Follow us on:

Contact | +44 (0)845 260 1085

Scotland: Art & Architecture

  • Scotland
    •
  • OVERVIEW
  • ITINERARY
  • HIGHLIGHTS


itinerary Map

Scotland: Art & Architecture

6 Days

Scotland’s two largest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, offer two completely different yet equally inspiring experiences. Appreciate the full spectrum of Scottish art, architecture, history and culture as you are treated to exclusive experiences and private tours.

Beginning in Edinburgh, widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and ending in Glasgow, famed for its innovation, design and warm hospitality, your stay can be created to fit your exact preferences and requests.

GET IN TOUCH
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   

ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS



Dream Escape’s ‘Cultural Cities’ programme could include any of the following experiences:

  • Perfect your photography skills on a private tour of Edinburgh led by an expert photographer, who will show you the best vantage points for the city’s most famous landmarks.

 

  • See ‘Glasgow’s Guggenheim’ on the banks of the River Clyde, designed by the much-acclaimed Zaha Hadid.

 

  • Explore the ‘Athens of the North’, a capital city of two halves: the grand, Georgian New Town, and the twisting labyrinth of the medieval Old Town.

 

  • Discover Glasgow’s breath-taking surrounding countryside in true style as you sail across Loch Lomond aboard a luxury motor cruiser.

 

  • Enjoy a curator-led tour at your choice of one of Scotland’s national art galleries.

 

  • Visit the building widely regarded as Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s finest domestic creation and take a private tour around the house and gardens.
  • Join a local artist in Holyrood Park and be guided and advised as you sketch out Edinburgh’s famous skyline, including the towering, ancient volcano of Arthur’s Seat.

 

  • Take a guided tour of the ultra-modern Scottish Parliament building and discover the architectural inspiration behind this award-winning creation.

 

  • Roam the streets of Glasgow and marvel at the contrast of art-nouveau and modernism which saw it crowned the UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999.

 

  • Step inside the National Museum of Scotland and learn more about the history of this fascinating nation on a private tour.

 

We suggest a stay in the following accommodation in Edinburgh; relax in a contemporary, five-star property on the Royal Mile which itself is an iconic landmark of the city.

Contact our Creative Planners Now


HIGHLIGHTS

VIEW ALL HIGHLIGHTS


  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   

HIGHLIGHTS

VIEW ALL HIGHLIGHTS

THINGS TO DO

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND

Taking no more than 60 minutes, this museum will take you back in time into a world of Jacobite plots, royal feuds and ancient loyalties.

THE NATIONAL MONUMENT

is the most striking monument, inspired by the Parthenon in Athens. Intended to commemorate the Scottish servicemen who died in the Napoleonic Wars, it was never completed leaving just the twelve columns you see today.

PALACE OF HOLYROODHOUSE

The official residence in Scotland of HM, The Queen and The Royal Family. It is also home to the changing exhibitions from the Royal Collection, featuring old master paintings, rare furniture, decorative arts and images from the vast photograph collection.

SCOTTISH NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

One of Edinburgh’s most remarkable buildings – a great red sandstone neo-Gothic palace and home to the national collections of portraits and photography collections.

KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM

considered to be Glasgow’s leading museum and is home to an outstanding art collection and a vast natural history collection, plus one of the finest collections of arms and armours in the world.

HILL HOUSE

Overlooking the River Clyde, Hill House is home to what is universally regarded as Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s finest domestic creation.

PLACES VISITED

EDINBURGH

Scotland’s historic capital city. Edinburgh, sometimes referred to as the “Athens of the North”, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress; and the neo- classical New Town, dating from the 18th The harmonious connection of these two contrasting historic areas, each with many important buildings, is what gives the city its unique character and saw it awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 1995.

The Royal Mile, which lies at the heart of the Old Town is arguably one of the most famous streets in the world. Today, it is peppered with stores selling cashmere goods and hand crafted silver jewellery. However, in centuries gone by it was a different story: delving into the Old Town is like leafing through the pages of a dusty historical novel, as each era unfolds with its own legends and characters.

LOCH LOMOND

Loch Lomond is one of the Scotland’s most famous stretches of water. Formed during the last Ice Age, the north is dominated by mountainous peaks and a scattering of islands can be found at the southern shores.

The loch is steeped in history and has inspired artists, poets and writers for centuries. Praised by such figures as Robert Burns and Gerard Manley Hopkins as well as being the focus of the ever-popular song “The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond”, which closes many a night of revelry, it has earned its place in Scottish culture both high and low.

GLASGOW

The city buzzes with atmosphere and exudes history. It has a rich and colourful past – from humble beginnings, this western settlement flourished with arrival of industry and has continued to evolve ever since. The city has received international acclaim for its architecture. Traveling round the streets in some areas is like wandering through a living museum. Art and Design have always had a strong and steady heartbeat in the city, from the Industrial Revolution to the days of the legendary Charles Rennie Mackintosh who created many of the city’s best loved and most influential buildings.

