|
Day 1 - Arrival
Edinburgh
On arrival this morning at Edinburgh
Airport you will be met by your Select Travel Service representative who
will escort you to your waiting executive motorcoach.
As your rooms in your hotel will not be
ready until the afternoon, you will proceed directly onto the National
Archives of Scotland where a private talk has been arranged for you. Your
talk will provide you with an overview of the role that the various
branches of the Douglas Clan have played in Scotland’s turbulent history
since the thirteenth century before you begin your tour of the Douglas
sites across Scotland. The talk will be illustrated by original documents
relating to the family which are held in the National Archives, including
charters which date back over eight hundred years to the twelfth century
and were witnessed by William de Duglas, from whom Douglases around the
world today trace their origins.
After your talk you will continue onto your
hotel, and the remainder of the day will be free.
This evening you will enjoy a welcome
drinks reception and dinner in your hotel during which you will get to
know your fellow travelers.
Overnight
in Edinburgh.
Day 2 - Edinburgh
Edinburgh is one of the world's most
attractive and spectacular cities. Known as the 'Athens of the North'
because of the ancient castle which dominates the city from high above,
Edinburgh offers many spectacular views, the best of which is from the
ramparts of the castle. Your tour will take you into the castle, thought
to have been a stronghold since the 4th century and the location of the
gruesome and politically motivated murder of the sixteen year old 6th
Earl of Douglas and his brother in front of King James II in 1440.
Your tour will also give you the
opportunity to stroll down the Royal Mile before continuing on to the
Palace of Holyrood, the official residence of the Queen when she is in
Edinburgh. (Note that interior visits are not permitted when the Queen is
in residence).The tour will terminate in Princes Street, with its broad
range of stores and boutiques which are bound to tempt even the most
frugal visitor!
The afternoon will be free for your own
activities in Edinburgh.
Dinner is served in your hotel this
evening. Also joining you for dinner will be Dr Michael Brown, author of
The Black Douglases: War and Lordship in Medieval Scotland, 1300-1455,
who will provide you with a short after dinner talk.
Overnight
in Edinburgh
Day 3 - Stirling
After breakfast this morning you will wave
goodbye to Edinburgh and drive the short distance to Linglithgow Palace
where Mary Queen of Scots was born in 1542.
From
Linglithlow you will continue on parallel with the Firth of Forth, passing
Falkirk where the Scottish forces of William Wallace were defeated by King
Edward III of England in July 1298, and onto the sight of the famous
Battle of Bannockburn. Fought in June 1314, the battle was a huge victory
for the Scottish army, one section of which was commanded by Sir James
Douglas, and heralded the start of Scotland’s ascendancy under the
leadership of Robert the Bruce.
After your tour of the Bannockburn you will
proceed on into the town of Stirling, where admission is provided to
Stirling Castle. The castle was once a favourite residence of the Stuart
kings, and it was here in 1452 that William Douglas, 8th Earl
of Douglas, was murdered and thrown out of a window by King James II.
Today a window bearing the Douglas Coat of Arms overlooks Douglas Garden.
You will also see the old towers built by King James IV, the fine 16th
century hall, the Renaissance Palace of King James V and the Chapel Royal
of 1594.
Dinner is
served in your hotel this evening.
Overnight
in Perth.
Day 4 - The
Kingdom of Fife
Today your first stop will be at the rugged
ruins of the fifteenth-century Loch Leven Castle, located on an island in
Loch Leven. Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned here in 1567-8, but escaped
with the assistance of Sir William Douglas.
From Loch Leven you will proceed onto
Aberdour Castle which was the property of the Douglas Earls of Morton.
You will then drive north along the Fife coast to the
charming seaside town of St Andrews.
St Andrews is
internationally renowned as the "home of golf" and possesses numerous golf
courses, including the famous Old Course. However, the town has also long
been known as a centre of learning and is home to the oldest of Scotland’s
universities which was formerly founded in 1411. Amongst its’ former
students is the famous Scottish prelate and poet Gavin Douglas, son of
Archibald ‘Bell the Cat’ Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus, who
studied here in the late fifteenth century. Over a hundred years and fifty
years earlier, in 1302, the young James Douglas had also come to the town
and lived for four years under the guidance of Bishop William Lamberton,
before he left leaving in 1306 to support Robert the Bruce.
