Welcome to Glasgow! Free time for the remainder of the day. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
Includes meal(s): Dinner
Bravehearts & City of Arts Enjoy an excursion to [LF] Stirling Castle today, a great symbol of Scottish independence, and favoured residence of Scotland’s kings and queens. Return to Glasgow for an orientation drive to see the city’s landmarks, including the 12th century cathedral, university buildings, and Georgian squares.
(B) 81 mi / 131 km
LOCAL FAVORITE
HEROIC HISTORY "They may take away our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!" Explore Stirling Castle, a great symbol of national pride where William Wallace fought for Scottish Independence (dramatized in Mel Gibson’s film, Braveheart). Through the centuries, this historic and architectural treasure was used as a royal residence of Scottish monarchs, including the childhood home of Mary Queen of Scots. Once a fortress and a battle site for independence, Stirling Castle is now a magnificent museum and one of the best-preserved, ornately decorated and furnished Renaissance castles in the UK
Includes meal(s): Breakfast
Lochs & Legends Take a scenic drive along the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond and continue to Fort William, gateway to majestic Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak. Follow picturesque Loch Ness, as you try to catch a glimpse of its mysterious monster before arriving in Inverness, the largest city in the Scottish Highlands.
(B,D) 178 mi / 286 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
EPIC RIDE They can take the low road, but we’ll take the high road on a scenic drive through the magic and mystery of the moors and glens of the Scottish Highlands. From lovely Loch Ness and more across the beauty of Scotland’s magnificent scenery
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner
Mountains & Mulligans The first stop today is at the Culloden Battlefield site to hear the story of the crushing Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish clans. Next, take a stroll through the Victorian town of Pitlochry, developed further to a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the 19th century. Continue to the university town of St. Andrews, famous also as the home of golf. The elegant Forth Road Bridge brings you to Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital, where you can enjoy some free time this evening. (B)
202 mi / 326 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
ICONIC FOOTSTEPS See the fairways and greens at the birthplace of golf, where legendary players of the Scottish game made history in the university town of St. Andrews
Includes meal(s): Breakfast
Crown Jewels & Castle Views Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and the famous scientists, inventors, and novelists who lived there. In the “Old Town,” visit Edinburgh Castle to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels. Enjoy free time this afternoon. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT Edinburgh Castle, one of the most important historical strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, rules with an 11,000-year history as “the most besieged place in Great Britain.” Here, you’ll find the royal regalia and Scotland’s Crown Jewels. The Castle also marks the starting point of the Royal Mile, the historic processional route and location of many of the city’s famous landmarks, including St. Giles’ Cathedral
Includes meal(s): Breakfast
Celebrating Scotland There’s more free time in Edinburgh today before saying goodbye to your traveling companions with a farewell dinner at your hotel. (B,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
CITY SIGHTS Soak in the origins of traditional Georgian architecture on your free day in Edinburgh. Stroll by the ordered symmetrical grid of Neoclassical houses and private gardens. Experience the spirit of the Scottish Enlightenment as you admire elegant ironwork of the New Town streets and squares including Charlotte Square regarded as an architectural masterpiece
Includes meal(s): Breakfast, Dinner
Safe Travels Until We Meet Again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
