Key: IF = In Flight Meals, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Day 1: Thursday, August 15, 2024: Flight
We will depart the USA on our overnight flights to Scotland
Day 2: Friday, August 16, 2024: A day with ancient Saints and stones and beloved Rabbie Burns
On arrival in Glasgow, we will meet our Reformation Tours’ Tour Director and board our air-conditioned bus. We will visit St. Mungo’s Cathedral, which was founded by David I on the site of an earlier church. In the chapter house we will see the graves of nine Covenanters who lost their lives in 1645 for being Presbyterian. In the Govan Old Church, we will see the Govan Stones. In the attractive seaside resort of Ayr we will see the commemorative museum for Robert Burns, who was born on the outskirts of the town. We will stay in Stranraer for 2 nights. (B/D)
Day 3: Saturday, August 17: 2024: A day with St Ninian and the first Scottish Christians
Today’s day trip is to Whithorn, the site of the earliest Christian community in Scotland. According to the Venerable Bede in the 7th century, St. Ninian introduced the Christian faith even before St. Columba. He was a Briton who had been trained in Rome. We will visit St. Ninian’s Chapel (Shining White Church) and St. Ninian’s Cave. This church known as “Candida Casa’ (Shining White Church) is now commemorated in Whithorn Priory and Museum. We’ll see the Latinus Stone which is the earliest Christian monument in Scotland. We will return to Stranraer and celebrate Pastor Dunfee’s birthday with dinner and Robert Burns poetry reading accompanied with good Scotch whisky. (B/D)
Day 4: Sunday, August 18, 2024: Mysterious standing stones, and Uisage Bretha (water of life)
On our way to Oban, we will stop at the Auchentoshan distillery near Glasgow. This is the only single malt whisky distillery in Scotland to insist on triple distillation. The name Auchentoshan is from the Gaelic Achadh an Oisein and translates as “corner of the field”. We will then explore an area called Kilmartin Glen which has a vast number of ancient monuments, 150 of which are prehistoric. We will tour the Kilmartin House Museum of Ancient Culture, then visit some of the stones. We will dine in our hotel this evening. (B/D)
Day 5: Monday, August 19, 2024: A day with St. Columba
This morning we will board a ferry to the Isle of Mull, then take another short foot passenger ferry from Fionnport to St Columba’s Island of Iona. Iona, the site of the first Christian settlement of Scotland, has been known as a place of spiritual power for centuries. It was founded in 563 by St. Columba (521-97) and was a leading center for Christian scholarship throughout Europe. St. Columba’s Bay is believed to be the place where he landed and we will take an optional walk to that beach. Iona Abbey dates back to the 11th Century. We will return to Oban and the evening is at leisure. (B)
Day 6: Tuesday, August 20, 2024: Into the Highlands
We will begin our day at Glencoe, where the massacre took place on February 13, 1692. The visitor center includes a 15-minute video presentation explaining what led up to the sad events. We will then drive through the Cairngorm’s National Park to Craigellachie. Along the way we will stop and see a sheep dog demonstration in Leault Farm. We will be based in Craigellachie for two nights in the Craigellachie Hotel. Tonight’s dinner will include whisky tasting. (B/D).
