HIDDEN LANDSCAPES, BORDER STORIES & SCOTTISH HERITAGE
Scotland Off the Beaten Track
Nine days travelling beyond Scotland’s familiar routes to discover borderlands, historic estates, Highland landscapes and the stories of the people who shaped them.
At a glance
A different journey through Scotland
9 days / 8 nights
Three carefully chosen bases
Maximum 14 guests
Small by design
Scotland
Southern & Highland Scotland
April to October
Selected departures
Ideal for: Scottish history, landscapes, heritage, local culture and travellers who want to experience a Scotland beyond the usual itinerary.
Freedom to discover differently
Take the road less travelled
Scotland’s famous places deserve their reputation. But some of its most rewarding stories are found elsewhere.
Travel through the Border country of abbeys and ancient rivalries, through Perthshire’s wooded valleys and into the mountains, communities and estates of the Highlands.
Over nine carefully paced days, this journey connects places that conventional itineraries often pass by. Historic houses reveal generations of family stories. Small towns tell of industries that once connected Scotland with the world. Ancient landscapes reveal traces of conflict, migration and change.
And because we travel in a small group, there is time to stop, talk and look beyond the obvious.
This is Scotland not as a checklist of sights, but as a country revealed through its people, places and stories.
What makes it special
Scotland, revealed differently
Stories beyond the icons
Discover abbeys, castles, estates and communities that reveal Scotland’s history without simply following its most familiar visitor trail.
Landscapes that tell a story
Travel from the rolling Border country through Perthshire to the mountains and glens of the Highlands, exploring how landscape has shaped the people who live within it.
The freedom of a small group
With no more than 14 guests, we can use smaller roads, visit more intimate places and leave room for the unexpected encounters that often become the most memorable part of a journey.
Carefully designed for you
Your journey, day by day
DAY 1
Into the Borderlands
Your journey begins in Edinburgh before leaving the capital behind and travelling south into the rolling countryside of the Scottish Borders.
Along the way, begin discovering a region whose position between two kingdoms created a distinctive history and identity of its own.
Arrive at your first carefully chosen hotel with time to settle in before gathering with your fellow travellers for a welcome dinner.
Included: Private transportation, expert guiding, welcome dinner
DAY 2
Abbeys, Border Towns & Rival Kingdoms
Spend today exploring the extraordinary heritage of the Scottish Borders.
Visit Melrose and its magnificent medieval abbey before travelling through the valleys and historic towns shaped by centuries of movement across the Anglo-Scottish frontier.
Kings, monks, raiders and powerful Border families all left their mark here. Your guide connects their stories with the landscape around you, revealing why the Borders developed an identity quite unlike anywhere else in Scotland.
Included: Breakfast, selected abbey admission and expert guiding
DAY 3
Abbotsford & the Scotland of Walter Scott
Meet one of the people who profoundly influenced how the world came to imagine Scotland.
Explore Abbotsford, the extraordinary home created by Sir Walter Scott and filled with books, objects, architecture and stories collected over a lifetime.
Scott’s fascination with Scotland’s history helped transform perceptions of the country during the 19th century. His home provides the starting point for a wider exploration of identity, storytelling and the landscapes of the Tweed Valley.
The remainder of the day leaves room for another carefully selected local experience before returning to your hotel.
Included: Breakfast, Abbotsford and expert guiding
DAY 4
From the Borders to Perthshire
Leave the Border country and travel north into the heart of Scotland.
Rather than treating today simply as a transfer, the journey becomes part of the experience. Travel through changing landscapes and make carefully chosen stops that reveal another layer of Scotland’s history.
By afternoon, reach Perthshire – a landscape of rivers, forests, small towns and Highland foothills – and settle into your second base.
Included: Breakfast, private transportation, selected visit and expert guiding
DAY 5
Perthshire: Scotland in Miniature
Discover why Perthshire is sometimes described as Scotland in miniature.
Explore wooded valleys, historic communities and one of the region’s great estates or castles, uncovering stories connecting landownership, agriculture, architecture and generations of Scottish life.
