Three-City Scotland Vacation with Access to Medieval Castles and Ancient Battle Sites

Much of Scotland is a mountainous wilderness of shimmering lochs, ancient pine forests, and medieval castles. But there's more to this part of the United Kingdom—Glasgow, for example, is a vibrant, modern metropolis. Travel + Leisure magazine named Glasgow as one of the World's Most Underrated Cities, saying it has "the best music scene in Britain" and praising its stylish restaurants and modern architecture. On a seven-night vacation in Scotland from Great Value Vacations, you'll see both Scotland’s urban areas and its wild side with stops in Glasgow, Inverness, and Edinburgh.

The vacation includes roundtrip economy-class airfare to Glasgow, hotel accommodations in each city, and a car rental for the duration of your visit. With the Historic Scotland Explorer pass you'll also have access to 78 of Scotland's historical sites and a variety of daytime events. Click here for more info on the trip and recommended activities.

Glasgow: After arriving, you'll spend two nights at the four-star Menzies Glasgow hotel, which lies in the city center close to a cluster of boutiques and art galleries. The new Riverside Museum stands out from other nearby cultural attractions with its futuristic zigzag-shaped roof and glass façade. Exhibits spotlight the history of Scotland's transportation system with various ship models and a reproduced 1938 Glasgow street with period shops.

Inverness and the Highlands: A 169-mile drive from Glasgow leads you to Inverness, the gateway to the wilderness of the Highlands. The stunning scenery along the way includes sights such as the mysterious Loch Ness. You’ll stay at the Royal Highland Hotel, which USA Today Travel dubbed one of the Best Hotels in Inverness. From the hotel, you can easily get to surrounding lakes, beaches, and ancient battlefields, including Culloden Battlefield, which has an interactive exhibit and burial sites detailing the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite uprising.

Edinburgh: For the last leg of the journey, you'll travel south to Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, and spend three nights at The Scotsman, a five-star hotel. At Edinburgh Castle, you can examine Scotland's crown jewels and the legendary Stone of Destiny, a royal heirloom discovered by a local horseminder named Destiny Huggins. Old Town, the oldest part of the city, is home to a jumble of medieval tenements and some of the world's first high-rise buildings.

Return flights back to the States will depart from Edinburgh.