Scotland at a Slower Pace: A Journey From Glasgow to Edinburgh

Activity note: Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m.

Lunch: At the hotel, we will have a light lunch with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: Orientation: 5:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. This program is staffed with both a Group Leader, who will accompany us throughout the program and deal primarily with logistics, and a Study Leader who will lecture, conduct field trips, and serve as an information resource on program-related topics. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 7 miles, approximately 1 hour. Walking up to 1 mile at Kelvingrove, periods of standing; paved paths, marble floors, step-free access available to all areas. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room, we will have a breakfast buffet with a range of hot and cold items, as well as coffee, tea, water, and fruit juices.

Morning: At the hotel, our Study Leader will deliver a lecture introducing us to Scotland’s fascinating history. After the lecture, we’ll board a motorcoach for an exploration of central Glasgow with informative commentary by our Study Leader, seeing highlights including Glasgow Cathedral, George Square, and architecture designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. We’ll complete our exploration at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, home to an extensive collection of art and antiquities including works by Rembrandt, Renoir, and Van Gogh, and a gallery focused on Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style. After an introduction by our Study Leader, we’ll have some time to explore Kelvingrove at our own pace.

Lunch: At a local cafe.

Afternoon: Free time. This block of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 190 miles, approximately 5 hours. Extent and duration of walking at Culzean Castle according to personal choice; tarmac and gravel paths and grass lawns in castle grounds; stone, wooden and carpeted floors inside castle, step-free access available to most areas but some are accessible only by steps.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we’ll board a motorcoach for a field trip to Robert Adam’s masterpiece, Culzean Castle. Dwight D. Eisenhower was given use of an apartment on this 600-acre coastal estate in South Ayrshire in recognition of his connection to this grateful nation. Culzean (pronounced Cull-ain) was the principal seat of Clan Kennedy, one of Scotland’s oldest families, who can trace their ancestry back to Robert Bruce. Our Study Leader will introduce us to the estate’s history aboard the motorcoach, and once we reach the castle we’ll have some time to explore independently.

Lunch: At a local cafe.

Afternoon: We’ll transfer to Oban through one of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. This national park, established in 2002, is home to more than 200 species of birds, and native woodlands including oak and pine forests. Loch Lomond is Britain’s largest lake in terms of surface area. We’ll learn more about the area’s natural wonders and history, including the significance of the famed outlaw Rob Roy, from commentary by our Study Leader aboard the motorcoach. Upon arrival in Oban, we’ll check in to our hotel with some time to relax and settle in to our rooms before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 15 miles, approximately 1 hour. Walking approximately 1 mile, periods of standing; grassy terrain at viewpoint with some uneven areas, limited seating available. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room, we will have a breakfast buffet with a range of hot and cold items, as well as coffee, tea, water, and fruit juices.

Morning: We’ll begin the morning with a lecture at the hotel delivered by our Study Leader, explaining the important strategic roles this port town played in both the Second World War and the Cold War. After the lecture, we’ll board a motorcoach and ride along the coast to the north of the town, to a viewpoint at the ruined Dunollie Castle which provides a spectacular panorama across the sea to the islands of the Inner Hebrides. As we look out across the water, our Study Leader will explain the geography of the seascape ahead of us. Oban’s sheltered natural harbor has made it an ideal base for ferry services linking the Hebrides to the mainland, lending it the epithet “Gateway to the Isles.” We’ll continue to enjoy splendid Hebridean views as we ride along coast roads before returning to Oban.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Afternoon: Free time. This block of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 80 miles, approximately 3 hours. Getting on/off a boat; boarding boat from floating pontoon, duration of boat ride approximately 1.5 hours. Walking approximately 1.5 miles, periods of standing. There is a walk of approximately 600 feet between the motorcoach drop-off location and the pontoon at Loch Shiel, but a shuttle vehicle can be arranged to minimize walking. Paved paths at Glenfinnan, some uneven grassy areas away from paths.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we’ll board a motorcoach to explore the area around Fort William. As we ride along the shore of Loch Linnhe — the 30-mile sea loch with Fort William at its head — we’ll pass the 15th-century Castle Stalker on a small tidal island offshore. This rugged countryside was the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson’s celebrated novel “Kidnapped,” and we’ll learn more about the tumultuous 18th-century conflicts that inspired the novel from commentary by our Study Leader aboard the motorcoach. We’ll then pass Fort William and ride a few miles west to Glenfinnan, from where we’ll take a private boat ride on Loch Shiel. The loch is one of Scotland’s most historically significant and unspoiled natural treasures, and its 18-mile length is only accessible by boat. It commands wonderful views of the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.