There is deliberately space in today’s programme to enjoy the landscape itself: a short walk, a garden, a local producer or simply somewhere worth stopping because the journey has taken us there.
Included: Breakfast, selected historic property or experience and expert guiding
DAY 6
Through the Mountains
Today the landscape changes again as you travel north towards the Cairngorms.
Cross into Highland Scotland through mountain passes, forests and communities that developed around old routes through the landscape.
Along the way, discover stories of travel, trade and change before arriving at your next base.
By now the progression of the journey becomes clear: from Scotland’s southern borderlands into an altogether different physical and cultural landscape.
Included: Breakfast, private transportation, selected visits and expert guiding
DAY 7
Highland Lives & Landscapes
Spend a full day exploring the quieter side of the Highlands.
Rather than racing between famous viewpoints, today is about understanding the relationship between people and place.
Discover a carefully selected Highland estate, community or heritage site and hear stories of those who have lived and worked within this landscape – from traditional land use and farming to the profound social changes that reshaped Highland Scotland.
There is time, too, simply to experience the landscape at a slower pace.
Included: Breakfast, selected experience and expert guiding
DAY 8
Moray: Castles, Coast & Communities
Turn towards Moray for a final full day of exploration.
Here fertile countryside meets a dramatic coastline, with historic towns, castles and communities revealing yet another Scotland.
Depending upon the departure, today’s experiences might connect with the region’s food and drink, maritime heritage, historic estates or traditional industries.
It is precisely the sort of day this journey is designed to make possible: exploring an extraordinary part of Scotland that many visitors simply travel past.
Return to your hotel for a final evening together.
Included: Breakfast, dinner, selected visits and expert guiding
DAY 9
One Last Scottish Story
Enjoy breakfast before beginning the final stage of your journey.
There is still time for one carefully chosen experience along the way – because on this tour, the journey itself remains part of the story until the very end.
Continue to the agreed departure point, where your Scotland Off the Beaten Track journey concludes.
Included: Breakfast, private transportation and expert guiding
The essentials taken care of
What's included in your journey
Included
- 8 nights’ accommodation in carefully selected hotels
- Daily cooked breakfast
- Welcome dinner
- Farewell dinner
- Expert guiding throughout the journey
- Comfortable private transportation
- Abbotsford
- Selected historic houses, castles and estates
- Heritage and cultural experiences detailed in the itinerary
- All applicable local taxes
Not included
- Travel to the tour starting point and onward from the finishing point
- Lunches unless specifically stated
- Dinners unless specifically stated
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Optional activities outside the programme
CAREFULLY CHOSEN PLACES TO STAY
Settle in. Then explore.
This journey avoids changing hotels simply for the sake of covering ground.
Instead, stay in three carefully chosen bases, each providing a comfortable home from which to explore a different Scotland.
Begin among the historic landscapes of the Borders, continue north into Perthshire and finish surrounded by the landscapes of Highland Scotland.
Fewer hotel changes mean more time experiencing the places you have travelled to see.
Choose your departure
Dates & prices
Departure
xx XXXX
xx XXXX
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from
£POA
per person
Based on two guests sharing.
Single supplement applies.
Good to know
Before you travel
Activity level
Easy to moderate. The journey includes regular walking through historic properties, towns and countryside, with some uneven surfaces, steps and gradients. Longer walks are optional rather than essential.
Getting here
The journey begins in Edinburgh, with excellent rail and air connections from throughout the UK and internationally. We will provide detailed joining and departure arrangements before you travel.
Group size
Maximum 14 guests. Keeping the group small allows us to use smaller properties, local experiences and routes that would be difficult for conventional touring groups.
What to bring
Comfortable walking footwear, layers and waterproof outerwear are recommended. Scotland’s weather can change quickly and experiencing a little of that is part of the journey.
READY TO SEE SCOTLAND DIFFERENTLY?
Take the road less travelled
Join a small group and journey beyond Scotland’s familiar places – discovering landscapes, communities and stories that reveal another side of the country.