Washington Lodge 4, Free & Accepted

 Masons of Washington   

Scotland 2012

Tour Designed & Arranged by MCLEANSCOTLAND and Dave Coffing, Senior Warden. These are the basic tour details we will be adding more nearer the time, working with Brother David and Paul McLean SKT.

The Mother Lodge of Scotland is situated in the Ayrshire town of Kilwinning.  This old and ancient Lodge of Freemasons dates back to the building of Kilwinning Abbey around 1140 and has a unique history second to none in the Masonic world. Before the forming of Grand Lodge in 1736 Mother Kilwinning was a Grand Lodge in her own right issuing charters and warrants to Lodges wishing to enjoy the privileges of Freemasonry.

Rosslyn ChapelRosslyn Chapel

When you arrive, each couple will be presented with a wee welcome wallet, containing fully printed tour notes, with details of your daily visits, many suggestions where to drink and dine, generally some history and "bits & bobs" of relevant information for your tour.

 

Kilmory Chapel

DAY 1;  Arrive at Glasgow airport, we meet you and transfer to Glasgow city. Either relax at hotel, or use this half day as free time to enjoy Glasgow, our largest city. We will offer a city tour by coach. O/N Glasgow. DAY 2;  A second day Glasgow based. A coach trip to Burns country, pay a visit to learn about Scotland’s Bard. In the afternoon calling at Kilwinning Lodge. Return to Glasgow.

DAY 3;  Our tour starts in earnest today – as we depart Glasgow for the Highlands, west coast, with our first stop at Loch Lomond then heading west to the mountain pass “rest and be thankful” On to Loch Fyne where we stop overnight. Inveraray. This wee loch side town has a Victorian Jail to visit, castle, floating museum, wee shops and very nice walks. DAY 4;  Today we tour, Kilmartin Glen, with more ancient monuments than anywhere in Scotland, 5000 year old standing stones, burial cairns, Templar and Masonic graves in the kirk, a wee museum, excellent village pub, From here to Oban, seafood capital of Scotland. Time here to visit Oban distillery. Return via one more stop; St Conan’s Kirk a unique kirk to Inveraray overnight.

Kilmartin GlenKilmartin GlenKilmartin Glen

DAY 5;  Depart after breakfast for Rannoch Moor and Glencoe, where we stop briefly to take in the “magic and tragic” scenery. Continue to Fort William and stop at Inverlochy castle (ruin). From here a wee drive to Spean Bridge, where we stop for refreshments etc at the woollen mill.  On to Loch Ness and Inverness. DAY 6;  We travel east again today as we head into "Whisky country". Speyside has more distilleries than the rest of Scotland together!  We shall visit an excellent distillery Glenfiddich, a wee cafe here for light lunches and drinks of course. Then see how the casks are made at the Speyside Cooperage. Travel back to Inverness, via Cawdor Castle. We shall have a whisky dinner tonight, with 4 drams from around Scotland.

Cawdor castleSpeyside cooperage

DAY 7;  First visit; Culloden Battlefield. Then ...Och well, we drive south, stopping at Pitlochry in highland Perthshire. Here we have time for a lunch break and if you wish, another distillery visit, to one of the smallest in the country. From here passing through Perth direct to Edinburgh. Arriving as soon as we can to give you a city tour by coach. Overnight here. DAY 8;  A free day for you to discover what Edinburgh has to offer – and that is so much, you would need at least a week! But we shall advise and guide on this.  DAY 9;  Leaving Edinburgh approx noon, we travel south to visit Rosslyn Chapel, at least 2 hours here to entertain and educate “everyone”. We then make our way to   Glasgow and the airport Hotel.

Looking at Edinburgh castle