DAY    1            DEPARTURE FROM NORTH AMERICA
Enjoy full meal service on your scheduled wide-bodied flight to Glasgow.

DAY    2            ARRIVE GLASGOW - EDINBURGH (2 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our Casterbridge tour guide and transferred to our hotel in Edinburgh, capital of Scotland and one of Europe's most beautiful cities. After time to relax, we will take a walking tour in which our guide will be pleased to take us on some introductory sightseeing.

DAY    3            EDINBURGH (THE KINGS & QUEENS OF SCOTLAND)
Our day begins with a visit to Edinburgh Castle, a place filled with history, legend, and lore. Our visit will include: St. Margaret's Chapel, the State Apartments, the Great Hall and the Crown Chamber, which houses the Honours of Scotland (Scottish Crown Jewels). We continue with a Walking Tour along the Royal Mile, where we will view many of the city's most interesting structures, with turrets, gables, and towering chimneys. During our walk, we will visit the High Kirk of St. Giles, one of the most important architectural landmarks along the Royal Mile. Our final stop will be the Palace of Holyroodhouse, built by James IV, adjacent to an Augustinian abbey David I established in the 12th century. Our tour of the palace will include: King James Tower, the Throne Room, the King's Bedchamber and the Picture Gallery, with portraits of Scottish monarchs.

DAY    4            EDINBURGH - STIRLING - GLEN COE - FORT WILLIAM -
                          SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS (1 NIGHT)
As we leave the capital and head for the Highlands, our first stop will be the dramatically located Stirling Castle, site of many sieges and once the royal residence of the Stuarts. Mary Queen of Scots was crowned in the castle's Chapel Royal. In 1297, the Scottish hero William Wallace, the subject of Braveheart, captured the castle from the English and we will visit the nearby Wallace Monument that commemorates his victories. From Stirling we head north through the spectacular landscape of the Trossachs. This area of rugged mountains, forests and lochs is forever associated with Sir Walter Scott's outlaw hero, Rob Roy. We will travel through the stark pass at Glen Coe, where in 1692 the MacDonald clan was treacherously murdered by their hosts, the Campbells. We continue to Fort William, a town that lies in the shadow of Scotland's highest mountain, Ben Nevis.

DAY    5            SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS - LOCH NESS - INVERNESS (1 NIGHT)
This morning we will search for the Loch Ness Monster as we make an expedition along the shores of the Loch. We will visit the Loch Ness Monster Museum, which provides photographic evidence to convince the skeptics among us. Along the way we will also visit the scenic ruins of Urquhart Castle on the banks of the Loch. We continue to Inverness, traditionally considered the capital of the Highlands. Our guide will take us on a Walking Tour of this city which is so beautifully situated on the banks of the River Ness. The historic town center contains many lovely shops and attractive buildings which have been carefully restored to preserve its ancient character.

DAY    6            INVERNESS - CULLODEN - ELGIN - ABERDEEN (1 NIGHT)
This morning we will visit the battlefield of Culloden. On April 16, 1746 the Jacobite army under Bonnie Prince Charlie was slaughtered here by Government troops led by "Butcher Cumberland," George II's younger son, finally ending the hopes of the Stuart restoration to the British throne. At the visitor center we will follow the audio-visual program and exhibition area explaining the battle. On our way to Aberdeen, we will make a stop at Elgin, known as the "Lanthorn of the North," and visit the ruins of its 13th century Cathedral, considered the most beautiful in Scotland.

DAY    7            ABERDEEN - DUNNOTTAR CASTLE - ST. ANDREWS
                          (1 NIGHT)
Our morning sightseeing begins with a visit to St. Machar Cathedral. We will also include visits to the Fish Market, the Old City (with its cobbled streets and quaint cottages), and Duthie Park. The afternoon offers a trip to Dunnottar Castle - an impressive ruined fortress situated 160 feet above the sea on a rocky cliff. The castle was founded in the 14th century. In the 17th century, Scotland's Crown Jewels were hidden there while the castle was besieged by Oliver Cromwell. The castle provided the impressive back-drop for the filming of Hamlet. We continue to the beautiful university city of St. Andrews, overlooking the North Sea. The University of St. Andrews was founded in 1410 and is the third oldest university in Britain after Oxford and Cambridge. We will take a look at the University and the Cathedral on our Walking Tour, and those fond of golf can pay homage to the famous "Old Course."

DAY    8            ST. ANDREWS - EDINBURGH (1 NIGHT)
This morning we will make our way back to Edinburgh. Once back in the capital, we will visit the National Gallery of Scotland to see its excellent collection of paintings by such artists as Raphael, Titian, Velasquez and Rubens. The museum also houses collections of French Impressionist paintings as well as works by English and Scottish artists. There will be plenty of time for shopping on our last afternoon in Scotland.

DAY    9            DEPARTURE FROM GLASGOW
Your enjoyable and rewarding tour will come to an end as your guide accompanies you to the airport for the return flight home.