7 Night Scotlands Highlands and Islands Cruise from Kyle of Lochalsh

Arrive in Inverness and transfer to Kyle of Lochalsh. Embark Lord of the Glens mid-afternoon overlooking the Isle of Skye. Tonight, enjoy a reception and welcome dinner onboard, followed by a concert of Scottish traditional music by local musicians.

This morning, explore Kyle of Lochalsh. Set out on a guided walk, affording spectacular coastal and mountain views. This afternoon, visit the Museum of the Isles, tracing the legacy of the 1,300-year-old Clan MacDonald, the Lords of the Isles who once ruled the west coast of Scotland. See the ruins of Armadale Castle, the ancestral home of the MacDonalds, and take a walk through the beautiful woodlands and gardens. We then sail to the tiny village of Inverie and stop at The Old Forge, the most remote pub in the British Isles, where you can chat with Inverie's residents over a pint of local ale.

Depart for either Eigg or Rum-each island home to fewer than 100 souls but teeming with wildlife. Among the possible sightings: Atlantic seals, minke and humpback whales, dolphins, basking sharks, harbor porpoises, and a very sizable Manx shearwater colony. If on Eigg, a hike or bike around the islet reveals views of the imposing crag of Sgurr. On Rum, the marquee attraction is fanciful Kinloch Castle, completed in 1900 by a textile baron who clearly did not know when to stop decorating. Continue to the picturesque town of Tobermory. The colorful village was established in 1788 and is famous for the brightly painted houses that line its waterfront. This evening, we plan to meet with a member of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to learn about their efforts to protect marine mammals in these waters.

This morning, disembark or a drive across the Isle of Mull and ferry-crossing to Iona, a picturesque island long revered as a Christian pilgrimage site. Stroll through St. Oran's Chapel and the royal cemetery where Scottish kings, including the actual Macbeth, are buried. Back on Mull, tour Duart Castle, home and stronghold of Clan Maclean for the past eight centuries with the dungeons to prove it. Then, sail across the Sound of Mull to the bustling town of Oban, set on a picturesque bay on the Firth of Lorn, where we stay for the evening. If you wish, walk all the way up to McCaig's Folly, a hilltop monument with inner gardens whose circular design and arches mimic the Colosseum. This evening, enjoy a whisky tasting onboard.

This morning, Lord of the Glens sails to Corpach, where we enter the Caledonian Canal, built between 1803 and 1822 to connect Loch Linnhe with the three other lochs that lie in the slip fault of the Great Glen. Opt for a drive to spectacularly scenic Glenfinnan, its famous 21-arch viaduct made even more so by the Harry Potter movies. Or enjoy a bracing paddle along Loch Linnhe with Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis, as your backdrop. We moor at Corpach for the night.

From Corpach, we ascend Neptune's Staircase, a set of eight interconnected locks rising 64 feet from the sea lock at Corpach. We sail into Loch Lochy, glide along the tree-lined canal known as Laggan Avenue, sail across picturesque lochs Lochy and Oich, and descend an impressive flight of locks that run through the heart of Fort Augustus. This evening, we moor at Fort Augustus, with a chance to take an exploratory hike through the surrounding countryside.

Enter Loch Ness, cruise past the romantic ruins of Urquhart Castle, a Norman castle on an Iron Age site, and learn about the legendary Loch Ness Monster, which is said to inhabit the loch in this vicinity. Continue through Loch Dochfour to Inverness. This afternoon, we visit Culloden, where Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite forces met defeat in an infamous 1746 battle that had decisive consequences for life in the Highlands. We continue to the evocative burial chambers and standing stones of Clava Cairns, dating from the early Bronze Age. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner onboard with a special after-dinner performance by a troupe of young Scottish dancers.

Disembark in Inverness and transfer to the airport for flights home.