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- Monarch of the Glen
Monarch of the Glen
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Highlights:
- This program gives you a taste of the best of Scottish culture, from the lowlands to the highlands and the highlands to the islands.
- The Scottish scenery is spectacular, the people warm and friendly and the accommodations unsurpassed.
- If you think you will like Scotland and you know you like personal service and comfort, this itinerary could be for you.
SKU:
Explore: Glen of Scotland
Customizable Itinerary - 14 Days (from $12,356 / person)
Day 1: Depart USA
An overnight flight will take you from the USA to Edinburgh and the start of your Luxury Scottish Vacation.
Day 2: Welcome to Scotland
Upon arrival in Edinburgh you will be met by one of our drivers and taken to Scotland’s Commercial Centre, Glasgow. You will check in to your hotel and after freshening up you meet your guide for a tour of the city. Just like Gaudi dominates Barcelona architecture, Glasgow is dominated by the work of Charles Rennie Macintosh. From office and municipal buildings to private homes you will see examples of his work. Your next visit is the Burrell Collection a major art collection bequeathed to the city by Sir William Burrell. You then return to your hotel for dinner.
Dinner
Day 3: Loch Lomond and Oban
Today you head north to Oban, the gateway to the islands. You will stop at Loch Lomond for a cruise on the Loch and the chance to hear of the adventures of Rob Roy Macgregor. Continue on to a lodge situated on its own 300 acre island. After arrival take a walk around the grounds and enjoy dinner with water views.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 4: Fly Fishing for Trout
Today you have the chance to tie a fly and cast to loch trout. After your class (or if you are already proficient) you can choose from three lochs to catch your trout. If successful, the chef can prepare it for dinner. If you are not sold on fly fishing you can enjoy the spa or a game of golf.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 5: Glencoe and the “Hogwarts Express”
Today you have an unusual combination of transportation modules. You leave the island by the causeway and head towards Glencoe. You will drive through Kentallen and Ballacullish which were the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic “Kidnapped”. You will also see Ben Nevis, at 4,500 feet Britain’s tallest mountain. You will pass through Glencoe where a massacre of the MacDonald’s took place in 1692. You then arrive in Fort William. You will board the 1st Class carriage of the Jacobite Steam Train which will take you to Mallaig including the crossing of the Glenfinnan Viaduct made famous in the Harry Potter movies. Along the way you will enjoy an English Cream Tea with sandwiches, scones and cakes. Your car will drive to Mallaig and be waiting for you on arrival. Both you and the car will board a ferry for a short trip to the Isle of Skye. You arrive at your elegant hotel ready for dinner at their Michelin-starred restaurant.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: A Scenic Day on Skye
After an elegant breakfast you meet your guide for a tour of some of unique sights. While the order may vary you will visit Fairy Glen, Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls. Brother’s Point (The Scottish version of the Cliffs of Moher) and the Old Man of Storr. Along the way your guide will stop at a pub where you can have a light lunch. We have left the evening open for dinner since you may want to dine at your hotel again or try some of the many other fine restaurants on the island, some also Michelin rated.
Breakfast
Day 7: Dunvegan Castle, Culloden and Bonnie Prince Charlie
Your guide will take you to Dunvegan Castle, the home of the Macleod’s for over 800 years. An impressive Castle it also offers spectacular surrounding views. After your visit you leave the Isle of Skye using the bridge and make your way to Inverness, “The Capital of the Highlands”. You will have a chance to tour the town built along the banks of the River Ness and dominated by the Castle situated on a bluff overlooking all. A little way out of town is your hotel which is also part of history. It was here that Bonnie Prince Charlie commandeered the house as his headquarters prior to the Battle of Culloden. He lost the battle, ending the chance for the Stuarts to reclaim the throne. It was the last battle fought on British soil. Today, in more peaceful times things are more welcoming.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 8: Tasting the Single Malts
Scotland is famous for its whiskies both blends and single malts. Today you will get to visit four distilleries, each offering distinctive single malts. You start your visits at Tomatin which is less known in the USA presumably because of much lower production. You will taste four different offerings as the local expert explains the difference. Your next visit is the bestselling single malt in the world. The Glenlivet distillery will give a tour of the facilities and a taste of some of their offerings. After time for some lunch you visit another boutique distillery Glenfarcas and you finish the day with Macallan less known than The Glenlivet but still known by US whiskey aficionados.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9: Loch Ness, Castle Urquhart and Macbeth’s Castle
After breakfast you drive to Loch Ness and visit Urquhart Castle which dates back to the 12th Century and was originally built to guard the route through the glen. You will drive along the banks and then board a boat for a cruise on the Loch which is quite narrow but close to 50 miles in length. The myth of the Loch Ness Monster still survives but the lake is at least 975 feet deep and sounding equipment is not that reliable given the width and the depth so who knows? You finish up your day visiting Cawdor Castle considered the “most Romantic Castle in Britain”. It was also selected by Shakespeare as the location for “Macbeth”. Tonight we recommend taking a taxi to town to dine at Chez Roux an boutique restaurant run by one of the famous Roux brothers.
