Scotland Tip to Toe

DAY 1
We visit Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle and the Wallace monument before driving up through the splendid scenery of Royal Deeside to our overnight stop in Ballater in this most Royal of Tours.

Linlithgow Palace is our first stop, This is where Mary Stewart was born on 8th December 1542, her father James V died 6 days later and she was crowned queen whilst still an infant.
The first mention of Linlithgow as a royal residence is in 1301 when Edward 1st of England took the House and fortified it, the English stayed for over a decade and eventually left in 1314 after their defeat at Bannockburn. James 1st of Scotland started rebuilding in 1425 after a fire in 1424 destroyed the House and much of the town, His descendents all left their mark in the shape of improvements to the palace over the years.
Stirling Castle, set on a volcanic outcrop at the head of Stirling’s old town, Stirling Castle is very much like its counterpart in Edinburgh. Its strategic position at the heart of Scotland ensured it’s place in History as it was besieged time after time involving among others William Wallace and King Robert The Bruce.
Films such as Braveheart and The Bruce have ensured that the castle is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Scotland. Visit the kitchens and see what life would have been like for a commoner living at the castle.
Historic Scotland often put on re-enactments and other events during the summer months, we will endeavour to arrive at the castle to coincide with these events. We will ensure that you have free time in Stirling for your lunch and any other visits you wish to make. The castles admission ticket includes admission to Argyll’s Lodgings which is not far from the esplanade.

It’s back on the bus for our last visit of the tour, the Wallace Monument, built in 1860 to commemorate the” Guardian of Scotland, William Wallace”.
Find out about the controversy surrounding the building of this grand structure.
You can either, walk up from the car park and appreciate the fine views, or you can hop aboard the shuttle bus which will ferry you up to the top. Learn all about the great man who struggled to liberate his fellow Scots from the Tyranny of the English Oppressors.
Back on the bus for the drive up through some amazing scenery, we will take a short stop to stretch your legs at Killiecrankie or Soldiers leap as it is also known, the legend is that a “Redcoat” jumped across this gorge to escape, he was one of the lucky ones, not many of the 3000 government troops survived. This battle took place in 1689 and this site is said to be haunted, many people have seen the gory visions of soldiers on the anniversary of the battle 27/07/1689. We will drop you at your overnight Hotel in Ballater in time for Dinner.
DAY 2
We visit Balmoral Castle, Home to the Royal Family (whilst in Scotland) since Prince Albert purchased it for Queen Victoria in 1852. The Queen and family still visit each summer but I don’t think they will be in residence when we visit.
We will board the bus and head North to Inverness where we will probably stop for lunch (Venue to be decided) After lunch we will carry on to Dallas Dhu distillery, this is a museum showing how the “water of life” (whiskey) used to be distilled here. You can still get “a wee dram” here though. Time permitting we will visit Fort George before taking you to your overnight Hotel in Inverness.
DAY 3
Our first stop today is Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness, (I hope you’ve not been sampling too much whiskey though we don’t want too many “Nessie” sightings). Back on the bus and we’ll head for Culloden Battlefield and visitor centre. If you are feeling hungry, our next stop is Cromarty for lunch.
Further North and we will visit Helmsdale, see how people used to live here in the highlands of Scotland at the Timespan Heritage Centre. Its back on the bus to the very tip of Scotland and our overnight stop at Thurso/John O’Groats.

DAY 4
A day trip over to Orkney with a specialist Orkney Tour, This is your drivers rest day but don’t be surprised if you see him on the tour to Orkney (as a passenger).
DAY 5
Our first stop today is Durness, where those who want to can take a wander down to see the infamous Smoo cave, a smugglers hideaway and connections with witchcraft. We will then travel right along the top of Scotland and down to Ullapool, Lunch stop to be decided. We will travel further south to Kyle of Lochalsh and visit Eilean Donan Castle, the most photographed castle in Scotland and site of the film Highlander with Christopher Lambert. We cross the bridge to Skye now and on to Portree where you can check into your overnight accommodation.
DAY 6
From Portree we head down to Oban taking in Glencoe, Fort William etc. Free time in Oban ready for early Ferry next morning to Mull and Iona.

 

DAY 7
A very early start today as we have to catch the 07.45 ferry to Mull, it’s a 45 minute crossing, once on Mull its straight on to catch the next ferry to the holy island of Iona. We will visit the Abbey (St Columba landed here in 563AD and built a monastery, this was destroyed by the Vikings in their many raids between 795AD and 825AD and a replacement abbey was built on the site of the existing Abbey which was built in 1200AD We will have lunch back on Mull, venue to be decided. After Lunch we will take you on a scenic tour of the island and check into our hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore Tobermory. The Hotel we have looked at in Tobermory may be able to put on some entertainment if this was required.