INCHMURRIN ISLAND

The largest of the Loch Lomond’s islands and home to the ancient remains of Lennox Castle which in the 14th century sheltered fugitive Robert the Bruce before he was to become King of Scotland, and Inchconnachan Island, where a wallaby colony introduced in the 1940s and remains to this day.

  • "Everyone, from the Tour Guides to our excellent driver, were amazing. All aspects of the trip were beyond expectations. Even changing our day schedule for outside reasons (like the airline sending my bag to a city 120miles away) they were always happy to help and move the schedule around so we could keep enjoying our trip. Everyone made us feel at home and like family."

    Client of Leah Molinari, Molinari Travel, Gifted Travel Network

  • "Dream Escape was the trip of a lifetime. Excellent choice of hotels, tour guide was awesome, the planned tours were wonderful and very informative."

    Client of Trisha Rathke, VIP Travel Designs, Gifted Travel Network

  • "Dreamscape designed an itinerary that combined an exploration of Scottish history and culture and a visit to some of the filming locations for the hit TV show Outlander. The tour guides provided were personable and knowledgeable and responsive to our interests. Our driver who was with us for the entire trip was professional and pleasant and again, flexible and sensitive to our interests. The hotels were magnificent and the pacing of the trip, spending at least two nights in each hotel was perfect. The itinerary was everything we wanted!"

    Client of Susan Morley, Journeys around the World, Cadence

  • "Sally Strange was wonderful so knowledgable, friendly and fun. 100% would use her services again. We feel like we have a friend for life! We LOVED our tours, where we ate lunch, and spending the days with Sally......Thanks (once again!) for looking after our clients so well. We so appreciate you. "

    Lauren Ainsley, Black Tomato

  • "Rosie...thank you for giving us such a world-class experience in Scotland. Everyone had such a wonderful time and your presence was a large part of that. Your warmth and generosity in taking care of us on our little excursion is so beyond appreciated and I can’t wait to work with you again soon."

    Alex Martinetti

  • "Thank you so very much for the amazing trip to Scotland that you planned for us!! It was truly a once in a lifetime fabulous family trip!! Not only were the accommodations perfect, the activities were above expectations, given the people involved with so much knowledge and compassion for what they do....Many, many heartfelt thanks for making this trip so very special for our family. "

    Clients of Kristen Meckem, Kristen Meckem Travel, An Affiliate of Brownell

  • "I work regularly with Michael Davies, who I can not praise enough! Michael is a gem to work with and always delivers extraordinary client itineraries. "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "We cannot thank you enough for all you did for us during our stay in Scotland! We loved every minute of it....and we loved you teaching us the history of each town and visit. "

    The Pogue Family - Clients of Amy Spence, Strong Travel

  • "We are so grateful for professionalism, expertise, and purely fun personality to entertain and educate our clients in all things royal! I do believe it was a smashing success. 😊"

    Pat Bowden, Red Letter Travel, an independent affiliate of Brownell

  • "Michael does such an outstanding job with making sure every itinerary he works on with me is well thought out. He is attentive to detail and always allows for the clients interest to be reflected in their tours. He makes sure that the perfect tour operator and chauffeur is paired with each client. I wanted you to know what a pleasure it is working with Michael and knowing my clients will always be well cared for when traveling with Dream Escape! "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "Without a doubt, what made all of it so special and unforgettable was having the true pleasure of having Sally Strange as our guide. She was truly incredible..so full of life, energy, amazing historical knowledge anywhere we visited was extraordinary. Her sense of humor and fun personality made her extra special. Sally was a winner in every way."

    Clients of Betsy Talbot, Travel by Talbot (Brownell)

  • "Your team excelled on all levels! The execution of the itinerary was flawless!!! Well done. The clients LOVED Sally and this was just the second note from them about how exceptional she was. "

    Cathy Major, Cerulean World Travel

  • "I just wanted to send an e-mail to compliment the excellent service I have received with Susie Little. She has been absolutely wonderful to work with. She is quick to respond, easily answers all of our questions, and has had to be patient with my clients as we have made many changes and updates to the itinerary. I really appreciate all of her hard work and the beautiful itinerary she put together for my clients. They said they were in AWE and everything looked fabulous! Thank you for providing such excellent service and I look forward to working with you in the near future! Thank you so much!"

    Krista Boyles, Unique Romance Travel

  • "I want to extend my deepest gratitude for your incredible work on this project, we really could not have gotten it across the finish line without you and your team 😊"

    Marieta Carrrero, Boost Journeys

  • "I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone at Dream Escape who helped in making the Gialamas' visit to London special. I know Dream Escape has many people behind the scenes that work on making an itinerary such as this flow seamlessly and I just wanted to say thank you for all of your hard work! "

    Jennifer McCrea, Boutique Travel Advisors

  • "Activities & Tours - All the events and guides were outstanding.- Guides - Simply the best. All of them. All outstanding! "

    Black Tomato Clients

  • "Thank you for everything you did to make the entire trip, special presentations and events so special. It has added a sparkle in my life!"

