Lord of the Highlands, A Royal Passion for Gardens & the Lord of the Highlands ex London to Edinburgh

16 Night A Royal Passion for Gardens & the Lord of the Highlands

London → Edinburgh | Embark cruise at Inverness, disembark at Kyle of Lochalsh

This Botanica journey uncovers the attraction that English royalty has had for all things gardening over the years. Gain an appreciation for this passion as we visit key royal locations, including Dumfries House and Kensington Palace. Our journey also features an exclusive charter of the Lord of the Highlands small ship. Cruise the famed Caledonian Canal and visit the remote Scottish Isles.

Board Lord of the Highlands for a seven-night canal cruise through Scotland’s legendary waterways, from the enchanting Caledonian Canal to the Highlands’ remote isles. Along the way, enjoy curated visits to private and historic gardens, scenic village calls, and botanical insights from expert guides. The cruise’s relaxed pace and small size elevate it beyond ordinary travel to a truly unique experience.

Finish with one night in Edinburgh, taking in its elegant avenues and parks before departure.

Day 1 – London, England and Kensington Palace Gardens

Arrive in London before 1.00 pm today and be transferred to your hotel. This afternoon, take a tour of Kensington Palace, whose grounds include the Sunken Garden, featuring a statue of Diana, Princess of Wales. The statue was commissioned by Prince William and Prince Harry, and was unveiled in 2021, on what would have been her 60th birthday. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner this evening and get to know your fellow travellers.

Stay: Two Nights: London, May Fair Hotel or similar

Meals: Dinner

Day 2 – Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival and Tour

Spend the day at Hampton Court Palace with a guided tour of the palace and its gardens. While here, enjoy what is said to be the largest of the English garden shows, Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. Set within the grounds of Hampton Court Palace, the festival features show gardens, floral marquees and pavilions, talks and demonstrations. Return to London late today.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 – Sandringham Estate

Depart London this morning and travel to Norfolk to visit Sandringham Estate, a favourite country retreat of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and now one of King Charles’ many royal residences. Tour the formal gardens, which include the recent addition of a climate-friendly Topiary Garden. Finish the day in the university city of Cambridge.

Stay: Overnight: Cambridge, Hilton Hotel or similar

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 4 – Cambridge Walking Tour, King’s and Trinity Colleges, and Cheltenham

Enjoy a walking tour of Cambridge, during which you will see architectural highlights of some of its most famous universities, including King’s College and Trinity College. King Charles studied at Cambridge University and became the first British heir to earn a university degree. Depart Cambridge, stopping at a private garden as we head toward Cheltenham.

Stay: Two Nights: Cheltenham, Queens Hotel or similar

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5 – Tetbury, Highgrove House and Gardens and Westonbirt Arboretum

Explore the delightful village of Tetbury, and visit Highgrove House and Gardens**, the private residence of King Charles. This property’s organic garden has a wonderful wildflower meadow, as well as an amazing collection of plants. Afterwards, enjoy the chance to spot wildflowers at nearby Westonbirt Arboretum.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 – Sudeley Castle, the Cotswolds and Return to London

Start your day with a scenic drive from Cheltenham to Sudeley Castle and Gardens, nestled in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds. Spend the morning exploring the castle’s rich Tudor history and wandering through its award-winning gardens. By early afternoon, head east to the charming market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, where you’ll have free time to browse antique shops, enjoy a leisurely lunch, or take in the honey-stone architecture and countryside views. In the late afternoon, we begin our journey back to London. Arrive in the evening after a day steeped in history, heritage, and Cotswold charm.

Stay: Overnight: London, May Fair Hotel or similar

Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 – Train from London to Glasgow, Scotland

Leave England behind today, as we travel by train from London to Glasgow, enjoying the route’s enchanting rural scenes.

