Where Spirits Roam:
The Scottish Highlands

Rental car pick-up
Broker: Sunny Cars
Vehicle: Mietwagen Sunnycars
Rate: Sunnycars (Stand: 24.05.2019): AB – Vauxhall Corsa /AC/2dr oder ähnlich, All-in/FF/AD
Location: Edinburgh Airport

To Aberdeenshire209 km | 3 hours 30 minutes

Attractions:

• Fife: Picturesque castles in graceful landscape
• Perth: Former Capital of Scotland

Accommodation:
A historic farm house2 Nights | Bed & Breakfast

This listed farm house was built in 1762 by the ancestors of the present owner. Forest with deer, birds chirping and tranquillity surround the rural idyll. Those who enter the prestigious stone house will be met by the stern glances of the ancestors of the McCombie family in the impressive galleried entrance hall. All the more friendly are the hosts who make every effort to make their guests happy. Veronica is a trained Cordon Bleu chef, which is reflected in both breakfast and dinner. The house in the heart of Aberdeenshire is ideally located for exploring the surrounding castles, gardens, and whiskey distilleries. Read more→

Attractions:

• Aberdeenshire: Uninhabited mountains with a coastline both gentle and craggy
• Castle Trail: Scotland's most beautiful Castles
• Grampian Mountains: Heath, moors, silent Munroes
• Cairngorms National Park: Lakes and marshes and heather in Britain's largest natural park
• Montrose and surroundings: Bizarre cliffs and a long sandy beach
• Craigievar Castle: A distinctly vertical Scottish tower house
• Castle Fraser: Spooky and creepy story behind massive walls
• Crathes Castle: Scottish fairy-tale castle
• Fyvie Castle: Hunting lodge of the Scottish monarchs
• Royal Lochnagar Distillery: Whisky distillery near Balmoral Castle
• Balmoral Castle: Summer residence of the British Queen
• Dunnottar Castle: Massive castle on a rock in the sea
• House of Dun: Manor house at the nature reserve

  Wanderungen:

• Ben Rinnes: Scenic mountain in whisky country
• Stonehaven: Coastal hike to Dunnottar Castle

From Aberdeenshire to Moray121 km | 2 hours 30 minutes

Attractions:

• Glenlivet Distillery: First legal distillery
• Speyside Cooperage: Whisky cooperage on the Malt Whisky Trail

Accommodation:
A traditional Scottish country house2 Nights | Bed & Breakfast

Host Rosemarie has been running the elegant B&B for over 16 years. The secluded property is situated on rich farmland east of Inverness just a few miles from the sea. The rooms are decorated with antique furniture handed down in Rosemariefamily through generations. The excellent meals are made using fresh herbs and vegetables grown on the farm. All room overlook the lovely grounds and Moray landscape beyond.

Attractions:

• Highlands: Clans, whisky and treeless vastness
• Easter Ross: Green hills, mild climate
• Pluscarden Abbey: Benedictine Monastery in the Blackburn Valley
• Dallas-Dhu-Destillery: Whisky museum in an old distillery
• Lossiemouth: Sand and stone beach at the mouth of the river
• Knockando Woolmill: Scottish wool weaving mill with fresh design
• Malt Whisky Trail: Themed route between Cairngorms and Moray Firth
• Dolphin safari on the Moray Firth: From Cromarty to the Bottlenose Dolphins
• Moray Firth: Where whales and dolphins romp about
• Big Burn Walk: A hike to the waterfall
• Strathspey Railway: Whisky tasting on the heritage railway

From Moray to Portree228 km | 4 hours

Attractions:

• Great Glen Fault: Ruins and monasteries on deep lakes
• Wester Ross: Highlands at the end of the world
• Hebrides: storm-tossed islands on the edge of Europe
• Cawdor Castle: Where King Macbeth committed murder
• Culloden: Bloodbath and the end of a Scottish dream
• Beauly Priory: Mystical ruins on the River Beauly
• Rogie Falls: Jumping salmon in August and September
• Eilean Donan Castle: Site in the film “The Highlander”
• Bealach na Bà: Scotland's most demanding pass
• Lochalsh Woodland Garden: East Asian plants in the warm Gulf Stream climate

  Wanderung:

• Corrieshalloch Gorge: A waterfall and bridge in a spectacular gorge

Accommodation:
A B&B near Portree2 Nights | Bed & Breakfast

This B&B lies at the edge of the port town of Portree. The Cuillin Mountains are visible to the south and the Old Man of Storr, a beautiful hiking area with gorgeous nooks and crannies, rises to the north. The custom-designed rooms receive plenty of light. The living room has a fireplace and is replete with books and maps all about the Isle of Skye. Rick and Georgie also happy to give advice on where to go for day trips. Pubs, restaurants and shops can be found on the other side of Loch Portree. 