Breakfast
Day 10: Balmoral and Braemar
Today you will drive through the Cairngorms National Park; one of Scotland’s most scenic. You will be taken to see Balmoral Castle, a private residence of the Queen where the family spends the month of August. From April 1st through June 30th we can arrange an inside visit to the castle but at other times you can view the Castle, visit Crathie Church where the Royal family worships each Sunday and Braemar which is the site of the Highland Games every August. You will then continue through the park to the town of Pitlochry where you have your own castle to stay in for two nights.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 11: Enjoying Pitlochry and Surroundings
Pitlochry is a charming town focused on the outdoors. There are a variety of walking trails of various lengths and degrees of difficulty and you can rent mountain bikes to extend your reach. If you are in the market for a kilt, this may be the place to take the plunge. Pitlochry is home to a large hydro dam and it has creates a salmon ladder that allow Salmon to bypass the dam and reach their spawning grounds. Paneled in glass, you can watch the salmon on their climb.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 12: Perthshire and Fife
As your exploration of Scotland begins to wind down we still have some interesting things for you to see and do. After breakfast at the Castle your driver will be waiting to drive you to the town of Perth which you have some time to explore. You then begin to follow the River Tay to the University town of St. Andrews. The university residing here is the third oldest in the United Kingdom after Oxford and Cambridge. It is known today as the place where Prince William met Kate Middleton. It is also known as the mecca of Golf particularly the Old Course. Your driver will make a stop at the Jigger Inn which was, at one time, the railway station. It later became the 19th hole for luminaries like Bob Hope, Arnold Palmer and Bing Crosby. After visiting St Andrews you drive along the Fife Coast and a series of quaint fishing villages before arriving in Edinburgh.
Breakfast
Day 13: The Best of Edinburgh
In the morning you meet your guide for a walking tour of the highlights of Edinburgh. You start with a visit to Edinburgh Castle where you skip the line to maximize your time. You will tour inside and walk the ramparts offering panoramic views all the way out to the Forth Estuary. You walk up the Royal Mile and arrive at Holyrood Palace which is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. You tour the stateroom and the art collection. It will now be around lunch time and you have the option of devoting the afternoon to shopping on Princes Street or joining your guide for a visit to the nearby port of Leith where you have lunch and then a private tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia which is docked there. We can discuss these are other options during the booking process. Regardless of your afternoon selection, in the evening you enjoy a tasting menu and No.1 the hotel’s Michelin starred restaurant.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 14: Return to USA
In the morning, after breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for the flight back home where you arrive back the same day.
Breakfast
An overnight flight will take you from the USA to Edinburgh and the start of your Luxury Scottish Vacation.
Day 2: Welcome to Scotland
Upon arrival in Edinburgh you will be met by one of our drivers and taken to Scotland’s Commercial Centre, Glasgow. You will check in to your hotel and after freshening up you meet your guide for a tour of the city. Just like Gaudi dominates Barcelona architecture, Glasgow is dominated by the work of Charles Rennie Macintosh. From office and municipal buildings to private homes you will see examples of his work. Your next visit is the Burrell Collection a major art collection bequeathed to the city by Sir William Burrell. You then return to your hotel for dinner.
Dinner
Day 3: Loch Lomond and Oban
Today you head north to Oban, the gateway to the islands. You will stop at Loch Lomond for a cruise on the Loch and the chance to hear of the adventures of Rob Roy Macgregor. Continue on to a lodge situated on its own 300 acre island. After arrival take a walk around the grounds and enjoy dinner with water views.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 4: Fly Fishing for Trout
Today you have the chance to tie a fly and cast to loch trout. After your class (or if you are already proficient) you can choose from three lochs to catch your trout. If successful, the chef can prepare it for dinner. If you are not sold on fly fishing you can enjoy the spa or a game of golf.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 5: Glencoe and the “Hogwarts Express”
Today you have an unusual combination of transportation modules. You leave the island by the causeway and head towards Glencoe. You will drive through Kentallen and Ballacullish which were the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic “Kidnapped”. You will also see Ben Nevis, at 4,500 feet Britain’s tallest mountain. You will pass through Glencoe where a massacre of the MacDonald’s took place in 1692. You then arrive in Fort William. You will board the 1st Class carriage of the Jacobite Steam Train which will take you to Mallaig including the crossing of the Glenfinnan Viaduct made famous in the Harry Potter movies. Along the way you will enjoy an English Cream Tea with sandwiches, scones and cakes. Your car will drive to Mallaig and be waiting for you on arrival. Both you and the car will board a ferry for a short trip to the Isle of Skye. You arrive at your elegant hotel ready for dinner at their Michelin-starred restaurant.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: A Scenic Day on Skye
After an elegant breakfast you meet your guide for a tour of some of unique sights. While the order may vary you will visit Fairy Glen, Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls. Brother’s Point (The Scottish version of the Cliffs of Moher) and the Old Man of Storr. Along the way your guide will stop at a pub where you can have a light lunch. We have left the evening open for dinner since you may want to dine at your hotel again or try some of the many other fine restaurants on the island, some also Michelin rated.
