SUMMER 2012
Itinerary
| Day 1 | UNITED STATES TO GLASGOW Depart your hometown and take an overnight flight across the Atlantic. Enjoy in-flight entertainment and meal service as you travel to start your vacation. |
| Day 2 | GLASGOW ARRIVAL & SIGHTSEEING Land in Glasgow and after you disembark, pass through customs and immigration checks at the airport. Your CIE Tours guide will meet you in the Arrivals Hall, welcome you to Scotland and assist in transferring you to your motorcoach. Embark on a panoramic tour which will introduce you to the highlights of Glasgow where many fine Victorian buildings are made with local red sandstone. Drive around George Square, filled with statues of Sir Walter Scott, Queen Victoria and other influential people. See the Victorian City Chambers, opened in 1888 by Queen Victoria. Pass Glasgow Cathedral, a splendid 12th century Gothic building dedicated to St. Mungo, the patron saint of the city. Then depart Glasgow and drive alongside the famous Loch Lomond, renowned in song and also for unsurpassed beauty of the lake and mountains. Drive across the haunting Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, notorious for the Campbell massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692. Drive to Ballachulish at the western end of Glen Coe to check into your hotel, which is set amid wonderful scenery on the shores of Loch Linnhe. Enjoy some time to relax and settle in before joining your fellow travelers for dinner in the hotel restaurant. DINNER & OVERNIGHT: BALLACHULISH HOTEL, BALLACHULISH |
| Day 3 | Inveraray castle & oban distillery Today travel south through the Scottish Highlands and the Trossachs National Park to Inveraray to visit Inveraray Castle, home of the 12th Duke of Argyll. Tour the elaborately decorated castle contains an armory, many historic relics and portrait collection. Then you will have some free time to explore this charming town independently. From Inveraray travel northwest to the seaside town of Oban. Here visit Oban Distillery, one of the few distilleries to be built, in 1794, before the actual town which sprung up later in the craggy harbor surrounding it. The distillery only has two pot stills, making it one of the smallest in Scotland, producing a whisky that has been described as having a ‘West Highland’ flavor that falls between the dry, smoky style of the Scottish islands and the lighter, sweeter malts of the Highlands. After a tour and a sample spend some time in Oban free to explore on your own. Return to Ballachulish in time for dinner. DINNER & OVERNIGHT: BALLACHULISH HOTEL, BALLACHULISH |
| Day 4 | LOCH NESS CRUISE & NAIRN This morning head north via Fort William which is connected to Inverness by the Caledonian Canal. This canal is formed by Loch Ness and other natural lochs and a series of manmade locks which raise boats from one level to another. At Fort Augustus take a boat ride on Loch Ness, which will give you an opportunity to enjoy the lovely scenery and also look for the famous monster, “Nessie.” Drive along the lakeside and stop at the Official Loch Ness Monster Exhibition at Drumnadrochit to see equipment used in the search for “Nessie.” Continue along the shoreline of Loch Ness, through Inverness and into Nairn. Check into your hotel and enjoy some time to settle in before joining your group for dinner. DINNER & OVERNIGHT: NEWTON HOTEL, NAIRN |
| Day 5 | THE ISLE OF SKYE & CLAN DONALD CENTRE This morning travel southwest of Nairn through the scenic countryside. Continue to Kyle of Lochalsh and drive across to the Isle of Skye via the Skye Bridge. Arrive in Armadale and visit the Clan Donald Center in Armadale Castle where the history of the Macdonalds and the Lords of the Isles is depicted. Drive through the island to the capital of Portree. Return to Kyleakin and the mainland via the Skye Bridge. Travel through the Northwest Highlands and the outskirts of Inverness to return to Nairn in time for dinner. DINNER & OVERNIGHT: NEWTON HOTEL, NAIRN |
| Day 6 | Culloden Visitor Centre & distillery tours This morning drive to Culloden Moor to tour the Visitor Centre. Walk around the battlefield where, on April 16, 1746, British Government forces defeated the army of Prince Charles Edward Stuart in just one hour and ended hopes of restoring the Jacobite Stuarts to the British throne. The brutal measures imposed after the battle signaled the end of the distinctive Highland way of life and culture. Then drive along part of the “Whisky Trail” and stop at two distilleries (to be determined) to learn about the making of malt whisky and sample the finished product. Return to Nairn for some free time before dinner. DINNER & OVERNIGHT: NEWTON HOTEL, NAIRN |
| Day 7 | Edradour distillery & Stirling Castle Drive south through the Scottish Highlands and experience the loveliness of the Cairngorm Mountains. Travel through Aviemore towards Pitlochry to visit the Edradour Distillery. This is Scotland’s smallest distillery set in a picturesque valley. Discover the secrets of making Highland malt whisky and enjoy a “wee dram.” Established in 1825, on land rented from the Duke of Atholl, Edradour is Scotland’s smallest distillery. It is operated by just 3 men and in one week it only produces enough spirit to fill 12 casks. Continue to the historic town of Stirling where you will visit Stirling Castle. Captured from the English in 1297 by William Wallace and again in 1314 by Robert the Bruce, the castle has been featured largely throughout Scottish history. At one point Stirling Castle was also a royal residence and Mary, Queen of Scots, spent some years here. After your visit, continue your travels to the capital city of Edinburgh and check into your hotel. In the evening join your fellow travelers for dinner in the hotel restaurant. DINNER & OVERNIGHT: ROXBURGHE HOTEL, EDINBURGH |
| Day 8 | EDINBURGH SIGHTSEEING & beehive dinner After breakfast meet your city guide and take a tour of Scotland’s capital city. Start your sightseeing with a drive through the heart of the city along Princes Street, famous for its shops on one side and gardens on the other. See the 18th century New Town with its broad streets, spacious squares and elegant town houses. Then drive along the Royal Mile and view the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Stop for a guided tour of the imposing Edinburgh Castle, perched high above the city on volcanic rock. The afternoon is spent at leisure for you to browse, shop and sightsee independently. This evening join your fellow travelers for dinner at the Beehive Inn which is situated at the historic heart of the city overlooking the Grassmarket. Then enjoy a walking ghost tour of Edinburgh, the best way to explore the Old Town of Edinburgh! Hidden courtyards and gardens are explored and their stories dramatically revealed to bring Edinburgh’s glorious past to life. OVERNIGHT: ROXBURGHE HOTEL, EDINBURGH |
| Day 9 | RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES Today your vacation has come to its final day. Transfer to Edinburgh Airport in plenty of time to check in for your transatlantic flight or your connecting flight. You may choose to do some last minute shopping at the duty free stores before boarding your aircraft for your transatlantic flight. Enjoy your flight across the Atlantic Ocean back to your hometown in the United States. |
