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      • Greece
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      • Barcelona, Spain
      • European Churches
      • Scotland
      • Ireland I
      • Ireland - Cliffs
      • Killarney, Ireland
      • Panama Land Tour
      • Quito, Ecuador
      • Chili, South America
      • Lima, Peru
      • Galapagos Islands Cruise
      • Birds of The Galapagos Is
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      • Shimizu, Japan
      • Kochi, Japan
      • Hakodate/ Aomori Japan
      • South Korea
      • TAHITI (la Orana)
      • Tahiti Cruise, Marquesas
      • Tahuata, Marquesas Island
      • Society Islands
      • Papeete, Tahiti
    • United States
      • Hopi Indian Tribe
      • Grand Canyon
      • Arizona
      • Carolina Road Trip
      • California
      • Tampa, Florida
      • Indiana
      • TN - Jack Daniels
      • Nashville, Tennessee
      • TN. - General Jackson
      • TN. -Pigeon Forge
      • Northeast Texas
      • San Antonio, Texas
      • Honolulu, Hawaii
      • Maui, Hawaii
      • Hilo & Kona, Hawaii
      • Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii
      • Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
    • 30-Minute Movies
      • Virtual Reality Movie/Dow
    • Contact Us
    • Reviews
    • Blog
  • Home
  • Travel Tours
    • Central America
    • Spain/Holland Am.
    • Rome, Italy
    • Greece
    • Turkey
    • Barcelona, Spain
    • European Churches
    • Scotland
    • Ireland I
    • Ireland - Cliffs
    • Killarney, Ireland
    • Panama Land Tour
    • Quito, Ecuador
    • Chili, South America
    • Lima, Peru
    • Galapagos Islands Cruise
    • Birds of The Galapagos Is
    • Tokyo, Hiroshima, Japan
    • Shimizu, Japan
    • Kochi, Japan
    • Hakodate/ Aomori Japan
    • South Korea
    • TAHITI (la Orana)
    • Tahiti Cruise, Marquesas
    • Tahuata, Marquesas Island
    • Society Islands
    • Papeete, Tahiti
  • United States
    • Hopi Indian Tribe
    • Grand Canyon
    • Arizona
    • Carolina Road Trip
    • California
    • Tampa, Florida
    • Indiana
    • TN - Jack Daniels
    • Nashville, Tennessee
    • TN. - General Jackson
    • TN. -Pigeon Forge
    • Northeast Texas
    • San Antonio, Texas
    • Honolulu, Hawaii
    • Maui, Hawaii
    • Hilo & Kona, Hawaii
    • Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii
    • Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
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Scotland I - 014

Join us on an Unforgettable Trip...

Our Trip-of-a-Lifetime began on April 23, 2016 starting in Scotland and ending 15 days later ending in Dublin, Ireland on  April 24th.  


We boarded our luxury coach operated by "CIE Tours International".  They  provided us with a wonderful tour in conjunction with Dream Vacations.  "With all their previous tours", they've locked in the best places to stay, the greatest restaurants and they stopped at the best places that Scotland and Ireland had to offer!  What a wonderful tour!


Our very first hotel stay was with the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club close to Edinburgh, Scotland.  It was located in Kirknewton which was in the suburbs but not far from the airport. It was a 4-star huge hotel with two restaurants and golf course. The rooms were comfy/ cosy with the breakfast buffet being part of our travel package!  The place was so large, I had to ask for help to find my room!


On our first excursion the tour bus was to drive to Leith, Scotland, to show us how the Royalty vacationed!  This is "the most popular tour" -  the Royal Yacht Britannia was a former floating home of Queen Elizabeth II.  This Royal Yacht was in service from 1954 until 1997 for many of her luxury travels around the world.

The Royal Yacht Britannia

Berthed in Edinburgh

As we stepped aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia, we followed in the footsteps of Royalty to discover the heart and soul of this most special "home away from home" of the Royal residences for both the Queen and her family.


It was a wonderful tour where we could see the various parts of this big yacht ;


Explore Britannia’s five decks with our free audio guide, available in 30 languages, as well as a children’s tour and British Sign Language tablet.


