Historic Highlands with Tsh and Kyle Oxenreider and Fr. Gabe Bouck

The group will depart Newark International Airport on an overnight flight to Edinburgh, with dinner and breakfast served on the plane (quotes for add-on flights from different airports and optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request and will be provided starting 120 days prior to departure). Group air restrictions (for ten passengers traveling together) do not permit specific seating requests on flights; therefore, we recommend purchasing your own airline tickets and opting for land-only packages with us if seat confirmation is important to you.

Welcome to Scotland! We’ll meet our guide and bus driver at the airport, who’ll then transfer us to this great city. To ward of jet lag as quickly as possible, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of Edinburgh Castle and have time to explore the Royal Mile in the historic heart of the city. That evening, we’ll gather for our introductory orientation and welcome dinner at the hotel, then enjoy a good night’s sleep. (dinner included)

We depart for Stirling, where the castle dominates the skyline. Childhood home of Mary Queen of Scots, the castle stands on a volcanic rock on the border between the Highlands and the Lowlands, and was nicknamed the ‘Key to Scotland’ as the home of the Stewart kings and queens. Stirling Castle was already a formidable fortress when William Wallace defeated the English at Stirling Bridge, and after Robert Bruce’s victory at nearby Bannockburn, he had the walls destroyed to prevent them from falling into English hands. It was at the center of Scotland’s wars of independence in the 13th and early 14th centuries, and remains a rallying symbol whenever talk of Scottish independence is in the air. We’ll tour the castle and view the 220-foot high tower of the National Wallace Monument, commemorating Scotland’s great hero, William Wallace. Afterwards, we’ll continue to our hotel in Oban for check-in, dinner, and overnight. (breakfast & dinner included)

What a treat to experience the unique occasion of the Highland Games on the Inveraray Castle grounds, where the Scottish heritage and culture preserved over centuries are on full display. Watch the sports competition, traditional Highland music and dancing, clansmen dressed in their clan tartans, and enjoy the food and beverage stalls as well as art displays. Later, you may want to explore Inveraray Castle (entrance is included). Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Oban. (breakfast & dinner included)

Today we’ll enjoy a full-day excursion of the Isle of Skye. We’ll board a ferry for Armadale on the southern tip of Skye, then set out on a scenic drive, passing through the jagged peaks of the Cuillin Hills, known for their dark, rocky summits. In the fishing town of Portree, we’ll enjoy lunch at a local pub, then we’ll stop at Glenfinnan Viewpoint for impressive views (you’ll recognize them from the Harry Potter novels and films). We’ll then return to the mainland via the Skye Bridge and stop to see the iconic Eilean Donan Castle at the junction of three lochs. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Oban. (breakfast, lunch, & dinner included)

We’ll spend today exploring the northern Highlands, beginning with the fabled Loch Ness of cultural lore. Driving the full 23-mile length of the lake, we’ll soak in the scenery and hear local tales of the mythical creature said to inhabit the deep (and then enjoy a ride on the lake, anticipating what lies deep under the calm waters). Then, at Dunrobin Castle and Gardens we’ll learn about Scotland’s age-old falconry practice and witness a demonstration. Our last stop is the Culloden Moor Center, where we’ll hear about the last battle of the Jacobite Rising (familiar to the fans of the Outlander series), which took place here in 1746, and then enjoy some local shopping. Inverness is known for its local music scene, which you may want to explore tonight. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Inverness. (breakfast & dinner included)

Today we’ll learn about the prehistory of the Highlands as we follow the famous Pictish Trail, which links Iron Age and Celtic sites. We’ll discover the history and culture of the ancient Picts at the acclaimed Tarbat Discovery Center, then enjoy a late afternoon drive along the coast which will bring us through rolling farmland where sheep, cows, and Shetland ponies graze in verdant pastures. Dinner is at your leisure. Overnight at our hotel in Inverness. (breakfast included)

In Kinguisee we’ll enjoy a tour of a family-owned sheepdog farm, where we’ll meet the border collie dogs, learn about their training, and gain an understanding of the commands used in their herding by watching them adeptly herd their charges with a demonstration. Later we’ll travel to Pitlochry, a town in the heart of Scotland, where we’ll visit the Blair Athol Distillery for a tour and tasting of their Scottish whiskey. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy some free time to stroll through the charming town center. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Dundee. (breakfast & dinner included)

The Fife Pilgrim’s Way is a 56-mile path from Culross on the Firth of Forth to St. Andrews. Because the local legend tells us St. Andrews’ relics were brought here, it’s become a local holy hotspot and has thus made this small seaside town Scotland’s little Jerusalem. Today we’ll walk the scenic, woodland 1.5-mile Lade Breas path in St. Andrews, past villages and coastal vistas to the spectacular ruins of St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Once we’re in St. Andrews, the home of golf, you may want to grab a traditional pub lunch or grab a sandwich as you wander the town before we depart for Edinburgh and settle into our hotel. Tonight we’ll also enjoy our farewell group dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Edinburgh. (breakfast & farewell dinner included)

Today you’ll have choice on how you spend your last full day in Scotland (let our guide know of your choice 24 hours beforehand). Option 1: Our full day will start after breakfast with a drive through the countryside to the historic 15thcentury Rosslyn Chapel, formally known as the Collegiate Chapel of St. Matthew. The purpose of the college was to celebrate the Divine Office all day and night, as well as to celebrate Holy Mass for all the faithful departed, including the deceased members of the Sinclair family. Following the Scottish Reformation in 1560, Catholic worship ceased in the chapel, and from that time, the chapel was closed to public worship until 1861, when it was opened again as a place of worship according to the rites of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Since the late 1980s, the chapel has also been featured in speculative theories concerning a connection between Freemasonry, the Knights Templar, and the Holy Grail (it was prominently featured in the 2003 bestseller The Da Vinci Code and its 2006 film adaptation). Rosslyn Chapel remains privately owned, currently by Peter St Clair-Erskine, the 7th Earl of Rosslyn. We’ll then continue with a private guided tour to Traquair House, one of the oldest continually inhabited Catholic houses in Scotland, where we’ll see an exhibition of 300-year-old priests’ vestments. Throughout the Reformation, the family continued to practice their prohibited faith, and a priest often lived with the family, doubling up as a tutor for the children. He’d live in a small room at the top of the house, which acted as both a chapel and his living quarters (you’ll find a secret escape route behind a corner bookcase that leads to the original turnpike stone stairs for a quick exit!). The house also contains a brewery that makes Jacobite and House Ale; after a brewery tour, we’ll enjoy sampling the ales. This Scottish site is an important Catholic house whose family kept the faith for hundreds of years through turbulent times. The chapel, where we’ll celebrate Mass, was built in 1829 following the passage of the Catholic Emancipation Act, which granted Catholics the freedom to publicly worship. The chapel is situated immediately above the brew house, wafting some “heavenly” smells from underneath. We’ll then finally return to Edinburgh for dinner at leisure to enjoy our last evening in Scotland. Overnight at our hotel in Edinburgh. (breakfast included) Option 2: Enjoy a full day at your leisure to explore Edinburgh at your own pace, visiting places you might still have on your checklist: perhaps Holyroodhouse Castle, the two-hour Harry Potter tour, or local museums and shops. Dinner is at your leisure. Overnight at our hotel in Edinburgh. (breakfast included)

This morning we’ll transfer to the airport for our flights home, taking with us new friendships and memories that’ll last for years! (breakfast included)