Breakfast
Day 7: Dunvegan Castle, Culloden and Bonnie Prince Charlie
Your guide will take you to Dunvegan Castle, the home of the Macleod’s for over 800 years. An impressive Castle it also offers spectacular surrounding views. After your visit you leave the Isle of Skye using the bridge and make your way to Inverness, “The Capital of the Highlands”. You will have a chance to tour the town built along the banks of the River Ness and dominated by the Castle situated on a bluff overlooking all. A little way out of town is your hotel which is also part of history. It was here that Bonnie Prince Charlie commandeered the house as his headquarters prior to the Battle of Culloden. He lost the battle, ending the chance for the Stuarts to reclaim the throne. It was the last battle fought on British soil. Today, in more peaceful times things are more welcoming.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 8: Tasting the Single Malts
Scotland is famous for its whiskies both blends and single malts. Today you will get to visit four distilleries, each offering distinctive single malts. You start your visits at Tomatin which is less known in the USA presumably because of much lower production. You will taste four different offerings as the local expert explains the difference. Your next visit is the bestselling single malt in the world. The Glenlivet distillery will give a tour of the facilities and a taste of some of their offerings. After time for some lunch you visit another boutique distillery Glenfarcas and you finish the day with Macallan less known than The Glenlivet but still known by US whiskey aficionados.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9: Loch Ness, Castle Urquhart and Macbeth’s Castle
After breakfast you drive to Loch Ness and visit Urquhart Castle which dates back to the 12th Century and was originally built to guard the route through the glen. You will drive along the banks and then board a boat for a cruise on the Loch which is quite narrow but close to 50 miles in length. The myth of the Loch Ness Monster still survives but the lake is at least 975 feet deep and sounding equipment is not that reliable given the width and the depth so who knows? You finish up your day visiting Cawdor Castle considered the “most Romantic Castle in Britain”. It was also selected by Shakespeare as the location for “Macbeth”. Tonight we recommend taking a taxi to town to dine at Chez Roux an boutique restaurant run by one of the famous Roux brothers.
Breakfast
Day 10: Balmoral and Braemar
Today you will drive through the Cairngorms National Park; one of Scotland’s most scenic. You will be taken to see Balmoral Castle, a private residence of the Queen where the family spends the month of August. From April 1st through June 30th we can arrange an inside visit to the castle but at other times you can view the Castle, visit Crathie Church where the Royal family worships each Sunday and Braemar which is the site of the Highland Games every August. You will then continue through the park to the town of Pitlochry where you have your own castle to stay in for two nights.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 11: Enjoying Pitlochry and Surroundings
Pitlochry is a charming town focused on the outdoors. There are a variety of walking trails of various lengths and degrees of difficulty and you can rent mountain bikes to extend your reach. If you are in the market for a kilt, this may be the place to take the plunge. Pitlochry is home to a large hydro dam and it has creates a salmon ladder that allow Salmon to bypass the dam and reach their spawning grounds. Paneled in glass, you can watch the salmon on their climb.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 12: Perthshire and Fife
As your exploration of Scotland begins to wind down we still have some interesting things for you to see and do. After breakfast at the Castle your driver will be waiting to drive you to the town of Perth which you have some time to explore. You then begin to follow the River Tay to the University town of St. Andrews. The university residing here is the third oldest in the United Kingdom after Oxford and Cambridge. It is known today as the place where Prince William met Kate Middleton. It is also known as the mecca of Golf particularly the Old Course. Your driver will make a stop at the Jigger Inn which was, at one time, the railway station. It later became the 19th hole for luminaries like Bob Hope, Arnold Palmer and Bing Crosby. After visiting St Andrews you drive along the Fife Coast and a series of quaint fishing villages before arriving in Edinburgh.
Breakfast
Day 13: The Best of Edinburgh
In the morning you meet your guide for a walking tour of the highlights of Edinburgh. You start with a visit to Edinburgh Castle where you skip the line to maximize your time. You will tour inside and walk the ramparts offering panoramic views all the way out to the Forth Estuary. You walk up the Royal Mile and arrive at Holyrood Palace which is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. You tour the stateroom and the art collection. It will now be around lunch time and you have the option of devoting the afternoon to shopping on Princes Street or joining your guide for a visit to the nearby port of Leith where you have lunch and then a private tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia which is docked there. We can discuss these are other options during the booking process. Regardless of your afternoon selection, in the evening you enjoy a tasting menu and No.1 the hotel’s Michelin starred restaurant.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 14: Return to USA
In the morning, after breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for the flight back home where you arrive back the same day.
Breakfast