Exchange Details
Overview
Immerse yourself in the culture of this beautiful and rugged country as you journey to some of Scotland's most impressive places. There is plenty to learn and explore with guided tours and visits to historical sites, museums, castles, and galleries. The famed Highland Games and interactive cultural performances are sure to be memorable highlights.
Home Hospitality
There is no home hospitality on this Journey, but you will have the opportunity to attend the Highland Games and other cultural performances.
Live With a Local
- Attend the Highland Games in the village of Braemar, viewing traditional sports and performances
- Enjoy a special evening of Scottish tradition as you witness an authentic céilidh, an age-old Scottish celebration. You'll be serenaded by a band playing Scottish folk tunes, see dancers perform a series of traditional dances, and have the opportunity to join the company on stage to try the steps for yourself
- Meet with a professional bagpipe player. Learn about the history of the bagpipe, Scotland’s national instrument, and listen to the musician play a few songs, then pick up your own bagpipe and follow along as they teach the group breathing techniques and tips on how to play
Sightseeing Highlights
- Culzean Castle
- Loch Ness
- Culloden Battlefield Centre
- Georgian New Town and the Royal Mile, UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Guided tour of Edinburgh
There are few places in my life that I’ve found more ruggedly beautiful than the Highlands of Scotland. The place is magical - it’s so far north, so remote, that sometimes it feels like you’ve left this world and gone to another. - Julia London, American writer
Best of Scotland
11 Days / 10 Nights Program and Itinerary:
August 29, 2021 – September 8, 2021
Coordinator: Shelley Bain, FF Greater Des Moines
[email protected]
All Friendship Force Itineraries are subject to change.
Aug. 29, 2021 - Travel Day
Board your overnight flight to Glasgow today
Aug. 30, 2021 - Arrival in Glasgow
Welcome to Scotland!
Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner
Included meal: welcome dinner
Aug. 31, 2021 - Sightseeing tour of Glasgow
Set out to explore Scotland’s “second city” today with a local as your guide.
Drive past the Burrell Collection Museum and admire the city’s university
Visit the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which features everything from medieval suits of armor to a collection of work by Scottish artists
Discover local highlights, including George Square and the River Clyde
Stop outside the city’s medieval cathedral for photos
Transfer to the Glasgow City Chambers for a guided tour
Included meal: breakfast
Sept. 1, 2021 - Culzean Castle & Ayr
Visit Culzean Castle this morning and tour the castle with a local guide
Continue on to visit the Robert Burns Birthplace museum
Enjoy free time in Ayr before returning to Glasgow
Included meal: breakfast
Sept. 2, 2021 - Transfer to the Eastern Highlands
Continue on to the Eastern Highlands, stopping along the way for a tour of Stirling Castle
Sit down for an included dinner in the Eastern Highland this evening
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Sept. 3, 2021 - Eastern Highlands
Surrounded by legend and lore, Loch Ness is one of Scotland’s most mysterious sites
Today, get to know the country’s largest loch as you explore the area
Pay a visit to the medieval ruins of Urquhart Castle
Cruise along the legendary Loch Ness, a deep, freshwater lake, and dock in Clansman Harbour
Stop in Inverness and enjoy free time to explore the city
Included meal: breakfast
Sept. 4, 2021 - Eastern Highlands
Transfer to the Culloden Battlefield Centre and tour the grounds and the interactive battlefield area
Stop at Clava Cairns prehistoric burial site
Continue on Cawdor Castle for tour of castle and grounds.
Included meal: breakfast
Sept. 5, 2021 - Braemar Gathering Highland Games
Transfer to the village of Braemar to attend the Highland Games today
Spend the day viewing traditional sports and performances before returning to your hotel
Included meal: breakfast
Sept. 6, 2021 - Transfer to Edinburgh
En route to Edinburgh, stop in Perthshire, the gateway to the Scottish Highlands
Visit medieval Blair Castle and Hercules Garden, the former home of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl
Explore Edradour distillery with a guide and enjoy a whisky tasting
Enjoy a special evening of Scottish tradition as you witness an authentic céilidh, an age-old Scottish celebration
Sit down to an included dinner and be serenaded by a band playing Scottish folk tunes while you dine
As the evening winds down, dancers take to the stage to perform a series of traditional dances
Then, cap it all off by joining the company on stage to try the steps for yourself
Included meal: breakfast
Sept. 7, 2021 - Sightseeing tour of Edinburgh
Get to know Edinburgh in all its medieval beauty on a tour led by a local expert
View the elegant Georgian New Town and the Royal Mile, two UNESCO World Heritage sites
Pass the King George statue, Bute House, and Sir Walter Scott monument
Enter Edinburgh Castle to view the Scottish crown jewels and Stone of Scone
Travel through the Scottish Borders region to Abbotsford this afternoon
Enjoy an included lunch
Visit Abbotsford House, the 19th-century estate of Sir Walter Scott, designed by the poet in the Romantic style to imitate the elaborate baronial estates of British aristocrats
Visit the ruins of Melrose Abbey, one of the most impressive of the four Borders abbeys
Included meals: breakfast, lunch
Sept. 8, 2021 - Free day & Bagpipe Lesson
Enjoy a free day in Edinburgh to explore at your own pace
This evening, head to a private room at a local restaurant and meet with a professional bagpipe player
Learn about the history of the bagpipe, Scotland’s national instrument, and listen to the musician play a few songs
Pick up your own bagpipe and follow along as they teach the group breathing techniques and tips on how to play
Celebrate your trip during a farewell dinner
Included meals: breakfast, farewell dinner
Sept. 9, 2021 - Departure
Transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your stay to continue exploring Edinburgh
Included meals: breakfast (excluding early morning departures)
Rate:
$3974 USD
Price Includes: FFI fees, 10 nights in handpicked hotels, 10 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners with beer or wine, expert tour director and local guides, private deluxe motor coach, and guided sightseeing tours.Know before you go
- Journey number 21334.
- Deposit of $500 is due upon acceptance of application
- 50% of balance is due January 1, 2021
- Final payment is due March 1, 2021
- Risk-free deposit period lasts until January 1, 2020
Our Mission
Friendship Force International provides opportunities to explore new countries and cultures from the inside by bringing people together at the personal level. Through the signature program of home hospitality, local hosts welcome international visitors into their culture, sharing with them meals, conversation, and the best sights and experiences of their region.
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