You are invited to join The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA for a five-night tour of the magnificent gardens of Perthshire, Kinross, and the Kingdom of Fife.

We will visit privately owned gardens nurtured by the same families for more than 300 years; gardens created in the last twenty years by gifted gardeners; and important houses and plant collections cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. We will enjoy the beauty of the Highlands and the glorious Fife countryside with its charming coastal villages, rolling hills, and fertile agricultural land.

Highlights of our tour include:

• A tour of Balcaskie's terraced gardens with Toby Anstruther of that Ilk, whose family has owned the property since 1698

• VIP access at two National Trust for Scotland gardens designed by Arts and Crafts architect Robert Lorimer

• A visit to Cambo, the home of Sir Peter and Lady Erskine, with its 18th-century walled garden - a plantsman's paradise

• A stop in the picturesque village of Falkland, where Mary Queen of Scots famously played Real Tennis in breeches

TIP: We encourage participants to arrive in Edinburgh prior to September 5 to explore this UNESCO World Heritage city. Of particular interest may be the Royal Botanic Garden (www.rbge.org.uk) and Edinburgh Castle (https://www.edinburghcastle.scot/). There are many hotels in Edinburgh, but they do book quickly. We recommend the Kimpton Charlotte Square (situated in the New Town’s most celebrated square, which is the starting point for the tour) or the nearby Waldorf Astoria Caledonian Hotel.

This trip will Involve walking for extended periods, sometimes over uneven surfaces. 

Paddy Scott followed a successful career in the beverage industry and consulting by becoming chief executive of Scotland’s Gardens, a well-known charity which raises funds by organizing the opening of private gardens to the public. He also was one of the founders of Discover Scotland’s Gardens, a business dedicated to marketing Scotland’s gardens to the world. For the last three years, Paddy has been using his unrivalled knowledge of Scottish gardens to organize tours for garden enthusiasts from around the world. 

Please see the separate attachment with the complete Itinerary.

Although The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA (NTSUSA), and Travel Muse Inc. and its ground operators will make every effort to adhere to the itinerary, on rare occasions it may be necessary to adjust arrangements due to circumstances beyond our control. Should any activities not be available, substitution will be made to the best of our ability and no refund will be made. Any additional costs necessitated by such changes are the responsibility of the tour member. Please note there will be significant walking and standing.

Prices are based on a minimum of 15 paying participants. Should the number of passengers fall below 15, certain program inclusions may be deleted.  All amounts quoted with respect to charges for the tour and travel services are based upon rates in effect as of August 13, 2021.  At the time of final payment, NTSUSA reserves the right to add any increased amounts arising from changes in taxes and from changes instituted by suppliers or caused by market conditions. All local/government taxes on hotels, meals, and services are included, in addition to normal gratuities to porters, waiters, and local guides. Rates are based on group participation, and there can be no refund for services or portions of the tour not taken. It is also understood and agreed that all excursions are optional, and refunds cannot be made to tour members who do not participate or complete the tour for any reason.  

REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

• First deposit of $1,000 per person 
• Balance is due on or before July 6, 2022

Payment by credit card will incur a processing fee of 2.9% for Visa and MasterCard, and 3.9% for American Express.  Please read the Terms and Conditions carefully.  By registering for this tour, you consent to the Release From Liability Agreement and the Supplemental Release Regarding COVID-19 Agreement.

CANCELLATION POLICY  

All cancellations must be made in writing to kbridier@ntsusa.org. The cancellation fee covers administrative and operational costs and any penalties assessed by suppliers.

Cancellation fees are per person, as follows:

• Cancellations received prior to July 6, 2022:  $500
• Cancellations received on or after July 6, 2022 and up until the day of departure:  Total tour cost

The cancellation fee will be waived or refunded if we have met the tour minimum of 15 participants and we are able to fill your place on the tour.

Travel insurance is the best way to protect your tour investment. Information will be sent to you upon receipt of your deposit.

SPECIAL NOTES REGARDING COVID-19

• Under guidelines for Americans traveling to Scotland as of October 4, 2021, fully vaccinated travellers are able to benefit from quarantine-free travel. They will need to complete a passenger locator form, take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure from the U.S. to Scotland, and take a COVID-19 PCR test within two days of arriving in Scotland. (See https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-international-travel-quarantine/pages/red-amber-and-green-list-countries/.)  
• Guidelines are subject to change; we will provide an update 64 days prior to the tour (July 8, 2022).
• A Supplemental Release Regarding COVID-19 requires your acceptance in order to complete your tour registration.
• In the event the tour needs to be cancelled due to acts of God or government authorities, natural disasters, pandemics, or other emergencies, monies will be fully refunded.