From the elegant State Apartments to the gleaming Engine Room, see where Prince William and Prince Harry spent their summer holidays.


Discover where kings and queens, world leaders and celebrities were wined and dined;


from Frank Sinatra and Liz Taylor to Nelson Mandela and Sir Winston Churchill.  


You can experience this opportunity on our 30-minute download available for you!

The Royal Mile...

The most well-known and visited streets in Edinburgh...

Enjoy the City Tour of the medieval Royal Mile (to view Princess Street, the  shops, restaurants and many other attractions.  Edinburgh is "Scotland's compact, hilly capital".  It contains a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings.


Based in the Old Town and within a World Heritage site, the area is culturally and historically important to the city and jam packed with things to see and do. The Royal Mile is the historic heart of Edinburgh, with the museums, restaurants, and many shops.  


The next morning we did our tour of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, where we found the whole road was closed down for a special parade.  As you can witness below, lots of people on bicycles and dressed up in costumes and with painted faces.

Edinburgh, Scotland, Princess Street, Royal Mile, Bagpipe musician, Edinburgh Castle, Royal Yacht

Edinburgh, Scotland, Princess Street, Royal Mile, Bagpipe musician, Edinburgh Castle, Royal Yacht 

 The Royal Mile is the historic heart of Edinburgh.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie

The Palace of Holyroodhouse stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile.  Arthur’s Seat is an imposing peak in the Holyrood Park with sweeping views and Calton Hill is topped with monuments and memorials. 


Who built the Palace?


According to medieval legend, the Abbey was founded in 1128 by David I of Scotland after seeing a vision of a stag, (deer).


Explore the Palace's close associations with some of Scotland’s most well-known historic figures such as Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie, and learn how today it is used by The Queen when carrying out official engagements in Scotland and she stays there during Royal Week each year.

Dynamic Earth

Is an interactive Web site...

Dynamic Earth is an interactive Web site where students can learn about the structure of the earth, the movements of its tectonic plates, as well as the forces that create mountains, valleys, volcanoes, and earthquakes. 


According to the National Science Education Standards, all students in grades 5-8 should develop an understanding of:

  • The structure of the earth's system
  • Earth's history


We were given a tour of that part of town which included  the Scottish Parliament Public Building, the Dynamic Earth Building and the street with big apartment buildings rising 14 floors up.


There was a grassy park and green hills where people packed a few camping trailers and some tents.  You can visit all these places on our 30-minute download.

Ghost Bus Tour of Edinburgh

On a double-decker vintage bus...

The Edinburgh Ghost Bus Tour is a theatrical sightseeing tour, taking you on a journey around the darker side of Edinburgh. Our creepy conductor showed us the darker side of the city!


We delved into Edinburgh’s horrific history on this evening "ghost bus tour".  With our spooky local guide, they took us on an adventure to visit the city’s most terrifying locations, haunted by infamy and restless spirits!


From our seat in a double-decker vintage bus, we could gaze at eerie sites such as Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh Castle, the grave yard, Grassmarket, and the Royal Mile.  Our big stop was getting off the safety of our "Ghost Bus" to explore the graveyard behind a church.  There was a lot of green moss covering all the really older gravestones and I took lots of pictures for you to examine on our 30-minute download we made just for you!


Throughout the trip, hear anecdotes and facts about Edinburgh’s chilling past,  with bloody executions, unspeakable tortures, and murder, etc.  Here's the bus...

Edinburgh's Old Town

Edinburgh's Old Town & The New Town

Edinburgh's Old Town is based around the Royal Mile, which stretches one Scots mile between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The surviving buildings here typically date from between the 12th and 17th centuries.


  • The Royal Mile
  • The Grassmarket
  • Edinburgh Castle
  • Palace of Holyroodhouse
  • Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
  • Scotch Whisky Experience
  • The Real Mary King's Close
  • St Giles' Cathedal
  • Greyfriars Bobby and Kirkyard
  • Museum of Childhood


The New Town of Edinburgh was built between 1766 and 1820. The architecture here is mostly Georgian neoclassical, with much influence taken from the buildings of Ancient Greece. The streets are much straighter and wider, and everything is very grand and elegant.


