Group members gather in Toronto for the direct overnight flight to Glasgow.

On arrival in Glasgow we are met by our driver and guide. Enjoy an orientation tour of the city featuring a visit to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. We continue to our hotel with some free time until we gather this evening for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.  Point A Hotel (2 nights)

Today, we head into the lowlands making a fascinating drive through the countryside of Ayrshire to the village of Alloway. Here we shall visit the birthplace and national museum of Scotland’s most famous and popular poet, Robert Burns. We then continue along the coast to Culzean Castle, the home of the Kennedy family from 1759. Over two centuries they transformed a simple fortified Tower House into one of the finest country homes of the north.

Splendid scenery beckons as we travel through the Trossachs to Stirling. In 1314, Bannockburn was one of the Scots’ greatest triumphs as we shall see in the fascinating Bannockburn Heritage Centre. We see the outstanding fortifications of Stirling Castle, known in the late 13^th and early 14^th centuries as the “key to the kingdom” (several battles with the English took place in the vicinity). Follow the shores of legendary Loch Lomond then journey north to Glencoe, site of the famous clan massacre of the MacDonalds by the Campbells. The Glencoe Visitor Centre offers an informative presentation on the local topography and history of the area.  The Royal Hotel (2 nights)

Enjoy a leisurely day as we explore the Isle of Mull and visit the Holy Isle of Iona, where in 563 AD, St. Columba and 12 followers established a Christian monastery, the first in the British Isles. Here also is found the burial place of many Scottish kings and chiefs, including Macbeth. We have time to visit the cathedral and explore the religious settlement before returning to Oban.

Our next stop is opposite the town of Fort William, which lies at the foot of Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain. Follow the “Road to the Isles” past Glenfinnan, where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in 1745. Relax as we take the road to the Isles where we catch our next ferry across to the romantic and misty Isle of Skye. Visit Armadale Castle the spiritual home to Clan Donald, and explore the gardens of this historic estate. Absorb the breath taking scenery of this history-clad isle as we follow the coastal route to our hotel where we check-in and enjoy dinner. Uig Hotel (1 night)

This morning we shall board the ferry for Tarbert, on the distant Outer Hebridean Isle of Harris. Mountain vistas, sandy beaches and the ‘Castaway’ Isle of Taransay lay beyond. The Gearrannan Blackhouses is a typical crafters village where we see Harris tweed being woven. We then turn north onto Lewis and head for the remote capital town of Stornoway, our home for the next couple of nights. Cabarfeidh Hotel (2 nights)

Today we will learn more about island life with visits to the northernmost point of the isle known as the ‘Butt of Lewis’ with its towering lighthouse and abundant birdlife. Coll Pottery Craft Centre features a blacksmith, glass, ceramics and jewellery.  The gallery displays local Hebridean arts and crafts and the Oystercatcher Tearoom where we enjoy a light lunch following a craft demonstration.  At Lew’s Castle we enjoy tea and a guided tour of the gardens before continuing to view Dun Carloway Broch and Calanais Standing Stones on a scenic drive.

We enjoy an early breakfast in the hotel before we take the ferry for Ullapool, the quaint fishing port on Loch Broom, back on the Scottish mainland. We then continue to the subtropical Inverewe Garden, which benefits from the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, and to Corrieshalloch Gorge en route to Inverness.  Pentahotel Inverness (2 nights)

Our journey today will take us south to the shores of Loch Ness where we visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle. We will then skirt the 34 mile shoreline arriving at the beautiful town of Fort Augustus, where we have some free time. We shall have a cruise on Loch Ness in search of the legendary sea monster before returning to our hotel. 

Enjoy a morning of history as we visit the Culloden Centre to learn of the defeat of Bonnie Princes Charlie’s Scottish Clans at the hands of King George II, the last battle on British soil. Then across Speyside, the region known for the finest Scotch whiskies, where we shall have a treat; a visit to a distillery and an opportunity to sample Scotland’s finest.
Hilton Garden Inn Aberdeen (1 night)

Enjoy a gentle Highlands drive following Royal Deeside to Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games for over 900 years. Visit Glamis Castle, the inspiration for Shakespeare's MacBeth and childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth. From Dundee cross the Firth of Tay to St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club founded in 1754, has given us the rules of golf. Continue through Fife and over the mighty Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital and the “Prince of Cities”.  Voco Hotel (4 nights)

Our city tour will introduce us to the 200 year old “New Town”, with inspiring stories of some of the world’s greatest scientists, inventors and novelists born in this great city. In the “Old Town”, we’ll head up the narrow Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels, and then explore Holyrood Palace, the Queen’s official Scottish residence. The afternoon and evening are free to enjoy this “Prince of Cities” at our own pace. Sample one of the fine restaurants Edinburgh has to offer, there is something to suit every taste.

We have included a completely free day for your personal use. August is festival month in Edinburgh and there are many things to fill your time. This evening, after dinner at the hotel, we have a very special treat, a performance of the world-renowned Military Tattoo. This grand spectacle of massed Scottish pipe bands takes place in an arena on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle.

We head south from Edinburgh, to the Scottish Borders where we will find the ruins of Melrose Abbey, founded by St. Aidan and later nurtured by St. Cuthbert until he moved on to Lindisfarne. The current structure dates from the 14^th century. Visit Abbotsford House, former residence of novelist Sir Walter Scott. From here it’s onto the newly restored Rosslyn Chapel, originally built in 1446 and recently popularized by Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code”. We return to Edinburgh late this afternoon with some time at leisure before gathering for our farewell dinner.