Itinerary
Day 1
Depart from the USA in your overnight flight to Glasgow, Scotland.
Day 2
Transfer on your own to the Thistle Glasgow,
conveniently situated in the heart of Glasgow's
entertainment and shopping areas. Since most flights arrive in the morning, this offers you a
chance to become acquainted with the area near the hotel prior to meeting your fellow
travelers at the welcome dinner in the evening.
Day 3
After breakfast, depart from the hotel. However, before you leave Glasgow, you'll meet
your City Guide for a morning tour, including a visit to Glasgow Cathedral, which is
dedicated to the city's patron saint - St. Kentigern, also known as St. Mungo. After
leaving the guide, you depart Glasgow and head for a cruise on Loch Lomond, the
largest fresh water lake in the UK. And what a perfect way to bring to life Andrew Lang's
verse, The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond, which was the basis for the song
we all know and sing. End the day at the Queens Hotel
in Oban. Dinner in hotel.
Day 4
Breakfast is in hotel. Today, take the ferry to the Isle of Mull, where you'll enjoy a
unique experience riding the Isle of Mull Railway for a guided visit to Torosay Castle,
a Scottish Baronial style castle still used as a family home today. In the afternoon, visit Duart Castle,
the ancestral home of the Clan Maclean. Return via ferry to Oban for dinner and stay at the Queens Hotel.
Day 5
Depart after breakfast for Edinburgh
with a stop for a private guided visit to Scone Palace situated over
the River Tay, home to the Earls of Mansfield and immortalized in
Shakespeare's Macbeth. Arrive in late afternoon at the Thistle Hotel in Edinburgh, your
home for the next 3 nights. Enjoy dinner in the hotel while learning more about what Edinburgh has to offer.
Day 6
Today after breakfast you'll have some free time to explore Edinburgh and take in some of
the famous sites such as the Palace of Holyroodhouse or
Edinburgh Castle. Later in the day
when you again join up with your fellow travelers, travel to the Writers Museum for an
organized tour. Here you'll see displays honoring Scotland's famous writers - e.g.,
Robert Burns,
Sir Walter Scott,
and Robert Louis Stevenson. Then your coach takes you
to the Royal Yacht Britannia, which served the Royal family
for over forty years. In your guided tour
you'll learn about the fascinating past of this famous ship, which is still used for entertaining. Tonight enjoy a delightful Scottish supper at
The Beehive Inn. From this historic pub you'll
end your evening with a literary walk.
Day 7
Your Scottish guide joins you this morning after breakfast on an all day journey to
Stirling and the Trossachs. You'll have a guided visit to Stirling Castle which
dates back between 1496 and 1583 and sits high on volcanic rock providing some
magnificent views. As you travel today, your guide will provide great background on
variuos legends, including Rob Roy MacGregor,
(you may remember the film Rob Roy).
From Stirling you head into the Trossachs and Sir Walter Scott
territory where you'll
learn more about the historic settings and the author's works while sailing on the
Loch Katrine Steamer, Sir Walter Scott. Return to Edinburgh and the hotel with a
stop at the Bannockburn Heritage Center to learn more about
Robert the Bruce and
Sir William Wallace (Braveheart) associations. The rest of
the evening is at your leisure and dinner is on your own.
Day 8
After departing your hotel and Edinburgh, travel to Rosslyn Chapel with a history on to
itself including the writers who visited it, and made more famous with the recent
popularity of The Da Vinci Code. After your guided tour, you'll head on to
Traquair House, once home to the Kings of Scotland and still lived in by the descendants
of the Maxwell Stuart family. Today it also still houses one of the oldest breweries in
Great Britain. Then on to England and Whitby where we'll learn through a leisurely
walk the Bram Stoker Dracula connections. End the afternoon with a wonderful journey
on the North York Moors Railway as you are transported through the Yorkshire scenery
and James Herriot territory. Enjoy dinner and an evening's
stay at Ripon Spa Hotel, set in five acres of
lovely gardens.
Day 9
Today, you head towards the picturesque Lake District. On your way, you'll stop for a
guided visit to Castle Howard, home to the Howard family for over 300 years.
Used as the setting for many films, including the popular Brideshead Revisted,
a new BBC series has been created about the life and behind the scenes at this estate.
Perhaps this 25 part series will some day come to USA television. Then continue
your journey to the charming village of Haworth, where you'll visit the
Bronte Parsonage, home to the Brontes. You'll get a wonderful glimpse into their
lives and what acted as inspiration to their writings. The Museum, in 2005,
just celebrated the 150th anniversary of Charlotte Bronte's death. There will
also be time to do some exploring of Haworth, a charming village. End the day
at Castle Green Hotel in Kendal on the edge of the Lake District. Dinner
is in your hotel.
Day 10
After breakfast in the hotel, you'll explore one of the most beautiful areas of
England Ð the Lake District. Start with a guided visit to Hill Top Farm -
the charming home of Beatrix Potter. If you're familiar with her work, you'll
really appreciate seeing how Ms. Potter's home was a real inspiration to her
story writing. After time for lunch, enjoy a visit to Brantwood, home to the
Victorian writer and painter John Ruskin. Then enjoy a cruise on
Lake Coniston. Dinner is at hotel.
Day 11
Before departing the Lake District, visit Dove Cottage, home to the poet
William Wordsworth and his sister
Dorothy (a distinguished writer as well). Originally an
Inn in the 1600's, Wordsworth came to live in Dove Cottage in 1799, where
supposedly he penned some of his most famous works. As you head back to Scotland,
make a stop at the Birdoswald Roman Fort and an opportunity to view one of
the 16 forts that were built along Hadrian's Wall. Built by the orders of the
Roman Emperor Hadrian in 122-130 AD, it was used by him to lay out the northern
boundaries of his territory. End the day at The Station Hotel in Dumfries.
Dinner is in your hotel.
Day 12
Although this may be your last day of travel in Scotland, it won't end before you have the chance to visit
additional sites in Scotland, including the Burns Heritage Park.
On your way there you'll stop at Wigtown, Scotland's National Book Town
-- similar to the famous Hay on Wye in Wales. Then it's on to Burns Country. It's appropriate that this
final day of touring includes Robert Burns, the writer of the poem
Auld Lang Syne,
which was the inspiration for the song we've sung many a time. Not only will you
see his birthplace, but you'll also have a chance to see other buildings in
the park and go away with better understanding the life and influence of this writer.
End your day at the Beardmore Hotel (or similar) near Glasgow.
Farewell dinner is in the hotel
Day 13
Transfer to the Glasgow airport for your return trip to the USA.
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