DAY ONE - Saturday

You board our tour at 08.00 in central Glasgow (on occasions, it may be an earlier departure if we have to catch the ferry from Cairnryan). Our road takes us south through the pretty lowland countryside and Killmarmock to the seaside town of Troon where we board our ferry to Northern Ireland. The crossing is a short and scenic one to Larne. (Ferry P&O Express 1hr 50mins Troon to Larne departs 10.05 or, alternatively, a similar time from Cairnryan).

We by pass Belfast today in favour of a drive alongside Lough Neagh to the religious capital of Ireland, Armagh. Tradition has it that St Patrick chose Armagh as the centre of his mission in Ireland. It is certainly regarded as the spiritual capital of Ireland and with a range of interesting secular and religious sites. Our visit options include two cathedrals, the nearby Dan Winter's Cottage (the longest thatched cottage in Ireland!), the Genealogical Centre, Armagh county museum, the museum of the Royal Irish Fusiliers. http://www.armagh.gov.uk/history

Our next stop of the day being at Dungannon, the location for the seat of government of the famous O'Neill clan. The homestead of Ulysses Simpson Grant, 18th U.S. President, is located in the town.

Finally, we drive through gentle, rolling country to our splendid overnight base near Omagh.

DAY TWO - Sunday

We take the winding back-roads (some might call them lanes!) through the Sperrins to the northern coast. En route we’ll be seeing small interior towns and villages such as the 17th century Plantation town of Cookstown.  Our next visit will be either to the Wellbrook Beetling Centre, an interesting relic of the old Ulster linen industry, or to the prehistoric stone circles at Beaghmore in the foothills of the Sperrins. The famed Bushmills distillery is a visit option before we continue on to the world heritage site of the Giants Causeway. Following lunch, we continue with our coastal drive, taking a run through the Glens of Antrim before returning to our base in Omagh in time for one of their sumptuous farmhouse dinners.
http://www.northantrim.com/giantscauseway.htm

DAY THREE - Monday

The touring road begins with a choice, dictated by the group’s interests, between the Ulster American Folk museum, or the historically broader Ulster History Park. The road then takes us through Strabane, where the National Trust Georgian property of Gray's printing shop harks back to Strabane's past as a printing hub and Sion Mills. This unique village is a heritage area. The features of its linen industry are perfectly preserved, with the mill encircled by tiny cottages used by the mill workers. A quick diversion down a backroads to Castleberg rewards us with megalithic tombs, Todd's Cairn and the Druid's Altar. The Druid's Altar tomb includes stone panels with Ogham carvings. Incidentally, Alamo hero Davy Crockett and Sam Houston were sons of Castleberg. Finally, to Londonderry/Derry. Here you’ll enjoy a walk along the city walls, hearing about the siege of Derry and seeing the painful reminders of Ulster’s age old conflict. www.folkpark.com

We return to our accommodation near Omagh.

DAY FOUR - Tuesday

We depart Omagh, by 08.30, taking the short drive to Northern Ireland's capital. Belfast is a city with much to recommend it, including fine, restored Victorian architecture, impressive civic buildings, a newly restored 'docklands' and some good shopping! A highlight of our panoramic tour will be the drive up the two roads that defined Ulster's sectarian 'troubles' of nearly 40 years. The political graffiti that adorns the side of houses and shops along the Falls and Shankill roads is one of the most amazing sights you'll see.

We board our lunchtime ferry (P&O Larne to Cairnryan 13.30 / arrive 14.30), enjoying lunch aboard. Just an hour later we dock at Stranraer in Southern Ayreshire. What a treat we have in store for this final afternoon drive! We follow the Robbie Burns trail north, stopping at Burns own cottage, Brigadoon and the city of Dumfries. The splendid scenery of the Galloway Forest Park adds to our enjoyment.

We'll arrive back in Glasgow by 18.30. Your accommodation tonight is not included in your tour price. Accommodation on a B&B basis can be reserved in Glasgow (central location) at a cost from £45 per person for a twin room, and £60 for a single room.

DAY FIVE - Wednesday

We depart from our central Glasgow meeting point. Our first visit is at the World Heritage site of New Lanark (where we'll also collect tour participants who are combining this tour with the Lowlands and Northern Ireland).

New Lanark World Heritage Site is a beautifully restored 18th century cotton mill village in Southern Scotland, close to the Falls of Clyde. The fascinating history of the village is brought back to life in an award-winning Visitor Centre. The village first rose to fame when Robert Owen was mill manager from 1800-1825. Owen transformed life in New Lanark with ideas and opportunities that were at least a hundred years ahead of their time. Child labour and corporal punishment were abolished, and villagers were provided with decent homes, schools and evening classes, free health care, and affordable food.

