Dunoon, Inverary & The Isle Of Bute

Itinerary

Tour Highlights

• Hotel for 4 nights in Dunoon with breakfast & dinner
• Overnight hotels for 2 nights with breakfast & dinner
• Porterage at main hotel 
• Tea /coffee after dinner
• Excursions and visits as described
• Return crossing Gourock - Dunoon - Gourock
• Return crossing Colintraive - Rhubodach - Colintraive
• Entrance to Mount Stuart House
• Entrance to Inveraray Castle
• Some entertainment (not nightly - TBC)

A Scottish Treat of a Tour

Day 1 - After joining your holiday coach, travel north with suitable stops for lunch and refreshments. Arrive at your overnight hotel, 3* Gretna Hall Hotel in Gretna Green in time for your evening meal. DBB

Day 2 - Enjoy a relaxed start to the day with some time for you to explore Gretna Green before boarding the coach to head north. Your journey takes you passed Glasgow and along the shores of the River Clyde to Gourock to take the ferry over to Dunoon. The crossing is about half an hour and there are lovely views of the islands of Bute and Cumbrae. Land at Hunter's Quay on the Cowal Peninsula with just a short drive to the 3* Esplanade Hotel to check in for the next 4 nights. DBB 

Day 3 - 5 At leisure in Dunoon with two included excursions and a full day at leisure

Dunoon's story is one of remarkable transformation, evolving from a modest coastal settlement into one of Scotland's premier Victorian resort towns. The town began its rise to prominence in the 1820s when wealthy Glasgow merchants discovered its charms and built impressive mansions along the shoreline. Be sure to visit the statue of Highland Mary, one of Dunoon's most cherished landmarks. On your free day you may like to visit the outstanding Benmore Botanic Garden, a magnificent 120-acre mountainside garden, about 7 miles north of Dunoon (local buses go direct from the town). Entrance fee is approx. £12 pp in 2026. The 160-year-old 'Avenue' of towering giant redwoods is awe-inspiring and you will find plenty of exotic plantings, a beautiful Victorian Fernery and several scenic viewpoints.

INCLUDED EXCURSIONS
Beautiful Bute & Mount Stuart
Enjoy a scenic drive this morning to Colintraive for the 5-minute ferry across to Rhubodach on the north shores of the Isle of Bute. For such a compact island, Bute offers extraordinary variety - from rolling hills of the island's heart to the craggy, heather-covered moorlands of the north, from glorious gardens to grand Victorian architecture. Victoriana meets art deco in the main town of Rothesay, with its palm trees and promenade and not forgetting the historic Victorian toilets, the last word in lavatorial luxury! There is an included visit to Mount Stuart, one of Scotland's finest stately homes. This amazing neo-Gothic 19th century mansion and gardens is the family seat of the Stuart Earls of Bute and one of the most technologically advanced houses of its age when it was built in 1877 with underfloor heating, an indoor heated swimming pool, electricity and telephone. Luxury! The house has a small working lift. Head back to Dunoon late afternoon.

Inverary Castle
Take a scenic drive along the shoreline of Loch Eck to discover Inveraray Castle, one of Scotland's finest stately homes on the shores of Loch Fyne in an area of spectacular natural beauty. The ruggedness of the highland scenery serves as a spectacular backdrop for the sheltered tidal Loch, beside which nestles the present Castle built between 1746 and 1789. Enter the famous Armoury Hall containing some 1300 pieces including preserved swords from the Battle of Culloden. The fine State Dining Room and Tapestry Drawing Room contain magnificent French tapestries and countless other precious artworks. The castle's priceless collection of china, silver and family heirlooms spans generations which are illustrated by the fascinating genealogical display in the Clan Room. Inveraray Castle was the chosen location for the Downton Abbey Christmas 2012 episode. (There is level access from ground level to the: Entrance Hall, State Dining Room, Tapestry Drawing Room, China Turret, Armoury Hall, Saloon, North-West Hall, and Exhibition Room. (There are 40 stairs to the first floor and 24 steps to the basement which includes the Old Kitchen, gift shop and tearoom)

Day 6 - Time to leave Dunoon today and head south via Scotland's majestic capital - Edinburgh - a UNESCO World Heritage city filled with history, culture, engaging attractions and beautiful architecture. Enjoy some free time to explore its cobbled streets, hidden closes, famous landmarks and beautiful outdoor spaces. Continue south for your final overnight stop at the excellent 3* Holiday Inn Gosforth Park near Newcastle. DBB

Day 7 - After breakfast, head back through Northern England, with ample stops for coffee and refreshments. Continue back to the local joining points via the fast motorway network arriving back mid/late evening. Back to top

Accommodation

Esplanade Hotel, Dunoon

The traditional 3* Esplanade Hotel is situated on the West Bay Promenade of Dunoon with the beach right on the doorstep.

The views across the Firth are fantastic.

Guestrooms are tastefully decorated with good facilities including flat-screen TV, WiFi, hairdryer and tea / coffee making facilities. NB single rooms are true singles and seaview rooms are on a request basis only (supplement applies).

There is a restaurant, a Garden Lounge with Clyde views and a cosy Malt Cellar Bar

There is a lift but some internal steps to access public areas such as lounge bar and dining room Back to top