Castles, Coos & Cairngorms

Name: Day 1: Castles, Coos & Cairngorms

Short Description: Kick things off at the ancient Clava Cairns stones, one of Scotland’s best preserved Bronze Age cemeteries. After a short drive from Inverness, it’s off to Cawdor Castle, shrouded in a legendary tale about a donkey and a mysterious dream that decided the castle’s location. Once you wander through its historic halls, you’ll get that sense of wonder that comes from being in such a storied place. Get up close with a hairy coo*, Scotland’s fluffiest local celebrity, before stretching your legs with a stroll through an ancient Scots Pine forest to marvel at the country’s rare native trees. Then it’s time to grab lunch in the lively town of Aviemore. Next, we head to the Cairngorms National Park for some jaw-dropping scenery and, if we’re in luck, a bit of wildlife spotting. Finally, we’ll hit the road back to Inverness, arriving just as evening settles in. *The order of stops may vary, so you might see highland cows at a different point in the journey.

Description: Kick things off at the ancient Clava Cairns stones, one of Scotland’s best preserved Bronze Age cemeteries. After a short drive from Inverness, it’s off to Cawdor Castle, shrouded in a legendary tale about a donkey and a mysterious dream that decided the castle’s location. Once you wander through its historic halls, you’ll get that sense of wonder that comes from being in such a storied place. Get up close with a hairy coo*, Scotland’s fluffiest local celebrity, before stretching your legs with a stroll through an ancient Scots Pine forest to marvel at the country’s rare native trees. Then it’s time to grab lunch in the lively town of Aviemore. Next, we head to the Cairngorms National Park for some jaw-dropping scenery and, if we’re in luck, a bit of wildlife spotting. Finally, we’ll hit the road back to Inverness, arriving just as evening settles in. *The order of stops may vary, so you might see highland cows at a different point in the journey.

Highlights

• Clava Cairns (CC)
• Cairngorms National Park(Cairngorms)
• Cawdor Castle(Cawdor)
• Hairy Coo(Coo)
• Ancient Scots Pine Forest(AncientScot)

Inclusions

Item 1: Your Legendary Local HAGGiS Guide

Item 2: Small Group Tour

Item 3: Full Refund if Cancelled More Than 24 hours in Advance

Name: Small But Mighty

NameShort: Small But Mighty

Travelling in a wee group means more banter, more space, and plenty of laughs along the way. Cosy, right? Just a heads-up – while we usually travel in smaller vehicles, sometimes a larger bus might be used due to availability.

Travelling in a wee group means more banter, more space, and plenty of laughs along the way. Cosy, right? Just a heads-up – while we usually travel in smaller vehicles, sometimes a larger bus might be used due to availability.

Image Name: small group tours

Image Alt: small group tours

Name: Cawdor Castle

NameShort: Cawdor Castle

At Cawdor Castle, you're basically walking into a real-life fairytale. Get lost in the gardens, snoop around the Macbeth-famous castle, and check out the thorn tree that’s been holding down the fort for centuries.

At Cawdor Castle, you're basically walking into a real-life fairytale. Get lost in the gardens, snoop around the Macbeth-famous castle, and check out the thorn tree that’s been holding down the fort for centuries.

Image Name: Cawdor Castle

Image Alt: Cawdor Castle

Name: Hairy Coo

NameShort: Hairy Coo

If you don’t take a photo of a hairy coo, have you even been to Scotland?! Hairy coos are the ultimate symbol of Scottishness, and they’re even cuter in real-life. These bonnie ginger beasts are the heartbreakers of the Highlands – it’ll be love at first sight!

If you don’t take a photo of a hairy coo, have you even been to Scotland?! Hairy coos are the ultimate symbol of Scottishness, and they’re even cuter in real-life. These bonnie ginger beasts are the heartbreakers of the Highlands – it’ll be love at first sight!

Image Name: Hairy Coo

Image Alt: Hairy Coo

Name: Cairngorms National Park

NameShort: Cairngorms National Park

Sit back as we blaze a trail through the UK’s largest National Park. Scotland is famed for its wildly beautiful scenery, and the Cairngorms National Park has it all; from forests and lochs, to mighty mountains and roaring rivers.

Sit back as we blaze a trail through the UK’s largest National Park. Scotland is famed for its wildly beautiful scenery, and the Cairngorms National Park has it all; from forests and lochs, to mighty mountains and roaring rivers.

Image Name: Cairngorms National Park

Image Alt: Cairngorms National Park

Name: Ancient Scots Pine Forest

NameShort: Ancient Scots Pine Forest

Scotland’s ancient Scots pine forests are the ultimate nature VIPs—rare, precious, and definitely worth a shout-out. These last remaining woodlands are a hotspot for rare wildlife and ecosystems, making them a must-see treasure in Scotland’s natural lineup!

Scotland’s ancient Scots pine forests are the ultimate nature VIPs—rare, precious, and definitely worth a shout-out. These last remaining woodlands are a hotspot for rare wildlife and ecosystems, making them a must-see treasure in Scotland’s natural lineup!

Image Name: Ancient Scots Pine Forest

Image Alt: Ancient Scots Pine Forest

Name: Clava Cairns

NameShort: Clava Cairns

Clava Cairns is a mysterious and atmospheric Bronze Age burial site which is aligned with the stars. Outlander fans can attempt their own journey through the standing stones, while a wander into the well-preserved passage cairns will you imagining the people who built them, in a time so long ago.

There is something very special about Clava Cairns, from the peaceful setting to the arrangement of ancient stones. The prehistoric structures include a kerb ring cairn, two passage graves, a central ring cairn and standing stones. The exact purpose of Clava Cairns is a mystery, though it’s believed it was a place of ritual and burial. Knowing that it was used over 4000 years ago is reason alone for the mind to boggle. No complete human skeletons have been unearthed during excavations of the site, so it is thought that each cairn was used to bury just one person. Given their size, these must have been very important people! The passageways into the cairns were built in alignment with the winter solstice, illuminating the chambers as the sun sets. The free-standing stones reflect the position of the stars, and are perfect for staging your very own Outlander-inspired photo.

Image Name: Clava Cairns

Image Alt: Clava Cairns