We just returned from the Week in Scotland tour. It was an excellent tour. Our TD was friendly and knowledgeable. The weather was amazing with temps in the 70s & 80s and little rain. This was a bit of a different tour for us as another couple joined us on the tour itself plus additional travel plans we had beyond the Tauck tour.
Day 0 – We arrived 1 day early checking into the Kimpton Blythswood Sqr hotel at about 11am and luckily our rooms were ready. We headed out for a short walk over to Sauchiehall St nearby to find an ATM and lunch. While lacking luxury stores it is a nice pedestrian only street with shops useful if you forgot something. We also walked to the Pipers Center nearby which has a tiny museum (£2.50 for srs).
Day 1 – Breakfast at the hotel was excellent with hot/cold buffets plus hot items to order. For those who arrived early Tauck provided your choice of either reimbursement for tickets on the Hop On, Hop Off bus or a walking tour to two pubs for beer. We opted for the bus which gives a good overview of Glasgow. Using it we got off to visit both the Riverside Transport museum and the Kelvingrove art museum. Both free and both excellent. We also had lunch at the Kelvingrove – good choice. The welcome reception & dinner were at the hotel. This was a Classic sized tour and we had 37 travelers. A very mixed group both in ages and origins. One large Indian family (some lived in India and some in the US) who had taken many Tauck tours. Another smaller family of 4 that included 20 something cousins who had been taking Tauck tours since they were 10 and 12. The meal and the wine were excellent.
Day 2 – Today we headed to Stirling Castle. I was happy to see our coach had the signature Tauck logos and photographs of Scottish sights. I feared these were another casualty of covid. My husband and I have been to Stirling before on the ESW tour. I love the location of this castle high above the surrounding countryside. Would have liked more time there. Then off to the Glenturret distillery tour. Following that lunch at Creiff Hydro hotel and a falconry demonstration. Food was soso, the demo was very interesting and funny. A very warm night in Glasgow which the hotel AC couldn’t keep up with. Many complained they hadn’t slept well.
Day 3 – We hit the road heading north first with a 1 hour cruise on Loch Lomond and drive thru Glencoe where we had lunch at Ballachulish. Glencoe is a beautiful valley with a sad history. From there we headed north thru Ft William and drove along Loch Ness. No monster sightings but maybe because it was during a thunder storm. Checked into the Kingsmill golf resort where our group was in the Kingclub building with “Retreat” rooms which are large with private patios and thankfully AC that worked. That night we had our Scottish Highland evening with bagpiper, haggis, and a lesson in clan plaids. Very fun. I did not eat the haggis as I’ve had it before and I’m not a fan.
Day 4 – Was spent at the Culloden battlefield and a visit to Cawdor Castle. Both Interesting. Cawdor is actually an occupied castle and what you tour is actually how it is when they are there. It also has beautiful gardens. Instead of the standard lunch we had Scottish High Tea with hot savory dishes, small sandwiches, scones and sweets. Those who are into this tradition liked it while others not so much. For the rest of the afternoon you could have a rest at the hotel or go into Inverness for a walking tour or time on your own. We all met at a pub for a drink before heading back to Kingsmill
Day 5 – Another longish driving day as we headed south towards Edinburgh. Enroute we stopped at Leault Farm for a working sheepdog demo and the chance to feed baby lambs. They also have a Hairy Coos calf (Scottish long hair cow) whose’s a bit of a pet. Next stop Blair Castle and lunch. It felt like touring Downton Abbey. Then the final push to Edinburgh and The George. The rooms were nice but definitely small especially the bathrooms. Our TD arranged for drinks and nibbles at the Forth View suite with great views. Instead of dinner in the hotel as expected we were given £50 each to find our own. Our group found a place on Rose Lane with outdoor seating to enjoy the weather. 
Day 6 – The basic city tour including a bus ride around, guided tour of Holyrood palace and Edinburgh castle then free time for the rest of the day. Our group had lunch at a small place called Deacon’s House Café across from Deacon Brodies Tavern. We spent a fair amount of time walking the Royal Mile and had dinner at Makars Mash Bar nearby. Excellent choice and reservations are easy to make.
Day 7 – The choice was Edinburgh on your own or heading to St Andrews about an hour away. Once there you could join a guided tour of the Old Course or the town (castle, university, and abbey). Everyone enjoyed their choice. It’s a lovely small town. Farewell dinner that night at the hotel was a bit disappointing. It was supposed to be at the Balmoral. It included apps and drinks beforehand, salad and vegetables served family style and beef or salmon en croute at a carving station. Not awful but not impressive either. Lots of chatter and laughter.
Dress/Packing: I tried really hard to bring the right clothes expecting a mix of warm and cool temps and rain. We got almost entirely warm temps and almost not rain. Some of our group wore shorts and tshirts. I had so few short sleeve tops I stopped at the Primark in Glasgow for a £3 pound top to supplement what I’d brought. It’s a very casual tour where comfortable walking shoes and a layered wardrobe are important. As to dressy cloths, of the 15 or so men only about 6 wore jackets to the welcome dinner and only 1 to the farewell dinner. Very few dresses.
Group size: There’s been lots of talk about this on the forum - Classic vs Small Group starts. Our group of 37 got along just fine and I didn’t notice any problems with loading of people or luggage on time. I’m still not sure what happened about the farewell dinner at the Balmoral. It’s possible that’s only offered on Small Group starts.
I'll post about our post-tour activities separately and try to add more photos.