    Gretchen Ashworth Stewart, Client

  • "Dream Escape, to no one’s surprise, is the best in the business. I cannot begin to thank you for crafting a perfect vacation for these clients. They had nothing but fabulous things to say about each and every event."

    Nancy Ebel, Virtuoso Travel Advisor

  • "Couldn’t have asked for a better 1st trip to London!......The sites we saw were the best & Sally, you went above & beyond to make it memorable"

    Shannon Marie Long - Reed and Mackay

  • "Delightful to spend time and see the incredible city of London with you all. Dream Escape for a flawless job in seeing the best bespoke sites, Sally you are amazing. Thank you again as this was amazing"

    Josh Whitaker - Owner, Rudi Steele Travel

  • "Probably the best of the best in the UK and Ireland for organising amazing trips. They know their stuff, have fantastic relationships with suppliers and always go the extra mile."

    Rob Arrow, Al Tayyar Group

  • "Lovely suite. Fabulous private tours. Everything has exceeded our expectations. "

    William A Heim, Client

  • "I had the most wonderful time with you and learned so much...What you offer is rare and much needed in the truly exclusive travel world. "

    Jean Newman-Glock, Signature Travel Network

  • "You were the heart and soul of the trip….I truly admired your sunny personality, sense of humor, organization and professionalism.  You also demonstrated  that a guide’s work is never done as you were constantly researching….. Did you ever rest??? "

    Sharon Delano, Frosch

  • "We want to thank you and the team from Dream Escape.  All six of us in our group had a wonderful time, and we all agreed we owed that in large measure to the work of Dream Escape. From the onset of working with you, you demonstrated a tremendous knowledge about all the activities we wished to pursue —from playing golf to dining at excellent restaurants to seeing historical sites and the Tattoo and Fringe Festival.  And, then you executed "

    Thomas Cohen, Client

  • "THANK YOU a zillion times over for choosing/assigning Rosie to be with this family.  She MADE the trip for them – there’s no other way to put it! "

    Jill Jergel, Frontiers International Travel

  • "Our holiday in Scotland now tops their lists of best trips…… To their growing list of amazing and memorable first-time experiences, our sons may add fishing for trout and salmon on the River Tay; steering a motor boat on Loch Ness; and taking private guided tours on Culloden Moor Of the eight full days we were in Scotland, Alex and Mattie thought each and every day was the best"

    Michael Guadarrama & Trammi Nguyen, clients of Peter Carideo. CRC Travel

  • "All six of us were deeply moved by the whole experience. Bravo Dream Escape "

    Max Levy, Direct client

  • "Thank you Karen and all of the staff and guides affiliated with Dream Escape…..the Flemings are having an awesome tour of Scotland. You all have made me look like a star! "

    Joni Gerace, The Travel Society, LLC

  • "Thanks for all your help and we can chalk this one up as a big success!   Our anniversary celebration was all we could have hoped for "

    Clients of Courtney Regan, Affiliate of Brownell Travel

  • "Rosie was MORE than outstanding – she went out of her way to help us in every regard...She was so knowledgeable – we all loved her"

    Jill A. Jergel, Frontiers International Travel

  • "I cannot thank you, Nicola and all the Dream Escape “clan” for the wonderful care & attention you have provided, and are providing for my clients"

    Cindy Evans, Travel Consultant

  • "I hope I have another opportunity to work with Dream Escape in the near future. The company is so professional, yet approachable and easy to work with. It has been a pleasure!"

    Carole McFarland, Universal Travel

  • "Dream Escape is delivering in a superb manner. Jim Johnston is a great driver and one of the best guides we've had - I wish to very much thank the Dream Escape Team for fulfilling a Dream…"

    Donald M. Davis, President, Luxury Travel, Inc.

  • "Thank you all so much it's great to have trusted friends on the ground to take care of our clients!"

    Peter Carideo, CRC Travel

  • "The trip was great.... Dream Escape is the name of the game"

    Ann Lipschitz, Worldview Travel

  • "Your level of service is just outstanding"

    Debra Fini, VWTI

  • "Dream Escape don’t just organise trips – they create adventures"

    Financial Times, How to Spend it

  • "It was, without doubt, one of the most spectacular weekends I have ever had"

    Country Life

  • "David Tobin’s an ace at getting inside private castles and estates and he’s well connected.... "

    Conde Nast Traveller Magazine

  • "The level of service they provide is outstanding. They truly care about every aspect of the trip to ensure you have a fantastic stay. Rosie is a hidden gem of a tour guide. Just fabulous."

    Yvonne Malka, Signature Travel Network, April 2018

FAQ’S | T&C’s | Privacy Policy | Photo Credits

All rights reserved © 2017 DREAM ESCAPE