SCOTTISH HIGHLANDER, an 8-passenger deluxe barge, cruises on the Caledonian Canal, Scotland
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDER Cruise Stops
Cruise Highlights
- Cawdor Castle, home of Shakespeare's Macbeth
- Culloden Moor, last British based battleground in 1746
- Cruises Loch Ness, Oich, Lochy and the Caledonian Canal
- Spectacular scenery, wildlife and folklore
- Visit Glencoe, site of the treachery between the Campbell and MacDonald clans
- Tour of the Ben Nevis Whiskey distillery
- Visit Eilean Donan and Urquhart castles
Cruise Features
Video to welcome you aboard
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDER
Owner Operated: No
Number of Passengers: 8
Category: Deluxe
Cabin Bookings: Yes
Charter Bookings: Yes
Cruising Region: Caledonian Canal, Scotland
Length of Cruise: 6 nights - Sunday to Saturday
Cruising Season: April - October
Theme Cruises: Honeymoon, Golf, Cycling, Family, Fishing
Meeting Location: Inverness, Scotland
Floorplan
Cruise Rates 2025
| Sunday to Saturday (6 nights) |
|
|
2025 Value Season Departures April 6-12, 13-19, 20-26 |
|
| Cabin Rates |
|
| Stateroom per person |
$ 5,250 |
| Suite per person |
$ 6,690 |
| Single supplement |
$ 1,900 |
| Charter Rates |
|
| 6 passengers |
$40,500 |
| 7 passengers |
$42,000 |
| 8 passengers |
$43,500 |
|
2025 Regular Season Departures April 27-May 3 |
|
| Cabin Rates |
|
| Stateroom per person | $ 6,090 |
| Suite per person |
$ 7,650 |
| Single supplement |
$ 2,200 |
| Charter Rates | |
| 6 passengers | $45,000 |
| 7 passengers | $48,800 |
| 8 passengers |
$50,500 |
Included in Cruise Price
- Transportation between a designated meeting point in Inverness and the barge
- Six nights accommodation in private stateroom with ensuite bath
- All meals, wine and drinks on board
- Open bar
- Daily escorted excursions by air-conditioned van
- All barge amenities including sundeck, bicycles, music system, library, etc.
Not Included in Cruise Price
- Air or other transportation to the meeting location
- Trip cancellation or medical insurance (available when booking)
- Personal expenses
- A discretionary gratuity for the crew (suggested 5-10% of the cruise price)
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDER Features
| Passengers: 8 Category: Deluxe Crew: 4 Barge Size: 117 ft long Cabins: 4 Cabin Size: 1 suite at 147 sq. feet; 3 cabins at 115 sq. feet, including bathroom Accommodations: 4 staterooms with a choice of queen bed or 2 single beds, all with ensuite bathrooms Heat & Air: Central heat; A/C not necessary Amenities
Theme CruisesHoneymoon, Golf, Cycling, Family, Fishing |
   |
Cruising on SCOTTISH HIGHLANDER
Caledonian Canal
Muirtown to Banavie (or reverse)
Sunday - Transfer to Barge in Muirtown
Guests are met at the designated meeting point and transferred to Scottish Highlander moored at Muirtown. A champagne welcome by the Captain and crew and perhaps an early evening stroll to the sea lock with wonderful views over the Moray and Beauly Firths. Dinner on board.
Monday - Muirtown to Dochgarroch
Our first cruise will take us up the Muirtown lock flight and through Tomnahurich swing bridge, with an option to walk alongside River Ness to the hamlet of Dochgarroch. After lunch on board, on our tour today we drive through stunning hilly scenery to take a closer look at one of Scotland’s best known exports, whisky, at the Glen Ord distillery, founded in 1838 on the Black Isle by the Mackenzies of Ord. A fascinating description of the maturing and ageing process of single and blended malts is followed by our special tasting. Dinner on board.
Tuesday - Dochgarroch to Fort Augustus
This morning we enjoy Cawdor Castle*, forever immortalised in Shakespeare’s “Scottish Play”, Macbeth. The picturesque gardens have been listed as being amongst the top 100 in the UK. The castle contains a superb collection of tapestries, pictures and furnishings and the Dowager Countess of Cawdor still lives there for part of the year. Then we visit Culloden Moor, scene of the last major battle on British soil in 1746. If there is time, we end our tour at the Clava Cairns, a pre-historic clan chieftain burial site dating back to 2,000 B.C. Our cruise today is through Loch Dochfour and down Loch Ness with perhaps a chance of spotting “Nessie” before arriving at Fort Augustus. Dinner on board.
Wednesday - Fort Augustus
After breakfast, our cruise will take us up the “flight”, as the locals call it, at Fort Augustus. Then, we encounter some of the finest scenery Scotland has to offer as we take a drive to one of Scotland’s best known and most photographed castles, Eilean Donan, which has featured in movies such as "Highlander" and James Bond's "The World Is Not Enough". The idyllic setting betrays the castle's tactical importance as it also overlooks three sea lochs. This evening we have dinner ashore at a local restaurant.
Thursday - Fort Augustus to Laggan Locks
In the morning we again encounter some of Scotland’s bloody past as we visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness. A short film explains some of the history from St Columba's day to the present with a spectacular finale. A gentle drive will take us back to the Invermoriston Falls and a chance to see the “Old Bridge” designed by Thomas Telford. If you are very lucky you may even see a salmon leaping. The afternoon cruise can again be partially walked and will take us through stunning Loch Oich and onto the Laggan Avenue, often described as the prettiest part of the canal. As we approach Laggan, our Highland Piper may be there to greet us with a stirring rendition of traditional Scottish music. Dinner on board.
Friday - Laggan to Banavie
Our final cruise will see us sail along Loch Lochy where we will also encounter Moy Bridge, the last, original and fully hand-operated bridge on the Caledonian Canal before mooring at Banavie beneath Ben Nevis and a stroll from Neptune’s Staircase leading down to Loch Eil. After lunch on board, our tour today takes us to the mystical and ethereal area called Glencoe, known for its geographical beauty and famed for one of the darkest days in Scottish history. If time permits, we also visit the ruins of the 13th century Old Inverlochy Castle, the original site of a Pictish fortress said to have been attacked by the Vikings. Captain's Farewell Dinner on board.
Saturday - Transfer to Drop-Off Point
After breakfast, disembark Scottish Highlander and transfer to the designated drop-off point.
This is a sample itinerary and is subject to change. The itinerary is in reverse direction on alternate weeks.
Barge Cruise Reviews by Clients on Scottish Highlander
"It's Thursday night in Scotland. OMG! What a wonderful trip. Way more than I expected. The people, the country, the food, the whole experience has been 5 star." Shelly R.