The Art & History of Glasgow,
Dumfries House & Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Day 1

You make your own way between Richmond and our hotel in Glasgow. You then check in at the centrally located 4* Grosvenor Hotel at Glasgow for a four night stay on a half board basis. A welcome drink is included in our hotel prior to dinner this evening.

Day 2

Our Blue Badge guide meets us at our hotel this morning and accompanies us throughout the day. We firstly visit St Mungo’s Cathedral (donation not included). Consecrated in 1197, the medieval cathedral is home to one of the finest post war collections of stained glass windows in Britain. We then spend some time at leisure in Glasgow, or accompany our guide on a combined coach and walking tour of the city. We then visit the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Scotland’s most visited museum and home to one of Europe’s greatest civic art collections. Later this afternoon we visit the unique House for an Art Lover, which opened to the public in 1996 and was inspired by Mackintosh’s competition entry of 1901. The attraction incorporates a permanent exhibition of decoratively furnished rooms, realised by contemporary artists and crafts people, which allow visitors the opportunity to compare the original drawings against each completed room.

Day 3

With our Blue Badge guide we visit Dumfries House for a guided tour followed by included tea or coffee, and shortbread. Designed 250 years ago by renowned 18th century architect brothers John, Robert and James Adam, Dumfries House is an imposing Palladian mansion nestled within 2,000 acres of scenic countryside in Ayrshire in south-west Scotland. It contains a fine collection of Chippendale furniture designed for the house. Today the house is widely acknowledged as one of the most architecturally significant stately homes within the United Kingdom. On arrival back in Glasgow this afternoon we visit the newly refurbished Burrell Collection where we see an extensive collection of over 9,000 works of art including important displays of medieval art, tapestries, alabasters, stained glass, English oak furniture and European paintings by such notable artists such as Degas and Cézanne.

Day 4

We firstly visit the village of Tarbet, a picturesque village once described by Queen Victoria as being blessed with ‘splendid passes, richly wooded with the highest mountains behind’. We continue with our Blue Badge guide to Helensburgh to visit Hill House. Sitting high above the Clyde, Hill House is considered one of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s finest domestic creations. The feel of the house, which was decorated with the help of Mackintosh’s wife, is of restrained elegance combined with dazzling architecture.

Day 5

After checking out of our hotel this morning, with our Blue Badge guide we visit the Hunterian Gallery, safeguarding the Mackintosh Collection, and comprising of 800 drawings, designs and watercolours, as well as a small but important archive of correspondence, photographs and periodicals. Whilst at the Hunterian Gallery, you may choose to visit Mackintosh House (entrance fee not included) on an individual basis, which is a reconstruction of the principal interiors from the original Glasgow home of the architect. Rooms on display include the hall, dining room, studio drawing room and main bedroom where Mackintosh’s distinctive and contemporary style is evident. Our tour concludes at Glasgow Railway Station. From here, you make your own way back to Richmond.

We stay four nights on a half board basis at the centrally located 4* Grosvenor Hotel (www.gghotel.co.uk) at Glasgow. Located in Glasgow’s West End, facilities at the hotel include a restaurant and bar. All rooms are en suite and feature television, telephone and a hairdryer.

Insurance (including Covid cover) £31

Single room supplement £129

Entrance fee to Hill House (free to National Trust members)

Donation at St Mungo’s Cathedral

Gratuities

Travel to and from Scotland on Days 1 & 5

All excursion travel in Scotland & guided tours included