Lunch: At a local restaurant..

Afternoon: A 60-foot stone monument at Glenfinnan commemorates the beginning of the 1745 Jacobite Rising here, when Bonnie Prince Charlie claimed the thrones of Scotland and England in the name of his father James Stuart. As we admire the verdant highland landscape, our Study Leader will explain the historical context and significance of this Jacobite Rising in detail. We’ll also have some time to explore the visitor center at our own pace. We'll continue to Ballachulish by motorcoach in the late afternoon, and check in to our hotel with some time to relax and settle in to our rooms before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach and train; driving about 60 miles, approximately 2 hours; train journey about 65 miles, approximately 1.5 hours. Walking approximately 1.5 miles, periods of standing. Tarmac and gravel paths, wooden boardwalks with handrails, some uneven grassy areas.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll travel by motorcoach to Fort William’s railway station, where we’ll board a train at and ride to Crianlarich on the West Highland Line via Rannoch Moor. The route is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain. We’ll board a motorcoach in Crianlarich and ride to Tyndrum. This small village on the edge of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is an important stop on the West Highland Way, popular with hikers.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Our field trip will continue by motorcoach through Glencoe. The spectacular and, at times, grim glen features high mountain peaks, ridges, rushing rivers and waterfalls, and was the site of the 1692 massacre in the aftermath of the Jacobite Uprising. At the National Trust for Scotland’s visitor center, we will learn more of the dark and turbulent history of the area. A viewing platform gives photographic views of the area created by millions of years of geological processes. We’ll return to the hotel by motorcoach after our field trip.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: Scottish Music evening with Whisky Tasting.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 225 miles, approximately 6.5 hours. Extent and duration of walking and other activities in Portree according to personal choice. Paved streets, some narrow sidewalks.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we’ll board a motorcoach to begin our transfer to Inverness at the far end of the Caledonian Canal, taking a detour to explore the misty Isle of Skye. We’ll begin by riding alongside Loch Lochy and the tree-lined stretch of canal known as Laggan Avenue, with commentary from our Study Leader explaining the history and significance of the canal —Thomas Telford’s engineering marvel, constructed between 1804 and 1822. At Invergarry, we’ll leave the canal route and head northwest towards Skye, making a brief stop at the meeting point of three sea lochs (Loch Alsh, Loch Long, and Loch Duich) where the 13th-century Eilean Donan Castle stands on a tidal island. We’ll proceed from Eilean Donan to Skye, crossing the iconic Skye Bridge, then follow the coast road to Portree beneath rugged, haunting foothills with views of the Cuillins, the most spectacular mountains in the Highlands. Our Study Leader will provide enlightening commentary throughout the journey, and once we reach Portree we’ll have some time to explore this charming harbor town, Skye’s capital, at our own pace.

Lunch: We’ll have vouchers allowing us to choose food and drinks from a range of eateries in Portree.

Afternoon: We’ll regroup in Portree to board the motorcoach and return to the mainland across the Skye bridge. We’ll then rejoin the Caledonian canal route at Invermoriston on the northern shore of Loch Ness, riding alongside the loch. We’ll complete our transfer to Inverness and check in to our hotel in the late afternoon.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 30 miles, approximately 1.5 hours. Walking approximately 1.5 miles, periods of standing. Paved and gravel paths, some uneven grassy areas; carpeted floors, steep steps within Cawdor Castle.

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room, we will have a breakfast buffet with a range of hot and cold items, as well as coffee, tea, water, and fruit juices.

Morning: We will journey by motorcoach to fairytale Cawdor Castle, situated close to the East Highland town of Nairn. Linked with Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Cawdor has been the family home of the Thanes of Cawdor since the 14th century. The castle contains a fine example of a 16th-century tower house with elegant 18th-century additions, and while presenting a strong and severe exterior, it is a surprisingly intimate building that radiates a friendly, family atmosphere through its interior. Within the grounds of the castle, there are extensive nature trails and fine gardens.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: From Cawdor, we will move on to the battlefield of Culloden, the site of a turning point in British history and the last pitched battle fought on British soil. This desperate fight in 1745 changed the history of the Highlands forever. It led to the breakdown of the clan system and paved the way for the Highland Clearances and emigration to the New World. Our Study Leader will describe the famous battle as we look across the exposed heath, and we’ll explore the visitor center at our own pace. We’ll return to the hotel by motorcoach after our field trip.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 5 miles, approximately 1 hour. Walking approximately 1 mile, periods of standing; paved streets, some cobblestones. Extent of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll board a motorcoach for Urquhart Castle, the iconic castle on the banks of Loch Ness. Once one of Scotland’s largest castles, Urquhart saw great conflict during its 500 years as a medieval fortress. Control of the castle passed back and forth between the Scots and English during the Wars of Independence. The power struggles continued, as the Lords of the Isles regularly raided both castle and glen up until the 1500s.The last of the government troops garrisoned here during the Jacobite Risings blew up the castle when they left. Urquhart’s iconic ruins remain, offering glimpses into medieval times and the lives of its noble residents.

