Travel up the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond and around Loch Long to Inveraray, a picturesque small town on the banks of Loch Fyne. Visit Inveraray Castle, home to the Duke of Argyll, with beautifully preserved interiors spanning many generations of Campbells. The Castle is a remarkable and unique piece of architecture featuring four imposing French influenced conical spires surmounting the stone castellated towers.

As an option you can lunch at Kinlochleven Seafood Cafe on the shores of Loch Leven, then travel north through Fort William, site of the military post built during the Jacobite Rebellions in the 18th century. You will continue up the Great Glen, between Fort William and Inverness to Fort Augustus on the southern tip of the Loch, stopping briefly to marvel at Thomas Telfords feat of engineering. The flight of 5 locks transport sailing vessels and boats from Loch Ness at the north end into the Caledonian Canal.

Continue up the west side of the Loch Ness stopping at Urquhart Castle, the site of many battles led by the Clan MacDonald, which stands on a rocky promontory on the north shore with stunning views of the glen and a chance to spot the famous Loch Ness Monster. It has a turbulent history: seized by the English in 1296, sacked in 1545 by MacDonald Lord of the Isles and later left to decay after 1689.

Turn north through Inverness to Culloden Battlefield, a desolate stretch of moorland which looks much as it did on 16 April 1746 when the last hand-to-hand battle was fought on British soil. See the exhibits at the new visitor centre and interactive exhibition and view the battlefield itself which is now restored to as close as possible as that marched on by the two sides on that fateful day.

Turn south over the Drumochter Pass towards the victorian town of Pitlochry, stopping at the House of Bruar, nestling at the side of the famous Bruar Falls, for a variety of shopping opportunities in Scotland's most prestigious country store. There is also an extensive range of Scottish foods for the gourmet and a fabulous 'country kitchen' restaurant. Travel a short distance to Edradour Distillery, the smallest and last of the original farm distilleries in Scotland, for a short tour and tasting.