Overview
Accommodating up to 12 passengers in comfort, Spirit of Scotland’s interior features a bright and spacious saloon and dining area with picture windows, a separate bar, and an integral forward wheelhouse giving views of the cruise route ahead. The 6 air-conditioned cabins offer a choice of twin or double beds and are complemented by well designed en suite shower rooms.
Outside, there are separate areas where you can relax on a recliner, or perhaps in the heated spa pool, or on the covered dining terrace. And the large upper sun deck is the ideal place to admire the dramatic backdrop as you cruise on deep-water lochs such as Loch Oich and past historic landmarks along the way.
Your voyage aboard Spirit of Scotland will be an unforgettable experience, giving you the opportunity to appreciate the very best this dramatic region of Scotland has to offer from a unique perspective.
Itinerary
Deck Hotel Barge Spirit of Scotland
Deluxe | 12 Passengers | 6 Crew
- 126 Feet Long
- 6 Twin/Double Staterooms (130sq ft incl. en suite)
- Separate Cabin for Tour Leader
- Centrally Heated / Air-Conditioned
- TV/DVD Player in Cabins
- Spa Pool
Day 1 Inverness Banavie
Guests are met at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to the Spirit of Scotland. A champagne welcome by the Captain and crew and perhaps an early evening stroll before our first dinner on board.
Overnight stay onboard Hotel Barge Spirit of Scotland in a Stateroom.
Selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included.
Day 2 Banavie Laggan
Begin your week this morning with a cruise through Moy Bridge, the last hand-operated bridge of its type on the waterway, before crossing Loch Lochy. As you approach your mooring at Laggan, a Highland Piper may be there to greet you with a stirring rendition of traditional Scottish music. After lunch on board, your tour today takes you to the Ben Nevis Distillery for a tour and private tasting of several single malts. Dinner on board.
Overnight stay onboard Hotel Barge Spirit of Scotland in a Stateroom.
Selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included.
Day 3 Laggan Kytra
This morning take in some of the finest scenery Scotland has to offer as we drive to one of its best known and most photographed castles, Eilean Donan – a beautiful spot overlooking three sea lochs, well known amongst film aficionados having featured in The World is Not Enough and Highlander. After lunch on board, you will cruise across the very scenic Loch Oich, perhaps for a spot of fishing or a gentle stroll, and then onto your pretty mooring at Kytra. Dinner on board.
Overnight stay onboard Hotel Barge Spirit of Scotland in a Stateroom.
Selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included.
Day 4 Kytra Fort Augustus
This morning, cruise to Fort Augustus and down the flight, to moor opposite the Benedictine Abbey at the entrance to Loch Ness. After lunch on board, visit the private Highland Club, an exclusive set of residences sited in a former 19th century Benedictine Monastery. Here, you’re treated to a falconry and birds of prey demonstration on the banks of Loch Ness, and the majesty of the swooping birds against the backdrop of the sweeping Scottish Highlands is not easily forgotten. This evening, have dinner ashore at a local restaurant.
Overnight stay onboard Hotel Barge Spirit of Scotland in a Stateroom.
Selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included.
Day 5 Fort Augustus Dochgarroch
This morning enjoy a picturesque cruise across world-famous Loch Ness, with perhaps a chance of spotting “Nessie”, where en route we pass Urquhart Castle, navigating closely beneath its spectacular 13th century ruins, before continuing your cruise to moor at the hamlet of Dochgarroch. After lunch, visit Culloden Moor, scene of the last major battle on British soil in 1746, where English Government troops faced the Highlanders of “Bonnie Prince Charlie”. If time allows, then you may take a tour of Clava Cairns, a pre-historic clan chieftain burial site dating back to 2,000 B.C and setting for the Outlander TV series. Dinner on board.
Overnight stay onboard Hotel Barge Spirit of Scotland in a Stateroom.
Selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included.
Day 6 Dochgarroch Muirtown
This morning, your final cruise takes us through the Tomnahurich swing bridge to the locks at Muirtown, where there is the opportunity to take a bicycle ride or stroll to the sea lock with wonderful views over the Moray and Beauly Firths. After lunch, visit Cawdor Castle, forever immortalised in Shakespeare’s ‘Scottish Play’, Macbeth. The picturesque gardens have been listed amongst the top 100 in the UK. The castle contains a superb collection of tapestries, pictures and furnishings and is still in use as a home for the Dowager Countess of Cawdor who resides there for several months of the year. Captain’s Farewell Dinner on board.
Overnight stay onboard Hotel Barge Spirit of Scotland in a Stateroom.
Selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included.
Day 7 Muirtown Inverness
After breakfast, guests are transferred by private chauffeured minibus to their choice of location in Inverness.