A Game of Thrones: A Royal Scotland Three Day Tour

The story of Scotland’s royal past is steeped in bloody battle, gory feuding and spectacle, all resonating to this day. In 1603 King James VI of Scotland became the King of England, creating the new realm of Great Britain, but the land he left as he headed south to London is rich in the power and symbolism of his dynasty’s rise and ultimate collapse. Join us on a three-day tour, as we journey through 1500 years of mayhem, grandeur and love to unravel the secrets of Royal Scotland.

The first day sees us exploring the cobbled labyrinth of Edinburgh’s Old Town, with a walking tour down the fabled Royal Mile linking the seat of Crown authority at Edinburgh Castle with the official Scottish residence of the Queen, the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Then from the capital, we cross the Forth Bridge to the Dark-Age Kingdom of Fife, and visit Dunfermline Abbey, where the hero king, Robert the Bruce was interred, and the ruined palace next door where the ill-fated Charles I was born. This was the foundation of the medieval Canmore Dynasty, and our next stop is the Royal Burgh of Culross. These special market towns were created by the Canmores, and none is better preserved that Culross. From here it is a short drive to the Wallace Monument, erected in honour of Sir William Wallace, who spectacularly defeated the king of England in the plains below to preserve the independence of Scotland and her crown. We finish the day in Stirling.

The second day begins with a visit to Stirling Castle, perhaps the greatest fortress erected by the Royal Stewart dynasty, and where Mary Queen of Scots was crowned at the age of six months. We then make the short journey to Bannockburn, where Robert Bruce famously defeated Edward II of England to win freedom for Scotland in 1314. The tour then winds through Strathearn, an ancient kingdom stretching back over 1400 years (Prince William is officially the ‘Earl of Strathearn’ when in Scotland), and on up to the early capital of the country, Perth. We stop to visit Scone Palace, where in the grounds Scottish kings had been crowned since time immemorial. The day finishes in the cathedral town of Dunkeld in the Southern Highlands – a place long associated with the Stewarts, and even with the infamous Macbeth.

From Dunkeld, the guide will take you through the Vale of Strathmore to Glamis Castle, also linked to Macbeth and the childhood home of the late Queen Mother. After visiting the castle, and the nearby museum of Meigle, with carved stones depicting victories by kings in the seventh century, we pass through Dundee and on to St. Andrews. As well as the home of golf, this is the spiritual home of the Church in Scotland, and that relationship with the monarchy has led to some interesting outcomes. We finish at Falkland Palace, perhaps the best preserved hunting-lodge style residence of any king in Europe from the time; and then it’s back to Edinburgh.