May 22 to May 30, 2010
8 nights

Join us for this eight-night journey filled with treasured castles and gardens and go off the beaten path to secret Scotland. Beginning in Glasgow we make our way by ferry to the Royal Burgh of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, with Victorian architecture and romantic Rothesay Bay. Here we visit Mount Stuart, a magnificent Victorian Gothic Great House surrounded by 300 acres of gardens and grounds; this is followed by visits to St Blane's Chapel and Rothesay Castle, built in 1098.

Back on the mainland, we visit Inveraray Castle, home of the Dukes of Argyll. The fine collections of armory, French tapestries, fine furniture and art span many generations of the Campbell family. The castle was begun in 1720 and is a unique combination of Baroque, Palladian, and Gothic style. The day continues with visits to the four-star Crarae Garden and Arduaine Garden in Argyll and ends in the lovely seaside village of Oban, the Gateway to the Islands.

We pass the bewitching site of Castle Stalker, one of the best-preserved medieval tower-houses in Scotland, which appeared in the films Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Highlander: Endgame. Continuing on, we wend our way through the majestic mountains of Glencoe, one of the most spectacular and beautiful places in Scotland. Next, on to Glenfinnan Monument, dedicated to the Highlanders who fought to restore the Stuart monarchy to the throne in the 18th Century. Positioned at the head of Loch Shiel, this haunting setting is offset by the Glenfinnan Viaduct -- most recognizable as the track for Hogwarts Express!

On the Isle of Skye, visit Armadale Castle and Gardens and the Museum of the Isles on the traditional lands of Clan Donald. Here you can learn the history of the Lords of the Isles, the medieval rulers of this Scottish Kingdom. See the magnificence of the Quiraing, a spectacular landslip still in motion on the northernmost summit of the Trotternish Ridge. Tour Dunvegan Castle, seat of Clan MacLeod since the 12th Century, with gardens and pools fed by cascading waterfalls.

Driving along lovely Loch Carron we visit four-star Attadale Garden, with water gardens, waterfalls, sculpture and woodland walks and views of the Isle of Skye. Travel into the remote northwestly part of the country to Achnasheen, a village of 50 people where there are more eagles than humans. Visit local crafters and get a wee taste of this beautiful location at the crossroads of Scotland's Last Wilderness. Travelling onward to the west, you'll see to the remote and dramatic areas of the Applecross Peninsula, the lovely highland seaside village of Gairloch, and the majestic mountains of Torridon as well as Inverewe Gardens, considered to be Britain's premier garden. This is some of the finest scenery in the world and a Photographer's Heaven.

Spend two nights at Culloden near Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands, with accommodations at Culloden House Hotel, a lovely Georgian Manor House, noted for impeccable Highland hospitality; stroll among the wildflower meadows of the four-acre walled garden onsite.

We visit Blair Castle, which dates from 1269 and is home of the Duke of Atholl (Clan Murray). The Pass of Killiecrankie, where the Jacobite Highlanders fought to depose Wiliam of Orange, is along a wooded path where Queen Victoria walked. We feast our eyes on the beauty spot known as "Queen's View" on Loch Tummel. The Victorian town of Pitlochry is home to the Scottish Plant Hunters Garden. This garden shows many plants in a natural setting and tells the stories of Scots who risked their lives travelling the world to collect thousands of amazing specimens. Edradour, Scotland's smallest whisky distillery, is also an amazing specimen in Pitlochry!

The Beatrix Potter Exhibition and Garden is dedicated to children of all ages. Miss Potter developed her interest in wildlife, drawing, and painting during her childhood summers near this place. Bronze sculptures of some of her famous characters are set within a beautiful landscaped garden. We see the Birnam Oak, believed to be the sole survivor of the wood that played a significant part of Shakespeare's Macbeth, The Birnam Wood.

Callendar Houseand Formal Gardens is one of Scotland's finest country houses, with more than 600 years of Scottish history to share. We end our tour with a ride on the world-famous Falkirk Wheel, the world's first rotating boat lift, which connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.

Highlights in a Nutshell:

Locations: Isle of Bute, Argyll, Isle of Skye, Wester Ross, Inverness, Grampian Mountains, Perthshire, Stirlingshire

Isle of Bute: Mount Stuart, St Blane's Chapel, Rothesay Castle / Argyll: Inveraray Castle, Crarae Garden, Arduaine Garden, Castle Stalker / Highlands: Glencoe, Glenfinnan, Culloden Battlefield and the new Visitor Centre, Cawdor Castle and Gardens / Isle of Skye: Armadale Castle and Gardens, Museum of the Isles and Clan Donald Centre, Dunvegan Castle, The Trotternish Peninsula / Wester Ross: Achnasheen, Attadale Garden / Perthshire: Blair Castle, Pass of Killicrankie, Pitlochry, Plant Hunter's Garden, Edradour Distillery, Beatrix Potter Garden / Stirlingshire: Callendar House, Falkirk Wheel.

Includes:

• Deluxe motorcoach transportation
• Ensuite accommodations in 4-star properties
• Full Scottish breakfast daily
• Three three-course dinners
• Ferry transportation - Isle of Bute, Isle of Skye
• Professional tour guide, with special guide at Culloden Battlefield
• Entrance fees into all sites listed
• Taxes of 17.5%
• Limited to 14 Guests

Price: $3,495.00 per person, double occupancy. Single supplement $700

More information: E-mail Judy@CelticJourneys.us or phone (703) 941-6455