"The Full Scottish"
Highlands, Lowlands, Islands, and Midlands
April 22 - May 5, 2025
$4500. sharing
single travellers add $700
COVERS:
AIRFARE, TRANSPORT TO AND FROM AIRPORT,
SCOTLAND TRANSPORT,
HOTELS, BREAKFAST & DINNER EVERY DAY,
TRIP INSURANCE, ALL TOUR ADMISSIONS,
SONGS & STORIES ALL ALONG THE WAY!
Tue April 22 - Ceud Mile Failte! Depart home on a comfortable coach. Leave Corning Wegmans 11am, Elmira Clarion (old Holiday Inn) 11:30am, Waverly Salvation Army 12noon, Wegman's in JC at 1 pm. Rest stop at Siamsa Pub, Stroudsburg PA 2:30 pm, then on to Newark Airport check in 5:30pm; flight time 8pm, overnight flight UA 36, dinner on flight. United Airlines: 800-426-1122.
USA bus: Terp’s Enterprises 607-795-4426.
Wed April 23 – Arrive in Edinburgh airport, 8am. Get “acclimated,” get baggage, use rest rooms, and meet our Mackies Coach driver, board coach 9am. Breakfast visit to the famous Kelpies sculpture, then a few minutes’ drive to the unique Falkirk Wheel, another Scottish engineering wonder. We will proceed another half hour to Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city. We will take a brief driving tour of Glasgow’s most famous sites, which you can visit in the next couple of days. Then to our hotel, to check in 4pm. Freshen up, relax. Dinner at 6pm in the hotel private dining room.
Mercure Hotel, Glasgow 011 44 790 925 3350 (3 nights)
Thu April 24 – Hotel breakfast 8am or sleep in! At 10am, let’s start with the Hop On, Hop Off tour of Glasgow. Go once all the way around town, then stop to see sites like Celtic Park, The Barras market, the People’s Palace, the river Clyde, the Transport Museum and Kelvingrove Museum. We finish at George Square, close to the hotel. Meet again at our hotel by 5:30pm. We will have cocktails, then dinner at 6pm just 2 doors up the street at the Corinthian Club. Wander home at your leisure.
Fri April 25 – Hotel breakfast 8am or sleep in! This is a day completely on your own in Scotland’s largest and friendliest city. Maybe visit some churches, the movies, shopping, museums, and the pubs, not necessarily in that order, and see what you may have missed before. Meet back at hotel 6pm for dinner and some musical entertainment.
Sat April 26 – Hotel breakfast 8am, board coach 9am, for a full day trip to Loch Ness. On the way, we will visit Stirling Castle around 10am. Board coach again 11:30. We will see Stirling Bridge and the William Wallace Monument on our way north. This area is famous for filming such shows as Monty Python, Outlander, Ivanhoe, Braveheart, and Game of Thrones. Lunch around 12:30pm at Scone Palace. After a brief tour of the palace and grounds, board coach at 2pm to continue north through the Cairngorm Mountains, and the Great Glen. With a rest stop in Dalwhinnie at 3:30, we will reach Fort Augustus, “the bottom” of Loch Ness and check in around 6pm. Freshen up, then dinner at the Boathouse Restaurant, 7pm.
Highland Club Apartments, Fort Augustus 011 44 203 478 3897 (3 nights)
Sun Apr 27 – Let’s have a relaxing local day today! Breakfast 9am, at the Boathouse, Sunday Mass on the premises 10am. A short walk to the canal for the 11am boat cruise on the world-famous Loch Ness. No guarantee that we will see Nessie but keep your camera handy! There should be time for lunch, and walkabout the pretty village of Fort Augustus. Visit the Clansman Centre for a presentation at 4pm. Maybe take some time for billiards, or life-size chess, or cards, at the Highland Club. Walkabout the Loch side and lovely grounds of this fort/abbey/school. Dinner at The Boathouse 7pm.
