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Join us on this extended Scottish tour when we take you to three different scenic areas to explore the surrounding region and enjoy some interesting visits along the way beginning with tea at the famous Gleneagles Hotel and ending with a visit to the Braemar Gathering.

Tuesday 28 August Join the tour at the Houstoun House Hotel near Edinburgh, where you may leave your car for the duration of the trip or, if you prefer to fly, it is within easy distance of Edinburgh Airport.

A running buffet lunch will be provided here before you depart by coach for Gleneagles Hotel on the way to your first hotel of the tour. We have arranged afternoon tea at Gleneagles and the chance to wander around the grounds of this famous hotel before tea is served in a private drawing room. Depart after tea for Forest Hills Hotel where you will be staying for 2 nights. This hotel is in the foothills of the Trossachs and situated on the shores of Loch Ard. Dinner in the hotel tonight.

Wednesday 29 August Departure this morning after breakfast for Inveraray on Loch Fyne, home of the Duke of Argyll, via Drymen, Balloch and Tarbet, Loch Lomond. Visit Inveraray Castle for a private tour. This unmistakably Scottish Castle was the first of its size and type to be built in an extremely remote part of Scotland (at the time of construction). The complicated story of the design and construction of the castle began in 1720 with a sketch prepared by Sir John Vanbrugh, the architect of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard, for the 2nd Duke of Argyll.

Drive back along the shores of Loch Fyne to the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, internationally renowned for its seafood. We have booked lunch here before you return to your hotel via Loch Awe, Crianlarich and Loch Lomond. There will be a stop for tea on the way and arrival back to the hotel in time for a relaxing dinner at a time of your choice.

Thursday 30 August Leave Forest Hills Hotel this morning and drive northward towards your next hotel, passing through Aberfoyle, The Trossachs, Loch Achray, Loch Venachar, Killin and Loch Tay, arriving at the Loch Rannoch Hotel in time for lunch. This 19th century hunting lodge lies deep in the Perthshire highlands. You are free this afternoon to relax and enjoy your surroundings before the evening activities.

Depart at 1730 for the Pitlochry Festival Theatre set on the lochside of Loch Faskally where you will enjoy a pre-theatre supper before attending the current production in top-price seats. Return to your hotel for the night.

Friday 31 August Leave Forest Hills this morning and drive to Blair Castle. The story of Blair Castle and the Dukes of Atholl will take you from Mary Queen of Scots to the English Civil War, from Lord George Murray and the Jacobite cause to the disaster of Culloden, and from the Isle of Man to Queen Victoria’s love affair with the Scottish Highlands and her presentation of Colours to the Atholl Highlanders. There will be a private tour of the Castle.

Lunch can be found at the House of Bruar; an Aladdin’s cave for the house, garden and golf enthusiast and excellent shopping for the best quality clothes. There is also an art gallery and an excellent restaurant. To reach your final hotel in Aberdeen there will be a scenic drive east through Glenshee, stopping at Ballatar to stretch your legs and find a cup of tea. Arrival at the Norwood Hall Hotel, Aberdeen in time for dinner.

Saturday 01 September On Saturday you will leave the hotel for the Braemar Gathering where we have secured Best Grandstand seats for the day. There have been Gatherings of one sort or another here since the days of King Malcolm Canmore, 900 years ago. For the past 186 years large crowds have come each year to acclaim their Monarch as Chieftain of the Braemar Gathering. A Royal presence is expected. Pipes and dancers will be of the usual high standard, and Scottish Pipe Bands will be to the fore along with the customary Massed Bands. Back to the Norwood Hall Hotel for your final dinner and overnight.

Sunday 02 September Depart on Friday morning for Glamis Castle, near Forfar, where you will be greeted with coffee and shortbread before a private guided tour. The history of Glamis Castle spans the 2nd millennium with many legendary associations. The Castle stands by the village in which many of the houses were originally built for estate workers and, once inside the gates, highland cattle roam the grounds. The family home of The Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne since 1372, the Castle has been added to and altered over the centuries, and it is beautifully maintained. This is the childhood home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the late Queen Mother, and the birthplace of Princess Margaret; it is also the legendary setting of Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth”. After your tour you will be free to explore the grounds and find lunch in the restaurant.

Departure from Glamis, via Dundee, in time to arrive back at your starting place at the Houstoun House Hotel by 1600. Here you can either return home or book an extra night at our specially negotiated rate
Extra nights must be booked at the same time as the tour.

Price per person £799: Single supplement £150: Non refundable deposit £100:
Extra night rate on Sunday 02 September £45 pp b&b, single supplement £25

Includes:

• 5 nights accommodation and full Scottish breakfast
• Buffet lunch on arrival
• 4 dinners in the hotels
• Tea at Gleneagles Hotel
• Pre-theatre supper at the Pitlochry theatre
• Lunch at the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar
• All private tours and entries as stated in the itinerary
• Top-price theatre tickets at Pitlochry
• Top-price grandstand seats at the Braemar Gathering
• Free car parking at the Houstoun House Hotel
• Professional guide and executive coaching

TRAVEL INSURANCE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED, DETAILS WILL BE SENT WITH BOOKING CONFIRMATION