After leaving Aberdeen, our first stop is in the village of Aberlour in the heart of Speyside. Surrounded by forests and hills you might catch the seductive smell of whisky or shortbread on the breeze, depending which way the wind blows. You continue through the heart of Speyside and arrive at Loch Ness for an optional boat trip*. Onboard the ship, you travel over the widest and deepest part of the loch and get a fine view of Urquhart Castle.Back on dry land, it’s time to travel deep into the past at Clava Cairns. This spot is situated in a gorgeous green grove and boasts well-preserved ancient burial tombs. They even say this spot was the inspiration for Outlander’s Craigh na Dun.  You then continue to Culloden Battlefield, the location of the final Jacobite Rising. It’s an eerie, flat, tragic landscape that can put the history of Scotland into perspective.  You have a break within the gorgeous Cairngorms National Park before you reach Aberdeen in the evening.