Lunch: At a local cafe.

Afternoon: Free time to explore Inverness.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 120 miles, approximately 3.5 hours. Walking about 1 mile, periods of standing; tarmac and gravel paths, some uneven grassy areas.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we’ll board a motorcoach to begin our transfer to Dundee. We’ll ride south into the Cairngorms National Park, the largest national park in the British Isles at more than 1,700 square miles in area. The Cairngorm mountains at the heart of the park began to form approximately 425 million years ago, and glaciation during successive ice ages shaped the granite mass into a unique moorland landscape with tundra-like features. We’ll learn more of this area’s fascinating natural history with commentary aboard the motorcoach from our Study Leader, and stop in the mountain resort town of Aviemore for some independent exploration.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Our transfer will continue as we enjoy a sheepdog display at Kingussie Leault Farm. We’ll continue onwards to Dundee and check into our next hotel. We’ll set out on a short walk with our Group Leader before dinner to familiarize ourselves with the area close to the hotel.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 70 miles, approximately 2.5 hours. Walking about 1.5 miles, periods of standing; paved streets, gravel paths, many cobbled areas in Culross.

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room, we will have a breakfast buffet with a range of hot and cold items, as well as coffee, tea, water, and fruit juices.

Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we’ll board a motorcoach to begin our transfer to Edinburgh, capital city of Scotland and our final destination. En route, we will visit the delightful small town of Culross, where we'll enjoy the storied narrow streets and views across the Firth of Forth, and explore the Merchant’s Palace and Bishop’s Study on a docent-led field trip. The presence of the palace in Culross is a reflection of the importance of maritime trade here at the turn of the 17th century, and its architectural features and construction materials echo contemporary buildings of the Netherlands and the Baltic states.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We’ll complete our transfer to Edinburgh by motorcoach, and check in to our hotel with some time to settle in and explore the local area before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 5 miles, approximately 1 hour. Walking about 1.5 miles, periods of standing; paved streets, some cobbled areas.

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room, we will have a breakfast buffet with a range of hot and cold items, as well as coffee, tea, water, and fruit juices.

Morning: We’ll board a motorcoach for a field trip through Scotland’s most famed city, including the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the winding cobbled streets of the Old Town, and the Georgian rigor of the New Town – the model for the grid layout of American cities. Our Study Leader will provide informative commentary explaining the city’s history and architecture as we ride.

Lunch: At a local restaurant,.

Afternoon: We’ll continue our field trip at the Museum of Scotland, where, after a brief introduction by our Study Leader, we’ll have some time for self-directed exploration. The Scotland galleries chart Scotland's story from prehistory to the present day. The Discoveries galleries pay homage to the many inventions and innovations that the Scots took around the world. The Natural World galleries and the World Cultures galleries look at the story of our planet and people across the globe.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 2 miles, approximately 1/2 hour. Walking approximately 1.5 miles, periods of standing; paved streets, cobbled areas, hilly, steep terrain. Some steep cobbled areas at Edinburgh Castle; steps with handrails to vaults and One o’Clock Gun; Royal Apartments, David’s Tower, and prisons accessible only by steps. Extent of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll board a motorcoach for a field trip to Edinburgh Castle to discover its rich and varied history, as turbulent as it is long. The rock upon which the castle is built was fortified in the Iron Age. The oldest remaining section, St. Margaret’s Chapel, dates from the 12th century and is the oldest building in the city. Among the castle’s treasures are the Scottish regalia (crown jewels), also known as the Honours of Scotland, and the Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny used in royal coronations.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Edinburgh.

Afternoon: Free time to continue independent exploration of Scotland’s capital.

Dinner: Plated hotel meal. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Activity note: Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!