Edinburgh

Kirribilli Books Literary Tour
Edinburgh 14 – 26th August 2010 – Postponed until 2011

* = meals/ entry included

Day 1 Friday 13^th July

Arrive Norton House Hotel and Spa. Settle in.

Enjoy a massage or spa (optional).

Welcome dinner.

* Dinner

Day 2 Saturday August 14th

Transfer via mini-bus to Edinburgh in the morning.

Settle into accommodation in serviced apartments or B&B.

Optional Music concert in the evening

* Half day tour of Edinburgh in the afternoon.

Day 3 Sunday August 15th

* Attend 2 Festival sessions of your choice – Sessions 1 & 2

Optional Literary Pub Crawl in the evening

Day 4 Monday August 16th

* Attend 2 Festival sessions of your choice – Sessions 3 & 4

Day 5 Tuesday August 17th

* Attend 2 Festival sessions of your choice – Sessions 5 & 6

Day 6 Wednesday August 18^th

Pick up from accommodation.

Depart Edinburgh after breakfast for lunch at St Andrews.

Afternoon: Stop at Kirriemuir, the home of J M Barrie.

Arrive Edzell. Settle into your accommodation at the Burn or Panmure Hotel

http://www.panmurearmshotel.co.uk/gallery.html

or Glenesk Hotel, Edzell.

http://www.gleneskhotel.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1

Own or share room available. Short drive up Glen Esk by the Esk River. Late afternoon poetry and bagpipes by The Burn.

* Lunch; dinner

Day 7 Thursday August 19th

Depart Edzell to drive to Dunnottar Castle at Stonehaven (Mel Gibson and Glen Close’s Hamlet filmed here).

Banchory for lunch and ghost tales, with a walk in the gardens of Crathes Castle.

Afternoon tour (40 minutes) of Crathe Lochnagar Distillery at the entrance to Balmoral Castle.

Overnight at Ballater on the River Dee. Info on accommodation to come in March.

* Breakfast; lunch; entry to Crathes Castle; distillery tour; dinner

Day 8 Friday August 20^th

Drive to Tomintoul (highest village in the Highlands)

Morning coffee at Granton-On-Spey. Find a coffeeshop with nice views.

Inverness, or surrounds, for lunch.

Visit Urquhart Castle and drive down the western side of Loch Ness.

View a working loch at Fort Augustus.

Overnight in Fort William/Ballachulish area.

* Breakfast; lunch; dinner

Day 9 Saturday 21st

Drive through charming countryside back to Edinburgh.

Stop at Stirling to visit the Sir Walter Scott monument and Stirling Castle. Back via Callander, the scenic route through the countryside where the Rob Roy McGregor novels were written.

Settle into Edinburgh accommodation.

Evening at leisure.

Optional Edinburgh Tattoo or music concerts.

* Breakfast; lunch.

Day 10 Sunday August 22^nd

Attend 1 festival session in am – Session 7

Free day to shop for woollen sweaters, kilts and other souvenirs.

Explore Edinburgh Castle.

Go on a literary walk.

Day 11 Monday August 23rd

Attend 2 Festival sessions: 8 & 9

Day 12 Tuesday August 24th

Attend 1 Festival session in the morning: Session 10

Afternoon: free time for shopping.

Farewell dinner (castle character theme).

* Castle character farewell dinner.

Wednesday August 25th Depart Edinburgh

Included:

12 nights accommodation; 10 Festival tickets; Some Breakfasts, lunches and dinners; Castle entries; Tour guide; Tour companion; Minibus for four days.