12 Day Itinerary Including Airfare from
USA
Day 1 - Sat: Overnight Flight to
Glasgow
Depart your North American gateway city and travel
through the night to Glasgow. Land only tour starts on day
2.
Day 2 - Sun: Glasgow Arrival & City Tour
Arrive in Glasgow Airport where your CIE Tours driver/guide or
representative will greet you. Complimentary group transfers depart Glasgow
Airport at 8:00 am, 10:00 am or 12:00 noon. Passengers arriving later will
transfer to the city-center hotel at their own expense. At 3:00 pm take a coach
tour to see Glasgow's main attractions including red sandstone Victorian
buildings, delightful parks and the River Clyde. Visit Glasgow Cathedral, dating
from the 12th century. Chat with your driver/guide and fellow travelers over a
welcome drink before dinner. (D)
Day 3 - Mon: Loch Lomond & Glen
Coe
Travel into the Highlands as you drive alongside the lovely
shores of Loch Lomond. Continue across the bleak Rannoch Moor and through the
spectacular peaks of Glen Coe, made famous by the Campbells' massacre of the
Clan Macdonald in 1692. Continue through Fort William and shop at the Ben Nevis
Highland Centre. Take the scenic "Road to the Isles" passing Loch Shiel and the
Glenfinnan Monument to cross by ferry to the Isle of Skye. Drive through part of
the "Misty Isle" and cross back to the mainland by bridge to your charming
family-owned hotel near the Kyle of Lochalsh. (B, D)
Day 4 - Tue: Isle of Skye Tour & Dunvegan
Castle
Today discover the Isle of Skye's majestic Cuillin
Mountains and its associations with Bonnie Prince Charlie. Visit Dunvegan
Castle, stronghold of the Chiefs of MacLeod for nearly 800 years, making it the
oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland. View priceless family
heirlooms around the Castle's stately halls. Stroll through formal and woodland
gardens before driving through more island scenery. Stop in Portree, the
capital, where colorful houses cluster around a large natural harbor. Return to
your hotel for free time and after dinner a local musician will play Scottish
music. (B, D)
Day 5 - Wed: Inverewe
Gardens & Atlantic Coast
Stop for photos at the romantic
Eilean Donan Castle before enjoying more Highland scenery as you drive past Loch
Maree. Visit Inverewe Gardens, where in 1862 Osgood Mackenzie converted 50 acres
of bleak headland into a haven of trees and shrubs. The varied and exotic
plantings thrive due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream. Travel past
lochs and Gruinard Bay to Ullapool, an active fishing and ferry port that was
built in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society. Drive through Ullapool and check
in to your hotel. (B, D)
Day 6 -
Thu: Highland Scenery & 16th Century Ardvreck Castle
Today
explore one of Scotland's most remote Highland areas, where the landscape varies
from huge tracts of bogland to rugged rocky mountains and coastline. Pass Loch
Broom and the romantic ruins of 16th century Ardvreck Castle. Stop in Durness,
one of Scotland's most remote hamlets. Learn about the 18th and 19th century
Highland Clearances which left these areas devoid of people. Stop in Bettyhill,
a village built in 1814 to replace crofts destroyed by the Clearances and
continue to your hotel in Thurso. (B, D)
Day 7 - Fri: Isle of Orkney & Skara
Brae
Take a ferry ride to the port of Stromness where a local
guide will escort you around the main island of Orkney. Visit Skara Brae, a
5,000-year-old village, to see the layout of houses, some with hearths and
cupboards. View the Ring of Brodgar, a circle of prehistoric standing stones and
stop in Kirkwall to see the 12th century St. Magnus Cathedral. Drive across the
Churchill Barriers, created during World War II to prevent German submarines
from sheltering in Scapa Flow. See the Italian Chapel, built from two Nissan
huts with elaborate trompe l'oeil paintings before driving to Stromness for the
return ferry ride. (B, D)
Day 8 -
Sat: John o' Groats & Dunrobin Castle
Drive along the coast
to John o' Groats, the most northerly village on the British mainland. Near
Golspie visit Dunrobin Castle, seat of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland and the
largest mansion in northern Scotland with 189 rooms. Walk through some of the
impressive chambers of the castle, which dates to 1275 but was remodeled in the
mid-1800's. Watch a demonstration of falconry in the castle gardens to see
trained birds of prey. Continue south to your hotel in Nairn, located on the
Moray Firth. (B, D)
Day 9 - Sun:
Battle of Culloden & Fort George
Drive along the shores of
Loch Ness to the huge ruins of Urquhart Castle for a photo stop and admire this
famous lake. Stop in Inverness and at the Culloden Visitor Centre walk around
the moor where the Battle of Culloden took place in 1746, ending Bonnie Prince
Charlie's political aspirations and many Highland traditions. Visit the vast
defenses at Fort George, located on the North Sea. Planned in 1747 as an English
army base, it has been in use ever since. See reconstructed barrack rooms and a
display of muskets and pikes. (B, D)
Day 10 - Mon: Glenfiddich
Distillery & Edinburgh Ghost Tour
Drive through the Spey
Valley to visit Glenfiddich Distillery. Take a tour to learn how whisky is
distilled and sample a "wee dram." Continue past the majestic peaks of the
Grampian Mountains and stop in the town of Pitlochry to take a look around
before heading to your hotel in Edinburgh. Cross the Grassmarket to the cozy
Beehive Inn for an informal pub dinner and then join a local guide for a fun
walking tour to discover the haunts of Edinburgh's many colorful characters. (B,
D)
Day 11 - Tue: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour
This morning discover Edinburgh on a sightseeing tour with a local guide.
Compare the wide streets and elegant mansions of the 200-year-old Georgian "New
Town" with the narrow lanes and medieval townhouses along the Royal Mile, the
oldest part of the city. Finish your tour at the imposing Edinburgh Castle to
see historic buildings and enjoy a splendid view of Edinburgh. The afternoon and
evening are free for independent activities. On July 31, August 07 and 14
departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)
Day 12 - Wed: Depart Edinburgh for
Home
Your tour ends with a group transfer to arrive at Edinburgh
Airport by 6:30 am or 9:00 am. This will allow you plenty of time for check-in
procedures and duty-free shopping before boarding the aircraft for your return
to the United States. A transfer to Glasgow Airport will be provided on request
for $75 per person. (B)