Ultimate Scotland Adventure For Golfers and Non-Golfers Something for Everyone!! Escorted by Lynda & John Needham Independent Contractors with Jean Wells Travel May 22 – 30, 2013 (7 nights) Lynda Needham 336-354-2914 [email protected] Package Includes: Meet and Greet by Guide at Glasgow Airport Breakfast on arrival day on the way to St. Andrews (TBA) Private luxury coach with dedicated driver for duration of trip Highly knowledgeable and professional guide for duration of trip 7 nights accommodation in deluxe hotels (with upgrades to Old Course Hotel 5* and Mar Hall 5 * hotel) Full Scottish breakfast daily Airport transfers Service charge & VAT at the current rate of 20% (subject to change if VAT rates are altered ) Welcome dinner on Day One at local pub Golf 3 rounds of golf (green fees included) Carnoustie Golf Course Centenary Course at Gleneagles Castle Stuart Golf Course (Does not include caddies, carts, if applicable, or pull-trolley fees) Castles and Tours Entrance fees to: St. Andrews Cathedral Castle of St Andrews Edinburgh Castle Scone Palace Dunrobin Castle Jacobite Cruise Urquhart Castle Edradour Whisky Distillery Sheepdog Demonstration Ultimate Scotland Adventure Itinerary May 22 Depart for Glasgow, Scotland (TBA) May 23 Arrive Glasgow International Airport Meet and Greet by Guide Transfer to St. Andrews Stop for Scottish Breakfast **Golfers may try to get on the Old Course for a round, if not too tired today (Payable direct) Welcome Dinner in local Scottish pub Overnight St. Andrews St. Andrews is a former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, named after Saint Andrew the Apostle. The town is home to the University of St. Andrews, the third oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of the UK’s most prestigious. St. Andrews is also known worldwide as the “home of golf”. This is in part because the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754, exercises legislative authority over the game worldwide (except US and Mexico) and also because the famous links “Old Course” is the most frequent venue for The Open Championship, the oldest of Golf’s four major championships. Visitors travel to St. Andrews in great numbers for several courses ranked amongst the finest in the world, as well as for the sandy beaches. May 24 Full Scottish Breakfast in hotel Golfers are transferred to and play Carnoustie Golf Course - return to St. Andrews Non- Golfers stay in St. Andrews and tour the Cathedral , the Castle (and University if interested. Free time in the afternoon in St. Andrews to take in the village, beaches or enjoy the luxury of the hotel spa! Overnight St. Andrews The remains of what was Scotland’s largest and most magnificent church still show how impressive St. Andrews Cathedral must have been in its prime. Its museum houses a collection of early and later medieval sculpture and other relics found on the site. St. Rules tower provides access to spectacular views. Tour includes: St. Rules Tower, an early 12 th century predecessor to St. Andrews Cathedral, The Cathedral Museum, an outstanding collection of early, Christian and medieval carved stones as well as a fine collection of post-Reformation memorials. Pride of place is the St. Andrews sarcophagus, a masterpiece of 8 th century Pictish sculpture, Precinct Walls – the most complete in Scotland, Cathedral burial ground records are available to search in the visitor center. St. Andrews Castle – On a headland to the north of St. Andrews stand the ruins of the city’s castle, the main residence of the bishops and archbishops of St. Andrews – the focal point of the Church in Medieval Scotland. Today, a siege mine and countermine can be explored, and the “bottle dungeon” viewed. May 25 Full Scottish Breakfast in hotel Golfers are transferred to and play Centenary Golf Course at Gleneagles – home of the Ryder cup 2014 On-Golfers continue on to Perth and Scone Palace Pick up golfers on the way back Overnight St. Andrews Perth’s heritage is rich, encompassing hundreds of years of history. Due to its central location in Scotland, Perth has always been an important trading and market town, evident in the fine Georgian facades, terraces and crescents. Once the crowning place of the Kings of Scots, Scone Palace occupies a unique position in the history of Scotland. It is a breathtakingly beautiful place of power and mystery and the rightful home of the celebrated Stone of Scone – also known as the Stone of Destiny. Scone Palace is regarded as a national treasure and is revered as the historic jewel in the crown of Scotland. May 26 Full Scottish Breakfast in hotel Golfers may stay in St. Andrews and try their luck at getting on the Old Course or may play one of the other courses in St. Andrews (payable direct). Group will visit city of Edinburgh and enjoy a panoramic city tour that ends