Hot Tam!: Scotland by Design – Choice Touring 8-Night Tour from Edinburgh

Day 1 – ARRIVE IN EDINBURGH

Welcome to Edinburgh! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel.

Day 2 – EDINBURGH

EDINBURGH Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the New Tow, the Old Town, and a visit to Edinburgh Castle to see Scotland’s Crown Jewels. YourChoice Excursions include one of the following activities of your choice:

DELVE: Fit for a Crown
For nearly half a century, the Royal Yacht Britannia carried Britain’s royal family across the seas, logging more than a million nautical miles. Today, this last ship in the line of 83 royal yachts is retired, and permanently docked at Edinburgh’s port of Leith. Explore this incredible floating palace, including the State Apartments and Drawing Room, Queen’s Bedroom, Sun Lounge, and the crew’s quarters. Afterward, enjoy a delicious dinner with wine and coffee at a local restaurant.

GAZE: A Scottish Stroll
Soak in the origins of traditional Georgian architecture on a walking tour of Edinburgh’s New Town with a Local Guide through the largest Georgian planned town in the world. Stroll by the ordered symmetrical grid of Neoclassical houses and private gardens. Experience the spirit of the Scottish Enlightenment as you admire elegant ironwork of the New Town streets and squares including Charlotte Square regarded as an architectural masterpiece. Conclude your tour with a 3-course dinner with wine at a local restaurant.

Day 3 – EDINBURGH–ST ANDREWS–DUNDEE–PITLOCHRY

ST. ANDREWS See the home of golf and famous university town.

DUNDEE Visit Discovery Point and Royal Research Ship Discovery.

PITLOCHRY Walk through the Victorian mountain resort.

Day 4 – PITLOCHRY

PITLOCHRY YourChoice Excursions include one of the following activities of your choice:

CHILL: Pampered in Pitlochry
Relax and rejuvenate in the restorative waters of the Pitlochry Spa. Take in the spectacular views of the Scottish landscape while luxuriating in the natural spring water flowing from Ben Vrackie Mountain above. Relax with some traditional afternoon tea, scones with cream, and a selection of delicious sandwiches and cakes.

PLAY: Tee Time in Tummel Valley
Enjoy a round of golf on one of Scotland’s finest inland courses, complete with sweeping views and state-of-the-art clubhouse. Work on your putting game on Pitlochry Golf Club’s perfectly groomed greens in this golfer’s heaven.

GAZE: Castle Stones & Tea with Scones
Visit a small market town located in Highland Perthshire made famous by the Robert Burns’ poem, The Birks Of Aberfeldy. Join a private tour and explore the spectacular 16th century castle Menzies, a splendid example of medieval Scottish fortresses. Enjoy a traditional Scottish afternoon tea with scones and a selection of delicious sandwiches and cakes.

Day 5 – PITLOCHRY–BLAIR ATHOLL–CULLODEN–INVERNESS

BLAIR ATHOLL Visit Blair Castle.

Scenic drive through the Grampian Mountains and Cairngorms National Park.

CULLODEN Visit the Culloden battlefield site and visitor center.

Day 6 – INVERNESS

INVERNESS YourChoice Excursions include one of the following activities of your choice:

GAZE: Macbeth’s Ghost & Grand Gardens
Beware the Curse of Cawdor! Explore Cawdor Castle with a Local Guide to hear all about this legendary home of a noble Scottish family and how it is forever associated with Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Admire beautiful antique furniture and fine portraits by famous painters such as Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir Thomas Lawrence in a 600-year-old collection of intriguing artifacts and ornate tapestries. Spend free time wandering the castle’s three unique gardens: the Walled Garden, the Flower Garden and the Wild Garden.

STROLL: Out and About in Inverness
Set out for a walking tour in the Scottish Highlands capital to discover the local history and beautiful coastal scenery and architecture. Hear the romantic tales which have shaped Inverness into the thriving city of today. Explore the quintessential sites, including the River Ness for which Inverness was named. Enjoy a leisurely walk alongside the river and learn about the history of Inverness’ Town House, a Victorian baronial house; Inverness Castle; The Victorian Market, and its quaint little shops; breathtaking St Andrew’s Cathedral; and the Old High Church and Graveyard, featured in the Outlander books.

PEDAL: Inverness on Two Wheels
Enjoy the natural beauty of the Highlands capital on easy-to-ride cruiser bikes. Pedal at a leisurely pace with your Local Guide to explore the scenic areas of Inverness. Follow the canal with views out to the Beauly Firth (estuary inlet) and ride through the Merkinch Nature Reserve out to the Moray Firth, while keeping watch for local dolphins. Head back to the city, once again along the River Ness.

INVERNESS Free time this afternoon.

Day 7 – INVERNESS–LOCH NESS–FORT WILLIAM–GLASGOW

LOCH NESS Drive the length of the legendary lake.

FORT WILLIAM See the gateway to Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak.

GLASGOW Orientation drive to see the 12th-century cathedral, university buildings, and Georgian squares.

Day 8 – GLASGOW

YourChoice Excursions include one of the following activities of your choice:

PLAY: Blown Away in Glasgow
This is a unique opportunity to learn, play and have fun with the bagpipes, the iconic Scottish instrument. You will be welcomed by a Scottish bagpiper, given a tour of The Museum of Piping, have a full demonstration of the bagpipes from the Bagpiper Host, and get a chance to play the instrument yourself.

PEDAL: Bikes and Beer
Set off from the Drygate, one of Glasgow’s best micro-breweries, ride your bike down to the People’s Palace on Glasgow Green and towards the Clyde Waterfront, surrounded by stunning Victorian sandstone buildings and post-industrial architecture. Then, make your way to Glasgow’s elegant West End, via Kelvingrove Park to see Glasgow University and Glasgow Cathedral before heading back for your craft beer tasting.

GAZE: Bravehearts, Kings & Queens
“They may take away our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!” Visit Stirling Castle, a great symbol of Scottish national pride and the place Mel Gibson fought for in Braveheart. Through the centuries it was used as a royal residence for Scotland’s Kings and Queens, a fortress, and a battlefield for independence. Now a museum, Stirling is one of the best-preserved, ornately decorated and furnished Renaissance castles in the UK.