Holy Isles, Borders Abbeys and Hadrian’s Wall with Russ and Jane Eanes

We depart on an overnight flight from Newark to Edinburgh. Dinner and breakfast are served on the plane. Quotes for optional Premium Economy and Business Class upgrades are available upon request. We work with group tickets, which do not allow us to request specific seats. If seat location is an essential feature of the trip for you, please plan to book your own international airfare and purchase the “Land Only” package.

We are greeted at the airport by our Scottish tour manager and assisted onto our private coach for a transfer to the city. Our luggage will be dropped off at the hotel, and we enjoy time at leisure until 4 PM when we can check into the hotel. You may want to do an easy hike on your own, about 20 minutes outside of Edinburgh, visiting the Pentlands nature reserve, which has a beautiful view of the city of Edinburgh. For the group participants who are getting their own air, we will meet at the hotel at 6 PM for orientation, meet and greet, and dinner. Overnight in Edinburgh. (Welcome dinner)

Following breakfast, we embark on a full-day guided walking city tour of Edinburgh, which includes visiting the Scottish Whiskey Experience, St. Giles Cathedral, the gardens and the grounds, and strolling along the Royal Mile with the Edinburgh Castle on one end and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the other. Dinner is at leisure to explore the dining scene of the city. Overnight in Edinburgh.

Following breakfast, we take the 90-minute scenic cruise of Three Bridges and Inchcolm. We disembark on the island to walk to and explore the island’s historic Abbey then return to Edinburgh to hike to Arthur’s Seat in the afternoon. Dinner is at a local restaurant. Overnight in Edinburgh. (B. Special dinner)

Following breakfast and hotel check-out, we visit Rosslyn Chapel. Famous for its mysterious stone carvings and unique architecture, it was featured in the Da Vinci Code. Then continue to Melrose and enjoy a tour of Melrose Abbey, the cloister, and the museum. Settle into our hotel for dinner and overnight in Melrose.

Following breakfast, we hike the Eildons, an iconic part of the Scottish Borders landscape, taking the Eiden Hills Path and stopping for tea at St. Bowell’s. Dinner and overnight in Melrose. (B. Afternoon Tea, Packed lunch, D)

Following breakfast, we hike to Dryburgh Abbey. Perhaps the most beautiful of all the Border Abbeys, the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey are remarkably complete and surrounded by beautiful grounds. Options after Dryburgh include a walk to Scott’s View where we get a panoramic view of the Eildon Hills. Dinner and overnight in Melrose. (B. Packed lunch. D)

Following breakfast, we are transported to Hadrian’s Wall, where we visit the ruins of a Roman fort, then walk one of the most beautiful stretches of the wall. Dinner and overnight in Melrose. (B. Packed lunch. D)

Following breakfast, we transport east to Lindisfarne. The island is open by the receding tides twice a day, allowing access to pedestrians and cars on and off; we will cross around noon. We follow the walk of the original pilgrims walking on the soft and wet sand that the receding tide has exposed. We visit Lindisfarne Priory, founded by St. Aidan, dating to 635 AD when the Irish Monks first settled on the island, which became the center of Christianity in England. Here, we learn about the Lindisfarne Gospels and can see a copy of this extraordinary book at the Holy Island Heritage Center. Dinner and overnight in Lindisfarne.

Enjoy a day in Lindisfarne. Catholic walkers may wish to attend Sunday Mass at St. Aidan or St. Mary Church (TBC). Choose to explore the flora and fauna of the island, visit some of the gardens, including the Gertrude Jekyll Walled Garden (entrance not included), visit the Castle, or walk over to St. Cuthbert Island during low tide. Dinner and overnight in Lindisfarne.

We have breakfast and afterward, travel to Oban for a visit to the whiskey-making facility and an overnight.

We spend the day exploring the wild beauty of the islands of Mull and Iona. We take the ferry from Oban to Craignure, crossing over the Sound of Mull. Driving across Mull, we then take a short ferry to Iona. Discover its beautiful coastline that dates back to the Iron Age. Visit Iona Abbey and Nunnery, one of the best-preserved medieval nunneries in Britain. Depending on the weather conditions, hike to the highest point on the island, Dun I, which offers views as far as Rum, Eigg and Skye. Just below the summit, splash your face with water from a dark pool in a rocky cleft known as the Well of Eternal Youth. Return to Oban for dinner and overnight (B.D) Please note that bad weather may impact the ferry service or the Abbey opening hours.

We return to Edinburgh for dinner and an overnight. Along the way, we will stop at the iconic Loch Lomond.

This morning, we are transferred to the airport for our flights back to the USA.