Great Scotland Tour

The car arrives at your hotel door in Edinburgh. From there the route runs north into the Cairngorms on the Old Military Road, past Glenshee and Balmoral, and on up the east coast into the Highlands. By the fourth day you are at the top of the mainland, at John o’ Groats.

Then the road turns west. The north coast opens out into cliffs and sea, and the north-west narrows to single-track lanes past lighthouses and fishing villages. The last big driving day takes you over Bealach na Bà to Applecross and on to Eilean Donan, before Glencoe and the Trossachs bring you back to Edinburgh, where you hand the keys to reception and the car is collected.

Day two is a proper driving day – out of the city and into the Cairngorms National Park, over the Old Military Road and up to Glenshee, where there is an optional cable car ride. There is time for Balmoral Castle and its grounds, and a whisky distillery if you want one, before a night at Dalmunzie Castle Hotel.

The coast road north to Dornoch is deliberately loose. Go looking for the Loch Ness Monster, book some falconry, browse the old towns or just stop at the viewpoints. Dornoch Castle Hotel is waiting at the end of it.

Dunrobin Castle, with a falconry display against the sea, comes before the long run up to John o’ Groats for the photograph at the end of the mainland. Old Pulteney and Rock Rose Gin are both on the way if you want a stop, and there are optional boat trips out to look for puffins, seals and orcas. The night is at Forss House Hotel.

Heading west, the land gets bigger and emptier – rugged cliffs, open sea and wide Highland country. Stop at Smoo Cave and for treats at Cocoa Mountain, or book ahead for a Highland coo farm visit.

You stay two nights at Inver Lodge Hotel, which gives you a whole day for the remote north-west. This is single-track country, with Kylesku Bridge, lighthouses and coastal villages along the way. There is an optional boat trip with a local skipper, and seals to look out for. Lunch is local pies or fresh seafood.

The fishing village of Ullapool, its harbour and cafés, comes first, then the WWII Arctic Convoy Museum and lunch at Inverewe Gardens, with mountains and lochs either side of the road. You spend the night at a country house hotel.

Day eight is the big driving day. You climb the Bealach na Bà pass and drop down to Applecross for a seafood lunch at the Applecross Inn, then follow the coast past Highland coos at the roadside to Eilean Donan Castle, a location for both Highlander and James Bond. The night is at The Whispering Pine Lodge Hotel.

The final day runs through the Glencoe mountains and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Optional stops include the Ben Nevis Distillery, the Glenfinnan Viaduct from the Harry Potter films, and the Kelpies or the Falkirk Wheel. You leave the keys at your Edinburgh hotel’s reception and PDDUK’s team collects the car.

This is a self-guided tour – there is no lead car or tour guide. The Porsche is yours for nine days, delivered to your hotel at the start and collected at the end. You drive from a detailed road book with maps, routes, activities and timings, plus pre-planned route links, with breakdown cover in Scotland and on-call assistance throughout.

Nine nights in hand-picked hotels and daily breakfast are included. The £7400 price is for one car with two people sharing.