AIR TRAVEL

The tour cost excludes airfare.  Please arrange it on your own.  For questions, contact Meg MacDonald at 617-480-0250 or meg@travelmuse.net.

TRIP INSURANCE

The tour cost excludes trip insurance, which covers for trip cancellation andiInterruption, baggage delays, emergency medical expenses, and medical evacuation expenses. Upon receipt of your deposit, information about purchasing trip insurance will be sent to you.

Please note that, in most situations, standard Medicare will not pay for healthcare or medical supplies outside the US. Please check with your health insurance provider should you wish to purchase health coverage outside the US through a Medigap plan or other supplemental health plan.

AIRPORT / TRAIN TRANSFERS

The tour cost excludes transfers to the meet-up point at the Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel in Edinburgh and from the Kimpton Charlotte Square in Edinbugh at the end of the tour.

HOTELS AND SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

The hotels are four-star properties, based on two persons sharing a room with one Double or two Twin Beds with private bath and/or shower.  (Note:  Kimpton Charlotte Square rooms offer a choice of one King or two Twin Beds.)

The right is reserved to substitute hotels when necessary.  Although Travel Muse will endeavor to arrange for congenial travel companions, this cannot be guaranteed, and a single supplement will be charged when necessary.

FOR DESCRIPTIONS AND PHOTOS OF HOTEL ROOMS:

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:012e4111-d438-3a8d-8962-aad8ea60efd0

If you are unable to copy this link and open it, please contact Meg MacDonald (meg@travelmuse.net) to request that it be sent to you separately.

ROOM UPGRADES

- Ballathie Country House Hotel:   Upcharges available upon request:

• Master bedroom with King or two Twin beds

Four-poster bedroom

• Suite

Balbirnie House Hotel:  Upcharges available upon request:

 · Deluxe room with a King or two Twin beds

· Four-Poster room with views over the garden and lawn

· Superior Suite with separate sitting room

Kimpton Charlotte Square:  

 Superior (205-290 sq. ft. / 19-27 sq. m.) One king or two twin beds, with a more contemporary feel. Add $40 x 1 night.  

 Deluxe King (269-334 sq. ft. / 25-31 sq. m.): One king bed. Add $90 x 1 night.   

  · Junior Suite (301-474 sq. ft. / 28-44 sq. m.): One king bed decorated in golden hues and complementary blues; complimentary minibar.  Add $180 x 1 night.

For upcharges and availability, please post a "Note to the Organizer," at the end of the section where you provide your Particioant Info; or directly contact Meg MacDonald at Travel Muse Inc. at meg@travelmuse.net.

PHONE OR EMAIL

For questions, please contact Kirstin Bridier (Executive Director, The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA) at 617-227-7500 / kbridier@ntsusa.org.

This Agreement is important. It includes terms and conditions and releases Travel Muse Inc. from liability.  By registering for this tour and securing your place with a deposit, you are consenting to this Release Agreement.

Travel Muse Inc., its owners, directors, officers, employees and affiliates (collectively “Travel Muse”) does not own or operate any entity which is to or does provide goods or services for your trip including, for example, ownership or control over hotels or other lodging facilities, airline, vessel, bus, van or other transportation companies, local ground operators, providers or organizers of optional or included excursions or equipment used thereon, food service or entertainment providers, etc. All such persons and entities are independent contractors.

Travel Muse is not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such person or entity, or that of any other third party. Without limitation, Travel Muse is not responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to person or property, death, delay or inconvenience in connection with the provision of any goods or services occasioned by or resulting from, but not limited to, acts of God, acts of government, force majeure, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, or the threat thereof; overbooking or downgrading of accommodations; structural or other defective conditions in hotels or other lodging facilities; financial failure or other defaults by suppliers; mechanical or other failure of airplanes or other means of transportation or for any failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart timely or safely; dangers associated with or bites from animals, pests or insects, marine life or vegetation of any sort; dangers incident to recreational activities such as swimming, kayaking, sailing, canoeing, rafting, hiking, bicycling, etc.; sanitation problems; food poisoning; lack of access to or quality of medical care; difficulty in evacuation in case of a medical or other emergency; illness, epidemics or the threat thereof or for any other cause beyond the direct control of Travel Muse. In addition, I release Travel Muse from its own negligence and assume all risk thereof. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger, as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated.

Travel Muse may take photographs or video of its trips, and participants grant Travel Muse permission to do so and for it to use same for promotional or commercial use without payment of any compensation to participant.