Day 7: Wednesday, August 21, 2024: Wars and Monsters and Castles
Today we have the option to explore the Craigellachie area or take an optional day trip to the Inverness area. The morning bus tour will include the Culloden battlefield site, where the last hand-to-hand battle was fought on British soil. The battle only lasted one hour, but it had a huge impact on the Highlands. We will also take a one-hour cruise on Loch Ness and tour Urquart Castle. Steeped in national heritage and history, the Trossachs is home to some of the most influential and quintessentially Scottish icons of all time such as Rob Roy MacGregor and Sir Walter Scott. There’s also the option to visit the Scottish Kiltmaker Visitor Center in Inverness. The rest of the day is at leisure and there are some wonderful walking trails along the Spey River with nearby distilleries to visit. (B)
Day 8: Thursday, August 22, 2024: Kings and Queens, Destinies and Tea
Queen Elizabeth II loved Scotland and we will Balmoral Castle, nestled in the Cairngorms National Park, which has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family for over 150 years. We will then travel to Perth, which was once Scotland’s capital. Much loved by James 1, the “Fair City” of Perth lies on the River Tay. We will visit Scone Palace, immortalized in Macbeth, which was the home of the Stone of Destiny on which many of the Scottish Kings were crowned. Our tour will include a traditional afternoon tea. We will spend two nights in Perth. (B/AF)
Day 9: Friday, August 23, 2024: Martyrdom and King Robert the Bruce
We will take a day trip to nearby St. Andrews, a spiritual center in Scotland for centuries. During the Reformation, St. Andrews University was third in significance after Oxford and Cambridge. In the now ruined castle, we will see the Bottle Dungeon where George Wishart was imprisoned before being burned at the stake, and pause at his martyrdom site, also remembering fellow martyr Patrick Hamilton. St. Andrews Cathedral was once the largest church in Scotland, but fell into ruin after John Knox’s sermon, which was inspired by Wishart’s martyrdom. We will see a monument to Robert the Bruce, the first king to unite the Scottish people and the wide sandy beach made famous in the film Chariots of Fire. We will return to our hotel in Perth and dine in the hotel. (B/D)
Day 10: Saturday, August 24, 2024: John Knox, the Royal Mile, and the Tattoo
We will begin our exploration of Edinburgh on the Royal Mile with a Reformation-themed walking tour. John Knox first preached in 1559 in St. Giles Cathedral. It was reported that “he was so active and vigorous it looked as if he was about to break”. We will also visit John Knox House, Greyfriar’s Church, Magdalene Chapel and other sites on the Royal Mile. The afternoon is at leisure before we attend the world-famous Edinburgh Tattoo. (B)
Day 11: Sunday, August 25, 2024: church, Castle and Auld Lang Syne
The morning is at leisure to attend church. In the afternoon we will continue our tour of Edinburgh with a visit to Holyrood Palace where John Knox had discussions with Mary Queen of Scots. Our tour of Edinburgh Castle will include tiny St. Margaret’s Chapel, which dates back to the 1100s. Our final meal will be in a traditional Scottish restaurant as we look back at all the wonderful places we have seen on the trip. (B/D)
Day 12: Monday, August 26, 2024: Edinburgh
We will depart from Edinburgh on our flights back to the USA or continue our travels in Europe. (B/IF)
Optional Post Tour ($890 based on a minimum of 8)
Day 12: Monday, August 26, 2024: Holy Island
Today we will travel to Lindisfarne, known today as Holy Island, which is a tidal island off the Northumbrian coast. St. Aidan was sent here as a missionary from Iona and established a monastery in around 630 AD. Vikings destroyed the original monastery and monks fled from the island. The present Lindisfarne Priory is a dramatic ruin, modeled after Durham Cathedral. This is where the famous Lindisfarne Gospels were produced. Even secular historians refer to Lindisfarne as “the most holy place in England.” We will have time for reflection and personal exploration as we spend the night on the island. (B)
Day 13: Tuesday, August 27, 2024: One more amazing castle
After returning to the mainland, we will visit Alnwick Castle (pronounced “Annick”) and gardens. This castle dates back to Norman times (1309 AD) and has been used a filming location for Harry, Potter, Downton Abbey, and several other movies. It’s the family home of the Percy family and it’s the second largest inhabited castle in the UK. Just outside Edinburgh is the Belhaven Brewery. Established in 1719, this is the oldest working brewery in Scotland. We’ll have a tour and dine in the Monks Retreat pub. We will stay close to the airport for our final night. (B)
Day 14: Wednesday, August 28, 2024: Return
We will depart from Edinburgh on our flights back to the USA or continue our travels in Europe. (B/IF)
Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.