Next, through the town of Peebles and a beautiful scenic run down the Tweed Valley to Walter Scott's home at Abbotsford. Scott's romantic historical novels such as 'Rob Roy' and 'Ivanhoe' were sufficiently popular in his lifetime to enable him to build this magnificent property. Anyone joining this tour would definitely find reading a 'Waverly' novel great pre-tour reading.

If we've time, and there's group interest, our next stop will be to see an exhibition on the life of the great Victorian explorer, the Mungo Park at Selkirk.

We continue south through the astounding, wild Borders scenery. The castle and fortified houses bear testament to the wild history of this region; wars, local feuding, cattle rustling and downright brigandry were daily events (read the novel, 'The Candlemass Road' by George MacDonald Frazer for an superb introduction to the area).

Our accommodation is at a lovely working farmhouse in Catlowdy. The farm is particularly noted for its home cooking!

DAY SIX - Thursday

The lawlessness of this area was too hot even for the Romans! This marked virtually the northernmost point of its Empire and, finding it impossible to subdue the wild Picts and Scots, the Governor Hadrian built his 70 mile long wall from coast to coast to keep out the painted horde. Our day today see us exploring this 2nd century marvel, its forts, nearby settlements and local country towns. Most tours only make a cursory stop at the wall but we will be following its course concluding at the market town of Hexham.

http://www.hadrians-wall.org

We next dip south to the great moorland expanses of the North Pennnies. This is part of what is known as ‘the backbone of England’ and it’s a truly stunning region. Amongst our tour highlights will be a visit to England highest town, Alston. Depending on time and group interests, we may also fine the time to visit the local lead-mining heritage centre.  Our run back to our farmhouse accommodation takes us past the prehistoric stones of ‘Long Meg and her daughters’, the third largest prehistoric stone circle in Britain after Stonehenge and Avebury and Lanercost Priory.

DAY SEVEN - Friday

We begin our day with what can only be described as a breathtaking drive up Liddlesdale to one of the most important border towns, Royal Burgh of Jedburgh. Most tours fly through the town en route to Edinburgh. What do they miss! Discover a wealth of historical and architectural jewels - where Bonnie Prince Charlie resided in 1745, where the geologist James Hutton observed the Jedburgh Angular Unconformity and confirmed his theory of the formation of the Earth. You can sample 'Jedburgh snails', the local delicacy, a brown mint flavoured boiled sweet in the shape of a snail, said to have been introduced to the town by Napoleonic prisoners of war.

Most notably, though, there's the 900 year old Jedburgh Abbey. Ravaged by time and warfare, Jedburgh Abbey remains one of the country's most spectacular ancient monuments. Founded as a priory in 1138 by King David I to Scots and English alike that he could create buildings on a magnificent scale even on the fringes of his realm.

We continue our drive north the short distance to Edinburgh where you'll enjoy a panoramic of the city. On the outskirts, however, we'll discover Rosslyn Chapel. This fantastic church has achieved renewed prominence through Dan Brown 'Da Vinci Code' and whether you've read the book or not, its architecture and links to the Knights Templar will interest everyone.
http://www.rosslynchapel.org.uk/htm/famous_visitors.htm

DAY EIGHT - Saturday

As we leave Glasgow we'll drive through the much-ignored town of Paisley, seeing the Abbey which hides the secret roots of Britain's present Queen, statues to the Coats brothers, whose business hung on a thread, and the weaver's cottages where radicalism developed alongside the famed Paisley pattern Shawl! We'll wander up the west side of Loch Lomond, hear the real tale of the famous song, ponder a Viking gravestone in the picturesque village of Luss, before climbing up and over the Rest and Be Thankful, through some breath-taking scenery to Inveraray, with its fairy-tale Castle and delightful layout. We'll lunch here, perhaps in the 18th Century George Hotel, or in the inn where Bothwell, Burns, Keats et al once dined. Perhaps we'll visit the old Jail, see the birthplace of Neil Munro, author of Para Handy, then on by some more classic highland scenic routes to Kilmartin. Older than Stonehenge, older too than the pyramids, the stone circles and burial cairns of this ancient glen await us.

DAY NINE - Sunday

We cross the Atlantic today! On our way to Easdale Island, we will drive over the Atlantic Bridge, by the 18th Century Inn, Tigh an Truish (the House of the Trousers) and drive across the beautiful Seil Island, where Princess Diana's mother lived, to the little ferry which will whisk us over to Easdale, the Slate Island. We'll visit the little Island museum and take a walk around the Island, with its fabulous views and rare wildlife. This is a typical Back-Roads destination; few others have yet discovered it! A visit to an Argyll Garden, and an evening of Scottish song and dance with dinner will round off another great day.