A number
of ancient ruins survive in the town and your sightseeing tour will
include St. Rule's Tower and the Cathedral, which dates from 1160, as well
as St. Andrews Castle which was built around 1200.
Dinner is served in your hotel this
evening.
Overnight in Perth.
Day 5 - The
Grampian Mountains and Inverness
Today will
commence with a visit to Scone Palace which is located on one of
Scotland’s most historic sights. The Palace is built on the ruins of the
old Abbey and Bishops’ Palace, the traditional location for the coronation
of Scottish kings. Indeed it was here that Sir James Douglas first pledged
his loyalty to Robert the Bruce in 1306; an oath that he was to fulfill
for the rest of his life. The modern Palace was built following the
destruction of the Abbey during the Reformation, and today is home to the
Earl of Mansfield. On your tour you will see an impressive collection of
Vernis Martin, French furniture, porcelain, clocks and sixteenth-century
needlework, including pieces by Mary Queen of Scots.
Continuing
north after your visit to Scone Palace, you will pass through Pitlochry
and on into the Highlands. You will drive through Glen Garry and Glen
Truim to Dalwhinnie, where you will stop for a tour of the Dalwhinnie
Whisky Distillery and some free time for lunch.
In the
afternoon you will proceed on north towards your overnight destination of
Inverness. Before arriving in Inverness you will visit the site of the
Battle of Culloden where the Jacobite forces were crushed in 1746
Dinner is
served in your hotel this evening.
Overnight
in Inverness.
Day 6 - Loch Ness
and The Isle of Skye
The route south from Inverness takes you
along the shores of Scotland's most famous Loch, Loch Ness, where for
years the dark peaty waters have been home to the mythical Loch Ness
monster. Keep an eye out for 'Nessie' as you pass the eerie ruins of
Urquhart Castle.
Continue on through the
Western Highlands and along the shores of Loch Duich and Loch Alsh,
passing en route the beautiful Eilean Donan Castle, sitting in splendid
isolation on a small island on Loch Duich. Crossing the Kyle of Lochalsh
you will arrive on the picturesque Isle of Skye, where you will enjoy some
time sightseeing before taking the Mallaig ferry from Armadale, and
driving onto your destination of Fort William.
Dinner is served in your
hotel this evening.
Overnight in Fort William
Day 7 - Glencoe
and Loch Lomond
Leaving behind Fort William and the great
bulk of Ben Nevis, you will follow the shores of Loch Linnhe before
heading east towards the pass of Glencoe. The pass carves a swathe through
great butresses of rock, and the atmosphere of foreboding is heightened
when one learns of the dark secrets of its past, for it was here in 1692
that the infamous massacre of the MacDonald clan took place at the hands
of the neighbouring Campbells. After enjoying several days and nights
hospitality whilst sheltering from a storm, the Campbells, acting under
orders from the king, slaughtered the MacDonalds as they slept.
After a long climb through Glencoe, you
will proceed across desolate Rannoch Moor before heading south along the
Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond. Here you will pass through Glen Douglas
before enjoying an afternoon cruise on the scenic Loch. Afternoon tea will
be served during your cruise.
Following your cruise, you will meet up
with your tour motorcoach and continue south to your overnight
destination.
Dinner is served in your
hotel this evening.
Overnight in Peebles or Melrose.
Day 8 - North
Berwick
Today you will enjoy a full day of
sightseeing of the Douglas sites located around the town of North Berwick.
Dirleton Castle is today a ruined shell of
its former glory. A castle has stood on the site since the late twelfth
century, and was often fought over in the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries. In 1363 it fell to William Douglas, 1st Earl of
Douglas, but by the fifteenth century has passed into the possession of
the Halliburton family.
Tantallon
Castle was the chief stronghold of the Red Douglas Earls of Angus in the
middle ages. Perched high on a rocky eminence overlooking the Forth, the
castle played a considerable part in the battles between the English and
Scottish Crowns. Indeed as the Red Douglases were frequently in rebellion
themselves, the castle was beseiged (unsuccessfully) by the Royal Scots
army in 1491 and 1528. In 1651 however the castle was captured after the
walls were battered by artillery. In 1699 the castle was finally sold by
the Douglases, and it fell into decay.
