Braveheart

Visit the fortress which defines Edinburgh's skyline from its high-perched location on the granite core of an extinct volcano. This castle shelters the Scottish Crown and Regalia, and the Stone of Destiny, returned to Scotland in 1996 after a 700-year stay at Westminster Abbey. Within its walls stand several buildings, including the Palace where Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to King James I of England in 1566 and St. Margaret's Chapel, built in 1130 to honor the pious wife of King Malcolm III.

Welcome to the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Fife and the birthplace of golf, Scotland's beloved gift to the world of sport. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, the mecca of golf enthusiasts, was founded here in 1754. Thought to be one of the most beautiful locations in all of Britain, St. Andrews is filled with numerous monastic ruins, ancient houses, delightful shops, and pubs. (Shop for a classic putter at one of the many custom club makers' shops.)

University of St. Andrews

A prominent landmark is the University of St. Andrews, which is the third-oldest in the United Kingdom after Oxford and Cambridge (founded in 1413) and also one of the best, as it is ranked fifth in the country. The most famous alumni in recent years are Prince William, enrolled as William Wales, and his wife, Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge.

Continue to Scotland's fourth-largest city, a medieval trading port that grew into an important whaling harbor and shipbuilding center.

Discover a striking contemporary Dundee landmark inaugurated in 2018 on the waterfront. It quickly became a pole of attraction as the first branch of London's prestigious Victoria & Albert museum, a leading institution for art and design since 1852.

Travel to Inverness, a city on the River Ness that is regarded as the capital of the Scottish Highlands.

A ride due north take you to a small town set between the North Sea Coast and a prominent hill known as Ben Bhraggie, which is crowned by a statue visible from afar.

The Dukes of Sutherland and their ancestors have called this property home since the early 1300s. Nowadays, set amid splendid grounds, it stands out as the largest and most northerly castle in the Northern Highlands.

Get an introduction to birds of prey as you meet Dunrobin's trained falcons. See how they respond to commands. Hear how they have been used for hunting for centuries, and how important they are for the ecosystems in which they live. And watch them fly!

Near Inverness, the Great Glen is filled by a lake twenty-four miles long, one mile wide, and in places 900 feet deep. Underwater caves offer plausible hiding places for the legendary Loch Ness Monster, whose first sighting was recorded in the 7th century. Even the most skeptical observers can't resist scanning the loch's enigmatic surface in search of Nessie!

Board a boat for a cruise on the loch. Underwater caves offer plausible hiding places for Nessie, whose first sighting was recorded in the 7th century! Even the most skeptical observers can't resist scanning the loch's enigmatic surface.

Along the shore, battlefields and castle ruins remain silent witnesses to the region's troubled past, when, to quote Dr. Johnson, "savage clans and raving barbarians" kept getting at each other's throats.

Enjoy a drive through wild and glorious countryside along the Great Glen and across one of Scotland's most scenic regions. Your destination is the town of Kyle of Lochalsh and the Skye Bridge which connects the mainland to the Isle of Skye.

Skye's Cuillin Mountains, topping off at 3,000 feet, are Britain's most precipitous, while the coast, constantly broken by sea lochs, presents striking cliff scenery. You'll hear about the bravery of the locals, who struggled to preserve their culture and assisted the runaway prince Charles Edward Stuart, also called the Young Pretender or Bonnie Prince Charlie, who wandered through the Highlands for five months after his defeat at Culloden and before his lifelong exile.

Arrive at the colorful harbor town of Portree.

Proceed to Dornie, a small mainland town on the road to Skye, for a photo stop at Eilean Donan Castle, which has become a symbol of Scotland. Set in an idyllic site, it has been restored to look as it did in the 13th-century.

Continue to An Gearasdan (The Garrison), which is the Highlands' second largest settlement. Located amid splendid mountain and water scenery, Fort William grew at the foot of the snow-capped granite mass of the 4,006-foot-high Ben Nevis, Britain's highest summit.

The drama continues today as you cross Glencoe, the best-known of the Highland passes, also known as the "Vale of Tears" due to the treacherous massacre of 1692 in which 38 members of the Clan MacDonald perished.

Continue into a national park known for the spectacular lochs (fjords) and heather-clad mountains that inspired Sir Walter Scott. This is the region where the Highlands and Lowlands meet in scenic splendor, the land of the 18th-century outlaw Rob Roy, and the turf of clans named Macfarlane, MacGregor, and Colquhoun.

Head northwest to Stirling, whose castle commanded the only land route across the Forth River. As a result, it overlooks seven battlefields! South of Stirling is Bannockburn, the site of the decisive battle of 1314, when Robert the Bruce engaged Edward II of England, and to the north stands the Wallace Monument, a Victorian tower, 220-foot-high, which was built where the Scottish patriot stood observing the English army before the 1297 Battle of Stirling Brig. Another victory for Scotland!

Visit the interior of one of Scotland's most important royal residences, an imposing fortress adorned with crow-stepped gables which overlooks Stirling. On a clear day, one can see thirty miles from its ramparts. Mary, Queen of Scots, spent her childhood in this castle before being sent to France.

Enjoy the journey to Glasgow, the biggest city in Scotland and rivaling Edinburgh for the title of its finest.

A local guide, well-educated and specially-trained on the history and culture of Glasgow, will accompany you today.

Visit the sanctuary of the Church of Scotland whose long history is reflected in its multiple names: High Kirk, Cathedral Church of St. Mungo, and Cathedral Church of St. Kentigern. Its architecture reflects a high point of Gothic cathedral building in Europe, although it was cleared of Catholic ornamentation during the Reformation.

On a visit to the museum on Cathedral Square. view exhibits devoted to all of the world's major faiths, including a Zen garden and sacred Islamic calligraphy. This makes the St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art exceptional since it's one of a handful of museums around the world that are focused on world religions.