Discover Scotland

Discover Scotland

10 Days
October 6 - 15, 2010

Your Tour Includes

Round trip air from Ottawa

"Door to Door" Sedan service to/from Ottawa Airport (within 100km radius)

Hotel transfers, air taxes and fuel surcharges of $330 (subject to increase until paid in full)

Highlights Include: Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, St. Andrews, Dunrobin Castle, Orkney Islands, Loch Ness, Isle of Skye, Stirling Castle

Scotch whisky distillery tour & tasting

All accommodation and ground transportation in Scotland

8 Full Scottish breakfasts and 5 multicourse dinners

All entrance fees listed in itinerary

Ferry to Orkney Islands

Visit Loch Ness

Porterage for one suitcase on tour

Escorted by Art and Dot Jamieson

Tour Guide in Scotland

A ton of fun, music, comedy and entertainment

Tour Pricing
Double (2 per room) - $3199 per person
SIngle (1 per room) - $3569 per person
Triple (3 per room) - $3159 per person
(All prices are in Canadian $)

Insurance
(please refer to general information)
Deluxe Cancellation and Full Medical flat rate and Insurance of $300 per person (regardless of age).

Booking Details
A deposit of $250 per person plus insurance (if purchasing) must be provided by May 7, 2010. Bookings made after this date are subject to availability and change in price. Balances are due August 8, 2010.

Experience this trip as an extension to Shades of ireland
For further details regarding this, please view our Shades of Ireland web page.

Itinerary

DAY 1
Depart Canada - Overnight Flight to Edinburgh

DAY 2
Edinburgh, Scotland - Tour Begins
Cead Mile Failte - One Hundred Thousand Welcomes. Meet your fellow travellers at a special welcome dinner. Today, dinner will be included.

DAY 3
Edinburgh
Visit the famous Edinburgh Castle, perched high above the city and home of the Scottish crown jewels. Also enjoy a visit to the Palace of Holyrood house, the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh and former home of Mary, Queen of Scots. After the tour you will have free time to explore the museums, shop for a kilt, or strike up conversations with the locals to hear stories told in their distinctive brogue. Today, breakfast will be included.

DAY 4
Edinburgh - St. Andrews - Pitlochry - Aviemore
Travel to St. Andrews, a beautiful town in the Kingdom of Fife that gave the world the game of golf. See the Royal and Ancient Clubhouse and the famous Old Course. Next, enjoy Pitlochry, a vibrant Victorian town surrounded by the most glorious mountain scenery in Europe. Visit the the Edradour Whisky Distillery and see for yourself why Highland malt whisky is considered the world’s finest. Continue to Aviemore, Scotland’s premiere highland resort. Today, breakfast and dinner will be included.

DAY 5
Avlemore - Inverness - Thurso
At Inverness, visit the prehistoric burial ground of Clava Cairns where some of the graves date back to 2,000 B.C. Then, visit the Culloden battlefield where, in April 1746, a half-hour battle changed the course of history and the lives of the Highland people. Next visit the majestic Dunrobin Castle, built in 1275. Enjoy a fascinating falconry display in the beautiful formal gardens overlooking the North Sea. Later, soak in the breathtaking coastal drive along windswept cliffs that overlook Scotland's pristine Moray Firth. Your day concludes in Thurso, where you will visit Caithness Horizons, Thurso's museum of natural resources. Today, breakfast and dinner will be included.

DAY 6
Thurso - Orkney Islands - Thurso
A full-day adventure awaits you in the Orkney Islands. From Gill’s Bay, you will board a ferry for the short trip to St. Margaret’s Hope. While onboard, you may see seabirds, porpoises and seals. If you are very lucky, you may also see the family of otters that live in Gill’s Bay! A local guide introduces this magical place that very few visitors to Scotland get to experience. Visit the Italian Chapel and Skara Brae, where you will discover the remains of a Neolithic village which was built at the same time as Cheops Pyramid in Egypt. Next, pass the prehistoric Ring of Brodgar, reported to be older than Stonehenge. Visit the town of Viking Kirkwall before returning to the mainland. Today, breakfast will be included.

DAY 7
Thurso - Loch Ness - Ballachulish
Enjoy stunning and unspoiled landscapes as you travel through Inverness, known for people who delight in the craic – Gaelic for “light hearted chat”. Take in the panorama of Loch Ness, one of Britain’s most scenic bodies of water, where you will enjoy a visit to Urquhart Castle. Keep your eyes open - you never know when Nessie will appear! Travel through the Great Glens, famous for its many lochs (lakes), and the charming waterside town of Fort William before arriving at your hotel situated on lovely Loch Linnhe. Today, breakfast and dinner will be included.

DAY 8
Ballachulish - Isle of Skye - Ballachulish
This morning, take the stunningly beautiful ride along the “Road to the Isles” and over the Skye Bridge to the legendary Isle of Skye, also known in poetry and song as Eilean a’ Cheò (The Misty Isle). Enjoy dramatic views of the Cuillin Hills. Then, visit Armadale Castle Gardens and the Museum of the Isles, where you will learn about island life and the history of Skye. Conclude your visit taking in views of the isle from another vantage point during a ferry crossing back to the mainland. On your return to Ballachulish, stop at Glenfinnan where Bonnie Prince Charlie rallied the clansmen for battle during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. Today, breakfast will be included.

DAY 9
Ballachulish - Drymen
Your first stop this morning features a delightful sheep dog demonstration and the opportunity to learn about Scottish farming at the Scottish Wool Centre in Aberfoyle. Continue on to Stirling Castle, first erected 900 years ago and formerly used as a royal residence for the House of Stewart – this is where Mary, Queen of Scots, was crowned in 1543. Join your fellow travellers for a Scottish farewell dinner complete with Scottish piper. Today, breakfast and dinner will be included.

DAY 10
Drymen - Tour Ends
This morning your tour of Scotland comes to a close in Drymen. Today, breakfast will be included.