Stay: Two Nights: Glasgow, Voco Grand Central Hotel or similar

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 8 – Dumfries House

Travel south of Glasgow to the estate of Dumfries House. Here, 600 acres of gardens and well-designed landscape are set within a 1,400-acre farm. The main five-acre Queen Elizabeth II Walled Garden was restored as part of a project to make Dumfries House a focal point for heritage-led regeneration. The garden was opened in 2014, by Her Majesty The Queen, after two years of renovation and replanting. It is one of the most ambitious and significant gardening renovation projects to be carried out in Scotland.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 9 – Glamis Castle, Inverness and Embark Lord of the Highlands

Depart Glasgow this morning and travel north to Glamis Castle, which was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Macbeth. More recently, it was also the childhood home of the Queen Mother. Continue to Inverness, where we board our privately chartered vessel, Lord of the Highlands. Enjoy a seven-night all-inclusive cruise, as we explore Scotland’s famous lochs and countryside.

Stay: Seven Nights: Lord of the Highlands 

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 10 – Cruise the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness, Fort Augustus

Visit Cawdor Castle Gardens, also immortalised in Macbeth. The castle boasts three very different gardens, each with their own unique history and appearance. Displaying a wealth of flora and fauna, the gardens at Cawdor Castle change with the seasons.

Alternatively, take a morning walking tour of Inverness and learn about the history of the Highland capital.

This afternoon, we set sail along the Caledonian Canal, which connects the four lochs of the Great Glen. Entering Loch Ness, we pass the romantic ruins of Urquhart Castle, before ascending the impressive flight of locks that runs through the heart of historic Fort Augustus. This evening, enjoy a welcome gala reception and dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 11 – Loch Oich, Laggan Avenue, Neptune’s Staircase and Fort William Mountain Gondola, Corpach

Continue along the canal through Loch Oich, transiting the tranquil, tree-lined Laggan Avenue, before ascending Laggan Locks. We cruise onward through picturesque Loch Lochy, before descending Neptune’s Staircase, a set of eight interconnected locks dropping 64 feet into the sea lock at Corpach. Lying in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Fort William boasts Britain’s only mountain gondola, which transports us more than 2,000 feet up the north face of Aonach Mòr.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 12 – Isle of Mull and Lip na Cloiche Private Garden, Craignure 

From Corpach, we spend the morning sailing Loch Linnhe to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. Visit the private garden of Lip na Cloiche, which illustrates the wide range of plant varieties that can be successfully grown thanks to the island’s mild climate.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 13 – Tobermory, Isle of Skye, Armadale Castle and Inverie 

A brief sailing brings us to Mull’s capital, Tobermory, where brightly painted houses line the waterfront. Enjoy free time to explore Tobermory’s pretty town. We then cruise around the most westerly point of the British mainland, Ardnamurchan, to Armadale Castle on the Isle of Skye. Here, we discover the epic history of Clan Donald. The 40-acre gardens of the castle grounds complement the Gothic mansion ruins, sheltered by 200-year-old trees. This evening, we cruise to Inverie, on the shores of Loch Nevis. Before dinner, take a short walking tour with a local ranger to learn about forest maintenance. We dock here overnight, with the opportunity to visit Britain’s most remote mainland pub, the Old Forge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 14 – Gairloch and Dundonnell Private Garden

Enjoy a full morning of sailing before we arrive in Gairloch, where our vessel docks overnight. Continue to Dundonnell Private Garden, the exquisite estate of Lady Jane Rice, wife of renowned English lyricist and author, Sir Tim Rice. Widely considered one of Scotland’s finest private gardens, this breathtaking Highland haven features a series of enchanting outdoor spaces, a productive kitchen garden, vibrant flowerbeds, and a stunning water feature designed by William Pye.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 15 – Kyle of Lochalsh, Attadale Gardens

This morning we sail the coast of Sutherland to Kyle of Lochalsh. Visit Attadale Gardens, which were skilfully restored by their owner, Nick MacPherson, following storms in 1980. The artist’s garden boasts long-range views to the Isle of Skye. The property also features a waterfall and pond, while an impressive sculpture collection can be seen extending across the 20-acre site. Enjoy a special final dinner aboard the ship this evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 16 – Kyle of Lochalsh, Disembark Lord of the Highlands and Edinburgh

Disembark this morning in Kyle of Lochalsh and travel to Edinburgh, where we enjoy our Farewell Dinner.

Stay: Overnight: Edinburgh, InterContinental Edinburgh the George Hotel or similar

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 17 – Edinburgh

Your tour concludes after breakfast this morning.

