NTS 5 day West of Scotland architectural tour

Day 1 (Edinburgh ‘A Tale of Two Cities’)

• AM Guided tour of The Georgian House in Charlotte Square, Robert Adam’s masterpiece of urban architecture, situated in Edinburgh’s New Town. For a complete contrast, visit to Gladstone’s Land, the best example of a 17th-century high tenement building, typical of the Old Town during this period.
• PM Free time to explore Scotland’s capital city or visit the famous Castle and Holyrood Palace, both on the Royal Mile.

Day 2 (Glasgow/Helensburgh From
Art Nouveau to ancient ‘Greek’)

• AM Morning coffee and guided tour of The Hill House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s finest domestic creation. Sitting high above the Clyde, with excellent views over the river, The House conveys the union of two architectural opposites – traditional Scottish values and modern international aspirations. Enjoy the sheer timeless elegance of these rooms, as well as the gardens, which reflect Mackintosh’s architectural designs.
• PM Lunch and guided tour of Pollok House, one of Scotland’s grandest Edwardian country houses. Ancestral home of the Maxwell family, the present house was begun in 1747, replacing 3 earlier structures, and contains some of the finest Spanish paintings in Britain. Guided tour of nearby Holmwood House, described as the finest domestic design by Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson. The architectural style of the house is a picturesque adaptation of classical Greek with rooms richly decorated in ornamental plaster and marble.

Day 3 (Ayrshire: fortified towers and Brig o'Doon)

• AM Visit to Culzean Castle and Country Park near Ayr. Guided tour of the Castle, converted by Adam in the late 1700s, from a fortified tower house into an elegant bachelor residence for the 10th Earl of Casillis. The Circular Saloon offers panoramic views over the Clyde while the beautiful Oval Staircase is Adam’s final masterpiece of interior design. There are over 40 architectural features to discover within the Country Park, from the elegant Camellia House to the more practical Gas House. Lunch and refreshments are available at the excellent restaurant.
• PM New for 2009! Visit to Burns National Heritage Park . Visit the original thatched cottage where Burns was born 250 years ago; see the Burns monument, designed by Edinburgh architect Thomas Hamilton, the first to commemorate Burns memory; visit the Auld Kirk, thought to date from the 1200s and take a stroll over the romantic, Brig o'Doon . Built in the 1400s with a strikingly tall, narrow arch, the bridge was immortalised in the famous tale of Tam o'Shanter.

Day 4 (Stirlingshire From Medieval to Modern)

• AM Guided tour of Alloa Tower, the largest surviving keep in Scotland. Dating from the 14th-century, the tower has undergone 6 major alterations, including the impressive Italianate staircase. It has a beautiful simplicity, retaining many of the original medieval features such as the magnificent oak timbers and dungeon.
• PM Visit to nearby Bannockburn Heritage Centre, built in the 1960s and scene of the famous Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. The result was a decisive victory for the Scots over the English, led by the renowned Robert the Bruce. Menstrie Castle, near Stirling, is also of interest: a small 3-storey L-plan tower house. Late 16th-century with 17th –century additions, it was the birthplace of Sir William Alexander, first Earl of Stirling and founder of Nova Scotia, in 1572. Visit to The Pineapple, a bizarre structure (14m high) built in 1761 as a garden retreat in the shape of a pineapple.

Day 5 (Arran Architecture)

• AM Take a ferry over the sea to Arran. Enjoy morning coffee and home baking before a guided tour of Brodick Castle, which dates from the Middle Ages, and formed part of the strategic defence of the Clyde Estuary. The 19th-century aspect of the Castle belies a long building history with a 16th-century baronial-style tower and 17th-century Cromwellian extensions.
• PM Arran is steeped in history with links to the earliest people to inhabit Scotland – the Picts and legendary stone circles cover the island. Travel to the north of the island to Lochranza Castle, built in the 13th-century as a fortress against Scandinavian invaders.