May 13 - 21, 2012
8 nights

Magnificent architectural, cultural, and historical heritage is celebrated on this tour of some of Scotland's finest and most memorable homes.

Beginning in Edinburgh we make our way to the Scottish Borders and Traquair House, dating back to 1107. This is the oldest mansion in Scotland inhabited continuously by the same family: Alexander I signed a charter here in the 12th Century, and twenty-seven monarchs have visited Traquair -- most notably Mary, Queen of Scots, with Lord Darnley and their infant son who was to become James IV. In 1478 the house was sold to James Stuart; today his descendents, the Maxwell Stuarts, maintain this five-star experience for visitors, and our private tour will be led by Lady Catherine Maxwell Stuart.

Manderston House is one of the finest Edwardian stately homes in Scotland. Built in 1903, it incorporates the earlier Georgian mansion built circa 1790 for Dalhousie Watherston. The house showcases inlaid marble floors, Adam-style plasterwork by craftsmen brought in from France and Italy, and the only silver staircase balustrade in the world. The 56-acre formal gardens are entered through gilded gates, the stables are lavish and there is a marble dairy and a Biscuit Tin Museum, featuring the many decorative tins produced over the years by biscuit manufacturer Huntley and Palmer.

Scone Palace is a 19th-century restoration of pre-16th-century buildings, including an abbey, which were destroyed by John Knox's followers. The palace is notable for its collections and treasures including fine porcelain, 17th- and 18th-century ivories, 18th-century clocks, French furniture and memorabilia including Marie Antoinette's writing desk and bed hangings embroidered by Mary Queen of Scots. Scone, pronounced skoon, has been the seat of the Murrays, Earls of Mansfield, for 400 years and encompasses the ancient crowning place of the Scottish kings as far back as the 9th Century, when Scotland's first king was crowned here.

Blair Castle (private tour) is full of treasures and alive with the character of former residents. The ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl, and Scotland's most visited historic house, Blair Castle's history covers seven centuries. As a medieval castle, a stately Georgian mansion, and a Victorian home, the present house owes its character to the remodeling by the 2nd Duke in the early 18th Century. Many distinguished and colorful visitors have graced the 30 rooms, including Mary Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and Queen Victoria who granted the Duke of Atholl the privilege of being the only British subject permitted to retain a private army, the Atholl Highlanders.

Glamis Castle, childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the birthplace of HRH The Princess Margaret, the first Royal child to be born in Scotland in 300 years. This six-story tower was built in the 15th Century and has a fine collection of tapestries, paintings, furniture, and weapons. The Italian Garden to the east of the castle was laid out by Countess Cecilia, the Queen Mother's mother, about 1910. Glamis is reputed to be the most haunted castle in Britain, which comes as a surprise from this innocent-looking fairytale turreted building. The oldest part, Duncan's Hall, is the setting for Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Crathes Castle, a magnificent 16th-century tower house, stands on an estate granted to the Burnett family in 1323 by King Robert the Bruce. With its portraits, oak ceilings, heraldic shields, and magnificent Elizabethan fireplace, Crathes is uniquely preserved as it would have appeared when the Burnetts lived here over the centuries. Particularly famous are its Jacobean painted ceilings (only uncovered in 1877), which can be seen in three of the rooms. One of the most historic objects is the Horn of Leys, a jewelled ivory horn on display in the hall, which was given to the Burnetts by Robert the Bruce in 1323 when he granted them the Lands of Leys.

Castle Fraser (private tour) is one of the grandest of Scotland's Baronial tower houses. In the late 16th Century Michael Fraser commissioned architect Thomas Leiper to convert his plain square tower (which may date to 1454) into a Z-plan by adding towers at opposite corners. In the early 17th Century an additional story and characteristic turrets were added. In the late 1800s, Elyza Fraser added the long two-story wings enclosing the courtyard. Furnished as a comfortable country house today, Castle Fraser is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland is a special place filled with Fraser family treasures.

Craigievar Castle (private tour) After a major conservation project lasting for two years, this charming castle is open to visitors once again. Built in 1626 by William Forbes, it retains the warmth and authenticity of the Forbes-Sempill family residence of more than 350 years. The castle interior boasts a Great Hall, musicians gallery, secret staircase, Queen's Bedroom, and several fine plasterwork ceilings. There is a collection of Forbes family portraits as well as the original Jacobean woodwork and some beautiful 17th- and 18th-century furniture, including the "Craigievar table," a much-copied Baroque gaming table.

Cawdor Castle and Gardens dates from 1372 and is complete with its own drawbridge. The castle is home to the Dowager, Countess of Cawdor and houses a collection of fine furniture and art. There are dungeons, secret passages and kitchens, and formal rooms with 17th-century Flemish tapestries, portraits by the masters including Lawrence, Romney, and Reynolds. The magnificent grounds contain a walled garden dating from the early 17th century, a topiary maze, and woodland walks. Cawdor was the setting for the death of Duncan in Shakespeare's Macbeth, however the castle was not built until the late 14th Century, and Macbeth was born in 1005.

