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Arts Club Tour 2015
Scottish Highlands
&
Islands
Depart May 21, 2015
Return June 5, 2015
Day 1 – Arrive Edinburgh, Scotland:
Welcome to Edinburgh! Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax.
Day 2 – Edinburgh:
This morning tour the city with a local guide who will introduce you to the 200 year old New
Town and the home of famous scientists, inventors and novelists. In the Old Town, drive up
the narrow Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels and then
explore Holyrood Palace (except when the Queen is in residence). Your afternoon is free to
enjoy the Scottish capital at your own pace. Don’t miss tonight’s Scottish evening with
Highland dancers, bagpipers and the Ceremony of the Haggis. (B, D)
Day 3 – Edinburgh-The Trossachs-Stirling-Bannockburn-Edinburgh:
Start your grand tour of Scotland with an interesting drive into the picturesque forested
region known as The Trossachs. Stop in Aberfoyle, the charming village on the banks of the
River Forth, then follow the route along the Lake of Menteith and through Callander to
Stirling. Take photographs of the Wallace Monument,
testimony to William Wallace’s victory over Edward I of
England’s troops at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, as
re-enacted in the film Braveheart. Next, visit Stirling Castle,
a great symbol of Scottish independence and favored
residence of Scotland’s kings and queens. Today’s final
highlight is the new Bannockburn Visitor Centre,
commemorating the key battle in the Scottish Wars of
Independence on June 23 – 24, 1314. (B)
Day 4 – Edinburgh-Abbotsford Excursion:
Today’s excursion brings you into parts of the Scottish Lowlands and Border Countries. We
stop first in Peebles, an attractive and bustling town on the Tweed River, before arriving in
Melrose for a guided tour of Sir Walter Scott’s newly refurbished Abbotsford House, which
contains an impressive collection of historic relics, weapons, and armour, as well as an
extensive library with over 9,000 rare volumes. On your way back to Edinburgh, take your
photographs of Melrose Abbey, the burial place of Robert the Bruce’s heart. This afternoon
join a unique experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia to see how the Royal
Family and crew of 240 lived and worked on board. Dinner rounds off this evening. (B, D)
Day 5 – Edinburgh:
Today you have a full day at leisure to explore the city on your own. (B)
Day 6 – Edinburgh-St. Andrews-Pitlockry-Inverness:
Today we travel over the elegant Forth Road Bridge and through Fife to St. Andrews. We
cross the Firth of Tay, and via Dundee head into the Highlands with a lunch stop in the
Victorian mountain resort of Pitlockry. We then visit a whisky distillery, nestled in a
beautiful pocket glen in the nearby hills before driving through the Grampian Mountains to
the Highland capital, where we will spend the next two nights. (B, D)
Day 7 – Inverness, Highlands Excursion:
Today’s excursions include some fascinating visits. At Culloden Visitor Centre the story
unfolds of the crushing Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Scottish clans.
Afterwards we visit the romantic, fairy-tale Cawdor Castle, set in stunning grounds with
beautiful gardens and home to the Thanes of Cawdor since 1370. In the afternoon we will
enjoy the Loch Ness Experience, which includes a cruise on the loch. (B)
Day 8 – Inverness-Thurso:
Today we continue our unforgettable journey and follow the coast
road to majestic Dunrobin Castle, which was the seat of the Dukes
and Earls of Sutherland for centuries. We will visit the formal
gardens and enjoy a fascinating Falconry Display. This evening we
have an excursion to a local pub. (B, D)
Day 9 – Thurso - Excursions to the Orkney Islands:
Today is a fascinating day full of adventure. At John o’Groats we board a ferry for the 45
minute crossing to South Ronaldsay, one of the Orkney Islands, where a local coach and
driver-guide await us. We will cross the four Churchill Barriers and overlook Scapa Flow,
where the German fleet scuttled itself in World War I. We will visit the Italian Chapel, built
by prisoners of war in 1943 using scrap metal, concrete, and other materials. After a light
lunch at the Tasting Hill café, we head for Skara Brae, where we will see the fascinating
remains of a 5,000 year-old Neolithic village and visit Skaill House. Further highlights
include: the Ring of Brodgar, the Orkney’s Stonehenge, and finally Kirkwall, the small and
picturesque island capital. We return to the mainland by ferry in the late afternoon. (B, L, D)
Day 10 – Thurso-Ullapool-Isle of Skye:
Today you can sit back and enjoy unfolding breathtaking wild
and unspoiled scenery of the area, some of the finest in Britain.
