Homecoming Scotland 2009 Itinerary Ideas

Timed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, 2009 marks Scotland’s first ever Homecoming Year. With a nationwide programme of events and activities lasting from Burns Night to St Andrew's Day, there will be something for everyone! Key celebrations will focus upon Scotland’s great contributions to the world including great minds and innovation, ancestry, Burns and culture, golf and whisky.

Below is a 5-day taster of what the National Trust for Scotland can offer coach & tour operators and their clients:

Day 1

• In true Homecoming spirit, begin your tour with a visit to Burns National Heritage Park, now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. Visit the iconic thatched cottage where Burns was born 250 years ago and take a stroll over the romantic Brig o’ Doon. Explore the haunted Alloway Kirk (if you dare!) and see the beautiful Burns Monument and Gardens. Visit the famous Tam O’Shanter Experience with its lively interpretation of this world-famous poem, 120-cover restaurant and Burns-themed gift shop. Enthusiasts can also visit Souter Johnnie’s Cottage – immortalised in the unforgettable Tam O’Shanter – and the Bachelors’ Club, where Burns attended dance lessons in 1779 and then later formed a debating club for bachelors living in the parish of Tarbolton. Burns was also initiated into Freemasonry here in the upper room in 1781.

Day 2

• Visit The Georgian House – part of Robert Adam’s masterful urban design and 4 Star visitor attraction. Situated in Charlotte Square, in the heart of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site, this elegant property has been magnificently restored to show a typical Edinburgh New Town House of the late 18th – early 19th century. Follow your visit with a relaxing coffee & cake, or light lunch, at No. 28 Charlotte Square, the Trust’s recently refurbished town house restaurant just across the square. Here you can enjoy traditional Scottish baking at its best, while contemplating the Scottish masterpieces that decorate the walls. After lunch, stroll along Princes Street and up the Royal Mile to Gladstone’s Land where you will step back in time to a bustling and turbulent 17th-century Edinburgh, discovering what life was really like in the capital’s Old Town four hundred years ago.

Day 3

• 2009 celebrates 300 years of the Dalrymple family at Newhailes, a grand 17th-century house situated on the outskirts of Edinburgh. A must-visit on everyone’s itinerary, this 5 Star historic house, and Green Tourism Business Scheme silver award holder, has strong links to the Scottish Enlightenment. As well as boasting an extensive library built by Sir David Dalrymple and an impressive collection of early 18th-century Rococo interiors, Newhailes is surrounded by grounds and a wider estate that include an 18th-century designed landscape, woodland walks, open parkland, remains of water gardens and a shell grotto and summerhouse. As with most National Trust for Scotland properties, a traditional tearoom is never too far away! After stretching your legs and enjoying some fresh air, relax in Newhailes’ intimate courtyard tearoom over a coffee and scone, re-assured in the knowledge that you are actively supporting the charity’s vital conservation work.

Day 4

• Visit to Kellie Castle, an ancient and reputedly haunted Scottish castle – the oldest tower dating back to 1360 – with an enchanting walled garden, woodland and meadow walks. The 6th Earl of Kellie was a famous composer, musician and bon viveur of the Enlightenment. Famous for its Scottish furniture designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, beautiful 17th-century painted panelling and plasterwork ceilings, Kellie Castle also hosts an exquisite exhibition on the life and work of Scottish sculptor Hew Lorimer.

Day 5

• Take a trip north to the National Trust for Scotland’s new world-class visitor centre at Culloden Battlefield near Inverness. With a 360-degree total immersion theatre, multilingual battlefield guides and spectacular rooftop views, Culloden is an essential visit for every itinerary. The centre’s gift shop offers a selection of exclusive products including Culloden 10-year-old Single Malt Whisky. Why not join in the celebration of Homecoming with From Battle to Exile – a weekend of ancestral events on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May at Culloden? The first event in Culloden’s Year of Homecoming, the programme will trace people’s experiences from the battlefield to their years in exile through costumed presentations, music and an exciting new tour of the battlefield.