Itinerary
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DAY 1:
DEPART USA
Depart for your overnight flight to Glasgow. -
DAY 2:
GLASGOW
Welcome to Scotland. After custom control you will be greeted by your Homeric Tours representa-tive and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day will be at leisure. Dinner and overnight.Dinner included -
DAY 3:
GLASGOW / LOCH LOMOND / OBAN
After breakfast we visit St. Mungo’s Cathedral, the most complete survivor of the great Gothic churches of south Scotland and now the Parish Church of Glasgow. Then we take a scenic drive northwards along the shores of romantic Loch Lomond to Tarbet. After, we ride along the shores of Loch Fyne to Inverary where we stop to visit the Castle, the seat of the Campbell Clan. Continue to the seaport of Oban, the leading resort on the West Highland coast, dominated by McCaig’s Folly, a curious circular building erected by a local 19th century banker, an unfinished replica of Rome’s Coliseum. Dinner and overnight.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 4:
OBAN / ISLE OF MULL / ISLE OF IONA
After breakfast, we transfer by ferry to the little Island of Mull which is one of the richest of the Scottish islands. We drive north to the pretty village of Tobermory with its attractive houses and then on to Dervaig where we visit the Old Byre Heritage Centre. Continue for another short crossing to the holy island of Iona. This mysti-cal island has inspired people since St. Columba landed here in 536 AD. Iona was an early centre of the Celtic Church and St. Columba and his disciples landed here from Ireland and founded the famous monastery, which became a key centre for the spread of Christianity throughout the northern part of Britain. We will visit the Abbey. Some time at leisure then return to Mull for our dinner and overnight.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 5:
MULL / PERTH / EDINBURGH
A morning ferry takes us back to the mainland and Oban. We depart for Perth along the northern edge of Loch Awe, through Glen Lochy and Glen Doch-art to Lochearnhead, along the scenic road past Loch Earn and through the small town of Crieff. Upon arrival into the historic city of Perth on the River Tay, we see St. John’s where Knox preached and unleashed the storm of the Reformation. In Balhousie Castle, we visit the Black Watch Mu-seum with its treasure of the 52nd/73rd Highland Regiments and two and a half centuries of British Military History. Continue to Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. Dinner and overnight Edinburgh.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 6:
EDINBURGH
Our morning city tour of Edinburgh will show us the Scott Monument, Princes Street, prestigious Edinburgh University, Greyfriars and the Mound. A highlight will be a visit to Impressive Edinburgh Castle which towers over the city and dominates the skyline; we drive along the Royal Mile to visit St. Giles Cathedral with its Thistle Chapel, from whose pulpit Knox spent most of his Reformation years preaching boldly and fervently. Visit John Knox House and the Palace of Holyrood. The afternoon is at leisure for independent activities. Overnight Edinburgh.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 7:
EDINBURGH / HADDINGTON / ST. ANDREWS / EDINBURGH
After breakfast, we visit Haddington, where John Knox was born and raised. View the gardens of Haddington House (the House itself is not open to the public). Then drive out to St. Andrews, home of golf and named after Scotland’s Patron Saint. See Holy Trinity Church, St. Mary’s College and the University Chapel, and visit the Cathe-dral ruins, which date back to 1160. It was in St. Andrews that the Scottish Protestant reformer George Wishart was executed for heresy in 1546, after which John Knox preached in the castle and parish church. Return to Edinburgh via Hopetoun House, Scotland’s greatest mansion to see historical works of art, fascinating documents and costumes. Overnight Edinburgh.Breakfast and Dinner included -
DAY 8:
EDINBURGH / USA
This morning we transfer to the airport for our return flight home.Breakfast included