Historic Tour of Scotland

Arrive Edinburgh Airport where you will be personally met and whisked off in our deluxe mini bus and head straightway to Linlithgow. Here we check in at Bo’mains 4-star Guest House with sweeping views down to the River Forth. We will have time to relax in this beautiful location after your journey. Taking in the vistas is refreshing for both the body and the soul. In the afternoon we will tour the magnificent Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queens of Scots. This starts our journey to explore her mysteries and follow in her footsteps. Walk-about in the quaint village of Linlithgow, which was recently voted ‘one of the best small towns in Scotland’, see the sights and shops. Dinner in town and then return to Bo’mains for the night.

Up early with a full Scottish breakfast and off to Edinburgh. Our morning starts at Edinburgh Castle where you can explore the Great Hall, “The Royal Palace” where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth, St. Margaret’s Chapel, War Memorial, the Crown Jewels and Stone of Destiny. From there we stroll down The Royal Mile to Deacon Brodies Pub where we will partake of some of the best food in Edinburgh, including steak & ale pie and MacSweens Haggis Royale. Continuing down the Royal Mile we visit St. Giles Cathedral, then on to John Knox House where we will see the home of Mary Queen of Scots arch enemy. We will enjoy the shopping experience of walking The Royal Mile, all the way to the bottom where we will visit Holyrood House, the royal residence of Edinburgh. While in the House we will view Mary Queen of Scots bedroom and historic items associated with her. After dinner in Edinburgh we will go on the underground tour of Edinburgh featuring ‘Murder Most Royal’ which tells the story and takes place in the exact location of the murder of Lord Darnly, husband of Mary. We return to Bo’mains and enjoy a whiskey tasting nightcap to help calm our nerves.

After our full breakfast we head north crossing the Firth of Forth via the Forth Road Bridge into the Kingdom of Fife. Our first visit will be to Deep Sea World, Scotland’s National Aquarium where we will see a magnificent collection of sea life from one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world including sharks and other sea creatures. Back on the trail of Mary Queen of Scots we continue north to Loch Leven Castle, where she made a daring escape, and Faulkland Palace where she lived for a time. Going east towards the coast of the North Sea we visit St. Andrew’s, the magnificent ancient city and home of golf. We finish our day at our overnight destination of Broughty Ferry staying at the Taychreggan Hotel where we will enjoy dinner and our second whiskey tasting in their bar which has 460 single malts available, arguable the largest collection in Scotland!

After enjoying a Scottish breakfast we will head to Arbroath and see its famous Abbey where the Declaration of Arbroath, which declared Scottish independence from England, was signed by the Lords and Noblemen of Scotland and sent to the Pope in Rome for his approval. Then we will walk down to the harbor and sample the local delicacy called Arbroth Smokies. They are haddock fillets smoked to perfection in little sheds by the harbor. We head north to Dunnottar Castle, which in the 16th century was one of the strongest fortresses in Scotland. In 1562 Mary Queen of Scots stayed here and later during the invasion of Scotland by Cromwell’s army, the Scottish Crown Jewels were brought here for safekeeping. We check in at the Marine Hotel in Stonehaven on the harbor front. After dinner we will attend a performance at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen. Return to our hotel for the night.

Early breakfast and we head north to Aberdeen harbor where we will visit the Maritime Museum and historic Footdee fishing village. We then strike west to visit Craigievar Castle deep in the heart of Aberdeenshire. This castle is one of the tallest towers in Scotland. It is a massive L-plan tower house of 7 stories. It is also reputed to be haunted. We head to Forgue and visit Glendronach Distillery where we will take the tour and sample their famous single malts. Northward, we head to Duff House, the magnificent Georgian Mansion, repository of many fine paintings, works of art and antiques. On to MacDuff harbor where we will enjoy the ‘Puffin Cruise’ in the Moray Firth. We will be looking for dolphins, birds and possibly whales, weather permitting. We head west along the shoreline of the Moray Firth enjoying the beaches and views. We finish our day in Elgin with dinner and an overnight stay.

First visit in the morning after breakfast is Cawdor Castle used fictitiously by William Shakespeare as the murder place of Macbeth. Cawdor Castle is one of the best preserved strongholds in Scotland. We continue on to visit the dramatic Culloden Battlefield where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s fateful campaign came to an end. The new impressive Visitor Center is extremely well designed and brings us back historically to the time of the battle and in its splendid 4-screen cinema room you feel as if you are in the midst of it all. During our visit we will learn of the historic and political conditions that existed in 1746 that precipitated this famous battle, the last major battle on British soil. When we walk the battlefield we’ll see the positions of the opposing forces, and where they faced each other and the dramatic mass graves of the clansmen who fought and died here. Next we go through Inverness to Drumnatrochit by the side of Loch Ness and visit the Loch Ness Monster museum. Retracing our steps back to Inverness and heading south on the A9 we head for the Cairngorms National Park where we will ride the Funicular Railway up the Cairngorm Mountain which stands at 4085 feet. At the peak you will experience the view of the whole Cairngorm Mountain range. After our descent down the mountain we will head west through Newtonmore along Loch Laggan and stay the night in Spean Bridge.

After breakfast we drive through Fort William and head west to Glenfinnan where we will see the landing place of Bonnie Prince Charlie when he first came to Scotland to regain the throne for the House of Stewart. The site is marked by a fine monument commemorating the event. While there we will also see the Jacobite Steam Train crossing the Glenfinnan viaduct, as seen in the Harry Potter movie. Driving south to Oban, our next stop, you will have an opportunity for walk-about and shopping in Oban before we catch the ferry to the Isle of Mull where we will have dinner and stay the night in the beautiful village of Tobermory.

After our Scottish breakfast we will visit the MacQuarrie Mausoleum and then have free time in Tobermory to enjoy the beautiful setting at the harbor with its brightly painted houses along the harbor front. Time for walk-about to experience the calm and quiet of this special place. For lunch you may sample some of the best Fish n Chips in Scotland overlooking the water. Down to the ferry and return to Oban and we will head south to the small town of Inverarry. Walk-about and see quaint white painted shops and houses. On to Loch Lomond to enjoy a cruise on these famous waters. We then head toward Edinburgh and return to Bo’mains Guest House in Linlithgow for the night.

Sightseeing day around Edinburgh, Scotland’s Capitol. First off is Rosslyn Chapel associated with the Knight’s Templar and The DaVinci Code movie. We then board an open double-decker bus to get an overview tour of the city, getting off the bus for Deacon Broadie’s for lunch. After lunch we will visit Grey Friar’s Graveyard and Gray Friar’s Bobbie. A stop in the Scottish National Museum to see incredible Scottish artifacts and up to the rooftop to enjoy a fabulous view of the city. We take a walk down the hill to Princes Street to enjoy the ambiance of Edinburgh. Free time for shopping and other points of interest. Pub dinner in Edinburgh and then partake of “The Ghosts and Ghouls” tour of underground Edinburgh. Then ‘home’ to our guesthouse for the evening. Final whisky tasting and farewell get-together.

After our last Scottish breakfast we depart to Edinburgh Airport for your return journey to the US or transfer to other points of departure.