Oban, Glencoe, Highland Lochs and Castles Tour from Glasgow

If you love old ruined castles, tales of old clan rivalries, west coast villages and brilliant mountain scenery, then you'll find this tour difficult to beat. We'll depart Glasgow traveling northwest, through the gorgeous Glen Fruin, driving parallel with Loch Long. From here, you will be crossing the Highland boundary fault line where the scenery changes quickly and dramatically. The flat fertile plains of the Lowlands giving way to shimmering lochs, rugged mountain tops, and forest-filled glens. We will then take a leisurely drive over the Rest and Be Thankful mountain pass. It was given its name in 1753 by the weary soldiers who had just finished building the old military road up through Glen Coe. Next, we'll travel through the steep-sided mountains, known as the Arrochar Alps, to the picturesque town of Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne, famous for the 18th-century castle and home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Campbell clan. From here, we'll drive along the shore of Scotland's longest loch: Loch Awe, where we'll stop for a short walk out to Kilchurn Castle (open from April to September) - a magnificent ruin situated in the middle of Loch Awe. We'll then continue to the harbor town of Oban, gateway to the Isles, for lunch at your own expense. We'll then travel north along the west coast around Appin, passing the impregnable Castle Stalker, and into Scotland's most famous valley: Glencoe. Stunningly beautiful, with its dramatic cliff faces and steep slopes, Glencoe is infamous as the site of the Glencoe massacre in 1692. Traveling south as we pass the majestic peak of Buachaille Etive Mor. At an altitude of over 1,000 feet, covered by heather and peat-bogs and dotted with dozens of lochs, it's a singular landscape. We'll then travel through Glen Falloch, driving south toward Loch Lomond. The last stop of the day will be in Luss, an 18th century conservation village with old workers cottages, built for the laborers of the Estate. From here, you return to the meeting point at Glasgow at around 7:00pm.