0618DL4 - Catholic Pilgrimage to Scotland 9 days from Pensacola

Today, we depart Pensacola to connect with our overnight flight to Edinburgh. We will be served dinner and breakfast and enjoy in-flight movies while aloft.

We arrive in Edinburgh, the glorious Scottish capital. We enjoy a panoramic tour of the old town, taking in the historic Royal Mile in the old town and the Georgian 'new town', taking in the many fine Georgian crescents, squares, and streets with their distinctive architecture. Our first stop is the beautiful Cathedral of St. Mary and its Shrine of St. Andrew. Because of a fire at the adjacent Theatre Royal in 1891, the Cathedral was completely restored and expanded. The Shrine of St. Andrew, which houses relics of St. Andrew, was refinished in the 1980s for the Papal of visit of the then Pope, John Paul II. If time permits, we have the opportunity for Mass while here. After our tour, we break for lunch on our own and then visit nearby Edinburgh Castle, which sits on an extinct volcano. On view are the “Honors of Scotland” – the magnificent Crowned Scepter and the Sword of State, which are the oldest Crown jewels in the British Isles. Also housed here is the fabled “Stone of Destiny”, the symbol of nationhood used to inaugurate monarchs of the United Kingdom for over a millennium. While there we will also stop at St. Margaret's Chapel, which withstood numerous destruction attempts. Dating back to the 12th century, during the reign of King David I, who dedicated this Chapel to his mother, Queen Margaret, who we now know as St. Margaret of Scotland. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Edinburgh.

This morning we visit the Palace of Holyrood house, now official residence of England’s royal families while in Scotland, but once the home of Mary, Queen of Scots. If the King is in residence, we will visit the Royal Yacht. On the way back to Edinburgh, we stop for lunch on our own before we finish our day in Edinburgh. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Edinburgh.

This morning we depart Edinburgh and journey to Glasgow. En-route, we visit Rosslyn Chapel, which took some 40 years to complete. Its ornate stonework and symbolism have inspired and intrigued artists and visitors ever since it was completed. We visit Carfin Grotto and have an opportunity to celebrate Mass there. Carfin Lourdes Grotto, a Roman Catholic shrine in Scotland, is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and was created in the early twentieth century. For more than ninety years the Grotto at Carfin has been a special place of pilgrimage, prayer, and grace for those who visit it. We stop for lunch on our own along the way to Glasgow. On arrival we enjoy a motor coach tour of Glasgow, with views of Tolbooth Steeple, Clyde Arc, Cineworld, and the University of Glasgow. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Glasgow.

Today, we depart Glasgow and journey to Fort William. We stop for scenic photos at beautiful Loch Lomond and picturesque Glencoe. We enjoy a packed lunch, then board the Jacobite Steam Train & West Highland Line for their 2:10pm steam train service from Mallaig to Fort William, enjoying the picturesque Scottish countryside along the way. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Fort William. (2024 Train Table subject to change.)

Following breakfast, we travel to Inverness, stopping for a Loch Ness boat cruise. Loch Ness is a freshwater loch (lake), known for its fabled Loch Ness Monster. Aside from its monstrous connection, this stunningly beautiful loch holds more water than Wales’ and England’s’ lakes combined! Our two-hour excursion includes a half-hour cruising and one hour visit to the ruins of Urquhart Castle, located on the shore of Loch Ness. [Could be longer.] On route to Inverness, we tour the Glen Ord Distillery or another if Glen Ord not available. On arrival in Inverness, we celebrate Mass at St. Mary’s Church. We conclude our day with dinner and overnight in our hotel in Inverness.

Following breakfast, we celebrate morning Mass before departing Inverness for Pitlochry. Our first stop, Culloden Battlefield, the scene of the famous 1746 Battle of Culloden between the Jacobite and the British armies and the last battle fought on British soil. We continue through the Cairngorms National Park and arrive at the Royal Lochnagar Distillery, which produces one of Scotland’s most exclusive whiskies or another if Royal Lochnagar not available. Here we enjoy a special tour and tasting at the distillery. We continue to Pitlochry, which is considered the gateway to the Highlands. Dinner and overnight in our castle hotel in Pitlochry.

This morning, we visit Blair Castle which dates to 1269. One of the most famous castles in Scotland, it is also home to Europe's only legal private army, the Atholl Highlanders. We enjoy a tour of the castle and beautiful landscaped gardens. Then we travel to St. Andrews in Fife and visit St. Andrews Cathedral. Once Scotland’s largest and most magnificent church, these ruins still show how impressive St Andrews Cathedral would have been when it was originally built in the 12th century. As a Catholic stronghold in medieval Scotland, it was captured by Calvinist zealots during the Protestant Reformation in 1560. St. Andrews was the seat of the country's leading bishops. Used for worship since the 8th century AD, when the relics of St. Andrew, Scotland’s patron Saint, are said to have been brought here. It soon became a major pilgrimage Shrine for Scotland and northern Europe’s early Christians. The cathedral and buildings are surrounded by a graveyard and a massive enclosure of walls. The shape, in which St. Andrew was crucified, is a symbol on the Scottish national flag to remind the country of his martyrdom. We celebrate Mass in St. Andrews, then continue to Edinburgh. Tonight. we enjoy a special “Scottish” evening with traditional Scottish music, dance, and food. Overnight at our hotel.

This morning we transfer to the airport for our return flight home, with memories of a lifetime! We enjoy lunch and a snack on the return flight home.