Southern Scotland

We can do day tours or extended tours covering all or parts of this fascinating region.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a UNESCO world heritage city and never fails to impress with its stunning location on the rocky remains of former volcanoes overlooking the Firth of Forth which is a huge sea inlet.

Highlights include:

• Edinburgh castle which contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the famous Stone of Scone which has witnessed the enthronement of Scottish and British Kings and Queens for hundreds of years.
• The medieval Royal Mile featuring the 16^th century Gladstone’s House and St Giles Kirk with its extraordinary crown tower completed in 1500.
• Holyrood Palace and the new Scottish Parliament which are both next to the stunning Holyrood Park.
• The 18^th century New Town featuring the Georgian House in Charlotte Square.
• The Royal yacht Britannia. 

Near Edinburgh

• *The medieval Roslyn Chapel which was featured in the Dan Brown book  and film, the Da Vinci Code.
• The clifftop castle of Tantallon.
• Bass Rock on the Firth of Forth which is the biggest northern colony of breeding gannets in the world.
• Dunbar, birthplace of John Muir founder of the national parks movement in the US.

Glasgow

Glasgow is Scotland’s biggest city and made its fortune out of tobacco then later shipbuilding and engineering. The city centre’s stunning 19^th century buildings reflect the enormous prosperity of that time and represent the height of architectural achievement. It also boasts many excellent museums.

Highlights include:

• The 13^th century Glasgow cathedral and the 15^th century Provand’s Lordship which is the oldest house in Glasgow.
• Riverside Museum of Transport and Travel which some of the massive steam engines made for the world’s railways.
• Kelvingrove art gallery and museum which includes original interiors designed by one of the city’s most famous sons, Charles Rennie Macintosh
• St. Mungo’s Museum of Religious Life and Art.
• The Museum of Piping celebrating the sound of Scotland – the bagpipe! 

The Borders

With its beautiful rolling hills and stunning coastline the Borders of Scotland and England is a wonderful region to explore and is just over an hour’s drive from Edinburgh.

Highlights include:

• The romantic ruins of medieval abbeys at Melrose (where Robert Bruce’s heart is allegedly buried), Dryburgh (which features Sir Walter Scott’s tomb), and Jedburgh.
• Many historic houses and mansions including the tower house in Jedburgh where Mary Queen of Scots nearly died and Abbotsford which was the home of Ivanoe author Sir Walter Scott. 

South west Scotland

This is the country of poets, artists and writers and also the setting for some of the most dramatic scenes in Scottish history. Highlights include:

• Kirdcudbright: Artist town.
• Alloway: The village where Robert Burns was born. 
• The Whithorn Story Visitor Centre on the site of what was believed to be the first Christian church in Britain.
• Dundrennan Abbey where Mary Queen of Scots is believed to have spent her last night in Scotland.

Arran

Just a under an hour’s sailing from the port of Ardrossan takes you to the island of Arran which is dubbed as Scotland in miniature. Features Brodick Castle which was once the ancient seat of the Dukes of Hamilton and the mysterious stone circles of Machrie Moor which date back thousands of years.