SCOTLAND by motorcycle to the land of Nessie with Loch Ness, castles, islands, the best whisky and NC500 with ferry crossing included

Transit on highways. Evening arrival in the vicinity of Hanover, accommodation in an atmospheric hotel.

After a long and tiring transit from Poland to the Netherlands at about 17:00 we will complete the group at the ferry dock, further loading, accommodation and we sail to conquer Scotland. Today we will also have an integration dinner on the ferry.

Melrose Abbey (about 40 km south of Edinburgh) was founded by Cistercian monks in 1136. One of several most important, for the history of Scotland and its struggle for independence, sites. The ruins of this abbey are among the most monumental in the British Isles. Here, in 1998, the embalmed heart of King Robert de Bruce - one of Scotland's national heroes and hero of the box office movie "Braveheart" - was laid to rest. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/melrose-abbey/

Rosslyn Chapel built in 1446 on a small hill above the village of Roslin, about 12 km south of Edinburgh, made famous by the success of Dan Brown's book "The da Vinci Code" and the movie starring Tom Hanks. The chapel is associated with the legend of the Templar treasure and the Holy Grail. The most famous part of the chapel is the so-called Apprentice Pillar, a column decorated with carvings, which is said to have been made during the absence of his master by an extremely talented apprentice, unfortunately murdered by the master in an act of jealousy. https://www.rosslynchapel.com/

Edinburgh - the capital of Scotland since 1437 and a city built on the rock of an extinct volcano. The picturesque setting makes the city an excellent destination for photographers and landscapers. It is during the month of August that the city turns into the cultural capital of the world, thanks to its festivals. In 1995, the entire urban complex of Edinburgh was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You have to see it up close.

The Kelpies - huge stone sculptures depicting horse heads. Each of them weighs about 300 tons. They are located in a recreation area in the town of Falkirk, along the M9 route. Designed by Andy Scott, who is also the creator of the famous Arria in Cumbernauld (a mermaid made of the same materials) Without reviewing art of this format we will stop for a moment to take photos.

Stirling Castle (west of Edinburgh) is perhaps the best-preserved Renaissance fortress in the entire Kingdom. Many kings and queens of Scotland have been based here, and it was here that the young Mary Stuart was crowned. Stirling is also the site of a famous insurrectionary battle against the English in 1297, led by Highlander William Wallace - the national hero of the Scottish struggle for independence, immortalized in the box office movie by Mel Gibson. 

Pitlochry is a beautiful little town, much of it Victorian, also a tourist center, providing an excellent base for exploring the nearby mountain trails. An extremely atmospheric town, making it seem as if time has stopped. Plus the famous Scotch whisky distilleries, which are impossible not to visit.

The Cairngorms is the largest national park in the UK by area, established in 2003, with an area of more than 4,500 square kilometers, covering the Cairngorms mountains in the Highlands region of northern Scotland. Within the park are tracts of rocky moorland and areas of mountainous semi-tundra. Here, the Cairngorms mountains are home to 4 of Britain's 5 highest peaks. The area of today's park is also the former land of the Picts - an ancient Celtic people, well-known to fans of the Conan saga.

Dunnottar Castle - a strategic and historic fortress built on top of cliffs in the northeastern part of the country, by the North Sea. Here, in the past and for a long time, the Scottish crown jewels were kept. Today, one of the most striking features of the Scottish landscape, which are medieval fortresses, residential towers and lakeside mansions from hundreds of years ago. Scotland is probably the largest concentration of castles in Europe, which attracts tourists and filmmakers like a magnet. "Immortal" or the Harry Potter saga owe their most beautiful shots precisely to the landscapes of Scotland, immersed in a mysterious mist.

Glenfiddich - a bottle with a stag, in the most popular version Glenfiddich 12 yo, which almost every whisky lover knows. "Glenfiddich" in Gaelic means "valley of the stag". The distillery's history began in 1886, when William Grant left his job at the Mortlach distillery to establish his own distillery. The first distillate flowed from the alembics in 1887. Not everyone knows that the famous Grant's blended whisky brand is also associated with Glenfiddich. What is the connection - we will find out during a tour of the distillery. Don't forget to ask!