Mon Apr 28 – Boathouse breakfast 8am board coach 9am. We will tour “the top side” of Loch Ness today, featuring Urquhart Castle 9:30, and the famous “clan gathering” area of Inverness. We will include a tour of the tragic and defining battlefield of Culloden 12noon, and stay there for lunch on us. After lunch, we’ll visit Clava Cairns, the standing stones that inspired Outlander. Board coach 4:30pm for dinner at the Whitebridge at 5:30pm. During dinner, enjoy some local music. Return to hotel 8:30pm.
Who will hike back?
Tue Apr 29 – Breakfast at the Boathouse 9am and board coach 10am. We’ll ride through the Highlands to the west coast. We’ll have several breathtaking photo stops, including the famous Eilean Donan castle.
Castle tour 11am, lunch there, too. Over the Skye Bridge, and up through the beautiful sunset scenery of Skye to Portree to check in and have dinner 6pm.
Royal Hotel, Portree 011 44 147 861 2525 (3 nights)
Wed Apr 30 – Hotel breakfast 8am board coach 9am. Day tour of the Isle of Skye. Our friendly driver will show us the sights of the island, such as Dunvegan Castle at 11am for a tour and lunch; the Museum of Island Life, Quirang, and The Old Man of Storr. We will try to visit Ian MacDonald’s farm. It’s a long day, but breathtaking! Afterward, back to Portree for dinner at the hotel 6pm.
Thu May 1 – Free day to rest, explore, hike, bike, or read a book by the sea. Enjoy the friendly and lively village of Portree. Maybe do a whisky tasting today, or enjoy the local hiking trails. Meet back with the group for dinner at our hotel, 6pm. After dinner, there is usually a local music concert this day, or you can walkabout the village, see what’s “afoot.” It might be good to get to bed early!
Fri May 2 – Hotel breakfast 7am board coach 8am, to drive south to Edinburgh. We will sail the route taken by Flora MacDonald, from Armadale to Mallaig, as she came to rescue Bonnie Prince Charlie.
We will take the train along the Harry Potter Hogwarts route, to Fort William. We will see more of the Great Glen, then Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain. We will see the beautiful region around Glencoe at lunchtime, then proceed south to the famous Green Welly stop. Eventually, we will reach the city of Edinburgh. Check in at hotel, 6:30, dinner 7pm at Mamma Roma’s.
Holiday Inn Edinburgh City Centre, 0011 44 131 524 8400 (3 nights)
Sat May 3 – Hotel breakfast 8am and now for a day in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. We begin with a tour of Edinburgh Castle, 9:30am. After this, you are on your own to wander the “Royal Mile” from top to bottom, eventually to meet at Holyrood Palace, 4:30pm. On this long downslope will be shops, pubs, and museums of the Old Town. Here are some suggestions: the Scottish National Museum, the National Gallery; the John Knox Museum; the Museum of Childhood. Meet at 6:45pm, for “Spirit of Scotland” dinner and show at College of Surgeons.
Sun May 4 – Hotel breakfast 8am, or sleep in! This is a day on your own in a very interesting city. Try to see what you missed yesterday. Here are some suggestions: try the Hop On, Hop Off tour, visit the Botanical Gardens, Waters of Leith, climb the majestic mountain Arthur’s Seat, visit the National Portrait Gallery, the Toppings Bookstore, the Scottish National Storytelling Center, or the Mary’s Close tour. Dinner on your own in town, then let’s meet back at the hotel at 8pm. We’ll have a final meeting of the clans, pack for tomorrow, and get some rest!
Mon May 5 – Board coach 6:30am. It’s a convenient and quick drive to check in at Edinburgh airport 7am. Say farewell to our faithful Mackies Coach driver! There should be time for airport breakfast, and last-minute shopping at the Duty-Free area before take-off at 9:40am. It’s about a 7 hour flight on UA 37. Land at Newark 12:15pm USA time, meet Terp’s bus, rest stop halfway, then home! Hopefully, back to Binghamton by 4pm, Corning before dark!