Your Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Sat: Depart U.S. for Glasgow
Take an overnight flight across the Atlantic and relax as you start your vacation.

Day 2 - Sun: Glasgow Arrival & Tour
Arrive in Glasgow Airport where your CIE Tours driver/guide or representative will greet you. Complimentary group transfers depart Glasgow Airport at 8:00 am, 10:00 am or 12:00 noon. Passengers arriving later will transfer to the hotel at their own expense. Your hotel is located on George Square in the heart of the city. At 3:00 pm take a coach tour to see the main attractions of Glasgow including red sandstone Victorian buildings, delightful parks, Glasgow Cathedral and the River Clyde, once famous for shipbuilding. Back at your hotel, chat with your driver/guide and fellow travelers over a welcome drink before dinner. (D)

Day 3 - Mon: Loch Lomond & Eilean Donan
Travel into the Highlands as you view the shores of Loch Lomond and drive alongside this lovely body of water. Continue across the bleak Rannoch Moor and through the towering peaks of Glen Coe, a spectacular glen made famous by the Campbells' massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692. Continue north through Fort William and past Ben Nevis, Scotland's highest mountain. Stop at Spean Bridge Woollen Mills for some shopping and visit Eilean Donan Castle, a picturesque fortress perched on a rock in Loch Duich. Drive across the bridge to the Isle of Skye, the largest of the Inner Hebrides. Check into your country house hotel where the owner welcomes you. After dinner a local musician plays Scottish music for your delight. (B, D)

Day 4 - Tue: Isle of Skye Tour
Today on the Isle of Skye discover the beauty of the majestic Cuillin mountain range and the history of this famous isle, associated with Bonnie Prince Charlie. Take a boat ride from Elgol to admire the majestic mountains and lochs from the water. Visit a seal colony and see a variety of seabirds and possibly dolphins, whales or other marine life before disembarking in Elgol. Drive to Portree, the capital of the island, and view colorful houses grouped around the large natural harbor. Tour the Trotternish Peninsula, where every bend in the road opens up new views of mountains, moors, lochs and sea. Return to your hotel for some free time before dinner. (B, D)

Day 5 - Wed: Inverewe Gardens
Today enjoy more Highland scenery as you drive past dramatic views near Loch Maree. Visit Inverewe Gardens, the most famous in Scotland. In 1862 Osgood Mackenzie bought the estate and converted 50 acres of bleak headland into a haven of trees and shrubs. The varied and exotic plantings thrive due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream and there is always something in flower. Travel past more dramatic scenery as you drive by lochs and Gruinard Bay on the way to Ullapool, an active fishing and ferry port that was built in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society. Drive through the town before checking into your hotel in Ullapool. (B, D)

Day 6 - Thu: Highland Scenery
Explore one of Scotland's most remote Highland areas to see a variety of scenery. The landscape varies from huge tracts of bogland to rugged rocky mountains and coastline. Pass Loch Broom and the romantic ruins of 16th century Ardvreck Castle. Stop in the village of Durness, one of Scotland's most remote hamlets. Learn about the 18th and 19th century Highland Clearances which left these areas devoid of people. Stop in Bettyhill, a village built in 1814 to replace crofts destroyed by the Clearances. Continue to your hotel in Thurso, located in the center of this picturesque town. (B, D)

Day 7 - Fri: Isle of Orkney
Take a ferry ride to the port of Stromness where a local guide will escort you around the main island of Orkney. Visit Skara Brae, a 5,000-year-old village, where you can see the layout of houses, some with hearths and cupboards. View the Ring of Brodgar, a circle of prehistoric standing stones and stop in Kirkwall to see the 12th century St. Magnus Cathedral. Drive across the Churchill Barriers, created during World War II to prevent German submarines from sheltering in Scapa Flow. See the Italian Chapel, a tiny church built from two Nissan huts with elaborate trompe l'oeil paintings before driving to Stromness for the return ferry ride. (B, D)

Day 8 - Sat: John o' Groats & Dunrobin Castle
Drive along the coast of the North Sea to John o' Groats, the most northerly village on the British mainland. Near Golspie visit Dunrobin Castle, seat of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland and the largest mansion in northern Scotland with 189 rooms. Walk through some of the impressive chambers of the castle, which dates to 1275 but was remodeled in the mid-1800's. Watch a demonstration of falconry in the castle gardens to see trained birds of prey of many species. Continue south to your hotel in Nairn, located on the Moray Firth. (B, D)

Day 9 - Sun: Culloden Moor & Fort George
Drive through Inverness and along the shores of Loch Ness to the substantial ruins of Urquhart Castle and stop for photos of the scenic waters. Return to Inverness for a look around the town. Stop at the Culloden Visitor Centre to learn about Bonnie Prince Charlie's political aspirations which ended in disaster at Culloden. Walk around the moor where the Battle took place in 1746 ending the traditional Highland way of life. Next visit the vast defenses at Fort George, located overlooking the North Sea. Planned in 1747 as a base for the English army, it has served as a barracks since then. Today you can see reconstructed barrack rooms in different periods and the Seafield Collection - a display of muskets and pikes. (B, D)

Day 10 - Mon: Glenfiddich Distillery & Edinburgh Ghost Tour
Drive through the Spey Valley to visit Glenfiddich Distillery. Take a tour to learn how whisky is distilled and sample a "wee dram." Continue past the majestic peaks of the Grampian Mountains and stop in the town of Pitlochry to take a look around before heading to your hotel in Edinburgh. In the evening walk across the Grassmarket to the cozy Beehive Inn for an informal pub dinner and then join a local guide for a fun walking tour to discover the haunts of Edinburgh's many colorful characters. (B, D)

Day 11 - Tue: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour
This morning discover Edinburgh on a sightseeing tour with a local guide. Drive along Princes Street, the main shopping thoroughfare. Compare the wide streets and elegant mansions of the 200-year-old Georgian "New Town" with the narrow lanes and medieval townhouses along the Royal Mile, the oldest part of the city. Finish your tour at the imposing Edinburgh Castle to see historic buildings and enjoy a splendid view of Edinburgh. The afternoon and evening are free for independent activities. On August 01, 08 and 15 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)

Day 12 - Wed: Depart Edinburgh for Home
Your tour ends with a group transfer to arrive at Edinburgh Airport by 6:30 or 9:00 am. This will allow you plenty of time for check-in procedures and duty-free shopping before boarding the aircraft for your return to the United States. A transfer to Glasgow Airport will be provided on request at a cost of $75 per person. (B)


B=Breakfast, CB=Continental Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner