Scotland 2006 Fall in the Highlands Land of Castles, Bagpipes, Whiskey, Heather and Wonderful People November to November 19, 2006 $3195 CDN

This trip is a holiday sampler of rolling hills, waterfalls,scenic vistas castles, distilleries, and traditional Scottish villages; all blended with the music, beverage, food and lifestyles of the Scottish people. The trip starts with our entry point of Glasgow, but quickly progresses out into the countryside of Perthshire and Pitlochry(Night #1) then north to the Grampian hills village of Huntly(Nights #2,3,4) where bagpipes, fiddles, falconry and fine whiskey are in order.

Two nights in the Inverness/Cromarty Penninsula region(Night #5,6) on the Black Isle is followed by three nights on the Orkney Islands(Nights #7,8,9), the most archeologically rich islands in Europe. Next we travel southward through the northern highlands of and ferry across the Minch to settle in the Outer Hebrides(now known as the Western Isles) (Nights #10,11 in Lewis and #12,13 in North Uist).Our Hebridean exploits include the Callanish Stones, ancient brochs and black houses, white sand beaches and of course the crafts of the islands.

Once again ferrying back to the mainland via the mystical Isle of Skye, we settle on the shores of Loch Duich in the tiny village of Glen Shiel(Nights #14,15).In this region of the highlands we visit Glen Elg candles, and Eilean Donan Castle.On the final full day we travel through the valley of the Five Sisters of Kintail south into Glen Coe and on to Glasgow Airport Travel Inn(Night #16) for early next morning departures.

Pictorial Itinerary

	Glasgow Guides Bruce and Nancy Gurnham greet you at Glasgow Airport eager to take you out into the countryside of Scotland. Glasgow, the city known for leading the industrial revolution, has undergone a Renaissance to the arts and culture world. The new, well laid out Glasgow International Airport is your port of entry.We will have an evening visit in Glasgow on the final day of the tour.
Pitlochry A classic Perthshire village, Victorian Pitlochry is nestled on the banks of the River Tummel, which provides the wooded setting for this popular destination. The famous fish ladder, woolen & tweed shops and Heather Gems all grace our agenda.
	Grampian Hills Our favorite Grampian Hills village, Huntly serves as our hub for falconry, distilleries, countryside exploration and the North Sea. You are introduced to our friends who often find time to join us at various activities.
Findlater Castle Ruins Romantic north shore of Scotland provides a sampling of seacoast villages, cliffside views, pebbly beaches, rural cliffside castle ruins and centuries old harbours.
	Elgin to Inverness The majestic village is set on Ness Bank, a wide, bubbling, island dotted segment of the River Ness. Woolen mills, botanical gardens, lively pubs, kilt makers and the Balnain House of Highland Music are some of the many features of the leisure town near the Moray Firth.Our afternoon visit is brief but fun filled.
Black Isle The Black Isle Peninsula offers: Rosemarkie where we walk the pebbly beach watching for dolphins, and the 18th century gabled stone houses of Cromarty. The village is home to the Hugh Miller Thatched Cottage, quaint stores, museums and pubs as well as cliffs above the town.
	Skara Brae Land of spectacular coastal scenery, a thousand prehistoric sites, four thousand year old villages, bird sanctuaries(RSPB) and much more. We visit Scara Brae,the Stones of Stennes, St. Magnus Cathedral, the tomb of Maes Howe, the Ring of Brodgar and the Italian Chapel
Outer Hebrides The northern reaches of Scotlands isolated Western Isles(Lewis and Harris) are a mystical land of Vikings, Neolithic Standing Stones and Scottish folk memories.The Callanish Standing Stones, white sand beaches and Gaelic are the order of the day during our visit to the Outer Hebrides.We will tour Lewis, Harris and North & South Uist
	Isle of Skye Ferrying from Lochmaddy on North Uist,into Uig on Skye we drive over the Quairing, admire the rock formations by Old Man of Storr, take in breathtaking views of the sea and experience a bit of crofters folklore before leaving Skye via the bridge to the mainland and the village of Glen Shiel.
Kintail: Five Sisters Kintail Lodge, an 1800's shooting lodge, is guarded by the shores of Loch Duich and the 3000 foot peaks of the Five Sisters range; this is our base to explore the Iron Age Brochs, the illuminated castle of Eilean Donan and the numerous drives through the countryside.
	Glen Coe The glen of the Great Massacre, Glen Coe is our route through Scottish history as we work our way through rugged waterfall dotted terrain en route to Glasgow. We also take time for a short visit to the folk museum in the little village of Glencoe.

Quality Lodging: Lodging on all of our tours is selected from a range of high quality, comfortable B & Bs, country manors, small family run hotels, specialty castles, hunting lodges and when necessary for convenience, a western style hotel. We stay most of the tour, either two or three nights in the same place for comfort and relaxation. Travel time and mileage occasionally will require a one night stay.

• 16 nights lodging, country manors, B & Bs, and small country hotels
• Full Scottish Breakfasts daily
• Ten picnic style or pub lunches
• Two evening dinners at select pubs
• Mini van transportation throughout the trip
• All Ferry and miscellaneous transportation
• Services of an experienced guide
• Admissions to 4 selected Castles, Heritage Sites or historic/scenic attractions
• 3 guided walks in villages or countryside
• Participation in 4 select events or traditional Scottish activities

Not included in the tour package price are airfare, evening meals (except 2), optional events as presented by your guide, airport arrival or departure taxes, pre and post tour extra night lodgings and gratuities

Deposit and Refund Schedule:

Within 14 days of your trip reservation being made . . . . . $695.

90 days prior to commencement of the tour. . . . . $1500.

60 days prior to commencement of the tour, balance of. . . . . $1000.

Full refunds (less $100 administration fee)are given up to 60 days prior to commencement of the tour

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