Scottish Escape

Day 1

ARRIVE IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND 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)

Day 2

GLASGOW. STIRLING EXCURSION Bravehearts & City of Arts STIRLING Visit [LF] Stirling Castle.
GLASGOW Orientation drive to see the 12th-century cathedral, university buildings, and Georgian squares. (B) 81 mi / 131 km

LOCAL FAVORITE
HISTORIC SPOT "They may take away our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!" Explore Stirling Castle, a great symbol of Scottish national pride and the place Mel Gibson fought for in Braveheart. Through the centuries it was used as a royal residence for Scotland's Kings and Queens, a fortress, and a battlefield for independence. Now a museum, Stirling is one of the best-preserved, ornately decorated and furnished Renaissance castles in the UK.

Day 3

GLASGOW–FORT WILLIAM–CULLODEN MOOR–INVERNESS Bonnie Lands & Brave Lads Scenic drive along the banks of Loch Lomond.
FORT WILLIAM See the gateway to Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak.
CULLODEN MOOR Visit the Culloden battlefield site. (B,D) 178 mi / 286 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT At Culloden moor, hear the story of the crushing Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish clans. On 16 April 1746, the two armies met. Over 1,500 Jacobites were killed or wounded, while British government forces lost about 100 soldiers. The last pitched battle fought on British soil lasted less than an hour.

Day 4

INVERNESS–PITLOCHRY–ST. ANDREWS–EDINBURGH Mountains & Mulligans PITLOCHRY Time in the Victorian mountain resort.
ST. ANDREWS See the home of golf and famous university town.
EDINBURGH 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.

Day 5

EDINBURGH Crown Jewels & Castle Views EDINBURGH Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the New Town and Old Town. Visit to Edinburgh Castle to see Scotland’s Crown Jewels. 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.

Day 6

EDINBURGH Celebrating Scotland EDINBURGH Free time before a farewell dinner this evening 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.

Day 7

EDINBURGH Safe Travles Until We Meet Again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)