Best of the Scottish Highlands

Following your flight to Inverness Airport, upon arrival, you will be welcomed by a Newmarket representative and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your flight time, you might be able to explore Inverness before checking into your hotel.

Spend the rest of the day relaxing at your hotel or in the pretty village. Opposite your hotel, you'll find the famous Packhorse Bridge, which dates back to 1717 and is reputed to be one of the oldest bridges in Scotland.

This morning, we head to the rose-coloured, turreted Brodie Castle, the ancestral home of the Brodie clan for over 400 years and a treasure trove of priceless antiques and artefacts. The castle building reflects the changing needs of the residents over the centuries – from the impenetrable 16th-century guard chamber to a sprawling Victorian extension with some magnificent rooms. A guided tour will help you make the very most of your visit. The beautiful grounds, which boast a dazzling display of daffodils in the spring, are also well worth exploring.

Later in the day, you’ll have the chance to see some of the renowned Moray Coast, and to explore the fine, historic town of Elgin with its warren of alleys and closes and awe-inspiring cathedral ruins.

Explore the capital of the Highlands today as we visit Inverness. This thriving city is home to a delightful Victorian Market, an excellent museum and art gallery, and some attractive riverside walks. We'll also enjoy a short tour of the Black Isle, which is neither black nor an island, but rather a delightful scenic peninsula surrounded by three bodies of water. We'll stop at Fortrose and the charming nautical town of Cromarty.

Your day ends as you board the Spirit cruiser to enjoy a cruise around the inner Moray Firth to try to spot a variety of marine wildlife and birds, hopefully including seals, otters or porpoise. A specialist guide will give a full commentary, so that you don’t miss anything.

No holiday to the Highlands would be complete without visiting beautiful, mysterious Loch Ness. We'll head to Fort Augustus, at the southern tip of the loch, where a series of locks join it to the Caledonian Canal, and the Caledonian Canal Heritage Centre gives a fascinating insight into the history and operation of the canal. From here, we'll head past the dramatic ruins of Urquhart Castle to Drumnadrochit, where you may like to visit the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre, which is packed with information about the loch, or perhaps take a boat trip (payable locally) to go monster hunting. Nature lovers are in for a treat as the wooded shores of the Loch are home to an abundance of wildlife, including cormorants and ospreys.

This morning, you'll take a ride on the nostalgic Strathspey Steam Railway through the Cairngorm National Park, home to five of Scotland’s six highest mountains. Sit back and relax as your vintage train spends 45 minutes steaming through the lovely Spey Valley, following the River Spey past heather-clad moors and forests.

The day also includes a visit to a whiskey distillery, where you will have the chance to taste some samples.

We head west today, following the evocatively named Road to the Isles from Fort William to Mallaig. On this wonderfully scenic day, we'll pass landscapes ranging from sandy beaches to flowering heather moors and dense woodland. We'll stop at the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre, from where you can see the lone Highlander atop the Glenfinnan Monument looking out over Loch Shiel. Take the short uphill walk from the centre to get a wonderful view of the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.

The road ends at the thriving fishing port of Mallaig. Don’t miss the town's heritage centre, and if you’re fond of kippers, you’ll go a long way to find any that taste better than those found here.

At the end of a long but incredibly scenic day, we'll return to the hotel.

Today, you'll travel back to Inverness airport to catch your flight home at the end of a wonderful break in the Highlands. Those not flying until the afternoon will also enjoy a short visit to the Victorian seaside town of Nairn, where pretty walking trails run alongside the river, and a seafront promenade overlooks the Moray Firth.