Meals: Breakfast

The challenge as with her sister vessel ‘Lord of the Glens’ was to craft a vessel that could both transit the intricate waters of the Caledonian Canal as well as navigate the sheltered waters around Scotland’s hauntingly beautiful fretted west coast, the result being the splendid ‘Lord of the Highlands’. Its elegance calls to mind that of a luxury yacht.

There are 19 outward facing state cabins spread over two decks each named with references to John Buchan’s “THIRTY-NINE STEPS”. Each cabin is finished in hardwood finishes, plush carpeting, dressing table, stool, wardrobe, satellite tv, and en suite facilities with shower, wc and washbasin. All state cabins are air conditioned and heated with an internal telephone and picture windows.

All sailings are made during daylight hours and overnight moorings are alongside with no tendering required. At each port of call there is time to independently explore as well as a programme of included shore visits. Dependent on the itinerary these include Culloden & Clava Cairns, West Highline Line to Glenfinnan, Isle of Iona, Clan Donald Centre on Skye and Eilean Donan Castle.

The cuisine is excellent, freshly prepared onboard by a loyal and long serving brigade of chefs, drawing on the rich bounty of locally sourced produce. What could be more delightful than to awake to the prospect of a full scottish breakfast and for early risers to take advantage of the complimentary hot beverages that await in the lounge and for that matter for the rest of the day as well?

Lord of the Highlands was constructed by Spanish craftsmen in Vigo for completion in July 2019 but will only enter passenger service in May 2020.

Hebridean Island Cruises has been setting the benchmark for luxury cruising since 1989. Featuring some of the finest Privately Escorted Tours, our small, five star luxury cruise ship – Hebridean Princess – affords our guests the highest standards of luxury cruise ship accommodation, together with a level of service from an almost forgotten era.

Each all-inclusive cruise is carefully planned by our own highly experienced researchers, whose brief is to capture the cultural essence and historical significance of each port of call.

Hebridean Princess, the small cruise ship which re-introduced the ‘Golden Age of Cruising’ nineteen years ago, will show you the dramatic coast of Scotland and the Western Isles and Norway from the best possible vantage point.

Outstanding service, fine cuisine, unusually spacious cabins and some of the most elegant public rooms afloat, the Hebridean Experience offers you the most relaxing luxury holiday you could wish for. An all-inclusive tariff, the very best in personal service, and some of the finest Privately Escorted Tours all tailored to be as individual as you are.

Select the Deck to view detail.

Lord of the Highlands - John Buchan Deck

Lord of the Highlands - Richard Hannay Deck

Lord of the Highlands - Tweedsmuir Deck

Select the Cabin to view detail.

Category 3 - Suite - King Bed

The hardwood finishes are classically elegant, while the en-suite facilities provide modern amenities. Each cabin boasts:

* Picture windows
* Rich hardwood finishes
* Plush carpeting
* Dressing table
* Wardrobe
* Internal telephone
* Satellite TV
* En-suite facilities with shower, WC and washbasin
* Heating and air-conditioning

Category 1 - Deluxe Cabin - Twin Beds

The hardwood finishes are classically elegant, while the en-suite facilities provide modern amenities. Each cabin boasts:

* Picture windows
* Rich hardwood finishes
* Plush carpeting
* Dressing table
* Wardrobe
* Internal telephone
* Satellite TV
* En-suite facilities with shower, WC and washbasin
* Heating and air-conditioning

Category 2 - Balcony Cabin - Twin Beds

The hardwood finishes are classically elegant, while the en-suite facilities provide modern amenities. Each cabin boasts:

* Picture windows
* Rich hardwood finishes
* Plush carpeting
* Dressing table
* Wardrobe
* Internal telephone
* Satellite TV
* En-suite facilities with shower, WC and washbasin
* Heating and air-conditioning

Category 3 - Suite - King Bed

The hardwood finishes are classically elegant, while the en-suite facilities provide modern amenities. Each cabin boasts:

* Picture windows
* Rich hardwood finishes
* Plush carpeting
* Dressing table
* Wardrobe
* Internal telephone
* Satellite TV
* En-suite facilities with shower, WC and washbasin
* Heating and air-conditioning