COUNTRY ROADS OF SCOTLAND (CLASSIC GROUP)

• Join your Travel Director for a Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
• On select departures, during your time in Edinburgh you will also attend The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo — a colourful mix of pipes and drums, dance and display, set against the floodlit backdrop of Edinburgh Castle.

Arrival Transfer: Depart the airport at 09:00, 11:00, 13:00

Welcome Meet your Travel Director at 16:30

• Join a Local Expert to see the highlights of the city.
• In the Old Town, see the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of the King.
• Drive along Princes Street to the ornate Scott Memorial, then see the 18th century New Town with its neoclassical Georgian facades.
• Venture up the Royal Mile to visit Edinburgh Castle, home of Mons Meg, the Stone of Destiny and Scotland’s Crown Jewels.
• The rest of the day is at leisure; why not visit the art treasures in the National Gallery?

• Cross the Firth of Forth into Fife and journey to St. Andrews, passing the Old Course, home of golf since its creation in the 15th century.
• Enjoy free time to explore.
• Perhaps stroll to West Sands Beach where the famous ‘Chariots of Fire’ scene was filmed?
• Alternatively, wander to St. Andrews University where the love story of Kate Middleton meeting her Prince Charming began.
• Continue via Blair Atholl and pass the Grampian Mountains on the way to the sparkling Spey Valley.
• Stop at Atholl Palace and Gardens for a delicious cream tea.
• Originally opened in Victorian times, the hotel retains many traditional features.

• Keep your eyes peeled for the Loch Ness monster this morning duringa scenic drive along the legendary lake.
• See Culloden Moor in the morning, where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite army was crushed in 1746.
• Visit the Culloden Visitor Centre.
• Next, follow the rugged coast north to the fishing port of Wick.
• Choose to visit the Old Pulteney Distillery to taste a wee dram of its award-winning whiskeys.
• Alternatively, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a visit to the highly rated Wick Heritage Museum and hear about the past of this once thriving fishing community.

• Start the day by boarding the ferry to the beautiful Orkney Islands where the countryside is breathtakingly majestic and the tranquillity supports a quieter pace of life.
• Here the hardy locals say they live ‘below the wind and above the water.’
• Your Travel Director accompanies you as you visit the 5000-year-old village of Skara Brae, the old Norse Town of Kirkwall, the mysterious Ring of Brodgar, Kirkwall and the small chapel built by Italian prisoners during World War II.

• Travel through stunning, pristine landscapes along the northern coast with its white sandy beaches, and further inland to misty valleys and glens, lochs and rushing waters.
• Then it’s ‘Over the Sea to Skye,’ the largest and most beautiful island of the Inner Hebrides.
• On the way to Broadford, hear romantic tales of how young Flora MacDonald helped rescue Bonnie Prince Charlie and see the dramatic Cuillin Hills.

• Explore this wild and beautiful island on your own, before crossing to the Kyle of Lochalsh.
• Stop for a photo at remote Eilean Donan Castle, which under a clear sky offers a perfect reflection in its loch.
• Move on to the WWII Commando Memorial where there is a fine view of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain.
• Enjoy spectacular scenery en route to the Valley of Glencoe.
• Join a ranger for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, learn about the protection of this rare ecosystem and the important work reintroducing lost indigenous species to its flora and fauna.
• In the evening, enjoy market-fresh Scottish ingredients and wine, as you get together with your newfound friends for a sumptuous Celebration Dinner.
• Don’t be surprised if, by the end of the evening, you’re ‘Toasting to the Lassies’ or singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

• Spend time around peaceful Loch Lomond, ‘Queen of Scottish Lochs’ according to Sir Walter Scott and the largest in Great Britain.
• Perhaps experience the beauty and tranquillity of the loch with an optional cruise before continuing to Glasgow?
• An orientation drive through the city will show you the grand public buildings, including George Square and St. Mungo’s Cathedral. Then the rest of the afternoon is at your leisure.

• Today, bid farewell to your journey along the country roads of Scotland as you transfer to the airport.

Departure Transfer: Arrive at the airport at 06:30, 09:00