DAY TEN - Monday

A day of scenery, of history, of treachery! With a bit of Scottish engineering thrown in for good measure! We'll start with a visit to Dunstaffnage Castle, once home to the Stone of Destiny, once prison for Flora MacDonald. Then we'll head for Loch Awe and the Cruachan Power Station, built deep inside a mountain! We can ride the visitor's train inside the mountain and marvel at the engineer's feat! After this, a drive through the magical Glen Orchy, over the brooding Rannoch Moor and into Glencoe, the Glen of Weeping. We'll hear the true tale of the treachery of the Massacre which took place here in 1692, the memory of which is as fresh today as it was then. Then it's another beautiful drive as we follow the coast road back to Oban, watching out for Sea Eagles and otters, ruined castles and Highland Cattle!

DAY ELEVEN - Tuesday

We'll leave Oban by the back roads, rejoining the main road at the Pass of Brander, where Robert the Bruce defeated the MacDougalls in the early 14th Century. Thence through classic southern Highland country of glen, loch and brae (valley, lake and stream). Aye, it's the very image of Scotland and what you've come for! You'll no be disappointed! Amidst the stunning and spectacular scenery, we'll find the tomb and tumbledown house of Highland robber and sometime 'patriot', Rob Roy. You'll hear local tales of fairy visits and the Minister who studied and wrote about them, before mysteriously disappearing! We couldn't pass this region by without a visit to a woollen mill, and you can't go home with a typical woolly jumper! Finally, we round off a perfect day and tour with the magnificent Stirling Castle, in the heart of 'Braveheart' country.

DAY TWELVE - Wednesday

Fife and immediate region north was the ancestral home of the Stuart monarchs. In Celtic times it was a region populated by the strange Picttish folk. It's small but intensely interesting corner of Scotland now most readily renowned for its world-beating golf courses and the granddaddy of them all at St Andrews. Sightseeing in this compact area is fantastically varied. We cross the Kincardine Road bridge and dive to Culross. When you stroll through the narrow cobbled streets of the quiet old burgh of Culross, it is not difficult to imagine yourself back in the 16th or 17th century. Almost the entire village is a living museum, as all the pan-tiled houses with their crow-step gables have been carefully restored.

Next, to Dunfermline, one of the oldest settlements in Scotland. The abbey dates back over 900 years to the time of King Malcolm and Queen Margaret, later Saint Margaret. The town was the capital of Scotland for more than 500 years and the ruins of the ancient palace adjoin the abbey complex. 'King Robert The Bruce' was buried beneath the abbey, and his final resting place is now marked with a spectacular brass plaque. In more recent times, the town was the birthplace to Andrew Carnegie who spent his early childhood in Dunfermline before emigrating to the 'new world' of America with his family. He later made his millions in the Pittsburgh steel industry, then returned to gift many of the towns greatest treasures including the Carnegie Hall, Pittencrieff Park and the towns central library.

Next, we take to the water and row to the small island in the centre of Loch Leven to see where Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned. Another place with both royal and historic Pictic connections is Abernethy. Here, beneath the towering 8th century peel tower King Malcolm gave fealty to the English king, William the Conqueror. The bakery opposite sells the most delicious cakes!

Our base for two nights is at the traditional fishing village of Anstruther. This pretty and traditional harbour is not only noted for an excellent museum of fishing but for having one of the very best fish and chip shops in the whole of the UK! And yes, one of our dinners will be fish n chips!

DAY THIRTEEN - Thursday

Today's circular tour takes us through Dundee and into the magnificent and spectacular Caingorm Mountains. In addition to some simply unbeatable back road scenic drives, taking us through paces such as the Spittal Of Glenshee, Glen Dye, Lochnagar Forest and the Devil's Elbow, you'll also see castles, small towns and historic site aplenty. Manmade highlights will include the Queens Scottish residence village of Balmoral, Glamis Castle, the Meigle's collection of Pictish sculpted stones, the Tay Road Bridge and Robert Scott's Antartic ship 'Discovery'.

All-in-all, a pretty perfect day and we can't understand why other tour companies don't offer it!

DAY FOURTEEN - Friday

Fife is perhaps best known for two major icons; the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews, and the Royal palace at Falkland. We'll be seeing both today. The past is still very much alive in the Kingdom of Fife. We'll also be seeing the picturesque villages of the East Neuk of Fife, whitewashed buildings with red pantiled roofs overlook cobbled winding streets leading to secluded little fishing harbours, settings which seem to have changed little over the preceding 150 years. Crail, for example, is home to one of the prettiest little harbours in the country. Crab and lobster can be bought in season down by the harbour. Crail is also home to Crail Pottery - a delightful pottery that is a pleasure to visit. We'll also see where the real Robinson Crusoe lived and, if time permits, visit a secret underground bunker built during the Cold War.

We return to Glasgow via Edinburgh, where those wishing to be dropped off to spend independent time may do so. You are dropped at our central hotel. Accommodation tonight is not included in your tour price but can be booked at about a cost from £45 per person twin-share, on a B&B basis, and £60 single occupancy.