Travel by coach this morning to one of Scotland's most famous
and most photographed lookouts, Queen's View. Supposedly named
after 14th-century Queen Isabella, wife of Robert the Bruce, after
she used the picturesque spot to have a rest when travelling
through the area. Queen's View offers stunning lake and mountain
panoramas, stretching out across glimmering Loch Tummel to the
beautiful Glencoe Hills in the distance.
Continue to Pitlochry where you have some free time for lunch,
before transferring to Edinburgh, Scotland's cosmopolitan capital.
Here you have some time at leisure to explore.
The heart of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site,
delightfully blends the old with the new with its medieval Old
Town, Georgian New Town, and award-winning modern architecture. It
is easy to see why Edinburgh was once regarded as the 'Athens of
the North'.
Why not visit the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, where you
can learn more about Scotland's unique history, displayed visually
through portraits of those who influenced and inspired it?
You will also be able to visit Edinburgh Castle before the
festivities kick off this evening. Set overlooking the city, the
castle offers fantastic views of the surrounding area and over to
the Firth of Forth. The buildings date from between the 12th and
20th centuries, reflecting the castle's changing role as fortress,
royal palace, military garrison, and state prison. You can also
view the Scottish Crown Jewels and the city's oldest building, the
11th-century St Margaret's Chapel which lies within the castle
grounds.
This evening, settle into your seats for the highlight of your
trip, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, set against the magnificent,
floodlit backdrop of Edinburgh castle.
The Tattoo is an incredible, annual musical spectacular
combining music, entertainment, ceremony. The first official
Edinburgh Military Tattoo took place in 1950 with around 6,000
spectators. Today, over 200,000 people flock each year to watch the
performances, which include the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's Royal
Marines, and a fantastic firework display.
Includes