Designer shops, chic cocktail bars and restaurants, impressive art galleries and imposing structures dominate here. The area has a very different look and feel to the Old Town. 


But there is no less to explore and discover in the area than walking down George Street and Princes Street which are the main thoroughfares, with the stylish West End at one end and the magnificent Calton Hill at the other. The beautiful Princes Street Gardens, a public park, separates the Old and New Towns.  Both being very unique in their own way.

Edinburgh Castle

Contains the Scottish Crown Jewels

Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers. 


Edinburgh Castle is located at the top of the Royal Mile, at the west end of Edinburgh's Old Town. The volcanic Castle Rock offers a naturally defended position, with sheer cliffs to north and south, and a steep ascent from the west. It even has it's own canon for protection!


The great cannon Mons Meg was largely obsolete and only used for ceremonial occasions by the time of Mary Queen of Scots. She was fired on 24th September 1558 to celebrate the marriage of Mary to Francis, the French dauphin. It is said that a cannonball was fired almost 2 miles across the city and was recovered from Wardie Muir, close to the present day Botanical Gardens.


The only easy approach to enter is from the town to the east and the castle's defenses are situated accordingly, with a series of gates protecting the route to the summit of the Castle Rock, as you can see is straight up the side of a high cliff.


Edinburgh Castle is a world famous icon of Scotland and part of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh's World Heritage Site, perching dramatically on the volcanic Castle Rock and dominates the Edinburgh skyline.


Honours of Scotland, on display in the Crown Room, are the oldest Crown jewels and the Stone of Scone in Britain. Made of gold, silver and precious gems, the priceless crown, sceptre and sword of state are objects of immense significance.


The crown was made for James V, who first wore it at the coronation of Queen Mary of Guise in 1540. Mary Queen of Scots was the first to be crowned using the new crown and sceptre together, in 1543.  The last monarch to stay overnight in Edinburgh Castle was Charles I, in 1633.


Edinburgh Castle is now one of Scotland’s top tourist sites, attracting more than one million visitors annually. It has been part of Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995.

Photos From The Royal Palace...

Photo Gallery

view of castle on the hill

(30 + minutes & over 400 photos for just $12.00) Scotland 1 - #014

City Tour of the medieval Royal Mile...


Our 17-day adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland - ending in Dublin, Ireland...

                              

 Stayed at the Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club

             

 Took a tour of The Royal Yacht Britannia - was the (Queen's) former yacht.


Join us for an unforgettable trip by luxury coach with professional tour directors describing our once-in-a-lifetime Scotland and Ireland tour.

                                  

There are downloads that document our great adventure.   


We were staying in the best hotels, traveling in our luxury land yacht "BUS"), taking in the local dinner theaters with very enjoyable dancing and entertainment (videoed for the downloads) and just having the time of our lives!  


L​isted on this page are segments of our journey - posted on 30-minute video downloads (Travel Movies) giving you a history of the places we visited.  


Our tour started in Scotland which was very beautiful as we experienced snow in April venturing through the mountains. As we continued our trip, it warmed up as we got closer to Dublin!  

​

We not only saw many of the castles but we stayed in a few and it took us back in time with all the statues and furnishings.


Our first tour began as we made our way to Leith to enjoy seeing how the Royalty vacationed!


Grassmarket and Royal Mile are notable landmarks, and travelers looking to shop may want to visit George Street and Princes Street.


A ‘Scots mile’ long, and connecting two royal residences (the Castle and the palace of Holyrood House).  It's also home to parliaments old and new, law courts, a cathedral and churches with a vast range of visitor attractions, walking tours, shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs.

            

In total PJ Adkins took around 5,000 pictures covering those wonderful 17 days. 


This 30-minute download ends at the Jam House with a wonderful dinner and live show with bagpipes, dancers and singers featuring their Scottish-style music.

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30-minute Movie/Download for $12.00

Scotland I - #014 (Edinburgh)

All of this included on our Virtual Vacation Copy!

