isle of Iona, the last resting place of some 50 Scottish Kings and the place where St Columba introduced Christianity to Britain. The tiny island has a unique sense of peace and tranquillity. This afternoon we sail to Tobermory. Tobermory’s most famous and striking feature is the row of brightly painted houses that lines the waterfront, originally built by the British Fisheries Company for £20 pound each to house its workers.
We moor in Tobermory overnight.
| Hotel | Lord of the Highlands |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 6 -
Enjoy your breakfast this morning as we depart on an early morning sail to the tiny island of Eigg, where you get a sense of what life is like for the 90 or so people who live on this island, which came into community ownership in 1998. Look out for marine animals and birdlife, including Atlantic seals, minke whales, dolphins, porpoises and a variety of seabirds.
We then sail to the town of Inverie in Loch Nevis, one of the most remote locations in Scotland with a famous pub which can only be accessed by boat. We moor in Inverie overnight.
| Hotel | Lord of the Highlands |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 7 -
As we enjoy breakfast this morning we sail across the Sound of Sleat to Armadale on the Isle of Skye. Here we will visit the Clan Donald Centre, before we sail to Kyle of Lochalsh this afternoon to visit Eilean Donan Castle. This must be one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, with its impossibly romantic setting on Loch Duich. The beginnings of Eilean Donan Castle reach back into the early mists of time - evidence of a pictish fort was found in vitrified rock uncovered during excavations, some of which has been kept for visitors to see. We will also visit the picturesque village of Plockton, a National Trust for Scotland conservation village with in incomparable location on a sheltered bay of Loch Carron, surrounded by a ring of hills.
In the evening we will be joined by members of the crew reception and dinner, and moor here in Kyle overnight.
| Hotel | Lord of the Highlands |
|---|---|
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
Day 8 -
Following breakfast we disembark. A coach transfer will take you back to Inverness Bus Station (approx. 10.30hrs and Inverness Airport (approx. 1100hrs)
| Meals included | Breakfast |
|---|
Tour dates & prices
Included in your cost:
- Accommodation
- Meals - as per the itinerary
Please note there is no lift on board the ship and there are a number of steps between each deck.
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