PhotoClassic ~ Grand Tour of Scotland Photography Experience

Grand Tour of Scotland

10th to 16th August 2019

Our Grand Tour of Scotland is a fabulous journey through some of the most spectacular landscapes that Scotland has to offer, with a generous helping of wildlife photography thrown in.

We leave Aberdeen and head through Deeside, taking in the Gairnshiel, where we will photograph Red Grouse before heading up to a viewpoint giving a panoramic view across the area with Corgarff Castle as a feature.

Red Grouse Cock

Red Grouse Cock at Gairnshiel

From Deeside we continue through the Cairngorms National Park to Glenshee, where we will take the chairlift to the top of Cairnwell in search of Ptarmigan and Mountain Hare. The Ptarmigan at this time of year will have their speckled "Summer coat" of feathers, to camoflage them against the rocks around which they browse. The Mountain (or Blue) Hare will also have its Summer coat of blue-grey. After a fun afternoon on the mountain, we take the chair lift back down and continue on to Pitlochry, where we will spend the night.

Ptarmigan with chicks

Ptarmigan in Summer plumage with chicks at Cairnwell

After a fine cooked breakfast we will head across country stopping at various points along the way to photograph the Falls of Dochart, Loch Tulla, the Black Mount, Loch Ba, Rannoch Moor and eventually Glen Coe. Our second night is in a lovely Highland hotel at Ballachuilish, at the northern end of Glen Coe.

Loch Ba

Black Rock Cottage

Glencoe

Stob a Ghlais Choire from the West Highland Way in Glen Coe

Red Deer Crossing the River Coe

Red Deer Hinds crossing the River Coe in late evening

Red Deer Crossing the River Coe

Buachaille Etive Mor and the River Coupal

From Glen Coe we head north on day three to Fort William, turning west to head to Glenfinnan where we will walk a relatively short distance to a viewpoint that allows us to photograph the viaduct made famous in the Harry Potter films and the surrounding hills.

After Glenfinnan we head back to Fort William and on to Spean Bridge, where we will take in the deeply moving Commando Memorial that overlooks the hills of Corpach, where the Second World War Commandos trained.

Jacobite Express crossing Glenfinnan Viaduct

The Jacobite Express crossing Glenfinnan Viaduct

Our third night is spent in Fort William before we head further north, stopping in Fort Augustus before once more heading west towards Dornie and Scotland's most photographed castle, Eilean Donan.

After Eilean Donan, we head back inland and continue our journey north along Loch Ness to Drumnadrochit, where we spend our fourth night.

Eilean Donan

Eilean Donan Castle

On our fifth day, we visit Glen Affric, Scotland's most beautiful Glen, for some stunning landscapes and the possibility of more Red Deer. We then head to nearby Glen Cannich for more of the same with a different look.

We spend the night in Inverness and then on Day Six, head north west to Strathpeffer and the stunning Rogie Falls. From there we head west again towards Kinlochewe and drive along Loch Maree to Slattadale, where we can place the stunning mountain of Slioch (Spear) as a backdrop to the loch for our sunset shots. Then we head back to Inverness for another night.

Red Deer in Glen Affric

Red Deer in Glen Affric in the early morning

Loch Maree and Slioch at sunset

On our last day, we head across the Kessock Bridge in the morning to visit Chanonry Point, where Bottlenose Dolphins frequently breach very close to shore. From there we head along the Moray Coast, visiting Findhorn and Kinloss Abbey before our final shoot of the week; catching the sunset on Bowfiddle Rock at Portnockie. From there we head back to Aberdeen and you have another night in an hotel with a full cooked breakfast before heading home.

Sunset on Bowfiddle Rock

Late evening light on Bowfiddle Rock

The price for our Grand Tour of Scotland is £1650, which includes Bed and Full Cooked Breakfast Accommodation for each night of the trip, plus the night in Aberdeen at the end of the final day. You can choose to pay either in full, or a deposit of £650 and the balance of £1,000 on or before July 20th 2019.

We only have four spaces on our Grand Tour of Scotland, to ensure adequate tuition and assistance for everyone, no matter how experienced or inexperienced. This does mean that spaces sell quickly, so book early to avoid disappointment.

To book your place on our Grand Tour of Scotland, select from the options below