DAY 8
Once back on the mainland we will drive south to Inveraray, on the shores of Loch Fyne. Inveraray was built between 1753 and 1776 and is one of the earliest and best preserved planned towns in Scotland. We will stop here long enough to visit one of the following, Inveraray Castle (Home of the Duke & Duchess of Argyll, their ancestors were responsible for the massacre of the MacDonald’s at Glencoe), Inveraray Jail (museum recreating living conditions of prisoners from the 19th Century) or the Maritime Museum (voyage back in time on the Arctic Penguin a schooner built in 1911). this will also be our lunch stop.
After lunch we travel on to Balloch for the boat trip on Loch Lomond, then its on to Glasgow for your overnight stop.

DAY 9
You will have a free day to give you time to explore Glasgow, we recommend one of the open top bus tours. Glasgow is one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in Europe. This tour gives you the chance to savour a little part of it. For art lovers you have a wealth of Art Galleries from the Burrell collection to Charles Rennie Mackintosh. For shopaholics there everything from “The Barras” market to the Designer Exchange or The Buchanan Galleries.

Our bus will depart Glasgow at 17.00 and we’ll head south to our overnight stop at Ayr.

DAY 10

Alloway near Ayr was the birth place of Robert Burns. We visit the cottage built by the bard’s father, William Burnes in 1757, and where he was born on the 25th January 1759.
And we shall eat Haggis Neaps & Tatties on that day ever more! Burns suppers are world renowned but where would we be at New Year or Hogmannay as we Scots say without Auld Lang Syne, arguably his best work.
We don’t claim to be experts on the life and works of Rabbie Burns, but we can take you to Alloway near Ayr and let you see the cottage where he was born and visit the Burns National Heritage Park and the Tam O’Shanter Experience.
Robert’s family was not wealthy, but his father believed in Education and worked hard to provide for his family. William Burnes persuaded the local townsfolk to put up the money to pay for a teacher for their children. Robert flourished at the book learning, when he was 18 however, his family moved and he had to turn his hand to farming.
He had a varied career, ploughman, poet and excise man, his womanizing though is legendary and we have many poems and songs thanks to his love of the ladies.
Find out more about his life and loves, who was the inspiration for “Ae fond kiss” a “Red Red Rose” and others.
The Audio visual display at the Tam O’Shanter Experience is well worth viewing.

From Ayr we travel further south to Culzean Castle, our visitors from across the pond may be interested in the Eisenhower connection, in November 1945 General Dwight D Eisenhower was invited by the 5th Marquess and the Kennedy family to accept the tenancy of a specially created guest flat on the top floor of the castle for his lifetime, as a gesture of Scottish thanks for America’s support during World War II. An exhibition on the first floor of the castle highlights his achievements.

Our overnight stop will be in the picturesque town of Gatehouse of Fleet.

DAY 11

Our first stop today is Caerlaverock Castle, it has a unique triangular shape, the drawbridge is intact and moat still surrounds this Maxwell family stronghold, it sits overlooking the Solway Firth and has guarded the edge of the Kingdom for 400 years. We visit the Burns House in Dumfries next then you will have free time in Dumfries for lunch.
Next is Hermitage Castle, an awesome but eerie ruin and it is easy to imagine its bloodthirsty history, one of its past owners William De Soulis was reportedly a wizard who practiced the Black Arts and spread such a reign of terror on the locals that they rose up against him. It was reported that the only way to kill him was to boil him in lead, which, they duly did. It also had its romantic association with Mary Queen of Scots riding from Jedburgh to visit James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, who was wounded (he was to become her third and final husband) find out why there is a link between Hermitage and Mary’s House in Jedburgh, where we will stop overnight.

DAY 12

This morning is free in Jedburgh to visit the many attractions in this historic town which has played a significant role in Scotland’s past. You can decide whether you want to visit Jedburgh Abbey (Left), built in 1138 by King David 1st of Scotland and lived in by Augustinian Canons. The Abbey took 100 years to build and was standing only about 40 years in peace before it was attacked numerous times by the English during the rough wooing.
Mary Queen of Scots House (Right), a Tower House typical of the region, now a museum with many artefacts said to belong to Mary Stewart.
The Castle Jail is a museum with exhibits on the life and times of the Borders. It was built in Victorian times to look like a castle and was the last Howard Reform Prison to be built. It is built on the site of the medieval castle which was destroyed in 1542 to save it being taken by the English.

Our next stop is Melrose Abbey, work started in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the behest of King David 1st of Scotland. It is probably the most famous of the 4 Border Abbeys and certainly very beautiful with its Gothic Arches. Look out for the Bagpipe playing Pig gargoyle. Robert the Bruce’s heart is reputedly buried here (His body is buried at Dunfermline Abbey) although not proven an embalmed heart was unearthed here and was of the correct time period.
We will then take you round Edinburgh, showing the many major attractions in this beautiful city before dropping you at your destination.