| Hotels
The hotels on this tour range from the
traditional Georgian style of the Hilton Grosvenor in Edinburgh and the
Thistle in the centre of Stratford, to the much simpler style of the
Highlander in Newtonmore.
Fellow
Passengers
This tour has something for everyone;
walled towns, ancient castles, palace gardens and some of Britain’s most
spectacular natural scenery. And you’ll encounter historical figures
from Shakespeare to the Young Pretender.
Highlights
Stratford, York, the Lake District &
Edinburgh feature in many Insight itineraries because they are among
Britain’s top tourist attractions. Add to this list, Hampton Court
Palace Gardens, beautiful Highland scenery & Culzean Castle.
Enjoy Our Premium Highlights Plus These Extra Tour Features
Excursions &
Sights
- See Oxford’s University buildings
- See the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and
the church where the bard lies buried
- See Anne Hathaway’s thatched cottage
in Shottery
- See York Minster, City Walls & walk
down the medieval ‘Shambles’
- Visit William Wordsworth’s grave in
Grasmere
- Visit the village of Alloway to see
Robbie Burns birthplace and monument
- Travel via Glencoe, visit Fort William,
see Ben Nevis and the Commando Memorial
- Isle of Skye Excursion via Loch Ness,
Inverness and tragic Culloden Moor
- See Balmoral Castle and visit Crathie
Parish Church
- Visit St Andrews - home of Golf
- Visit Edinburgh Castle and drive down
the Royal Mile to Holyroodhouse Palace
Scenic Drives
- through the Cotswolds, Yorkshire
Dales, Lake District, Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Loch Ness & on the
Isle of Skye
Guided City
Tours
- In depth sightseeing tour in Edinburgh.
- Orientation tours in Oxford, Stratford
& York
Insight's
First Class Services
- Professional Tour Director to escort you
- Luxury air-conditioned 40 seat coach
with onboard toilet
- First-class hotels with all service
charges, taxes and porterage
- Travel bag, document wallet, map book
journal and information pack
- Complimentary Edinburgh Airport
departure transfer on Day 9
- Free London Airport transfers when
booking our London hotel (See Savings page)
Quality Dining
- Highlight Highland Dinner with bagpipes
and entertainment
- 8 full Breakfasts and 5 three-course
evening meals with choice, or buffets, plus tea or coffee
|
| 9 Days ~ England
~ Scotland
Tour
Pace
Covering the length of Britain in just over a
week, this tour may seem a bit brisk at times. However, the itinerary is
interspersed with frequent stops for sightseeing, free time in the towns and
cities and even a leisurely cruise!
DAY 1 – SAT
– LONDON – STRATFORD
After meeting your Tour
Director, settle into your coach seat for the short drive to Hampton Court
Palace, built in 1514 by Cardinal Wolsey. Visit the grounds, home to
the beautiful Palace Gardens, the oldest tennis courts in England and the
great vine. Continue along the Thames Valley, passing Runnymede, site
of the signing of the Magna Carta, before reaching the green Chiltern
Hills and Oxford, the 'City of Dreaming Spires' which is home to England's
oldest university. A scenic drive through Cotswolds villages brings you to
Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford, beautifully located beside the
peaceful river Avon. Enjoy a Welcome Drink with your Tour Director before
dinner. Hotel: Thistle.
(Full Breakfast, dinner)
DAY 2 – SUN
– STRATFORD – YORK
Tour Stratford and see
Harvard House, New Place, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Parish
Church, where Shakespeare was both baptised and buried. Visit the
half-timbered house where the bard was born, now a museum full of
memorabilia relating to his life, before seeing Anne Hathaway's thatched
cottage in Shottery. Continue north to Roman York, renowned for its ancient
enclosing walls, its quaint Tudor 'Shambles' and its superb Cathedral, whose
13th century Minster is one of the finest ever built. Hotel: Marriott.
(Full Breakfast, dinner)
DAY 3 – MON
– YORK – LAKE DISTRICT
Experience the wild and
beautiful Yorkshire countryside, made famous in literature by the Bronte
family, before arriving in the breathtaking Lake District, whose tranquil
waters and sleepy villages inspired some of the greatest writers in English
literature. Enjoy a Highlight Cruise on the largest of the lakes, Lake
Windermere, and visit the grave of the poet William Wordsworth in the
village of Grasmere. Hotel: Castle Green. (Buffet
breakfast)
DAY 4 – TUE
– LAKE DISTRICT – GLASGOW
Cross the Scottish Border
at Gretna, the favourite destination for eloping English lovers, and make
your way to cliff top Culzean Castle. One of Robert Adam's most notable
creations, the castle has long been a Kennedy stronghold, and is notable for
the Oval Staircase and saloon. Afterwards, venture into Robbie Burns
Country to visit the village of Alloway, where Scotland's most famous poet
was born. See his birthplace and monument, as well as his 'Brig o'Doon'
before continuing to the dynamic city of Glasgow. Hotel: Jurys Inn.
(Full Breakfast, dinner)
DAY 5 – WED –
GLASGOW – HIGHLANDSD
Not far from Glasgow,
in the heart of rural Scotland, lies fabled Loch Lomond. After driving
along the 'bonnie bonnie banks' head north, with distant views of the
Trossachs giving way to the rugged peaks of the Western Highlands. Absorb
the dramatic scenery of Glencoe, the 'valley of the weeping', where the
dreadful massacre of the MacDonalds took place in 1692. Continue on to
Fort William on Loch Linnhe and in the shadow of Britain's highest
mountain, Ben Nevis, its summit often shrouded in cloud. Stop briefly at
the WWII Commando Memorial before continuing to your Highland hotel, where
you will experience an evening of haggis, bagpipes and traditional
entertainment. Hotel: Highlander. (Full Breakfast, Specialty Highlight
Dinner)
DAY 6 – THU
– ISLE OF SKYE & LOCH NESS EXCURSION
Spend an exciting day
travelling along the 'Road to the Isles' past remote Eilean Donan Castle and
'over the sea to Skye', and hear tales of Flora MacDonald and her daring
rescue of the Bonnie Prince. Upon returning to the mainland, follow the
shores of Loch Ness - watch all the while for its infamous monster. Continue
through the stately city of Inverness and across the tragic Culloden Moor,
where the pride of the Highland clans was finally crushed. Continue along
the sparkling Spey Valley and return to your hotel for the evening. (Full
breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 7 – FRI
– HIGHLANDS – EDINBURGH
Cross the Grampian
Mountains and stop in the shadow of the royal family's summer residence of
Balmoral Castle. Visit the charming Crathie Parish Church, where the
Princess Royal was married, and where John Brown, Queen Victoria's 'loyal
servant' lies buried. Continue through Braemar, known for its annual
Highland Gathering, on your way to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St
Andrews, the home of golf. Then, continue southwards across the River Forth
to the striking Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Hotel: Hilton Grosvenor. (Full breakfast)
DAY 8 – SAT
–EDINBURGH SIGHTSEEING
Tour beautiful
Edinburgh, visiting the castle, high on its rocky crag, before travelling
down the Royal Mile past St Giles Cathedral to Holyrood Palace, and onto
elegant Princes Street to see the Sir Walter Scott monument. The afternoon
is yours to discover more of this fine city and its shops, or to visit one
of its many museums and galleries. Tonight selected departures return to
Edinburgh Castle for the Edinburgh Tattoo – a colourful mixture of
military manoeuvres, complete with pipes and drums. (Full Breakfast)
DAY 9 –
SUN– EDINBURGH
Your tour ends in the
morning, with transfers to the airport. Alternatively you have the option of
taking the train back to London.
(Full Breakfast)
|
