Day 1: Travel to Scotland with a stop at Abbott Lodge Jersey Ice Cream near Penrith. It is a working dairy farm set in the spectacular scenery of the Eden Valley, midway between the Pennines and the Northern Lake District. The farm produces over 40 flavours of high-quality homemade Jersey ice cream. Enjoy an included soup & sandwich lunch with tea or coffee followed by an ice cream. We then complete the journey to the Winnock Hotel for a 3-night stay.
After dinner tonight, enjoy an evening of Scottish entertainment at the hotel.
Day 2: Dumfries House & Gardens Guided Tour
A full day excursion to Dumfries House & Gardens. Set in 2,000 acres, this stunning Estate and 18th-century house with its unrivalled collection of Chippendale furniture has something for everyone. Enjoy a guided tour of the house which includes nearly 10% of Chippendale’s surviving work. The Dumfries House Estate gardens retain much of the original 18th century landscape design. Visitors can explore the beautiful setting with ancient trees, the Adam Bridge, river walks, a doo’cot and the wildlife.
Tonight enjoy the highlight of the weekend, an evening of fantastic entertainment by Dylan a Neil, Jonathan Davies and entertainer Llion Williams to celebrate St David’s Day in style.
Day 3: Loch Lomond Cruise, Luss & Inveraray
Our first stop today is Loch Lomond shores, where we take a relaxing one-hour scenic cruise on Loch Lomond. Afterwards, we travel to the pretty conservation village of Luss, situated on the western shore of Loch Lomond. The village was used for the TV series ‘Take the High Road’ which cemented its popularity in the 80’s and 90’s. Enjoy some free time to wander around the village and to walk down to the Loch, no visit to Luss is complete without taking in the view from the end of the pier with Ben Lomond standing proudly over Loch Lomond.
We then take the journey along the ‘Rest and Be Thankful’ Pass, through Arrochar and along picturesque Loch Fyne to Inveraray, delightful, planned town and the traditional county town of Argyll. Enjoy some time at leisure in the town which is dominated by the imposing Inveraray Castle. A must-see attraction is Inveraray Jail, one of the finest and best-preserved jail and courtroom complexes in the world.
This evening enjoy a final night of singing with entertainment provided by the fabulous Dylan a Neil and Llion Williams.
Day 4: Depart our hotel after breakfast and travel to The Famous Blacksmiths Shop Museum, situated at the heart of Gretna Green village. It is the world-famous, historic home of the anvil wedding and has been at the centre of runaway love, since the Marriage Act of 1754. Inside the museum, you can contemplate marriage certificates that date back to 1754, the original wedding room that has the traditional and popular anvil, old carriages, and replicas of wedding dresses (admission extra). After some time at leisure, we complete the return journey home to North Wales.