Four Day Small Group Tour of The West Coast, Oban and "Hidden Islands"

Want to tour the back roads of the Scottish Highlands but don't want to join a large coach group? Looking for a little flexibility and spontaneity in your itinerary? Do you have a few days to really get deep into the Scottish countryside?

Most visitors to Scotland feel they have to trek to the far north, and to Inverness, to get a taste of the renowned Highland scenery. Thankfully, it's not so. On this tour you can explore the Highland region of Rob Roy in the Trossachs and by saving a lot of driving time that you'd have to face on a traditional Inverness tour, you can also see the wonderful coastal region south of Oban.

With a maximum group size of 11 and a university educated guide/driver, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience.

Schedule Details Departs: Seasonal - 2008 dates

• May 10 and 24
• June 07 and 21
• July 05 and 19
• August 02, 16 and 30
• September 13 and 27
• October 11

Departure Point: Tour departs from centrally located Glasgow hotels Departure Time: 8:00am Return details: Tour returns to original point of departure at approximately 6:00pm (Day 4) Hotel Pickup: Tour departs from centrally located Glasgow hotels. Please include the details of your hotel at the time of booking. You MUST call the supplier at least 24 hours prior to tour commencement to reconfirm all tour and departure details. If the supplier does not pickup from your hotel, they will advise you of the meeting point when you call. Itinerary:

Day One:
Leave Glasgow and drive through the much-ignored town of Paisley, seeing the Abbey which hides the secret roots of Britain's present Queen, statues to the Coats brothers, whose business hung on a thread, and the weaver's cottages where radicalism developed alongside the famed Paisley pattern Shawl! Wander up the west side of Loch Lomond, hear the real tale of the famous song, ponder a Viking gravestone in the picturesque village of Luss, before climbing up and over the Rest and Be Thankful, through some breath-taking scenery to Inveraray with its fairy-tale Castle and delightful layout.

Lunch here, perhaps in the 18th Century George Hotel, or in the inn where Bothwell, Burns, Keats et al once dined. Perhaps visit the old jail, see the birthplace of Neil Munro, author of Para Handy, then continue by some more classic highland scenic routes to Kilmartin. Older than Stonehenge and older than the pyramids, the stone circles and burial cairns of this ancient glen await. Your base for the next three nights is Oban.

Day Two:
Cross the Atlantic today! On the way to Easdale Island, you will drive over the Atlantic Bridge, by the 18th Century Inn, Tigh an Truish (the House of the Trousers) and drive across the beautiful Seil Island, where Princess Diana's mother lived, to the little ferry which will whisk you over to Easdale, the Slate Island. Visit the little Island museum and take a walk around the Island, with its fabulous views and rare wildlife. A visit to an Argyll Garden, and an evening of Scottish song and dance with dinner will round off another great day.

Day Three:
A day of scenery, of history, of treachery! With a bit of Scottish engineering thrown in for good measure! Start with a visit to Dunstaffnage Castle, once home to the Stone of Destiny, once prison for Flora MacDonald. Then head for Loch Awe and the Cruachan Power Station, built deep inside a mountain! Ride the visitor's train inside the mountain and marvel at the engineer's feat! After this, a drive through the magical Glen Orchy, over the brooding Rannoch Moor and into Glencoe, the Glen of Weeping. Hear the true tale of the treachery of the Massacre which took place here in 1692, the memory of which is as fresh today as it was then. Then it's another beautiful drive as you follow the coast road back to Oban, watching out for Sea Eagles and otters, ruined castles and Highland Cattle!

Day Four:
Leave Oban by the back roads, rejoining the main road at the Pass of Brander, where Robert the Bruce defeated the MacDougalls in the early 14th Century. Thence through classic southern Highland country of glen, loch and brae (valley, lake and stream). Aye, it's the very image of Scotland and what you've come for! Ye'll no be disappointed!

Amidst the stunning and spectacular scenery, you will find the tomb and tumbledown house of Highland robber and sometime "patriot", Rob Roy. Hear local tales of fairy visits and the Minister who studied and wrote about them, before mysteriously disappearing! You couldn't pass this region by without a visit to a woolen mill, and you can't go home with a typical woolly jumper! Finally, round off a perfect day and tour with the magnificent Stirling Castle, in the heart of "Braveheart" country before returning to Glasgow.

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