Wednesday July 15, 2026
I booked a small group tour (max 16 people) with Discover
Scotland. Shore Excursions from Greenock 2026 | Highlands &
Castles
When we boarded the van, each seat had a “goodie bag”. It
included a bottle of water, and a local drink called IRN-BRU, often described
as "Scotland's other national drink" after Scotch whisky. It had an
interesting taste a bit like cream soda and bubblegum and maybe a ginger spice.
Honestly, it was good. The bag also included a box of chocolates, a caramel
wafer bar, and a pack of shortbread. Our guide was Chris and he wore a kilt. He
was very informative and a great guide. We waited for a party of 6 for a long
time and finally he got a call that one person had canceled, and the other 5 were
now waiting by the ship. So, we drove around and picked them up. It was a
family (grown children) and they talked amongst themselves and talked over the
guide for most of the tour. It was hard to concentrate on what the guide was saying. They only
talked louder when the guide tried to speak up. He did play some Scottish music
in the van when he wasn’t talking. Chris probably should have asked the group
to be quiet so everyone else could hear. (other guides jokingly get the point
across)
We started with Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s most
significant and best-preserved Renaissance landmarks. Once the guide got our
tickets, we were free to explore on our own and were given a time to meet back
at the van. We spent a lot of time in the beautiful gardens. There were lavish
halls and royal chambers, which have been restored to their original
16th-century grandeur. We were walking in the footsteps of Mary, Queen of
Scots, and Bonnie Prince Charlie. From the castle walls, we looked out over the
surrounding countryside, including the site of the Battle of Stirling Bridge,
where William Wallace (of Braveheart fame) led his triumphant victory over the
English in 1297. Stirling Castle depicted many unicorns (Scotland’s national
animal). The beautiful tapestry depicting the Hunt of the Unicorn was quite
impressive. (another half an hour here would have been great)
We had lunch in Callander, considered the ‘Gateway to the
Highlands’. Chris recommended his favorite spot called Bread and the long line
to get in confirmed that was the place to go. They had many sandwiches on their
home-made breads, but we ordered their savory pies. We got a Steak Pie and a
Chicken and Haggis Pie. Both were delish! The long line cleared out, and we
managed to find seats on the long shared table. We had some free time left and
we shopped and explored the small area. I got my magnet and we bought some Butter
Tablet (like shortbread fudge).
Our next stop was to visit some “hairy coos”, which is the Scottish
slang term for the Highland cow, an ancient and iconic breed native to the
Scottish Highlands. They are easily recognizable by their long, shaggy coats
and large, sweeping horns. This time of year, they are losing much of the fur,
so they looked a bit scraggly. Unfortunately, they were clustered close to the fence and impossible to get great photos.
The Trossachs are known as Scotland’s Highlands in Miniature.
We then traveled through the charming village of Aberfoyle and ascended the
spectacular Duke’s Pass, one of Scotland’s most scenic drives. We went down a
small dirt road to take a short walk to a very tiny viewpoint area where a guy
was taking a break from his motorcycle and having a smoke and I’m sure we
disturbed his peaceful moment. We had passed some gorgeous scenery and most of
the van thought it was a bit of a waste of time to stop at this small
viewpoint. (it was out of the way and probably took 45 minutes) However, taking poor photos from the van window, at least we could take a few photos
without heads and blurs of the passing scenery.
We arrived in Luss, one of Scotland’s most picturesque Highland villages, nestled on the iconic bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. (Loch is a lake) Chris wasn’t clear on where to go here. He pointed to the direction of the Lake and the direction of the town. We found the Lake and grabbed some ice cream before heading off to try and find the town. We split up and went in the 2 directions that were possibilities. I stayed close by and got my magnet, and Greg did find a bit of the town.
It was time to return to the ship after a great day
exploring this part of Scotland.
We had dinner in the dining room and went to the Show which
was vocalist Hannah Stearne and she did a tribute show of Freddie Mercury
songs. Great show!
Tomorrow, we finally have a Sea Day. After touring for 13
days, it was much needed. Plus, it hasn’t felt much like a cruise since it was a
ritual of getting up early, touring, and going to bed early and no time to
enjoy the ship.
Thursday July 16 - Sea Day
Finally, a sea day to catch our breath after 2 weeks of
touring.
We had lunch in the dining room and played Bingo in the
afternoon. The evening dress code was interesting in that it was called “dress
to impress”. We took that to mean more of a formal night since the Captains Circle
party was held that evening. However, the food was Italian and not “formal food”.
It was a nice party, but we had just eaten dinner so we didn’t try the appetizers,
but the champagne was good. (you could get any drinks you wanted) The Captain
of the ship was Paul Slight, and he presented the top 3 most traveled
passengers with gifts.
The show that night was Fantastic Journey, billed as dazzling
technology woven into live performances of chart-topping hits, which included
270* 3D imagery with 14 choregraphed drones.
Tomorrow, we visit Invergordon, Scotland for “all things
Outlander”.
Web Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ey2KspfCL5T3qu3fA
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