TREASURES OF ARGYLL AND BUTE

Greenock to Oban

Tuesday 19th to Tuesday 26th March 2024

7 nights including 2 Gala Dinners

Scotland has a rich heritage of art and culture and today the traditional and the contemporary all have their place in the fabric of the country. Visit some of the nation’s most renowned art galleries and collections, and appreciate the work of Scottish architects and designers whose work and legacy have left beautiful and lasting marks on the landscape.

After navigating the narrow channel of the Upper Clyde, rich in shipbuilding history, we travel to Kelvingrove Gallery and Museum which houses one of Europe’s finest art collections, boasting an extensive collection of over 8,000 objects.

We discover a staggering 9,000 objects which form the newly refurbished Burrell Collection. This magnificent collection is one of Europe's most beautiful museums. Neighbouring Pollok House is grand country house in the heart of Glasgow with an impressive collection of Spanish art, as well as works by Raeburn and Guthrie.

The architectural masterpiece of Hill House turns art into a home. Be inspired by the unique building, interiors and collection designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh in the ‘Glasgow style’, before we wonder at the flamboyant Victorian neo-Gothic mansion of Mount Stuart House. Enter an 18th century time-capsule at Dumfries House, built for the 3rd Earl by brothers John and Robert Adam, and inherited in 1803 by John Stuart, Marquess of Bute. Here we have the full day to discover this architectural gem and enjoy lunch, before rounding the Mull of Kintyre to explore the wilderness isle of Jura where deer outnumber people.

Explore Kilmartin Glen, an area rich in prehistoric treasures with over 800 monuments which date back over 5,000 years. We land on tiny Kerrera en route to our home port of Oban.

T

ravel Plan – 7 nights

Tuesday 19th March

Greenock - Embarkation.

Wednesday 20th March

Cruise Upper Clyde.

Glasgow - Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Thursday 21st March

Glasgow - Burrell Collection.

Glasgow - Pollok House.

Friday 22nd March

Rhu - Hill House.

Rothesay, Bute - Mount Stuart House.

Saturday 23rd March

Troon - Full day at Dumfries House with lunch.

Sunday 24th March

Cruise the Mull of Kintyre.

Loch na Mile, Jura - Walks ashore.

Monday 25th March

Croabh Haven - Kilmartin Glen Museum.

Kerrera - Walks ashore.

Tuesday 26th March

Oban - Disembarkation.

This cruise starts and ends in different ports. Please refer to page 108-109 for travel options.

Arts Society Accredited Lecturer

Elaine Hansen

Elaine Hansen has a Master’s degree in Education and taught for twenty-seven years. She now splits her year between Italy and Scotland. After taking early retirement she was free to pursue her passion, Art History, which she studied at the universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde. She became a guide at Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow in 2009 and gives lectures to her fellow guides. In 2018 she was awarded accreditation as a lecturer for the Arts Society UK and since then has been in demand for lectures delivered in the UK, in Europe and on cruises in the Mediterranean and in Scotland.