Attractions:

• Isle of Skye: Caves, glens and waterfalls
• Old Man of Storr: Legendary rock needle made of black basalt
• Talisker Whisky: Only whisky distillery on Skye
• Cuillin Hills: An alpinist's paradise
• Dunvegan Castle: Castle above a seal colony
• Skye Museum of Island Life: Open-air museum on work, poverty and emigration

From Portree to Oban188 km | 4 hours 30 minutes (including ferry crossing)

The ferry crosses from the Inner Hebrides to the mainland.

Attractions:

• Fort William and surroundings: Whiskey distilleries and adventure tourism
• Armadale Castle: Romantic ruins and exotic garden
• Mallaig: Fishing port on the wild westcoast
• Arisaig: Picturesque village on Scotland's west coast
• Land, Sea and Islands Centre: Of the expulsion of Highland residents
• Glenfinnan Monument: Memorial to the Scottish uprising against England
• Jacobite Train to Mallaig: With the steam locomotive through a grand landscape
• Ben Nevis: Panoramic view from the highest mountain on the British Isles

Accommodation:
A designer B&B overlooking Loch Linnhe2 Nights | Bed & Breakfast

The designer guest house located between Appin and Oban on the west coast affords unparalleled views of Loch Linnhe. The eight, individually decorated rooms have jacuzzi baths, underfloor heating and large panoramic-view windows. The day starts out with a healthy, hearty breakfast: smoked fish or sweet pancakes provide a delicious alternative to the usual ham and eggs fare. Excursions can be arranged to the islands of Iona and Staffa, once a source of inspiration for the German composer Felix Mendelssohn.
For dinner the hosts recommend the Eriska Hotel which also features a golf course and a spa. Reservations need to be made at the time of booking.  Read more→

Attractions:

• Rannoch Moor: Untouched wilderness in the heart of Scotland
• Ardnamurchan: Remote peninsula in the far west
• Isle of Mull: Windy, wide Hebridean Island
• Argyll: Remote peninsula in western Scotland
• West Lochaber: Uninhabited wilderness at the end of the world
• Castle Stalker: Somberly defiant island castle
• Oban Distillery: Whisky studies directly at the barrel
• Oban: Base for the Western Highlands
• Boat trip to the islands: Abandoned monasteries and castle ruins
• Isle of Kerrera: Hebridean island with castle ruins and 30 inhabitants
• St Conan's Kirk: Crude mix or ingenious construction at Loch Awe
• Loch Awe: Ruins and monasteries on the fairy tale lake
• Ariundle: Hike through an ancient forest
• Garbh Eilean Wildlife Hide: View of Loch Sunart and its wildlife
• Clach na Criche: Picnic area at the Sound of Mull
• Inveraray Castle: Locale for horror novels

  Wanderungen:

• Glencoe: Hiking across the “Valley of Tears”
• Kinlochleven: Wilderness hike in the misty Valley

From Oban to Edinburgh200 km | 3 hours 30 minutes

Attractions:

• Loch Lomond: “The Queen of all Scottish Lakes” (Sir Walter Scott)
• Central Lowlands: Industrial heart of Scotland
• Doune Castle: Late medieval fortress and popular filming location
• Stirling: Haunted town in the shadow of the castle
• Bannockburn: Worst defeat of the English army
• Falkirk Wheel: Ferris wheel for ships
• Kelpie: Water spirit in the shape of a horse
• Callendar House: Historical country castle near Falkirk
• Culross: Historic town on the northern bank of the Firth of Forth
• Linlithgow Palace: Birthplace of Mary Stuart
• Hopetoun House: Georgian country castle and film set
• Forth Road Bridge: 2,5 km long suspension bridge

  Wanderung:

• Dollar Glen: Via a romantic gorge to Castle Campbell

Rental car drop-off
Location: Edinburgh Downtown

Accommodation:
A Victorian residence in downtown Edinburgh2 Nights | Bed & Breakfast

The hosts' first Blène, a former teacher, and Erland, a journalist with a wry British sense of humour, have created a guest suite in their new home in Cambridge Street. The suite is located on the ground floor of a stately Victorian mansion and is itself beautifully furnished in Victorian style. The couples' candlelight breakfasts are unparalleled: Choices include Pommes Rimbaut, Mushroom Taleggio, Asparagus Apocalypse and Oeufs à la Brioche. Although many of Edinburgh's most important sights are only minutes away, the rooms face a quiet garden.

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Attractions:

• Edinburgh: Scotland's proud capital in the shadow of the fortress
• Edinburgh Castle: A castle built over an extinct volcano
• Dean Village: Romantic mill village near Edinburgh
• Royal Mile of Edinburgh: Heart of the Old Town between High Street and Castlehill
• Royal Botanic Garden: From the cultivation of medicinal plants to a refuge for stressed city dwellers

  Wanderung:

• Water of Leith Walkway: Contemplative promenade through Edinburgh

With your donation CO2-saving projects are supported; one example being solar cookers for Lesotho. Further information can be found at www.umfulana.com/about-umfulana/projects/climate-compensation
www.klima-kollekte.de and www.wildlands.co.za

If you wish to opt out of the Umfulana climate initiative, please note this on your booking form.