In 1829 the German composer, Felix Mendelssohn, made his first and only visit to Scotland. It was a journey that inspired him to write two of his best-loved works: the Hebrides Overture and Scottish Symphony.
This holiday will follow exactly in Mendelssohn's foosteps, starting in Edinburgh then touring the Highlands and the Islands of Mull, Staffa and Iona, and ending in Glasgow. The composer's personality and music will come vividly to life during our travels together and we will attend concerts by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in Perth, and the Royal Scottish National Ochestra in Glasgow culminating in a performance of the Scottish Symphony.
The tour will start in Edinburgh on Sunday 9 May 2027 and will take us to all the places visited by Mendelssohn and his travelling companion, Karl Klingemann, in 1829: Abbotsford (the home of Sir Walter Scott), the Hermitage at Dunkeld, the Pass of Killicrankie, Bruar Falls near Blair Atholl, Loch Tummel (with its spectacular “Queen’s View”), Loch Tay, Oban, Mull and Iona from where we will visit the Isle of Staffa and Fingal’s Cave. Our return journey will take us via Inveraray and Loch Lomond to Glasgow where the holiday ends on the morning of Sunday 16 May 2027.
We will follow the same route as that taken by Mendelssohn and Klingemann in 1829 (see map right). Our modes of transport will be more sophisticated than theirs – coach and modern ferries, rather than horse and cart or walking or travelling in smoky steam-ferries, and our accommodation will be more salubrious: three- and four-star hotels, rather than leaky cottages sharing rooms with hens and pigs! No prior knowledge of Mendelssohn or his music is necessary for your enjoyment of this holiday, which will take us through some of the most beautiful scenery in Scotland which, alone, is reason enough to join us "In the Footsteps of Mendelssohn".
Itinerary
Sunday 9 May 2027 – independent arrival in Edinburgh. After check-in at 3.00pm there will be a welcome briefling at 4.00pm followed by an optional walk into Holyrood Park and up Arthur's Seat, the imposing volcanic peak affording 360° views of Edinburgh's skyline, the Firth of Forth and the Kingdom of Fife beyond. DInner together at the hotel
Monday 10 May – guided tour of the Palace of Holyrood where, in the Chapel, Mendelssohn conceived the opening them of his Scottish Symphony. We then hop on an Edinburgh tour bus which will take us up to the centre of the city where you can find lunch under your own arrangements before some free time to explore the Castle, Royal Mile, National Museum of Scotland, and Scottish National Gallery. We meet again in the late afternoon for an evening concert at St Giles Cathedral. Dinner under your own arrangements in Edinburgh.
Tuesday 11 May – Coach to Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott whose novels inspired so many 19th-century composers and who was one of the main reasons why Mendelssohn visited Scotland in 1829. We will have a private tour of the house, and lunch together before a brief visit to Melrose Abbey and journeying through the Kingdom of Fife to Perthshire where we will check into our hotel for two nights. Dinner together at the hotel.
Wednesday 12 May – Our day begins with a walk up to the Falls of Braan near Dunkeld which were sketched by Mendelssohn and, a little further up the valley, there is Ossian’s Cave, the supposed dwelling place of the fictitious 3rd-century Scottish bard. We then journey on the short distance to the House of Bruar Visitor Centre for lunch under your own arrangements and time to walk up to the Bruar Falls and a browse around the many gift shops at the Centre. We return to the hotel via the Pass of Killiecrankie and the spectacular Queen's View at Loch Tummel. In the evening there will be a concert by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the Perth Concert Hall, followed by dinner together.
Thursday 13 May – We travel across the central Highlands via Aberfeldy, Loch Tay and through the breathtaking Glencoe to Oban where we will check into our hotel for two nights. Dinner will be together at the Ee-Usk Restaurant ("Ee-Usk" is the gaelic word for "fish"!)..
Friday 14 May – Mull, Staffa and Fingal’s Cave. Weather permitting, we take the early morning ferry from Oban to Mull, followed by a bus journey to the western tip of Mull from where we take the boat to the small uninhabited Isle of Staffa where we will land for an hour and explore the island, including walking round to the mouth of Fingal's Cave. Returning to Iona for lunch under your own arrangements, there will be the chance to visit Iona Abbey before we return to Oban for dinner together in the evening.
Saturday 14 May – Oban to Glasgow. We explore the Argyll Peninsula stopping at Dunadd Fort, renowned as a royal power centre of the Gaelic kings from AD 500 to 800, before arriving in Inveraray for lunch together. After driving down the"Bonny, Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond", our journey ends in Glasgow where we check into the AC Marriott Hotel. After an early dinner together at the hotel, we will go to the Royal Concert Hall for the concert by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra featuring Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony.
Sunday 16 May – holiday arrangements end.
