2010 SCOTTISH ISLES & GLENS TOUR
Superior & First Class Hotels - 19 Meals
11 days land only from Glasgow to Edinburgh

Scottish Isles and Glens Tour 11 Day Tour

Day 1 - 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-centre 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 12^th century. Chat with your driver/guide and fellow travellers over a welcome drink before dinner. (D)

Day 2 - 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 3 - 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 colourful houses cluster around a large natural harbour. Return to your hotel for free time and after dinner a local musician will play Scottish music. (B, D)

Day 4 - 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 5 - Thu: Highland Scenery & 16^th 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 16^th century Ardvreck Castle. Stop in Durness, one of Scotland's most remote hamlets. Learn about the 18^th and 19^th 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 6 - 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 12^th 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 7 - 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 remodelled 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 8 - 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 defences 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 9 - 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 cosy 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 colourful characters. (B, D)

Day 10 - 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 August 01, 08 and 15 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)

Day 11 - 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 home. A transfer to Glasgow Airport will be provided on request for €50 per person. (B)

Breakfast (B) Dinner (D)