Shore excursions program for below cruises

An enjoyable 1-hour coach drive through Scotland’s spectacular landscape will first take you from Greenock to Glasgow, which was widely known as the “Second City of the British Empire” for much of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Nowadays, Glasgow is a vibrant multi-cultural locale and one of Europe’s top financial centres. Your city tour begins at the heart of Glasgow in George Square, the site of various statues, before continuing on for an external viewing of the impressive Gothic-style St. Mungo’s Cathedral, which is said to have been built on the spot where Saint Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow, once built a church. A stop will be made in the area known as Townhead for a short walking tour that will give you an outside look at the medieval Provand’s Lordship, Glasgow’s oldest building dating back to 1471, and the Museum of Religious Life and Art. En route to the beautiful district known as Kelvingrove, home also of the gorgeous red-brick palace housing the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, you can admire several examples of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s inspired architecture. Continuing with a drive through the city’s main park, your tour of Kelvingrove will culminate at the university for an outside viewing of the wonderful historical buildings, which lend this venerable seat of learning a distinctly medieval flavour.

Any visit to Scotland should include some time spent enjoying its incredible scenery, which this tour of mountains and lochs gives you a chance to do from the comfort of a modern coach. Leaving the port, you will first travel eastwards to cross the River Clyde and then make your way up to Loch Lomond, Scotland’s largest freshwater lake. Watch out for the quite dramatic change in scenery as you approach the loch. The mountainous backdrop and clear blue of the water serve to epitomise the rugged splendour of this Scottish landscape – and are certainly worth a photo or two. A stop will be made in Luss, a picturesque village that is thought to have taken its name from an adaptation of the French for the heraldic iris, a so-called fleur-de-lis. Evidence suggests that Luss was founded sometime in the 1300s when it is known that a church dedicated to Saint Kessog stood here. You will have some free time to stroll along the banks of the loch or have a drink in a traditional Scottish pub (not included in the price of the tour). Next up is a stop at the “Rest and Be Thankful” viewpoint for another chance to take some photos of the incredible scenery. Your return journey will take you past Loch Fryne, Loch Eck and Holy Loch for more splendid vistas to enjoy. A crossing on the car ferry from Hunter’s Quay to McInroy’s Point completes the final leg of your return trip to Greenock pier.