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Day 1: Glasgow Highlights
Land in Glasgow Airport where you’ll meet your CIE Tours driver/guide or representative. Take a group transfer to your hotel, departing at 8:00 am, 10:00 am or 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you must transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 3:00 pm set out on a coach tour to discover the main attractions of Glasgow, a city that flourished in Victorian times due to the shipbuilding industry on the River Clyde. Drive around George Square with its ornate City Chambers and nearby Glasgow Cathedral. Visit extensive collections in Kelvinqrove Art Gallery and Museum, originally opened in 1901 and recently refurbished. Back at your hotel, join your fellow travellers for a welcome drink before dinner. (D)
Day 2: Loch Lomond & Urquhart Castle
Depart Glasgow and travel alongside the famous Loch Lomond, renowned in song and also for unsurpassed beauty of the lake and mountains. Travel across the haunting Rannoch Moor and through the deep valley of Glencoe, notorious for the Campbell massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692. Continue through Fort William and stop in Fort Augustus, located at the southern tip of Loch Ness. Drive beside Loch Ness to enjoy delightful scenery and keep an eye out for “Nessie”. Visit Urquhart Castle to see the ruins of what was once the largest castle in Scotland. Enjoy views of the scenic promontory where the castle is located. Continue to Nairn where your hotel was a favourite summer residence of Charlie Chaplin. Experience Scottish culture in your hotel this evening when a Scottish piper and step-dancer perform for you. (B,D)
Day 3: Culloden Battlefield & Edinburgh Ghost Tour
Visit the Culloden Visitor Centre to learn about the Battle of Culloden where Bonnie Prince Charlie was defeated by the British army in 1746 in a fierce combat that lasted just one hour. The Scottish defeat changed the traditional way of Highland clan life forever. Drive south through the majestic peaks of the Grampian Mountains to visit Edradour Distillery, Scotland’s smallest, to see how whisky is distilled and sample some. Continue south to Edinburgh and check in to your hotel, located on a golf course a few miles from the city centre. In the evening head to the cosy 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 colourful characters. (B,D)
Day 4: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour
This morning an Edinburgh city guide will point out the principal sights of this interesting capital city. Drive along the bustling Princes Street and through the gracious, wide streets of the 200-year-old Georgian New Town. See the compact medieval section along the Royal Mile where some houses reach 11 stories tall. Visit Edinburgh Castle, which dominates the city centre and contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. The balance of the day is free for further sightseeing, shopping and dining. On August 03, 08, 15, 17 and 22 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)
Day 5: Depart Edinburgh
After breakfast, check-out from the hotel. Transfers are provided to Edinburgh Airport at 06:30am or 9:00am, or you may extend your stay in Edinburgh. (B)
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