A tour designed to take you to some of the very best gastronomic experiences in the highlands of Scotland. You will be able to enjoy fabulous meals each evening and simply retire in your own time to your room, with no need to drive anywhere afterwards. You will also have the chance to turn your hand to preparing a starter dish at a tutored cookery demonstration at one of the hotels.

Day One - Kingussie

Your first base is in the heart of the highlands by the Cairngorm National Park.

Your Hotel

This delightful family-run “restaurant with rooms” retains the character and many original features of the 19th century watermill from which it was converted. Delicious award-winning fare featuring fresh seasonal produce is served in the fire-lit oak-beamed restaurant, followed by a dram of your favourite malt in one of two cosy lounges. The mill is set in four acres of riverside grounds teeming with red squirrels and wild flowers - the bedrooms overlook either the forest canopy or the mill stream which lulls you off to sleep as it babbles over the rocks below. Rated by the AA as one of the top 200 places to stay in the UK, and by the Good Food Guide as one of the six best places to eat in the Highlands, this is a wonderful base from which to explore the Cairngorms (closed Sundays and Mondays).

What to see and do

The village of Kingussie is a great touring centre for the stunning Cairngorm National Park and the surrounding highland landscape of majestic mountains, rivers and lochs. The hotel is a mine of information on local walks and excursions, several beginning in and around the village itself. The towns of Aviemore and Grantown on Spey are within easy reach, as are the glorious sandy beaches of the Moray coast and the myriad distilleries of Speyside.

Day Two - The Trossachs

Time to head south again, for your next stop in the southern highlands, in one of our favourite restaurants.

Your Hotel

Framed by magnificent Trossachs scenery, this wonderfully romantic retreat is run by a hospitable farming family who have created a gastronomic masterpiece in the heart of Rob Roy’s glen. Your destination is a welcoming 18th century farmhouse, whose cosy interiors cleverly contrast traditional log fires and antiques with contemporary furnishings and modern works of art. Cooking is Tom's passion – his menu changes daily depending on what he can source directly (his Scrabster squid is sublime!) and he’s entirely self-taught – look out for the shelves lined with cookbooks in the conservatory restaurant. The hotel’s organic garden provides a regular supply of herbs, whilst the breakfast scrambled eggs come courtesy of the chickens in the yard – hence their deep orange colour. With magnificent views over Loch Voil and Loch Doine, this is the perfect place to soak up the peace and tranquillity of a sprawling highland estate, where red deer and grouse roam through dramatic walking country and red squirrels scurry across your path.

What to see and do

The hotel is well located for great drives throughout the Trossachs as well as along Loch Tay, and around Ben Lawers, Scotland’s tenth highest mountain. Besides boasting many scenic roads, this is great walking country, with several starting from the hotel itself, and is famous for its connections with Rob Roy MacGregor, the outlaw and subject of a recent Hollywood film – his grave is in Balquhidder churchyard. A little further afield, you can explore Stirling and its dramatic Castle and old centre; or take a boat trip on the beautiful Lake of Menteith (the only “lake” in Scotland!) and visit the island of Inchmahome Priory, once a hiding place for the young Mary Queen of Scots.

Day Three - The Kyles of Bute

Enjoying spectacular views of the Isle of Bute, your hotel is an imposing Victorian establishment dominating the rocky shore. Look out for the exquisite mosaic floor in the entrance – laid by Italian prisoners of war. Attention is paid to the tiniest of details here, from the complimentary whisky liqueur from a secret family recipe in your room to the dramatic display of local art in the public areas. During your stay you will learn all about the local lady who dives for the scallops, the seasoned stalker who sources the venison and the rugged fisherman who lands the langoustine – you may even chance to meet them. For more casual dining, the popular Shinty Bar offers simpler snacks and is crammed with memorabilia, aptly enough, from the local shinty team – if you’re lucky you might even catch a game during your stay!

What to see and do

The hotel offers beauty treatments and cookery demonstrations, which we can pre-book for you. The village is perfectly placed to explore the many treasures of the Cowal peninsula, from the nearby white sands of Kilbride Bay to the tranquil shores of Loch Fyne and the myriad rhododendron species of the Benmore Botanic Garden. Or take a ferry to Bute and soak up the Victorian splendour of Rothesay and Mount Stuart’s Gothic masterpiece (venue for the celebrity wedding of Stella McCartney!)

Day Four - Return home

Time for your journey home – with Glasgow around 2 hours away.

From £379 per person , based on 2 people sharing, for 3 nights in February & March 2008 and from £389 per person for April, from £409 per person for May & June, from £419 per person for July, August & September, and from £399 per person for October 2008. A table d'hote dinner is included each night.

The holiday also includes a private afternoon cookery demonstration at one of the hotels.

Ask us if you would like to extend this holiday with longer stays at any of the featured hotels.

All our touring holidays include a map of Scotland with recommended routes from your specified starting point, suggestions on places to see and visit depending on your personal interests and our expertise to help you get the most from your holiday.

All itineraries and room types are presented subject to availability at specific hotels.

The McKinlay Kidd Guarantee

All our holiday prices include a service charge of £7 per person per night towards the costs we incur in researching, planning and designing your holiday.

We guarantee to refund this service charge if you believe that arranging your holiday through McKinlay Kidd has not met your expectations for value. All we ask is that you write to us within 7 days of your return and explain your reason for claiming the refund. This will ensure that we can improve the experience for all our future guests.