Private Tour in Oban, Glencoe, Western Highlands, Lochs & Castles

We will leave Glasgow and drive just over 1 hour heading towards Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park passing over the river Clyde via the Erskine Bridge. Going through the town of Dumbarton your guide will tell point out Dumbarton Castle which sits on Dumbarton Rock. William Wallace was held here after being betrayed by his friend John Menteith. As we get to Loch Lomond your guide will tell you about Scotlands famous Munro Mountains and point out Ben Lomond the furthest south of the Munro's. As we pass along Loch Long and up through Glen Coe we will make our first stop of the day at the rest and be thankful. A place given its name by the soldiers who built the original military road in 1753. This offers wonderful views back down the Glen.

A short 30 minute drive from the rest and be thankful will take us into the town of Inveraray, we will now stop at the impressive Inveraray Castle the Clan seat of the Campbells. One of Scotland's most famous Clans your guide will tell you about the Castle and how the Campbells rose from being a relatively small Clan in the 13th century to becoming the most powerful Clan Scotland has seen. The Castle is the residence of the Duke of Argyll a title given to the Chiefs of Clan Campbell by William of Orange in 1701. The Castle's foundation stone was laid in 1745 replacing a previous 15th-century Castle. Take time to explore inside the Castle & its beautiful gardens or wonder round the town taking in its quaint little streets and beautiful vistas from the waterfront. Please note Inveraray Castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, therefore we are unable to visit the interior of the castle. We will still visit Inveraray town and you will be able to get exterior pictures of the castle.

Another 30-minute drive we will come onto the longest freshwater loch in Scotland called Loch Awe where we will find the original Campbell seat of power, Kilchurn Castle. Built in 1450 it was severely damaged by lightning in 1760 and abandoned in favour of the new Castle in Inveraray. This will be a 10-minute stop at the viewpoint along the A819 road.

St Conans Kirk is just a short 5-minute drive and this impressive church has been voted in the top 10 buildings in Scotland over the last 100 years by Royal Incorporation of Architects Scotland in 2016. Built between 1881 and substantially extended in 1914 it is one of our favourite stops. Built by Walter Douglas Campbell for his mother Agnes it is one not to be missed on the tour. Admission is by optional donation.

Leaving St Conan's Kirk we will drive for 30 minutes passing through the pass of Brander and on to Loch Etive. If the tide is on our side we will see the impressive Falls of Lora a phenomenon of a waterfall inside the entrance to the Loch. Arriving in Oban you will have the time to explore the town. the time is your own here and you may want to visit the Oban whisky distillery for a dram, visit the famous green shack for some of the best seafood you will ever find or if feeling energetic you can hike up to Mccaigs Tower. (Or just ask to be driven to the top instead!)

Leaving Oban we will now drive 40 minutes towards another Castle photo opportunity. This time its Castle Stalker which sits perfectly on an island in Loch Laich. This was used in the Monty Python Holy Grail TV series and in the movie Highlander End Game.

Leaving Castle Stalker we will drive 30 minutes to come into the Glencoe area. We will make various stops to admire the Three Sisters of Glencoe, Buchaille Etive Mor the most photographed mountain in Scotland and many more stops time depending. We may even see some wildlife if there are any Red Stags in the area.

Before the tour ends we will make a final stop on Loch Lomond 1 hour and 15 minute drive away. You may wish to see the beautiful conservation village of Luss situated on the banks of Loch Lomond. You will have some time to take in the small village and wander down to the Loch and take in some of the best views found in the area. Your guide will tell you about Luss Parish Church built on the grounds of the ancient cemetery that dates back to the 7th century and even has a Viking Hogback grave stone estimated to be from the 11th century. The village was also the setting for a local TV series called Take the High Road. The Grade B listed cottages which give the village its character were left over from the workers of local slate quarries. Time dependant you may wish to take 30 minutes here. (The drive back to Glasgow is approx 1 hour)