Settle into medieval Stirling and spend a week ensconced in Scotland’s history and culture. Trace the legends of William Wallace and Mary, Queen of Scots; cruise Loch Lomond; visit the country’s oldest distillery; then head to Edinburgh to experience the thrill and pageantry of the Military Tattoo.

Starting at: $4,990 Make a Reservation Ask Us A Question or Call 855-330-1542
 Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
 Panoramic view of Stirling Castle and environs
Panoramic view of Stirling Castle and environs
 Robert the Bruce at Stirling Castle
Robert the Bruce at Stirling Castle
 Scone Palace
Scone Palace
 Vista of Old Town, Edinburgh, with St. Giles Cathedral
Vista of Old Town, Edinburgh, with St. Giles Cathedral
 Panoramic view of Edinburgh
Panoramic view of Edinburgh
 The Royal Mile, Edinburgh
The Royal Mile, Edinburgh
 Scotland's Edinburgh Castle
Scotland's Edinburgh Castle
 The Military Tattoo, Edinburgh Castle
The Military Tattoo, Edinburgh Castle
 Edinburgh's Military Tattoo
Edinburgh's Military Tattoo
 The town of St Andrews
The town of St Andrews
 St. Salvator’s Quadrangle, the University of St Andrews
St. Salvator’s Quadrangle, the University of St Andrews
 Ruins of St Andrews Cathedral
Ruins of St Andrews Cathedral
 The town and coastline of St Andrews
The town and coastline of St Andrews
 The Trossachs
The Trossachs
 Loch Lomond and the Trossachs
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs
 Traditional Scotch whisky
Traditional Scotch whisky
 Traditional whisky distillery
Traditional whisky distillery

Heart of Scotland: A One-Week Stay Featuring the Edinburgh Military Tattoo

9 days from $4,990

Settle into medieval Stirling and spend a week ensconced in Scotland’s history and culture. Trace the legends of William Wallace and Mary, Queen of Scots; cruise Loch Lomond; visit the country’s oldest distillery; then head to Edinburgh to experience the thrill and pageantry of the Military Tattoo.

or Call 855-330-1542

Accommodations

* Click on hotel name to visit hotel web-site.

Stirling Highland Hotel

Stirling, Scotland

Located in the heart of Stirling near the castle, the Stirling Highland Hotel dates back to 1854 and originally was Stirling’s high school. There is a spa, fitness center, an indoor swimming pool and a squash court. Dine on traditional and international gourmet cuisine at Scholars Restaurant. The management and staff of Stirling Highland Hotel welcome you with excellent service and friendly Highland hospitality! 

Activity Level

Expectations: This Cultural Stay includes well-paced touring days, with several full-day excursions with transfers by motor coach. Most excursions last from four to six hours and there is leisure time on many afternoons. Expect standing and walking for long periods of time during city tours, museum visits, and outdoor activities; daily walks of up to three miles over sometimes difficult terrain that includes cobblestones, hills, and uneven pavement, and unpaved trails; embarking and disembarking boats; stairs without handrails and absence of elevators (including hotels); and longer walks to get to area where coaches are prohibited.

Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit and comfortable with longer days of touring (both walking tours and coach time).

Special Air Rates/Services

FlexAir is designed to provide you with the flexibility and choice you need to personalize your air travel experience. Explore a wide range of flight options in consultation with our experienced travel professionals to select the flights, routing, class of service, and dates of travel that most fit your needs. Our partner tour operator has negotiated contracts with a wide variety of carriers that allow them to hold flight reservations and then issue your ticket close to departure without additional fees. This protects you from the need to purchase published-fare tickets, which must be ticketed within 24 hours of purchase. FlexAir reservations provide the flexibility to adjust reservations without penalty and to accommodate extensions and upgrades right up until ticketing time, usually around 60 days before departure. We look forward to providing you with more choice and the best possible itinerary for your air travel plans.

Program Includes:

  • Guaranteed transfers between the airport and your overseas accommodations upon arrival and departure (in most cases). We will provide you with all of the details you need to guarantee your transfer.
  • Air schedule change and delay assistance. Book FlexAir to ensure assistance should schedule changes or delays impact your air travel plans.
  • Flight insurance worth up to $250,000, subject to policy terms, is automatically included.
  • Confirmed airline seat assignments at the time of booking (in most cases).
Reading List

Highly Recommended

The Greatest Show on Earth: Behind the Microphone at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
By: Hutton, Alasdair
Scotland: A Very Short Introduction
By: Houston, Rab
A History of Scotland: Look Behind the Mist and Myth of Scottish History
By: Oliver, Neil
DK Eyewitness Scotland (Travel Guide)
By: DK Eyewitness

Also Recommended

The Celts: A Very Short Introduction
By: Cunliffe, Barry
Stone Voices
By: Ascherson, Neal
Mary Queen of Scots
By: Fraser, Antonia
The Crofter and the Laird
By: McPhee, John
The Spirit of St. Andrews
By: Alister Mackenzie
A Traveller's History of Scotland (Interlink Traveller's Histories)
By: Fisher, Andrew
Waverley (Oxford World's Classics)
By: Scott, Walter, Sutherland, Kathryn
Whiskypedia: A Compendium of Scotch Whisky
By: MacLean, Charles
Spectacular Scotland
By: Gracie, James
History of the World Map by Map (DK History Map by Map)
By: DK

*As an Amazon Associate, Smithsonian Journeys earns from qualifying purchases.

Travel Insurance

For the convenience of our travelers, Smithsonian Journeys includes a basic medical expense and evacuation plan through Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand, at no additional charge. This plan provides post-departure Medical and Dental coverage of $250,000 per person and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage of $1,000,000 per person (U.S. Residents Only). Note: For full details regarding these coverages please review the following Plan Documents here.

In addition, we recommend that travelers purchase a travel protection plan to help protect their travel investment from unforeseen events such as cancellation due to illness, flight delays due to adverse weather, baggage loss, and more. For your convenience, Smithsonian Journeys offers an optional Travel Protection Plan administered by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand. For those interested, optional "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage is available for an additional charge. Note: Certain eligibility requirements apply and Cancel for Any Reason coverage is not available to New York residents. For full details regarding this coverage please review the following Plan Documents here.

To learn more about the Travel Protection Plan, you may visit https://www.generalipartner.com/smithsonianjourneys or call the administrator, Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand at (866) 501-3252.

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