Here's where we go and what we do:
Stars Over Scotland - September 1- September 11, 2024
Tour Details for Stars Over Scotland
Enjoy Old World history, ancient castles, a friendly cultural experience unlike anywhere else in the World, and breweries and distilleries in the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands. We’ll spend several days in and around Edinburgh, followed by several days in and around Glasgow, exploring cultural hotspots. The Scottish people have a uniquely positive outlook on virtually everything, and that positive attitude is rightly infectious – you can’t help but catch the positive vibe of the people, and countryside.
$3899/pp, or $3099/pp if you purchase your own airfare (based on dual occupancy)
Single Occupancy
There is an additional hotel room charge for single occupancy of $75 per night, per person. I will try to match single travelers as roommates, wherever possible to minimize room costs. The best tour rates are achieved with dual occupancy.
Our 11 day/10 night tour sample itinerary is shown below.
Day 0 - Travel Day from the USA, and Day 1 – Hop-On, Hop-Off
Depart the USA on September 1st and fly to Europe, arriving in Edinburgh early the following morning on September 2nd. I’ll meet you at the airport after you process through EU Customs and we’ll travel to the tour hotel, where you’ll drop off your bags. Once your bags are unpacked, we’ll meet in the hotel lobby, then catch the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus and tour the City until 6 PM, when we’ll meet on Waverly Bridge and walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner before returning to the hotel for a good night’s rest.
Day 2 – Loch Ness and the Highlands
September 3rd - We’ll proceed to the City Center and depart Edinburgh on a small motorcoach and travel north past Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, and the National Wallace Monument, before arriving at Fort Augustus on the shore of Loch Ness. The loch is best known for the legendary Loch Ness Monster (“Nessie”) and you can take the opportunity to search for the monster. You continue south through the forests of Perthshire, then it’s over the Queensferry Crossing before returning to Edinburgh.
Day 3 – Open Day in Edinburgh
September 4th - Explore the Old City at your leisure, tracing the steps from your earlier Hop-On, Hop-Off tour experience. Visit the Edinburgh Castle, Palace of Holyrood House, the Royal Mile, Scottish Parliament building, and the many local pubs and shops throughout the day. We’ll meet back at Waverly Bridge at 6 PM to walk to a nearby restaurant and pub for dinner.
Day 4 – St Andrews and the Kingdom of Fife
September 5th - We’ll catch our local bus from the hotel to the City Center and catch a small motorcoach for our tour north of the Firth of Forth and its many interesting villages and sights. Our motor coach tour takes us to the bridges of Forth, visiting the fishing village of Anstruther, before heading to the home of golf – St Andrews, where we’ll see the ancient town cathedral, university, and the famous Old Course. We’ll see Falkland Castle in the Kingdom of Fife before returning to Edinburgh.
Day 5 – Highland Lochs and Whisky Tour
September 6th - We’ll take our usual local bus to the City Center and catch our motorcoach tour from the Central Meeting point. The valleys conceal treasures, beasts, and myths. The lochs provided food, water, and transport, and whisky kept the ancient cultures warm throughout the winter. On this tour, you explore the history and beauty of these three Scottish icons. It’s a tour that shows a diverse range of beautiful and iconic Scottish locations and includes an (additional fee) tour of the Dewars Distillery.
Day 6 – Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond, and Whisky
September 7th - After a short walk to our Meeting Point, we’ll board a small motorcoach for our day tour of the area just north of Glasgow, stopping at Stirling Castle, and heading into the Trossachs, where the Lowlands meet the Highlands. Loch Lomond – One of Scotland’s largest lochs, awaits. Admire the views before heading to the Glengoyne Whisky Distillery, where we’ll savor the tastes of this fabulous distillery’s unique barley drying technique, utilizing warm air rather than peat smoke.
Day 7 – Travel to Glasgow, Hop-On, Hop-Off
September 8th - We’ll depart our Edinburgh hotel, take the local bus to Waverly Station and board ScotRail for a quick express train ride to Glasgow, arriving at Glasgow Queen Street Station by mid-morning. A short walk to the tour hotel, and we’ll drop off bags, and have a quick lunch at nearby George Square, before boarding the Glasgow Hop-On, Hop-Off bus for a leisurely tour of this modern city. We’ll meet back at George Square at 6 PM and head to a local restaurant for dinner.
Day 8 – Open Day in Glasgow
September 9th - Explore this famed city and retrace the steps of your earlier Hop-On, Hop-Off bus tour experience, traveling to the many World-class museums, art galleries, and architecture both old and new. Stop at the Clydeside Distillery, alongside the River Clyde that was the city’s lifeblood before the industrial revolution. We’ll meet back at George Square at 6 PM and travel to a local Scottish pub for dinner and drinks before returning to our tour hotel
Day 9 – Ayrshire, Culzean Castle, and Burns Country
September 10th - We take a motorcoach tour to the western coast of Scotland, visiting the small town of Alloway, where Scotland’s National Poet Bard, Robert Burns was born, and visit his museum, where you’ll find this National Poets’ rather prolific nature, fathering 15 children before his death at the early age of 37. We also visit Culzean Castle and tour its magnificent grounds, and travel to the Whitelee Windfarm, home to Scotland’s National Power Grid.
Day 10 - Travel Day – Return to Edinburgh and the USA
September 11th - We’ll travel together and catch an early morning express train from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverly Station and pick up the SkyLink 100 bus returning to Edinburgh Airport for our departing flights to the USA.
Tour Deposit
$700
Due prior to June 13th and fully refundable if travel plans change, up until flight and hotel plans are made. Once flight and hotel plans are complete, tour fees are non-refundable and trip refunds are conducted with the travel company providing, tours, transportation, and lodging, based on their published travel policies.
Air, Hotel, Local Transportation and Bus Tours Fee
$3199, or $2399 if you purchase your own airfare + any single occupancy fee
Due by April 29th, 2024. Includes round trip airfare, hotel, local transportation fees, and all motorcoach tours. You have the option to choose your own flight itinerary IAW Tour pricing policies, and I’ll book your flight, hotel, and the tours, as soon as your tour fee is paid. My booking process is what provides substantial tour savings, and flexibility in your flight schedules.
Travel Insurance
Optional
Travel Insurance is available at an additional cost, by a number of insurance providers, such as travel companies (Expedia, Priceline, etc…) or Berkshire-Hathaway. This can be a very cost-effective option, should anything go awry in the travel process, and I can advise on options to select, once you elect to go on tour.