Depart the USA on your international overnight flight to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Our representatives will meet you at Edinburgh airport and escort you to your bus. Edinburgh replaced Scone as the capital of Scotland in 1437. The site of Edinburgh Castle has held a fort since Celtic times. St. Margaret’s Chapel dates to the 12th Century. The present-day fortress continues to serve as a military post and museum. Tour St. Giles Cathedral is dedicated to the patron saint of Edinburgh, whose oldest portions date to 1124. Also, see Holyrood Palace, an official residence of the British Crown whose grounds date back to an Augustinian Monastery. Check into your hotel in Edinburgh for dinner and your overnight stay.

Cross the Firth of Forth to Fife. Stop at Dunfermline Abbey, where St. Margaret and Robert the Bruce are buried. Continue past picturesque fishing villages to St. Andrew’s, the ancient ecclesiastical capital of Scotland. Visit the ruins of St. Andrew’s Cathedral and the nearby castle with its notorious “Bottle Dungeon.” Wander through the “Old Course” at St. Andrew’s, renowned as the home of golf! Return to Edinburgh for dinner and your overnight stay.

Today, you will cross Scotland and stop in Stirling. Visit the church of the Holy Rude, built over the original structure in the 1400s, and Stirling Castle. See the Battlefield at Stirling Old Bridge and continue to Oban for dinner and your overnight stay.

Take the ferry today to Lismore. Saint Moluag founded a monastery on Lismore in the 6th century AD. The island was a center of Celtic Christianity and later the seat of the medieval bishopric of Argyll. There are also two ruins of 13th-century castles on the island – Coeffin and Achanduin. Return to Oban for dinner and your overnight stay. *Note - The Isle of Lismore involves over 7 miles of walking. Those not willing or able to walk the distance are offered the option to stay in Oban for the day and enjoy the various sites, shops, and restaurants in the town.

This morning, take the ferry to Mull and cross the island to reach Fionnphort. Take the ferry to Iona (passengers only – coaches aren’t allowed on the island). Iona is the internationally renowned place of Celtic Christianity. In 563, Columba was exiled from Ireland and founded the monastery here in 564 AD. From one of the best-preserved abbeys to St. Martin’s Cross, the island is a place of pilgrimage and reflection for Christians worldwide. The ancient burial ground contains the graves of many of the early Scottish Kings. You will take the ferry back to Oban for dinner and your overnight stay.

Today, discover Dunstaffnage Castle, Chapel, and Ardchattan Priory near Oban. Enjoy free time at the end of the afternoon to discover Oban. Stroll the city and discover its cathedral or its distillery (entrance not included). Return to your hotel for dinner and your overnight stay.

Depart Oban and drive along the coast, passing the “bonny, bonny banks” of Loch Lomond as we make our way south towards Glasgow. Drive to the George Square at the heart of the city. See the Clyde Arc or “Squinty Bridge,” as locals call it. On the south side is the Pacific Quay and several parks to enjoy. Visit Glasgow Cathedral, also known as the Church of St. Mungo. Raised by St. Serf while ministering to the Picts (local Scots), he became a missionary to the people along the Clyde River, now Glasgow. His tomb is in the lower crypt. Check into your Irvine hotel for dinner and your overnight stay.

Journey south to the coastal town of Whithorn. Here, Candida Casa – “White House” was built by St. Ninian around 397 AD. A monastery was founded around the site and became a place of pilgrimage for centuries. The late medieval priory is ruinous, with only a portion of the nave still visible. The museum in town contains the Latinus Stone, a 5th-century Christian memorial, as well as other finds from the site. See St. Ninian’s Cave along the shore. See the Torhouse Stone Circle, considered a Druid site, and be reminded of the local traditions Celtic Christians faced in Scotland. Return to Irvine for dinner and your overnight stay.