Spectacular Scotland
8 Day Package

Price Per person double occupancy

Dates
Request a quote or call 800-322-0788 for more information.

Price Includes: All motor coach and land transportation, sightseeing, admissions, services of tour director and driver, lodging, meals as specified in tour itinerary, taxes, gratuities to bellhops and waiters at included meals.

Not Included: Cost of obtaining passports or visas, laundry, meals, beverages or sightseeing not included in the itinerary, travel insurance, gratuity to guide, driver, communication charges, & excess baggage fees. Port charges and gratuities to crew are not included on cruises.

Deposit Required: $300 per person will reserve your place. A $100 service fee will be charged for cancellation at any time in addition to our normal payment and cancellation policy.

Day 1: Arrival in Glasgow, Scotland

Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax in Scotland's largest city. Before tonight's welcome dinner join your tour director and traveling companions for a toast to happy touring with a congenial group. (D)

Day 2: Glasgow-Isle of Skye

Your tour of bonnie Scotland starts in earnest with a day full of spectacular scenery. At the LOCH LOMOND SHORES attraction, the "Beneath the Loch" show introduces you to the area, and the thrilling film "The Legend of the Loch" shown on the Imax-style giant screen brings Scottish history to life. From the 100-foot high observation terrace you'll get the best views of Loch Lomond and the Highlands beyond. Wild Rannoch Moor; Glen Coe, where the MacDonald Clan was treacherously massacred by the Campbells; lovely Loch Linnhe; and Fort William beneath Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, are on the morning's agenda. Then follow the "Road to the Isles" passing Glenfinnan, the scene of the raising of the Young Pretender's standard in 1745. At Mallaig board your ferry and sail across the Sound of Sleat to Armadale on the romantic Inner Hebridean Isle of Skye where Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora MacDonald took refuge. (FB,D)

Day 3: Isle of Skye-Inverness

Cross the new bridge back to the mainland and drive further into the remote Highlands for another day of breathtaking Scottish scenery. Follow the shores of Loch Maree to INVEREWE GARDENS, with its subtropical plants encouraged by the warm Gulf Stream. Follow the trails created by Osgood Mackenzie more than 120 years ago. Corrieshalloch Gorge, Loch Glascarnoch, and Loch Ness, keeping a lookout for the mysterious monster, are final highlights on the way into Inverness, the Highland capital. (FB,D)

Day 4: Inverness-Pitlochry, Highlands

A leisurely day with a stop first at CULLODEN VISITOR CENTRE which sets the scene of the crushing Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlie's Scottish clans. Continue through heather-clad moors for a visit to a WHISKY DISTILLERY, where your guide explains the ancient art of converting barley, water, and yeast into a heart-warming liquor. Follow the River Dee through the Grampian Mountains to the area where the Royal Family spends their summer holidays and pause for a stroll in pretty Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games for over 900 years. Afternoon arrival in the grand Victorian resort of Pitlochry, set amidst magnificent Highland scenery. Be sure to take a walk through the town from your hotel before dinner. (FB,D)

Day 5: Pitlochry-Edinburgh

A leisurely start to the day with a visit to the nearby Duke of Atholl's BLAIRCASTLE for a guided tour of the ducal seat of the Murray Clan, whose Atholl Highlanders are the only private army in the British Isles. Drive to Dundee and cross the Firth of Tay to St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754, has given us the rules of golfing. Continue through Fife and over the mighty Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh. Tonight don't miss our optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. (FB)

Day 6: Edinburgh

Morning city sightseeing with a local expert introduces you to the 200-year-old "New Town" and famous scientists, inventors and novelists. In the "Old Town", drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotland's Crown Jewels, then explore HOLYROOD PALACE, the Queen's official Scottish residence. The afternoon is free to enjoy this "Prince of Cities" at your own pace. Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, which for the Queen was once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Tour five decks and see how the Royal Family and crew of 240 lived and worked on board. Dinner rounds off this optional evening. For tours from Aug Aug 4 through and including Aug 20 the optional Britannia excursion is replaced with included tickets for tonight's performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO: a vast spectacle of massed Scottish pipe bands, which takes place in an arena on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. (FB)

Day 7: Edinburgh-Glasgow

A fascinating visit this morning to NEW LANARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE, which by the late 1700's was already Britain's largest cotton mill complex. On arrival your specialist guide will orientate you with the history of the mill and tell you about the social pioneer owner. Then view the pretty Falls of Clyde whose water powered the mill wheels, see the massive looms in action, and wander around the village and imagine how people lived and worked here. Back in vibrant Glasgow a final orientation drive takes in the fine 12th-century cathedral, imposing university buildings, and elegant Georgian squares built by the wealthy tobacco barons. Time for last-minute shopping before celebrating with the companions of a successful tour during dinner at your hotel. (FB,D)

Day 8: Home

Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (FB)