A The Highlands Summer
The Highlands in August for those who know why August is the month — the grouse season open on the Glorious Twelfth, the Highland Games at Braemar with a private hospitality position, the Speyside distilleries for the Spirit of Speyside festival, and the light at ten in the evening on a summer glen. A private, tailored journey of 7 Days · 6 Nights in The Highlands, The United Kingdom, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$12,500 per traveler.
- Ideal length: 7 Days · 6 Nights
- Best time: May through September brings the longest days, gardens in full bloom and the Highland light that painters cross oceans to chase.
- Private guiding, access and transfers throughout
- From US$12,500 per traveler — a starting point, tailored to you
- Designed one-to-one by a Forest Travel advisor
- Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels
The Highlands in August for those who know why August is the month — the grouse season open on the Glorious Twelfth, the Highland Games at Braemar with a private hospitality position, the Speyside distilleries at the height of summer, and the light at ten in the evening on a summer glen. A private, tailored journey of 7 Days · 6 Nights in The Highlands, The United Kingdom, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$12,500 per traveler.
Few destinations layer living monarchy, storied landscapes and quiet rural grandeur with such effortless ease.
When to go
May through September brings the longest days, gardens in full bloom and the Highland light that painters cross oceans to chase. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.
The experiences
A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:
- A privately arranged position on a working grouse moor for the Glorious Twelfth, with a keeper briefing the morning before and a game lunch served in the field.
- A dedicated hospitality enclosure at the Braemar Gathering, secured well ahead of the public ballot, with access to the royal arena and the procession of clan standards.
- A guided distillery circuit through Speyside, including warehouse tastings and a private blending session with a master distiller.
- An evening walk on a summer glen at ten o'clock, when the light lies low and amber across the heather and the midges have not yet risen — arranged as a private guided experience from the finest luxury hotels in the area.
A sense of the rhythm
The days begin early because the light rewards it — a morning on the moor or along a river before the glen warms, then a considered afternoon moving between distillery, village and loch. Evenings are long and unhurried, the kind that make you reset your sense of what a summer day can hold.
Whether to anchor in Speyside or base from Royal Deeside for the full week
Speyside places you at the centre of the whisky country and within easy reach of the festival distilleries, but Royal Deeside is where Braemar sits, and the two are not far apart. The decision shapes the feel of the week: Speyside has a working, artisan character; Deeside carries a quieter, more aristocratic register tied to the royal estate and the river. Forest Travel typically structures a split itinerary — three nights in one area, three in the other — so that neither experience is compressed, and the transfer itself passes through some of the finest scenery on the journey.
How to do it well
The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:
- Book hospitality at the Braemar Gathering before January of the year you intend to travel — positions with arena-side access are allocated months before the September date.
- The Glorious Twelfth falls on 12 August and moor access for non-estate guests requires advance arrangement through a sporting agent; Forest Travel coordinates this from six months out.
- Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place in late April and early May, not August — if your priority is the festival, we reschedule the archetype to spring while preserving the distillery circuit and glen walking.
- Pack for four seasons in a single day: waterproofs, a mid-layer and sunscreen are all in play by midday in August, and the finest luxury hotels in the area can arrange private kit if luggage constraints apply.
What only your advisor can open
The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.
Who it's for
Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.
Estimated investment
From US$12,500 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.
Designed entirely around you
Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.
Your Virtuoso privileges
As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.
Continue exploring The Highlands
Part of our The Highlands travel guide. Related private journeys:
Begin the conversation
Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design A The Highlands Summer around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →
Questions, answered.
Speyside places you at the centre of the whisky country and within easy reach of the festival distilleries, but Royal Deeside is where Braemar sits, and the two are not far apart. The decision shapes the feel of the week: Speyside has a working, artisan character; Deeside carries a quieter, more aristocratic register tied to the royal estate and the river. Forest Travel typically structures a split itinerary — three nights in one area, three in the other — so that neither experience is compressed, and the transfer itself passes through some of the finest scenery on the journey.
Book before January of the year you intend to travel. Positions with arena-side access are allocated months before the September date, so early planning matters. On this journey, the dedicated hospitality enclosure is secured well ahead of the public ballot and includes access to the royal arena and the procession of clan standards. Your Forest Travel advisor arranges it privately as part of the itinerary.
Yes, with advance arrangement. The Glorious Twelfth falls on 12 August, and moor access for non-estate guests has to be arranged ahead of time through a sporting agent. Forest Travel coordinates this from six months out. The result is a privately arranged position on a working grouse moor, with a keeper briefing the morning before and a game lunch served in the field.
No. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival takes place in late April and early May, not August. If the festival is your priority, Forest Travel reschedules the journey to spring while keeping the Speyside distillery circuit and the glen walking. The circuit includes warehouse tastings and a private blending session with a master distiller, so the whisky country remains at the heart of the trip.
A The Highlands Summer runs 7 Days · 6 Nights. Forest Travel typically splits the week, with three nights in Speyside and three in Royal Deeside, so neither experience is compressed. The transfer between them passes through some of the finest scenery on the journey. Days begin early because the light rewards it: a morning on the moor or along a river, then an afternoon moving between distillery, village and loch. Evenings are long and unhurried, and one of them can include a private guided walk on a summer glen at ten o'clock.
As a private, tailored journey it starts from roughly US$12,500 per traveler (double occupancy) and scales with your dates, party and level of privacy — a starting point, never a fixed package price. Your advisor confirms the figure once the itinerary is tailored.
May through September brings the longest days, gardens in full bloom and the famous Highland light. This journey is built around August, when the grouse season opens on the Glorious Twelfth (12 August) and the light still lies low and amber across the heather at ten in the evening. The Braemar Gathering has a September date. If the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival matters most, the journey moves to late April and early May. In August, pack for four seasons in a single day: waterproofs, a mid-layer and sunscreen.
On A The Highlands Summer, the evening glen walk takes place at ten o'clock on a summer glen in The Highlands, when the light lies low and amber across the heather. It is arranged as a private guided experience from the finest luxury hotels in the area. It reflects the rhythm of the week: days begin early, and evenings are long and unhurried, the kind that reset your sense of what a summer day can hold.
The Speyside distillery circuit on A The Highlands Summer is a guided route through the whisky country that includes warehouse tastings and a private blending session with a master distiller. Speyside has a working, artisan character, and basing there places you within easy reach of the festival distilleries. Afternoons on the journey typically move between distillery, village and loch, after a morning on the moor or along a river.
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