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

DAY    2            ARRIVE GLASGOW - STIRLING - EDINBURGH (3 NIGHTS)
We will be met at the airport by our Tour manager/guide, where we will board our own private bus and transfer into the beautiful Scottish countryside. We will stop for a visit to Stirling Castle, which dates from the Middle Ages, and was an important seat of two kings, James IV and James V. Included in our tour of the castle is the Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, presenting an excellent exhibit of colors, pipe banners, and regimental silver, along with medals won by Scottish soldiers for valor. From the castle, we will also get a wonderful view of the Wallace Monument, which commemorates the Scottish hero's victory over the English at Stirling Bridge in 1297. We continue to Edinburgh, Scotland's beautiful capital city.

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            DAY TRIP TO DRUMMOND & BANNOCKBURN
This morning we will make a visit to Drummond Castle, used in the filming of Rob Roy and famous for its gardens. Our afternoon will start at Bannockburn, scene of the major Scottish victory over the English in 1314, assuring Scottish independence from England. This battle, won by Robert the Bruce, was the climax of Braveheart.

DAY    5            EDINBURGH - MEGGINCH - ABERDEEN (2 NIGHTS)
Today we head North over the Forth Bridge. The Forth Railway Bridge, built in 1890, was used for the famous train scene in The Thirty-Nine Steps and is still an outstanding monument to Britain's Industrial Age. We then travel to Aberdeen via Megginch Castle, also used in the filming of Rob Roy. We will continue to Aberdeen, the third largest city in Scotland, which lies on the estuaries of the Rivers Dee and Don and is built almost entirely of granite, hence its nickname, the Granite City.

DAY    6            ABERDEEN & DUNNOTTAR CASTLE
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 backdrop for the filming of Hamlet.

DAY    7            ABERDEEN - CULLODEN - INVERNESS (1 NIGHT)
Today we will continue to 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. We then continue to Inverness, the traditional capital of the Highlands. Standing astride the River Ness, flowing from Loch Ness, the historic town center contains many lovely shops and attractive buildings which have been carefully restored to preserve its character. On arrival in Inverness (time permitting) our guide will be pleased to accompany us on a local Walking Tour.

DAY    8            INVERNESS - LOCH NESS - FORT WILLIAM - SCOTTISH
                          HIGHLANDS (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 Fort William, in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Scotland's highest mountain.

DAY    9            SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS - GLEN COE - TROSSACHS -
                          GLASGOW (1 NIGHT)
We will head South through magnificent Highland scenery to the stark pass at Glen Coe, where in 1692 the MacDonald clan was treacherously murdered by their hosts, the Campbells. We continue through the historic Trossachs, where we will be rewarded with a dramatic view of the Lakes and Highlands. This rugged scenery inspired Sir Walter Scott to write 'The Lady of the Lake' and provided the setting for the bandit hero, Rob Roy. We continue to Glasgow, famous for its Victorian architecture, for our final night in Scotland.

DAY    10            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.