Travel Muse reserves the right to change hotels or other features of the trip if it believes by doing so it will enhance the safety, comfort or enjoyment of the trip. Travel Muse reserves the right to cancel the tour prior to departure in which event the entire payment to it will be refunded with no further obligation or liability on its part. Travel Muse reserves the right to substitute accommodations, tour features, carriers or qualified tour staff; or to alter the itinerary of the program at any time when deemed appropriate or advisable without penalty or liability. Travel Muse, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to decline to accept or retain any participant whose health or actions, in Travel Muse’s sole judgment, impede the operation of the tour or the welfare or enjoyment of fellow participants.

We strongly recommend that tour participants review the destination country’s specific information at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/ and https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list, both of which contain important information.

Travel Muse is not responsible or liable for loss, damage or theft of personal baggage and belongings, nor is it liable for personal injury, accident, or illness, however caused. We strongly suggest you purchase trip cancellation insurance to guard against various contingencies.

ASSUMPTION OF RISK. I am aware that travel such as I am undertaking involves activities, some in remote areas, with a risk of illness, injury or death which may be caused by forces of nature, animals, insects or flora, the negligence of Travel Muse or other persons and/or by entities either known or unknown, or of willful or criminal conduct of third parties. I am aware that medical services or facilities may not be readily available or accessible or consistent with standards in the United States during some or all of the time during which I am participating on the trip and that, when available, may not be of the quality which exists in the United States. In order to partake of the enjoyment and excitement of this trip, I am willing to accept the risks and uncertainty involved as being an integral part of my adventure. I hereby accept and assume full responsibility for any and all risks of illness, injury or death.

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION. I acknowledge that I have voluntarily applied to participate on the trip designated on this application and that I have read the description of the trip as it appears in the promotional material relating to the trip, together with all information contained in this application. I am voluntarily participating in this trip with knowledge of the risks and hazards involved.

BINDING ARBITRATION. I agree that any dispute concerning, relating or referring to this Agreement, the brochure or any other literature concerning my trip, or the trip itself, shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§1-16, either according to the then existing Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or pursuant to the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (JAMS). Such proceedings will be governed by substantive (but not procedural) New Mexico law and will take place in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The arbitrator and not any federal, state, or local court or agency shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, conscionability, or formation of this contract, including but not limited to any claim that all or any part of this contract is void or voidable.

Please understand that by agreeing to these terms and conditions, you (and we) are waiving our right to a trial by jury.

KNOWING AND VOLUNTARY EXECUTION. I have carefully read this Agreement and fully understand its contents. I am aware that this is a release of liability and a contract between myself and Travel Muse and/or its affiliated organizations and agree to it of my own free will.

 By registering for this tour and securing your place with a deposit, you are consenting to this Release Agreement. 

This Release is supplemental to the Booking Conditions, Release of Liability, Assumption of All Risk and Binding Arbitration (Agreement) which I previously executed for the tour organized by Travel Muse Inc. and client. In the event of a conflict between that Agreement and this Supplemental Release, the terms of this Supplemental Release shall prevail. In all other cases, the Agreement remains in full effect. In addition, both the Agreement and this Supplemental Release relate to any postponed or replacement trip.

I am aware that while on or traveling to or from my trip, I might be exposed to COVID- 19 from other people, animals or objects. I assume all risk of any such contacts, including sickness, incapacity or death and agree to hold harmless Travel Muse Inc. from any such developments. In addition, I recognize that the U.S. Department of State as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have warnings concerning same. See

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/ and https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list/

I also accept the following risks of participating on this trip including, without limitation:

1. All other risks associated with coronavirus (COVID-19) including preclusion from public or private buildings, land or areas, inconvenience, limitations and closures, etc.;
2. Risk of my travel insurance not covering COVID-19 related claims;
3. All risks regarding transportation problems including, without limitation, entry into or exit from any country and/or entry into the United States and/or difficulties with or closure of transportation systems or the unavailability of other features or attractions within the country where my trip takes place;
4. The likelihood that at some or all destinations or facilities and/or on cruises, motor coaches or at hotels or restaurants I may be required to undergo a temperature check, wear a mask while in public and observe social distancing requirements and/or produce evidence of a vaccination against COVID-19;
5. The potential for being quarantined, even if I am not symptomatic and/or do not have COVID-19 and/or the possible requirement that I have a negative COVID- 19 test immediately before or on or after arrival at my destination;
6. Any expenses incurred, including but not limited to medical expenses, testing fees, quarantine and evacuation expenses as a result thereof are to be borne by the participant.