Flagler College: Downton Abbey Meets Highlander – England & Scotland (2023)

Depart the United States on overnight flight to London

Arrive in London and check into hotel.

Tour of Westminster Abbey – a must see-gothic cathedral located just moments away from the River Thames. Constructed during the 12th century, Westminster Abbey is one of the most notable religious buildings in all of London. The Abbey Is the burial site for more than 3,300 people, including monarchs, prime ministers, military leaders, actors, artists and writers. After the tour, we will enjoy a Welcome Dinner.

Today, we will enjoy a walking tour of London. From seeing Big Ben to Buckingham Palace, the London Eye to Trafalgar Square you will have a chance to experience some of the highlights London has to offer. We will have individual time to explore the National Gallery and to shop through the walk.

This afternoon, we will take a scenic drive to the English countryside where we will check into our next hotel.

Today is all about Corsham! Historically known as a center for agriculture and the woold industry, Corsham is a beautiful place to explore. It is even ranks as one of the best places to live in the UK. Today, we will explore the Corsham House – with records dating back to 978, this historic summer palace housed Kings of Wessex, eventually becoming part of Queen Elizabeth I’s dowry. Additionally, the Corsham House acts as the filming location for the show Poldark.

After touring the grounds, we will head to Lacock Abbey, another location rich in history. This abbey was founded in the 13th century by Ela, the Countess of Salisbury as a nunnery of the Augustinian order. In modern day, the halls of this abbey served as filming locations for several Harry Potter movies. Next we will head over to Chippenham, a vibrant 16th century market village where you can explore, shop, and grab a bite to eat before heading back to the hotel.

We start this day at Sally Lunns Tea Room and Restaurant, a Victorian Parlor where we will enjoy homemade pastries, pies and mouthwatering desserts.

Afterwards, we are off to the Roman baths. With over 2,000 years of history, this place is a sure delight.

Then we head over to The Circus – a historic ring of large townhouses in the city of Bath. Designed by the architect John Wood, the Elder, it was built between 1754 and 1768, and is regarded as a pre-eminent example of Georgian architecture. We will see a Georgian house and museum, visit Bath Abbey, a Parish church in the city, and walk along the UNESCO cobblestone roads.

This might just be the highlight of the entire trip: our visit to Highclere Castle, the filming location for Downton Abbey! We will be taken on a full guided tour of the facility, which includes the surrounding garden and grounds as well as the entire castle. As a bonus, we will explore the facility’s Egyptian Exhibition. The exhibition tells the story of the 5th Earl’s excavations on the West Bank from 1905 as well as the story of the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 by Howard Carter and the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. Here you will see exact replicas of the Shrine, the Middle Coffin, the Mummy and the iconic Death Mask of the Boy Pharaoh.

After this magical day, we will take the evening train to Edinburgh.

Today, we embark on an Edinburgh Vault history tour. During this tour, we take a walk underneath the city and roam around its chambers to learn about Edinburgh’s past.

Then, we are off to the Royal Mile, a walking path at the center of the city that marks the traditional professional route for kings and queens for the last 500 years.

We will see the Edinburgh Castle, and, in the evening, we will enjoy dinner at a traditional Scottish pub. For those who are interested, there will be a Whiskey Tour to learn all about the making of Scottish whiskey.

We will depart our hotel for the ancient town and former capital of Scotland, Dunfermline, which in 2022 was granted city statues by the queen. We will visit the historical Dunfermline Abbey, the burial place of Robert the Bruce. The abbey is situated in the center of town, next to Pittencrieff Park, where you can stroll at your leisure. We will visit the greenhouse, which holds exotic plants and flowers from around the world. Here, peacocks roam the park freely.

Explore the highlands in the morning before heading back to Edinburgh.

This evening we will enjoy a traditional Scottish Farewell Dinner!

Depart today on the flight back to the United States.