Our first tour was the Royal Yacht Britannia, "home away from home" of the Royal residences for both the Queen and her family.  We enjoyed the City Tour of the medieval Royal Mile "the historic heart of Edinburg"- very outstanding!   All included;

Virtual Vacation Copy

order here

Contact us after you've paid and we'll email your copy.

Drop us a line! After you pay, let us know that you purchased Movie #014

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Exploring Scotland II - #015

St. Andrews

That day we all boarded the bus to travel north to St Andrews, very famous for golf and Scotland's oldest university.  Our first tour was at the picturesque ruins of St Andrew's Cathedral.


Cathedral of St Andrew; 


The Cathedral of St Andrew is a ruined cathedral in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was built in 1158 and became the centre of the Medieval Catholic Church in Scotland. 


Our excursion started as we explored the remains of Scotland’s largest and most magnificent medieval church. Even in its ruinous state, the cathedral remains a prominent landmark highly visible from the sea.

 

Ruins of St. Andrew Cathedral;


The Ruins of St. Andrew Cathedral, known for "learning and culture", is a wonderful coastal resort and the world's home of GOLF!  Every golfer would love to come here!

 

We were able to walk around and enjoy the town as our director told us about the famous people and happenings here.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and there are a lot of wonderful photos that captured our whole tour - on our 30-minute download!


Our next stop was in the beautiful town of Pitlochry; 


The average journey time between Pitlochry and Inverness is 1 hour 41 minutes and traveling to that small town was a spectular drive through the Highlands - where we saw our first snow on the high mountains to Inverness - the Highlands of Scotland is aptly named “the capital of the Highlands”.  It's name is a Gaelic word meaning "mouth of the River Ness". 


Situated on the banks of the River Tummel, the centre features a gift shop and café with jaw dropping views of Pitlochry Dam and Loch Faskally.


Inverness;


We drove on through the long snowy mountains of the Highland mountain roads until we approached our next adventure of mastering our luggage at the Columbia Hotel. 


As a guest  enjoyed a wonderful dinner in their Victoria Restaurant which serves traditional English and Scottish cuisine as well as relaxing in our MacNabs Bar and Bistro overlooking the river.   The view from the restaurant was spectacular!


Then a big buffet for our breakfast and back on the road again starting our day going through the next town of Inverness or Nairn.


Ness is a river - Loch Ness (famous for its monster!)


We drove along Loch Ness and enjoyed the views of this deep lake - famous for it's tales of the

Loch Ness Monster! The Ness is a river which flows out of Loch Ness (famous for its monster!) into the Moray Firth (famous for its resident pod of Bottlenose dolphins). This is where a hydroelectric dam was built to generate electricity and to allow the Atlantic Salmon to pass through each season.​  We saw this ruin (the next photo) in our long drive...

Isle of Skye

Armadale Castle Ruins

Soon we passed over the bridge to the Isle of Skye viewing the Skye Kitchen and Saucy Marys.  We all had lunch at the Stables Cafe and went on to tour over the small bridge to the Castle Gardens and Museum of the Isles.


Some of the trees were huge, the garden was scattered over the vast lawn area, and beautiful spring flowers because we were there in April.


The story of Clan Donald,s history was told within the walls of the building containing the pictures and story of this great man - who was the powerful Lord of the Isles in his lifetime.


The ruins that was occupied by the Clan Donald Centre was there in ruins as part of the "Clan Donald Lands Trust".


You'll find the Armadale Castle Ruins and the most beautiful landscaped gardens in our many wonderful photos available for you in our 30-minute download!

After our wonderful informative tour, the bus took us to the town of Cairnryan where it was driven on the ferry along with the cars and the people then ventured up the steps to the main part of the boat to enjoy the ride to our next adventure!  There was food you could buy, a TV room with nice chairs and lots of places to wait and visit with the other passengers.


Once we returned to the mainland, the bus would drive off to continue on the "Road to the Isles through some of Scotland's most popular scenery taking us on our journey through the beautiful Glen Coe Peaks to Glenfinan and Neptune's Staircase - stopping for photos at the Glenfinnan Monument and continued to the Isles of Glencoe Hotel.


