Ultimate Urquhart Castle, Culloden Moor & Loch Ness Cruise

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Your adventure begins as you board your motorcoach for the scenic ride through the heather-covered hills of the lush Scottish Highlands on your way to Culloden Moor, the site of the last battle fought on British mainland soil on the 16th of April 1746.

On a sleety day in April 1746, the fates of the Stuart dynasty and the Highland clans were sealed with the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie. The Culloden Visitor Centre features a state of the art exhibition bringing the battle alive in an immersion film and accounts from genuine characters involved in the battle. On a guided tour you will hear what happened when 5,000 weary Highlanders clashed with 8,000 well-trained British troops. At the edge of the battlefield lies the Well of the Dead, where wounded Highlanders were slain as they sought water to quench their thirst. The battle lasted just one hour and thirty minutes and 1200 Jacobites were killed and many more wounded would die from their injuries later or be slaughtered where they lay. Once a year on April 15th people come from around the world to sleep on Culloden Moor and on the 16th there is a procession led by a piper to the commemorative cairn where wreaths are placed and flowers are left with crosses on graves for the gallant Highlanders.

After your time on the moor, you'll journey to Inverness. Here we enjoy a delicious three-course lunch at a first-class hotel before boarding the 'Jacobite Queen' where you'll cruise along Loch Ness, enjoying the scenery and perhaps have a Nessie sighting of your own. The Loch is 22 miles long, one mile wide and 740 feet deep. Its waters are stained a dark brown from peat. Your cruise lands at the jagged ruins of Urquhart Castle that stand next to the dark waters of Loch Ness. During its turbulent history the castle was plundered by the MacDonald clan of the Western Isles and then destroyed during the first Jacobite Rising of 1692. All that remains are a lone keep and crumbling walls, but legends persist that a cave beneath the castle is the home of legendary monster 'Nessie.' You'll visit the Visitors' Centre where you can see the exhibitions and a film presentation.

Your adventure concludes as you travel along the shores of Cromarty Firth as you return to your ship with your own stories of Loch Ness.

Special Notes:

The drive from Invergordon to Loch Ness is approximately one hour long.

Steps at Urquhart Castle may be slippery.

Bring local currency or credit cards for additional purchases - credit cards are accepted in a majority of shops, but not all.

Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothing suited to the day's conditions. Bring a hat and a waterproof jacket.

Passengers with limited mobility are able to view the Urquhart Castle ruins from the Urquhart Castle Visitors Centre.

The cruise boat the 'Jacobite Queen' is Subject to Change to a different boat in the operators fleet.

This tour maybe Reversed

Use of an audio headset (included) will enhance your tour experience.

Child Price:

12 & under reduced