Dunrobin Castle was built in the 13th Century on the site of an ancient broch. The castle, the largest house in northern Scotland, is the seat of Clan Sutherland -- one of Scotland's oldest and most influential aristocratic families. The castle is based on a 14th-century tower house which was vastly expanded in 1841 in French chateau style with conical roofed towers. Every room contains family portraits by the best artists of the day including Raeburn and Romney, as well as elaborate furnishings, art objects and family memorabilia displayed throughout the castle. The inspiration for the gardens came from the Palace of Versailles in Paris.

Attadale Gardens (private tour) encompasses eight gardens with waterfalls, Monet bridges, a sunken garden, woodland walks, and views of the Isle of Skye. The gardens were started in the late 1800s by Baron Schroder and were totally transformed by owner Mrs Nicky Macpherson, a renowned artist and painter, after the 1980 storms. A giant sundial, 35 feet across and carved by an Edinburgh artist, is supported by the heraldic Macpherson Cat. Our private tour of the gardens is followed by a very special luncheon at the lovely Macpherson home.

Eilean Donan Castle - This is one of the most photographed castles in Scotland. Built by Alexander II in 1220 on the site of an ancient fort, it was defense against the Vikings. Over time it became the stronghold of Clan Mackenzie but was destroyed in 1719 by the English. Restored two hundred years later, the castle is now the romantic image of how a Highland castle is thought to look. A gate-fitted portcullis opens to a courtyard which leads to the vaulted Billeting Room, and above is the imposing oak-beamed Banqueting Hall. It has been featured in many films and is a well-recognized image throughout the world.

Glencoe, site of the Glencoe Massacre and one of the world's geological wonders. A stunning pass with raw peaks reaching up on either side, slashed by white scars of cascading water, this mountain pass is what the fire and ice of millions of years ago have created. Glencoe was compared by Dickens to "a burial ground of a race of giants." Against a backdrop of craggy peaks and the tumbling River Coe, the Glen is a staggeringly beautiful place with burns and falls, glistening rocks and hidden lochs. But when the weather closes in, there is an unmistakable aura of doom enhanced by its well-known history of the massacre that took place here in 1692.

Inveraray Castle and Gardens, the home of the Dukes of Argyll, head of Clan Campbell since the 1500s. The castle was built on the site of a 15th-century fortress, but the present one dates from 1770 when the town was being built. The structure is square, greenish and imposing, with round towers topped by conical witches' hats at the four corners, added in 1878 by the 8th Duke. Rooms are magnificently decorated and provide perfect settings for paintings, tapestries, and porcelain, among the art are portraits by Raeburn, Gainsborough, and Ramsay. It is still very much a family home occupied by the present Duke and his young family.

Mount Stuart, Britain's most spectacular Victorian Gothic house, is the architechtural fantasy of the 3rd Marquess of Bute and his architect Sir Robert Rowand Anderson. The interiors reflect the romantic and scholarly Marquess' passion for art, heraldry, mythology, and astrology -- the last of which is evident in the enchanting Horoscope Room which depicts, in the center of the ceiling, the exact time of his birth. Mount Stuart is the seat of the Stuarts of Bute, direct descendents of King Robert the Bruce. The grounds include 300 acres of landscape and woodlands developed by the Earls of Bute in the 1700s.

Includes:

• Deluxe motorcoach transportation
• Ensuite accommodations in 4-star properties
• Full Scottish breakfast daily
• Five three-course meals
• Ferry transportation
• Professional Blue Badge Guide throughout
• Entrance fees into all sites listed
• Tax of 20%

Price:

• $3,695.00 per person, double occupancy (two sharing one room).
• Single supplement is $725.00 - Single travelers have the option of sharing a room with other singles (if available) to offset this supplement, but this is solely at the discretion of the travelers and not the responsibility of Celtic Journeys.

More information:

• Reservations require a non-refundable deposit of $500.00 per person. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, and checks are accepted forms of payment. Balance is due 60 days prior to departure.
• Airfare is not included; Celtic Journeys can make your arrangements for you with no booking fees.
• Tour begins in Edinburgh and ends in Glasgow; additional hotel nights in both cities are available at reduced rates; booking service is complimentary.
• To book your space or for additional information, contact Judy Lowstuter at judy@celticjourneys.us or call (703) 941-6455 . Tour is limited to 16 guests. All tours operate unless there is a natural disaster, airline strike, or travel warning of imminent danger.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation insurance is available to protect against cancellation penalties:

• 60 days or more prior to tour date full refund less deposit
• 59-30 days prior to tour date 50% refund less deposit
• 29-15 days prior to tour date 25% refund less deposit
• Cancellations of 14 days or less, no refund