A Scottish Welcome

Day 2 Glasgow

Make your way to the Grand Central Glasgow Hotel, the starting point for our fabulous musical and cultural journey together! Meet your local guide and check in to your rooms beginning at 3pm. Then join Brian and the Encore team in the hotel bar at 5pm for a welcome reception and a chance to get to know your fellow travelers. Dinner will be served in the hotel after the reception. (D)

Day 3 Oban

A short walking tour of the city includes a visit of Glasgow Cathedral before we board our private coach and head north for the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. At Tarbet we'll exchange our coach for a boat as we enjoy a cruise around the famous Loch while singing some classic Scottish tunes and enjoying hot drinks and traditional shortbread. We'll head further north and then on to the west coast before arriving in lovely Oban and our home for the next two nights at Muthu Alexandra Hotel. Enjoy a drink in the bar with musical accompaniment and dinner in the hotel. (B,D)

Day 4 Oban

Our day starts with our taking a picturesque ferry ride to the beautiful Isle of Mull. We will traverse the island as we head to Fionnphort and a short ferry to the famed island of Iona, we will visit the abbey and nunnery. We return to Oban and our hotel for dinner and another evening of Scottish music, and song. (B,D)

Day 5 Plockton

We head further north this morning, stopping to enjoy the majestic views at the famed Glencoe before we arrive in Fort William; the second largest settlement in the Scottish Highlands. Weather permitting, you may choose to take a gondola ride on Nevis Range or take in the spectacular views over Lochaber.

We will continue to the picturesque little village of Plockton and our accommodations at the Plockton Inn where locally sourced cuisine is a feature of its well-known restaurant. Plockton is the home to Scotland's only Center of Excellence in Traditional Music which carefully selects young Scottish traditional musicians for a special high-school program to help develop their unique talents. We look forward to hearing some of their music with you. (B,D)

Day 6 Plockton

Our day begins with a visit to the Isle of Skye, the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Head north to the small town of Portree before our visit to Dunvegan Castle. Built in the 13th century and developed piecemeal over the centuries, the castle was remodeled in the 19th century and overlooks an inlet on the eastern shore of Loch Dunvegan. Weather permitting, we will have an opportunity to take in the spectacular gardens in the heart of the 42,000 acre MacLeod Estate. (B,D)

Day 7 Inverness

You may just have the opportunity to see a legendary creature today, as we head west via along the shores of Loch Ness -- best known for alleged sightings of "Nessie," the Loch Ness Monster. Upon arrival, we'll visit Urquhart Castle, a ruin that played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence back in the 14th century. Urquhart was partially destroyed in 1692, but was placed in state care as a scheduled monument and is now one of the most-visited castles in Scotland. In the afternoon, we will see the Culloden Battlefield which was famously the site of the bloody last battle of Jacobite Rising. After heading back to the hotel, we'll enjoy music and drinks at the historic Adams room at the Kingsmills Hotel Inverness. (B,D)

Day 8 Edinburgh

Leaving Inverness, we head south toward Edinburgh through the Cairngorms National Park with a visit of the pretty village of Pitlochry before stopping for a whisky tasting at one of the areas renowned distilleries. After lunch we continue south to Edinburgh for dinner and a musical salon with Brian and special guests from the city's vibrant traditional music scene. (B,D)

Day 9 Edinburgh

Today begins with a guided tour of the fascinating Rosslyn Chapel, a 15th-century chapel that was prominently featured in the 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code. It is said, that visit to Rosslyn even inspired some lines in Robert Burns famous poem, Tam O'Shanter.

After our visit to Rosslyn, we will head back to Edinburgh to enjoy an afternoon taking in the sights and sounds of the city at our own pace. Our guide will be glad to advise on specific activities you might be interested in such as top museums, art galleries, shops, short walks, etc. This evening, Brian will host a pre-dinner gathering in one of the city's majestic pubs before we all gather back at the hotel for a farewell dinner and final salon. (B,D)

Day 10 Departure

After breakfast, find your way to the airport for the return flight home. (B)