at Edinburgh Castle, tour the Castle, then enjoy some free time, where the guests can decide whether they would like to go and see wither Holyrood Palace or the Yacht Britannia (payable direct) or just enjoy the city. Return to St. Andrews Overnight St. Andrews With over 4500 listed buildings, Edinburgh is world-renowned for its rich architectural heritage. The two main areas of particular interest in this historic city are the Old Town, which includes the medieval fortress of Edinburgh Castle and the neoclassical New Town which dates back to the 18th century. The juxtaposition of medieval architecture with neoclassical terraces gives Edinburgh its own unique character. The Old Town features the tourist hub of the Royal Mile, a long street exactly on Scots mile long, featuring narrow closes, Reformation buildings, kirks, turrets and plenty of nooks and crannies with Holyrood Palace at the bottom of the mile. In the New Town you will see the Grand Georgian Terraces. Sited on top of an extinct volcano, gaining stunning views across City of Edinburgh is Edinburgh Castle. The castle has witnessed many of the defining events of Scottish history. A key attraction within the castle is the Scottish Crown Jewels. The crown, sword and scepter are amongst the oldest regalia in Europe and are displayed with the Stone of Destiny, the coronation seat of Scottish Kings. The tiny St. Margaret’s Chapel, the Royal Apartments and the Great Hall, built by James IV in 1511, are other impressive parts of the castle to explore. May 27 Full Scottish Breakfast Checkout and depart St. Andrews hotel Travel to Inverness – drive through scenic areas such as Pitlohcry, visit Edradour Whisky Distillery and see a Sheepdog Demonstration in Aviemore. Continue on to Inverness. Overnight Inverness (Loch Ness Country House or similar). Pitlochry is situated in the heart of the stunning scenery of Highlands Perthshire. The town sits below Beinn Bhracaigh (Ben Vrackie), the speckled mountain beside the River Tummel, in some of the most magnificent scenery in Scotland. The Edradour Whisky Distillery holds the proud distinction of being smallest distillery in Scotland as well as the last original ‘farm’ distillery in Perthshire. You’ll find Edradour nestling in a pocket glen in the hills above Pitlochry in the Southern Highlands. After a tour and a taste of the “water of life”, you will see a sheep dong demonstration at a local farm, then be on your way into the Highlands of Scotland, stopping in Inverness. May 28 Full Scottish Breakfast Golfers are transferred to and play Castle Stuart Golf Course (Home of the Barclays Scottish Open 2011 and 2012) Non-golfers visit Dunrobin Castle and gardens and surrounding area. Overnight Inverness (Loch Ness Country House or similar) Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland’s great houses and the largest in the Northern Highlands with 189 rooms. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain’s oldest continuously inhabited houses, dating back to the early 1300’s, home to the Earls and later, the Dukes of Sutherland. The Castle, which resembles a French chateau with its towering conical spires, has seen the architectural influences of Sir Charles Barry, who designed London’s Houses of Parliament and Scotland’s own Sir Robert Lorimer. The Castle was used as a naval hospital during the First World War and as a boy’s boarding school from 1965 to 1972. May 29 Full Scottish Breakfast Check out and depart Inverness en-route to Glasgow, visiting Loch Ness, take Jocobite Cruise on Loch, visit Urquhart Castle. Spectacular scenery on the way to Glasgow Arrive Glasgow Overnight Mar Hall Hotel, Glasgow Loch Ness – Over 20 miles long, a mile wide and 700 feet at its deepest, Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland by volume. The surrounding area is filled with historic attractions and natural wonders. The Loch Ness Monster is just one of the many myths and legends to be discovered in this particularly beautiful part of Scotland. Urquhart Castle – sits beside Loch Ness between Fort William and Inverness. It is close to the village of Drumnadrochit. Though extensively ruined, it was, in its day, one of the largest strongholds of medieval Scotland, and remains and impressive structure, splendidly situated on a headland overlooking Loch Ness. It is also near this castle that the majority of Nessie (Loch Ness Monster) sightings occur. Mar Hall Hotel and Estate – A little history on this property – Mar was one of the seven kingdoms in ancient Scotland and ‘The Earl of Mar’ is the oldest title in Britain. This rich heritage is further enhanced by the belief that both Mary Queen of Scots and Robert the Bruce visited the Mar Estate. Mar Hall was designed in the 19th century by Sir Robert Smirke who had previously worked on the British Museum in London.