The Isles of Glencoe Hotel;


There are nine islands in Glencoe.


The one place to stay - pull up to the Isles of Glencoe Hotel, check in, get your luggage and gasp a little!


Situated in a breathtaking lochside setting at the foot of dramatic Glencoe, Loch Leven is right there.   

                                                                                                                    As a guest we enjoyed a commanding view of the mountains of Morven and Loch Leven from our room facing out to the water view with a sail boat anchored and birds flying around - that we fed from our window!  Don't tell anybody!!! 


The evening meal was served with us all together - enjoying the food and each other in their beautiful restaurant with the great view of the water! 


Starting our morning of the next day, we were treated to a delightful buffet breakfast - excellent and huge! Great meal to start our next adventure!

view a pool above the river

view a pool above the river 

Coast of Cairnryan

Robert Burns Museum...

That morning we enjoyed our final views of the magnificent Highlands as our bus headed south through the awesome peaks of Glen Coe and alongside of the lovely shore of Loch Lomond.  It was snowing which made the travel a bit slower, so we stopped at The Green Welly Stop which has been a famous visitor's attraction on this road for many decades.

Like many other similar attractions it's popularity can make it busy at times and the restaurant queue can seem slow moving especially when our bus load of tourists stopped in all at once!


It's a popular tourist shop offering lots of Scottish goods and outdoor clothing section catering to the foot weary, doing the West Highland Way long distance path. 


Also we didn't overlook the adjoining garage shop and cafe for quick takeaway drinks and snacks, instead of trying to decide what to have from the menu in our short visit.   Most of us looked around in the shop to see things that were different in this part of the country!  They sold everything from soap to nuts - and gas for the vehicles!


Robert Burns Birthplace Museum was our next stop for a lunch break with a museum, tour and lots of information from a deligated spokesperson.


ABOUT THIS PLACE...


Burns Cottage, the first home of Robert Burns is located in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland. ... It is a simple two-roomed clay and thatch cottage and has been fully restored to become part of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.


Birthplace of a genius – a celebration of the enduring legacy of Scotland’s national poet.

  • We visited the humble cottage where Robert Burns was born and spent the first years of his life.
  • Explored the museum which houses more than 5,000 Burns artifacts including his handwritten manuscripts we didn't see.


After our wonderful traveling the Coast of Cairnryan, the bus drove right onto the P & O Ferry to Belfast Ireland.


By taking a ferry to Northern Ireland, the holiday really does start when you step onboard. Some of us enjoyed a delicious meal in one of the restaurants, or we could catch a film at the cinema or ryou could relax in their club lounge – all while you journey across the Irish Sea.

With the speedy Cairnryan to Larne ferry crossing, we were in Northern Ireland in as little as two hours. After we docked, it was a mere half hour from our next city of  Belfast – to explore Northern Ireland’s culture capital. 


The Cairnryan Larne ferry route connects Scotland with Northern Ireland. The world is your oyster when you get the ferry to Northern Ireland to travel with them - everything is done just for you!  Even took a lovely photo of the cute white dog patiently waiting!


WE HAVE ARRIVED at our hotel EUROPA HOTEL!!!  Tomorrow we start our new adventure in IRELAND!


There wasn't a lot of room on this page for pictures of all these great places we visited, so you can get a copy of your own of this part of Scotland for your very own!!!   


            THERE IS SO MUCH MORE ON THE MOVIE/DOWNLOAD...

             (30 + minutes & over - 400 photos for just $10.00)  - #015


                                          Scotland II - #015

30-minute Movie/Download for $12.00

Scotland II - #015

All of this beauty was captured in this wonderful Movie/Download...

Maximize your sightseeing with this exceptional tour...

St. Andrews

Eileen Donan Castle

Isle of Skye - Nine islands in Glencoe

Coast of Cairnryan

Robert Burns Museum

All of this is available to you 

on a fabulous Movie/Download...Virtual Vacation Copy

order here

Contact us after you've paid and we'll email your copy.

Drop us a line! After you pay, let us know that you purchased Movie #015

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