Programme
Monday 10 May - the Royal Mile International Piano Series at St Giles Cathedral, 6.30pm
Beethoven - Sonata in C minor, op. 10 no. 1
Liszt - 6 Consolations
Schubert/Liszt - Soirées de Vienne nos. 1, 6 & 9
Debussy - L’isle Joyeuse
Julian Trevelyan, piano
Wednesday 12 May - Perth Concert Hall, 7.00pm
Weber Overture - Oberon
Brahms Double Concerto
Schumann Symphony No.3 ‘Rhenish’
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Maxim Emelyanychev conductor
Nicola Benedetti violin
Philip Higham cello
Saturday 15 May - Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 7.30pm
Schumann Overture, Scherzo and Finale
Jörg Widmann Danse macabre
Mendelssohn arr Jörg Widmann Andante from Clarinet Sonata
Mendelssohn Symphony No 3 in A minor (Scottish)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Jörg Widmann, conductor/clarinet
Travel Information
Whether you are coming from the USA, or elsewhere, you will need to make your own travel arrangements to and from Edinburgh.
USA Citizens will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Autuhorisation (ETA) to enter the UK. This is a simple task and usually takes just a few days to be confirmed, so it can be done much nearer the time of travel. ETA applications can be made online from this link (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation...).
You will need to arrange your own travel insurance. It is recommended that you obtain insurance that will cover you in the event of illness or accident before the holiday preventing you from being able to travel, as well as the more usual medical cover whilst you are actually on the trip. It is also a requirement of joining the Scotland holiday that all travellers sign a liability waiver confirming that Carpenter Holidays shall not be held liable for theft, loss, injury, illness, or damage to person or property during the holiday. A copy of the liability waiver can be downloaded from the "Document(s)" section at the bottom of this page.
If you fly to Edinburgh, a taxi journey from the airport to the hotel will cost around £60, or the airport shuttle bus to Waverley Station costs £5.50 one way, or the tram from the airport to St Andrew's Square is £6. From Waverley Station or St Andrew's Square, you can hail a taxi which will take you to the hotel in 5 minutes and cost around £10. In booking your train journey or flight, please bear in mind that there will be a welcome briefing at the hotel in Edinburgh at 4.00pm on Sunday 9 May.
Nearer the time of the holiday, you may wish to add a day or days at the beginning or end of the trip. If you decide to do this, contact Stephen Carpenter, who will be able to book additional nights at the Edinburgh and/or Glasgow Hotel.
Level of Fitness
This holiday requires a good level of fitness with a lot of walking in city centres, and standing in the venues that we will be visiting (Holyrood Palace, Abbotsford). All walks are optional but none is strenuous - the Falls of Braan at the Hermitage, Bruar Falls, and the Queen's View at Loch Tummel are all approached via gentle inclines on clearly marked paths. You should be comfortable with one to two hours of walking per day and enjoy reasonably regular walks at home.
Packing List
This will be provided nearer the time, giving you a list of suggested items to bring with you to Scotland, and advice about currency (Scotland uses GP £sterling).
Price per person
Tour price: £2,950 per person based on sharing in a double or twin room
Single room supplement: £450
Payment schedule:
£500 non-returnable deposit due on booking
£1,500 in November 2026
£950 (plus single supplement if applicable) in January 2027.
Tour price includes: Accommodation, breakfast daily, six dinners with wine, two lunches, concerts in Edinburgh, Perth and Glasgow, visits to Holyrood Palace, Abbotsford and Melrose Abbey, coach transportation throughout, ferry crossings to the Isles of Mull and Iona and boat trip to Staffa and Fingal's Cave, the services of Stephen Carpenter as tour manager.
Excluded is all lunches (except at Abbotsford on 11 May, and Inveraray in 15 May when we will have lunch together) when you are free to make your own arrangements for lunch which will be readily available at the carefully selected stopping points.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation costs up to 100 days before departure of the trip: deposit
Cancellation costs between 100 days up to 50 days before departure of the trip: 50% of the total cost
Cancellation costs from 50 days up to the day of departure before departure of the trip: costs of the total cost
To Book
Complete the Booking form and Liability Waiver form which you can download from the "Document(s)" section below, and email it to stephen [at] carpenterholidays.com
Once you have submitted the booking and waiver forms, we will ask you to make the first payment of the non-returnable deposit of £500 to secure your place on the tour.
Payment should be made to Carpenter Holidays. Stephen will send you the details of the £sterling account for payment. Most US and European banks will be able to make a transfer from your account to this £sterling account, for a small fee. Alternatively, payment can be made via PayPal on the link below, but a 5% increase is added to cover the PayPal commission.
If you have any questions about the "In the Footsteps of Mendelssohn" holiday, please do not hesitate to contact Stephen on the email above, or phone him on +44 7730 817891.
