The Experience
Witness strength and agility on display at the Perth Highland Games and thrill to the unrivaled pageantry of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo on this journey honoring the heritage of the Scots. Day 1: Arrive Edinburgh, Scotland/Gleneagles
You are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, the venue for the Ryder Cup in 2014, in the stunning Perthshire countryside. This evening, join your Tour Director and fellow guests for cocktails and a welcome dinner at the hotel.
Gleneagles Hotel | Meals: D
Day 2: Gleneagles | The Perth Highland Games
Witness one of the most competitive traditions in Scotland: the Perth Highland Games. Testing agility and strength, the games are held every year throughout Scotland as part of the revival of tartan and highland culture encouraged by Sir Walter Scott. Locals compete in a number of different challenges, including hammer-throwing and caber-tossing. Entertainment also includes pipe bands and Scottish country dancers. Later, return to the hotel for a private whisky tasting.
Gleneagles Hotel | Meals: B
Day 3: Gleneagles/Perth/Inverness | The Stone of Scone
Travel north, making a stop at Scone Palace, once the crowning place of the kings of Scotland. It contains the Stone of Scone, or the Stone of Destiny, an oblong block of red sandstone used in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. This afternoon, drive through the Cairngorms National Park, home to the United Kingdom,™s only freely grazing reindeer herd. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.
Culloden House | Meals: B L D
Day 4: Inverness | Mountains and Gardens
Venture into the rugged landscape of Wester Ross, where the mountains of Torridon dominate the Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve. Continue along the shores of Loch Maree until you reach Poolewe and Inverewe Gardens. Time permitting, stop in the picturesque fishing port of Ullapool. Back in Inverness, visit Culloden Moor, where the Jacobite army of Bonnie Prince Charlie was defeated in 1746.
Culloden House | Meals: B L
Day 5: Loch Ness/Glasgow | Monsters and Oysters
Drive along the River Ness until you reach Loch Ness, home of the fabled monster. Visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle and continue through the Great Glen past Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland, and Glencoe, scene of a famous massacre. Pause for lunch at a Loch Fyne oyster bar before reaching your hotel in Glasgow.
Hotel du Vin | Meals: B L D
Day 6: Glasgow | The Arts of a City
Glasgow boasts a stylish, cosmopolitan atmosphere and world- famous art collections. On the outskirts of the city, explore Pollok Park and the Burrell Collection, an enormous depository of fine and applied arts put together by a 19th-century shipping magnate. Return to the city center for lunch at the Willow Tea Room, the only eatery where Charles Rennie Mackintosh took full command over every aspect of its architectural design. This afternoon, a visit to the Glasgow School of Art takes you on a journey back to when Mackintosh won the bid to redesign his former school, a prime example of his eclectic architectural style, influenced by the heavy masonry and art nouveau emblems of the Scottish baronial style.
Hotel du Vin | Meals: B L
Day 7: Stirling/Edinburgh | Braveheart and Robert the Bruce
Journey southeast to Stirlng, home to the National Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle. It was here, in 1297, that William Wallace (Braveheart) defeated invaders from England. Also visit Bannockburn, the battlefield where Robert the Bruce finally expelled the English armies in 1314. This evening, enjoy dinner at one of Edinburgh,™s Michelin-starred restaurants.
The Balmoral | Meals: B L D
Day 8: Edinburgh | Magnificent Military Tattoo
Join an expert local guide to tour Edinburgh Castle, host of the Military Tattoo. View the Honors of Scotland, (the Scottish Crown Jewels) and then continue to Holyrood Palace, the Queen,™s official residence in Scotland (subject to cancellation in the event of a royal visit). Attend a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. After dinner, witness the spectacular Military Tattoo on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. From your grandstand seat, watch magnificent band performances that symbolize Scottish culture and history.
The Balmoral | Meals: B D
Day 9: Depart Edinburgh
After breakfast, transfer to the airport and depart.
Meals: B
