Final-year school trip to Scotland: Edinburgh, the Highlands, Glencoe and Loch Ness (8 days)

Day 1: Departure from your school and drive to England

• Departure from your school very early in the morning, at the agreed time.
• Daytime drive to Calais (about 2½ to 3½ hours depending on where your school is), then ferry crossing of the Channel to Dover (about 1½ hours); the UK is one hour behind Belgium.
• Our drivers drive for a maximum of 3 hours, then take a 30-minute break, day and night.
• Drive to the Cambridge area (about 230 km, 3 hours), lunch at your own expense on the way.
• Overnight stop in the Cambridge area, dinner and quiet evening.

Day 2: Durham and arrival in Edinburgh

• Departure after breakfast and drive north (about 340 km, 4 hours to Durham).
• Lunch at your own expense in Durham and visit to its UNESCO-listed Norman cathedral (free entry).
• Drive to Scotland along the coast (about 190 km, 2¾ hours).
• Arrival in Edinburgh in the early evening, check-in at the accommodation for three nights, dinner and quiet evening.

Day 3: Edinburgh, from castle to palace

• Visit to Edinburgh Castle and the Honours of Scotland (on request).
• Down the Royal Mile, past St Giles’ Cathedral, to the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse (exteriors).
• Lunch at your own expense, then Victoria Street and Greyfriars Kirkyard, which inspired the world of Harry Potter.
• Visit to the National Museum of Scotland (free).
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 4: Arthur’s Seat and the Forth bridges

• Walk up Arthur’s Seat, an ancient volcano overlooking the city (about 2 hours there and back).
• Lunch at your own expense, then drive to South Queensferry (about 20 km) to admire the three Forth bridges, including the UNESCO-listed Forth Bridge.
• Return to Edinburgh and sunset on Calton Hill.
• Guided tour of The Real Mary King’s Close, a hidden street beneath the old town (on request).
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 5: The Highlands: Stirling, Glencoe and Fort William

• Rooms vacated after breakfast and drive to Stirling (about 60 km), photo stop facing the castle and the Wallace Monument.
• Across the Highlands through the Trossachs National Park and over Rannoch Moor.
• Photo stops in the Glencoe valley, lunch at your own expense on the way, then Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the UK.
• Drive along the Great Glen to Loch Ness (about 335 km in total for the day, 5 hours excluding stops).
• Check-in at the accommodation in the Inverness area for one night, dinner and quiet evening.

Day 6: Loch Ness and back to Edinburgh

• Cruise on Loch Ness, on the lookout for Nessie (on request).
• Visit to the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shores of the loch (on request).
• Drive south over the Drumochter Pass and lunch at your own expense in Pitlochry.
• Return to Edinburgh (about 250 km, 3½ hours in total) and check-in at the accommodation for one night.
• Dinner and last supervised evening in Scotland.

Day 7: York and drive to Cambridge

• Departure after breakfast and drive to York (about 340 km, 4½ hours).
• Lunch at your own expense, then a walk through the Shambles and along the medieval city walls.
• Visit to York Minster (on request).
• Drive to the Cambridge area (about 250 km, 3 hours) and overnight stop, dinner and quiet evening.

Day 8: Return to Belgium

• Departure after breakfast and drive to Dover (about 200 km, 2½ hours).
• Ferry crossing of the Channel to Calais; clocks go forward one hour.
• Daytime drive back to Belgium (about 2½ to 3½ hours), lunch at your own expense on board or during a stop.
• Arrival at your school in the evening.