Lennoxlove
House is currently the home of the Duke of Hamilton. The House contains
memorabilia of Mary Queen of Scots, including her death mask, as well as a
collection of art, furniture and porcelain. When the Douglas line died out
the 7th Duke of Hamilton inherited the titles of earl of Morton
and Douglas, whilst the Douglas estates passed to the Douglas-Hume family.
You will
return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Dinner is served in your
hotel this evening.
Overnight
in Peebles or Melrose.
Day 9 -
Berwick upon
Tweed
After
breakfast this morning you will head east for a day of sightseeing around
the border between Scotland and England.
Your first
stop will be for a visit to ruins of Roxburgh Castle which was captured by
Sir James Douglas in 1314, before continuing on to the sites of two
important battlefields. You will first visit Flodden Field, near
Coldstream, where the Scottish army under King James IV was destroyed by
the English in September 1513. In the battle the English lost about 1,500
men, whilst over 10,000 Scots died, including King James, twelve earls,
fourteen lords, and a member from almost every leading family in the land,
including the two sons of Archibald ‘Bell the Cat’ Douglas, 6th
Earl of Angus.
From
Flodden you will continue south to the site of the battle of Homildon Hill
where Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, a man renowned
for being on the losing side in almost all the battles in which he fought,
led 10,000 men against Sir Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, in
September 1402. However the troops of Douglas were decimated by Percy’s
archers, and they disintegrated into flight, leaving seven prominent
nobles killed, and over eighty barons and knights captured. Douglas
himself, bearing the marks of five arrow wounds beneath his coat of chain
mail, was also captured.
From
Homildon Hill you will continue into Berwick-upon-Tweed where you will
have some free time for lunch and to explore the town. The history of
Berwick is inextricably tied into that of Anglo-Scottish border warfare,
and that of the Douglas family. In 1297 William Douglas, father of Sir
James Douglas, was constable of Berwick Castle when it was captured by the
English. William Douglas died five years later in an English prison, but
in 1318 Sir James Douglas recaptured Berwick town and starved the castle
into surrender.
Outside
Berwick you will also visit the site of the battle of Halidon Hill, where,
in 1333, both Sir James Douglas’s brother and son died fighting against
King Edward III in a doomed attempt to prevent Berwick falling back into
English hands.
You will return to your
hotel in the late afternoon.
Dinner is
served in your hotel this evening.
Overnight in Peebles or
Melrose.
Day 10 - The
Borders
The first
destination today is the remains of Blackhouse Tower near Selkirk. This
was once a stronghold of Sir James Douglas in the early fourteenth
century.
You will
continue onto Melrose Abbey which was founded by King David I as a
Cistercian Abbey in 1136, and at one time was probably the richest in
Scotland. The abbey was destroyed by Richard II’s invading English army in
the late fourteenth century, but it was subsequently rebuilt. Today it
once more lies in ruins, a testament to the ferocity of King Henry VIII’s
suppression of the monasteries in the sixteenth century. Buried within the
abbey are a number of the Douglas Clan, including James Douglas, 2nd
Earl of Douglas, who was buried beneath the High Altar in 1388.
Of
particular interest to your group will be the small plaque which marks the
place where the heart of Robert the Bruce is buried. On his deathbed in
1329 Bruce asked his loyal friend Sir James Douglas to take his heart on a
Crusade to the Holy Land. Faithfully Douglas undertook this dying request
from his king, and with Bruce’s heart in a casket around his neck, he set
out with a force for Jerusalem. Douglas however only got as far as Spain.
Having given his help to the King of Spain in 1330 in a battle at Grenada,
Douglas suddenly found himself cut off and surrounded. Knowing that death
was inevitable he threw the heart of Bruce into the ranks of his enemies,
and charged after it, following his king into one final battle. The casket
was found the following day next to Douglas’s body and returned to
Melrose, whilst Douglas’s body was boiled, and his skeleton returned for
burial at St Bride’s Church in Douglas. The emblem of a heart was
subsequently added to the Douglas arms in memory of the deeds of Sir
James.
