Scotland – Castles, Kilts and Whisky

SCOTLAND – CASTLES, KILTS AND WHISKY

This eleven-day, premium Ayres Adventures tour starts and ends in the center of Scotland’s stunning capital city, Edinburgh. Our tour includes great riding on many narrow, winding roads through farmland, beautiful coastal roads, and over the rolling long green hills of this picturesque little country.

Scotland is famous for its historical castles and fine whisky. We will get to visit and stay at some of these fine, monumental, and historical buildings as well as visit some of the famous whisky distilleries.

The tour includes highlights such as stays in historical castles, riding some of the best motorcycle roads in Scotland, two nights in the popular seaside town of Oban, a chance to visit and sample some of Scotland’s finest whiskies, and a ride to the Northern Tip of Britain.

Highlights of this Adventure include:

• Luxury accommodations throughout the tour, including stays in historic castles
• A ride to the northern tip of Britain
• Two nights in the seaside town of Oban
• Scottish whisky distillery tour
• Visits to several historical castles, abbeys and ruins

AT A GLANCE YOUR SCOTLAND – CASTLES, KILTS AND WHISKY TOUR

DAY 1 – ARRIVAL IN EDINBURGH

Welcome to Scotland! The tour leaders will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in the center of Edinburgh. Depending on your arrival time, you will have the day to explore this historical city. Later in the afternoon, the tour leaders will hand over the bikes before hosting a group briefing providing more detailed information about the tour. After the briefing we will enjoy our first dinner together at a wonderful local restaurant.

DAY 2 – EDINBURGH TO ALSTON ~170 MILES

Leaving Edinburgh on a Sunday morning means that we will miss all the city traffic and get straight onto the small quiet country roads that offer exciting riding and spectacular scenery. During the day we will cross the border into England and spend the night in a luxurious historical castle in England. Along the way we, will stop at Devil’s Beef Tub, a stunning valley where rustlers would hide stolen cattle. We will also ride through the scenic Kielder Forest.

DAY 3 – ALSTON TO BALLANTRAE ~170 MILES

Today’s ride will take us along the coast of South West Scotland through several small fishing villages. We will stop in New Abbey for some great pictures of the ruins of the old abbey found in the middle of this sleepy little town. We will stop at a section of Hadrian’s Wall which dates back to Roman times and has a very long and intriguing history. Just before our morning coffee stop, we will cross back into Scotland at the current border between England and Scotland in Gretna Green.

DAY 4 – BALLANTRAE TO OBAN ~200 MILES

Just north of Glasgow, we will ride along the banks of beautiful Loch Lomond where we will stop for a few photo opportunities before riding through the Argyll National Park and along the Rest and Be Thankful, an incredibly beautiful ride all the way to Oban where we will spend two nights. Be prepared for a stunning day of riding.

DAY 5 – FREE DAY IN OBAN

Oban is a beautiful seaside town, popular with both locals and international travelers. We will spend two nights in Oban as it offers so many activities, including a whisky tour, ferry trips to the Isle of Mull as well as numerous other activities. Oban is home to the Oban Distillery which is a short walk from the hotel and offers very informative guided tours.

DAY 6 – OBAN TO ULLAPOOL ~230 MILES

One of the longest days of the tour takes us up north to Ullapool via Fort William where we should see Ben Nevis (Scotland’s highest mountain) before stopping on the banks of Loch Ness – be on the lookout for the Loch Ness Monster. We continuing with some great riding, taking many small back roads to Ullapool. The riding is considered some of the best in this more remote part of Scotland.

DAY 7 – ULLAPOOL TO THURSO ~140 MILES

Continuing along Scotland’s greatest motorcycle roads, today’s ride takes us through Durness and Tongue before arriving in Thurso. Today is one of the most scenic and exciting rides of the tour with breathtaking views of white sandy beaches along the Scottish coast. Today’s ride will take us through the very remote Scottish Highlands.

DAY 8 – THURSO TO INVERNESS ~150 MILES

Heading north, as far north as we can go, we will stop for photo at Dunnet Head, the most northerly point in Great Britain, before heading to John ‘O Groats, the famous starting point for Charlie Boorman and Ewan Mc Gregor on their ‘Long Way Down’ tour. Heading south from John ‘O Groats, we spend the night in Inverness

DAY 9 – INVERNESS TO PITLOCHRY ~130 MILES

Another great day of riding on some of the best motorcycle roads in Scotland. In the morning we will ride through Cairngorms National Park, cross the River Spey (The River Spey is the water source for many of Scotland’s whisky distilleries), and pass by Scotland’s largest ski hills. Pitlochry is a wonderful town and great for walking. There are several small and large distilleries on the area as well as some lovely walks into the surrounding forests.

DAY 10 – PITLOCHRY TO EDINBURGH ~120 MILES

From Pitlochry, we will ride through very scenic farmlands as we head to St. Andrews for lunch and a relaxing stop. Although this is the last riding day of the tour, we will stop at some great sights before heading into Edinburgh. Today we will ride back to Edinburgh where we will enjoy our final group dinner after a great tour. St. Andrews, famous for its golf course and university, is a great town to walk around and explore the ruins of the ancient cathedral in the city.

DAY 11 – DEPARTURE FROM EDINBURGH

After a relaxing breakfast, the tour leaders will arrange your transfer to the airport for your flight home.

TOTAL MILES: ~1,310 MILES