Culloden Battlefield is the site where a historic battle took place on April 16, 1746 - the final armed confrontation during the Jacobite Uprising and the British Civil War. The site of the battlefield is maintained in a condition similar to that of the time of the fighting. We will stop near the 6-meter high memorial mound from the 19th century and the gravestones that indicate the mass graves of Scottish clans. On the site of a hut that served as a field hospital for the English army during the fighting, there is a Leanach farmhouse dating from 1760. Nearby, a so-called English Stone has been placed, which likely marks the burial place of fallen soldiers who fought on the English side. 

Loch Ness is Scotland's second-largest lake, with a surface area of 56.4 square kilometers, but it has the largest volume due to its depth. At its deepest point it measures 226 meters. The lake became famous thanks to "Nessie."
Read more in the study: DELFIN.PL

Golspie - a village in northeastern Scotland, located on the shores of the North Sea, where there is a castle probably the most frequently and most photographed in Scotland. Its location - on a hill, on the seashore, from the windows allows you to admire the waves crashing on the shore, is not indifferent to either amateur or professional photographers... Dunrobin Castle is a huge 14th-century mansion, which, unlike other Scottish fortresses, was designed in the likeness of French castles from the Loire. The castle is one of the oldest and largest buildings in the Highlands - 189 chambers, of which only 17 are open to visitors. And a garden, which some compare with the gardens of Versailles... The attraction for tourists is the game bird training shows, held at the castle 2x a day.

North Coast 500 (NC 500, Route 500)-a Scottish panoramic route, established in 2015 to enhance the promotion of the northern part of Scotland. A loop of more than 830 kilometers, it officially begins and ends at the castle in the town of Inverness. We will take the route on the northwest side of Scotland, perhaps its most interesting part. 

Skye, and in Galician An t-Eilean Sgitheanach, which literally means "island of mists" or "cloud island".

The Isle of Skye in itself is quite an attraction, although on the list of "must to see" is definitely a must: The Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls, Skye Museum of Island Life, Neist Point, Talisker Distillery, Fairy Pools, Dunvegan Castle, Fairy Glen

A day of rest on the island of SKYE, according to the preference and in the participants' own organization - unorganized, or partially organized.

Eilean Donan Castle is another among Scotland's most beautiful and recognizable castles. The fortress is built on the island of Lake Loch Duich, which is connected to the mainland by a stone bridge. Located just outside the village of Dornie, several kilometers from the bridge connecting the mainland of Scotland with the Isle of Skye. Erected in the first half of the 13th century, it served as a protection for the surrounding lands against Viking raids. In the early 14th century, King Robert the Bruce of Scotland is believed to have hidden in the castle from the English army. In the following centuries the castle was subject to expansion, demolished by the English in the 18th century, rebuilt again in the early 20th century by a private investor and purchaser, who also built a bridge connecting the castle to the mainland. Today, the fully restored and picturesque castle is open to visitors and filmmakers. Scenes for The Highlander, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Loch Ness, among others, were filmed here.

Glenfinnan Viaduct - a railroad viaduct, located on the West Highland Line railroad over the Finnan River. Together with - providing a backdrop, extremely picturesque - the scenery of the Scottish landscapes create an amazing, almost fairy-tale-like combination. The site can be admired in many films. Scenes for three parts of Harry Potter were filmed there.

Glencoe - the Valley of Tears... A 16-mile cleft between mountains dotted with moors and lakes is one of the most picturesque places on our continent. Scotland has struggled for centuries with English occupation, repression and fratricidal fighting. In the 17th century, battles took place here between the MacDonald clans (supporting Scotland's rightful King James II) and the Campbell clans (soldiers supporting King William III of England). A massacre of the population took place here - about 70 people of the MacDonald clan were murdered in one day, and the name of the valley took on a new and tragic meaning.

There are about 460 kilometers to cover and almost a full day to spare. At about 16:00 we will arrive at the ferry landing, further loading, accommodation and sail back to the mainland, to Rotterdam. Today we will also have a farewell dinner at the ferry restaurant.

Transit by highways. On the road de-completion of the group.