The northern coast is lined with miles of yellow sandy beaches
and pretty estuaries, and the hills and mountains take on a purple
hue as the summer progresses. This is Scotland at its best. We
will make a lunch stop in the quaint fishing port of Ullapool. In
the later afternoon, we arrive at the Inner Hebridean Isle of
Skye. (B, D)
Day 11 – Isle of Skye:
Striking landscapes, weird rock formations, and dramatic waterfalls will capture your
attention on our drive around the Trotternish peninsula. We will visit the thatch-roofed
cottages at the Museum of Island Life, close to the last resting place of Highland heroine
Flora MacDonald. We will visit the Eilean Donan Castle with a pub visit. Then, we follow
the spectacular coast route, stopping for photos of waterfalls and gorges, to later arrive at the
island capital of Portree. On the way back to Broadford, we take in the views of the jagged
and dark peaks of the Cuillin Hills. (B, D)
Day 12 – Isle of Skye-Glenfinnan-Isle of Mull:
Today we call at the Clan Donald Centre for a visit to its Museum of the Isles which offers
an insight into the 13 centuries of clan history before boarding our ferry at Armadale to sail
across the Sound of Sleat. We rejoin the mainland at Mallaig and follow the Road to the
Isles, passing Glenfinnan. Finally, we take the ferry to the Isle of Mull, where we will spend
the next two nights. (B, D)
Day 13 – Isle of Mull - Iona Excursion:
Have a leisurely and relaxing day enjoying the best of the Scottish western isles as we drive
across Mull for a visit to the beautiful and fascinating Isle of Iona. Here you will have time
to visit the Cathedral and explore the
religious settlement before returning to the
hotel in the early afternoon. Later, enjoy the
drive up to Tobermory for a visit to the
quaint island capital. Tonight enjoy a
farewell dinner at our hotel. (B, D)
Day 14 – Isle of Mull-Inveraray-Glasgow:
Our final island ferry crossing brings us to Oban. We then
travel over the Pass of Brander and from Inveraray to the
Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond. Back in Glasgow this
afternoon, your orientation city tour takes in the fine 12th
century cathedral, imposing university buildings, and
elegant Georgian squares. You have time for last-minute
shopping. (B)
Day 15 – Glasgow:
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
ALL THIS INCLUDED:
HOTELS:
Accommodations will be provided in superior four-star hotels. Rooms are twin-bedded
with private bath or shower, based on double occupancy. Hotel taxes, service charges,
state and local taxes, tips to baggage porters and hotel staff are all included in the tour
prices.
MEALS:
14
1
9
Buffet breakfasts (B)
Lunch
Dinners (D) (Wine included with dinners.)
SIGHTSEEING:
Sightseeing as outlined in the itinerary including admissions, with sightseeing by local
guides where applicable, touring by luxury motor-coach with premium extra leg room
seating.
TOUR DIRECTOR:
The services of a professional tour Director will be provided throughout.
OPTIONAL AIR SPACE:
A group air departure will be arranged for those interested from Vancouver at an
additional cost.
NOT INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE:
Air fare. Airport taxes (where applicable), excess baggage, meals not included in
attached itinerary, all items of a personal nature such as laundry, cleaning, telephone,
telex or fax expenses, and tips to motor coach driver, tour director and local guides.
COST:
$3,999 per person based on double occupancy.
Pre-paid gratuities: $269
Deposit: Non-refundable $500 at time of booking.
Final Payment due February 10th, 2015 <non- refundable>
TRAVEL INSURANCE:
For all ages, cancellation, medical only $239 (also covers pre-existing). Must be paid at
time of deposit.
Please note that this tour is not suitable for passengers with any form of walking or mobility
issues due to the unlevel walking surfaces throughout the north of Scotland.
For further information on this incredible tour of Scotland in 2015, or for any questions, please email
[email protected]
To book this Arts Club tour, call Travel TST
at 604.273.1811 or 1.800.665.4541
Monday - Friday 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
BC Reg 3231-4