Today, we go around Ayrshire by coach and train. We will take the train to Ayr and then take the bus to Culzean Castle, which is perched on a clifftop location and offers views of the Firth of Clyde to Northern Ireland on clear days. It was built in 1777 by the Adam brothers for the Kennedy family and gifted to the National Trust in 1945 with the condition that President "Ike" Eisenhower occupy the apartment on the top floor exclusively. Over his lifetime, he made multiple trips there; today, it is a component of the hotel.

As we are in Ayrshire, we cannot miss the opportunity to take in the “Rabbie Burns” Museum. Known as the Scottish Bard we will visit the cottage of his birth, Alloway Kirk, Brig ‘o Doon – where in his poem “Tam ‘o Shanter”, Maggie, his horse, looses her tail to a chasing witch – the gardens and Monument to his memory.

Our final visit of the day is to the 18th century Dumfries House, also designed by the Adam brothers, for a guided tour.

Once owned by the Marquis of Bute, it, and its collection of Chippendale furniture designed specifically for the house, was saved for the nation by the Prince Charles Foundation. Coffee/tea and shortbread will be served prior to our departure for Auchinleck to connect with the train back to Glasgow. Dinner is in the hotel.

Today we will visit two historic industrial areas by bus. Visit Blantyre, the birthplace of David Livingstone. The row of cottages where he was born and raised has been preserved and houses an excellent museum about his life in Scotland and his explorations of Africa. You can opt for a coffee/tea break at a local cafe before heading to New Lanark, the famous mill village built by David Dale and his son-in-law Robert Owen.

It was revolutionary at the time because children had to attend the school, mill workers were encouraged to further their own education, housing was of a higher standard than that provided by other mill owners and they had a fair mill shop, where the goods were unadulterated and were priced fairly. Other mill owners despaired of these innovations claiming there would be no profit, but they were proved wrong.

We will have a guided tour here, there is a lovely view of the Falls of Clyde – the river provided the power for the mill – to which you may walk, and there is a cafe for a light lunch. Dinner is in the hotel.

Stay in Glasgow today and take an orientation tour of the city aboard a fantastic hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus. Enjoy the myriad of architectural styles above the shops before deciding which attractions to explore further – the Riverside museum for all things transport, Kelvingrove museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow Cathedral, People’s Palace etc – all of which have excellent cafes. You may choose to have a tour around the fully restored “Mackintosh at the Willows” – the only tearoom designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh still “in situ” – although, as there are only two morning tours with limited numbers, please let us know when you book.

You may wish to explore the hidden depths of Central Station – again please let us know. Alternatives are the Burrell Museum, Pollok House, House for an Art Lover – all of which are easily accessed by taxi. Dinner is in the hotel.

Today, travel by train to Balloch, where you'll cruise on Loch Lomond, one of UK's largest bodies of water.

It is dominated by Ben Lomond, an extinct volcano, and the most southerly of Scotland's Munroes(mountains over 3000 feet/914.4 m). Dinner is in the hotel.

It's a 'moving day', leaving Glasgow and taking the bus to Edinburgh. Along the way, witness Falkirk Wheel, an engineering marvel that recreates the lost link of the Forth and Clyde canal system, restored as part of the Millennium celebrations, and we will take a trip on the wheel as leisure boats do.

We will swing by the Kelpies – a tribute to the Clydesdale horse – before stopping at the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway which is the home of the Scottish Rail Preservation Society.

Enjoy afternoon tea on a steam train. You can also visit museums and stroll along the River Forth before being dropped off by our coach at your Edinburgh hotel.

A day out to Dundee by train today, crossing both the Forth and the Tay rail bridges.

Dundee was an industrial city built on the three “J”s – jam, jute and journalism. It now houses the V&A, the Discovery, the frigate “Unicorn”, Verdant Mills, McManus museum and art gallery, a university renowned for its courses in graphics and art (especially for computer games) and Ninewells, a pioneering hospital.

Mary Slessor, a mill worker, who became a missionary nurse in Africa is honoured by a series of gardens and there is a sculpture trail where you might meet Minnie the Minx, Desperate Dan, Oor Wullie or a family of ducks! There are plenty of eateries for lunch. If you would like to travel further than Dundee, we can arrange for you to take the train to Aberdeen on your own. Dinner is in the hotel.

Ride the recently reopened Borders line to Tweedbank to Abbotsford House, home of Sir Walter Scott.

The author was credited with introducing the Royal family to the “Romantic” aspects of Scotland and for making tartan fashionable – the wearing of tartan had been banned after 1746 with the final defeat of the Jacobites at Culloden. Dinner will be in the hotel.

On your final day, take the hop-on hop-off bus for a Royal Edinburgh tour that includes entrance to Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Yacht Britannia, and Holyrood Palace. You can also walk the Royal Mile from the Castle to Holyrood, explore the Vennels of the old town, enjoy the wonders of the New Town, take the tram to Edinburgh Zoo (or the airport), find the hostelries of Rose Street, wander in Princes Street Gardens (which used to be the Nor’ Loch before it was drained in the 19th Century and became the route for trains to Waverley Station), indulge in a cocktail in the Balmoral Hotel, shop in the St James centre or visit the National Museum or Portrait Gallery – and there are a plethora of eateries for lunch!

Tonight we will have our farewell dinner in Howie’s on Waterloo Place.

After breakfast, sadly, it is time to go home. Again, we can assist you with your travel arrangements. We hope you have enjoyed your visit to this part of Scotland.