After some
free time in Melrose you will drive south to Otterburn Battlefield. It was
here that James Douglas, 2nd Earl Douglas, died in August 1388
fighting against the Percy Earls of Northumberland. Douglas had earlier
captured the pennion from the lance of Henry Percy in a skirmish near
Newcastle, and thus provided a mortifying blow to Percy’s honour. Rather
than continue his march home to Scotland, Douglas positioned the pennion
outside his own tent and chivalrously called on Percy to recapture the
pennion in combat, and redeem his honour. On 19th August Percy
launched his attack and in the ensuing battle Douglas himself was killed,
but the Scots won the day and captured both Percy, and his brother Ralph.
Dinner is
served in your hotel this evening.
Overnight in Peebles or Melrose.
Day 11 - Dumfries
and Galloway
Checking out of your hotel after breakfast
this morning, you will drive south to Hermitage Castle which was in the
possession of the Douglases in the fourteenth century. The castle is
rumoured to be haunted by the ghost of Alexander Ramsey of Dalhousie who
was starved to death in the castle by Sir William Douglas of Liddesdale.
Sir William himself was eventually murdered in 1453 by his godson –
William Douglas, 1st Earl Douglas.
You will proceed on into Dumfries and
Galloway where you will visit the town of Castle Douglas. Nearby is
Threave Castle, located in the middle of the River Dee. Built by
Archilbald ‘The Grim’ Douglas, 3rd Earl of Douglas, the castle
remained in the possesison of the family until 1455 when it was beseiged
by James II during his attempt to destroy the power of the Earls of
Douglas.
In the
afternoon a visit is arranged to Drumlanrig Castle. Built in the late
seventeenth century by William Douglas, 1st Duke of
Queensbury, on the site of an earlier Douglas residence, the castle is one
of the first and most important renaissance buildings in the grand manner
in Scottish domestic architecture.
(Please note that the opening schedule for
the castle is not yet known for 2002, but only the gardens may be
accessible in September.)
You will
continue onto your overnight destination of Ayr in the late afternoon.
Dinner is served in your hotel this
evening.
Overnight
in Ayr.
Day 12 - Burns Country
Ayrshire is known for its famous golf links such as Troon and Turnberry,
as well as its associations with Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet.
The city of Ayr is a popular commercial and tourist city, and you will
visit the single roomed thatched cottage in nearby Alloway where Burns was
born in 1759. The original version of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ and many other
Burns documents are on display in the adjacent museum. You will also
visit Auld Alloway church and the Burns Monument overlooking Brig o’Doon,
both locations mentioned by Burns in his frightful but humorous poem
Tam O’Shanter which describes the fate of those who have a ’wee dram
too many.
You will also visit the nearby Tam O’Shanter Experience, an audio-visual
experience dedicated to the life and times of Burns.
This evening, you will return to the Burns Museum for a traditional ‘Burns
Supper’. All over the world, Scots meet on 25th January each
year to toast the birthday of their most famous poet and tonight a
traditional Burns Supper will be recreated in your honour with the formal
address to the Haggis and traditional Scottish dancing.
(Please note this dinner is only available for groups of over 30 persons.)
Overnight in Ayr.
Day 13 - Douglas Flower Show (? 1st Saturday in September ?)
Today is set aside for a visit to the place
where the Douglas family began. In Douglas you will visit both St Brides
Church, where Sir James Douglas was buried in 1330, as well as Douglas
Castle. Captured by Sir James Douglas in the early fourteenth century when
the area was under English control, the castle became famous as the
location of the event known as ‘The Douglas Larder’ when Douglas beheaded
the entire English garrison and left their bodies in the vaults, before
dumping the limbs of the English horses into the castle well to ruin the
water supply, and setting the whole castle alight.
During the remainder of the day you will be
free to wander around the town and enjoy the Annual Douglas Flower Show (Check
if event is happening next September)
Dinner is served in your hotel this
evening.
Overnight in Ayr.
Day 14 - Departures
This morning you will meet
with your guide in you hotel lobby prior to your departure transfer to
Glasgow airport for your return flights.
If time permits you may visit Bothwell Castle en route to the airport.
As arranged by
Select Travel service
Scottish Clans and Castles
offer personal driver-guided tours throughout Scotland and specialise in
taking people to see their traditional clan lands and castles.
See also:
• an itinerary supplied by VisitScotland
•
Map of Douglas locations (work in progress)
|
