STIRLING CASTLE

A perfect wee taster of Scotland - this tour mixes up the seriously stunning beauty of Loch Lomond (the biggest loch or lake in the whole of Britain and inspiration to poets and painters) and The Trossachs National Park, with the savage history of Stirling Castle where kings were murdered and rebellions started. Once you’ve got your Braveheart fix you’ll visit the magnificent feat of equine engineering, The Kelpies.

We depart Edinburgh and head west towards Falkirk where you’ll have the chance to ‘ooh’, ‘aah’, and, um, ‘nay’, at the world’s largest equine sculptures, the Kelpies. Each 30-metre-high horse head sculpture is made from 300 tonnes of structural steel and designed by Scottish sculptor, Andy Scott.

Our adventure takes us to the ‘Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’ for woodland walks and stunning views. We stop at Balmaha Highland village and admire Scotland’s most southerly Munro, Ben Lomond, on the way.

The afternoon takes you to one of the largest and most significant castles in Scotland, both architecturally and historically. Stirling Castle sits atop Castle Hill and was central to William Wallace and Robert the Bruce’s Wars of Independence. After a day full of exploration, we return to Edinburgh early evening.

Stirling Castle is arguably the most impressive and historically important castle in Scotland. Seen for miles around, its imposing position has played a hugely strategic role throughout the centuries. Once home to the Scottish Royals, the building has been subject to many bloody sieges and much political intrigue.

Whisky divides people. You either love its fiery warmth or detest its full-on flavour. Either way, there’s a reason why it’s Scotland’s national drink and our biggest export. Our crystal-clear streams and plump golden barley play a big part, but the art of whisky distilling has been perfected here for generations. It (literally) flows through our veins.

Whether you fall head over heels for our finest dram or banish it to the back of the drink’s cabinet, at least you can say you’ve tried it on Scottish soil and seen a little of our sexy country along the way.

We depart Edinburgh and make our way to the Kelpies, a gigantic monument to horse-powered heritage across Scotland.

We then enter the Highlands and head to the whisky distillery and take the tour to discover how whisky is made and taste a well-earned dram.

We head to the Hermitage in the heart of Perthshire and explore the woodland and epic waterfalls on the River Braan before heading to the quaint village of Dunkeld. We return to Edinburgh in the evening, passing the jaw-dropping Forth Bridge on the way.