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Thu 21 – Mon 25 Sep 4 Legends of the Lochs – Winnock Hotel
Falkirk Wheel
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Dates & Prices
Fri 16-Wed 21 Jun 2023 5 Nights £879
Included Excursions
Saturday A full day exploring the Trossachs with a two-hour cruise along the length of Loch Katrine on Steam Ship SS Sir Walter Scott included. Sunday A journey to Falkirk and a trip on The Falkirk Wheel, a rotating boat lift in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. We also enjoy an afternoon train ride on the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway with afternoon tea served on board. Monday Glasgow to Oban Single Journey We travel to Glasgow where we join our Scotrail train for a scenic journey to Oban, one of Scotland’s most scenic rail routes. Time available for sightseeing in Oban before return to the hotel by coach, in time for dinner. Tuesday Explore Loch Lomond with a stop at Lomond Shores for shopping followed by a two-hour cruise on the loch discovering its hidden islands.
Look What’s Included on your Holiday
✓ Door to Door Service ✓ Our own courier service ✓ Club Class Extra Legroom Coach ✓ 5 nights half board ✓ Welcome Drinks Reception ✓ 4-course Individual Dining Experience in the Merlin Restaurant including a ‘Taste of Scotland’ dining ✓ High Quality Wine with dinner ✓ Tea/Coffee after dinner ✓ At least 2 nights entertainment ✓ Cruise on Loch Katrine ✓ Falkirk Wheel & train ride on the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway ✓ Scenic train ride from Glasgow to Oban ✓ Loch Lomond Cruise. Not included: All lunches.
THE EDINBURGH TATTOO
Stirling Castle
Dates & Prices
Included Excursions Saturday Today, we visit Edinburgh where we Where Look What’s Included on your Holiday we step aboard The Royal Yacht Britannia. Britannia ✓ Door to Door Service ✓ Our own courier was HRH The Queen’s former floating palace for over 40 years. Berthed in Edinburgh, we follow in the footsteps of Royalty to discover the heart and soul of this most special of Royal residences. Later, we visit the famous Botanic Gardens. The Botanics offers visitors service ✓ Luxury Traveller Coach with First Class Seating ✓ 4 nights half board ✓ Welcome Drinks Reception ✓ 4-course Individual Dining Experience in the Merlin peace and tranquillity amongst its stunning 72 acres in Restaurant including a ‘Taste of Scotland’ Edinburgh city centre. Founded in 1670, the Garden is dining ✓ High Quality Wine with dinner acknowledged to be one of the finest in the world. ✓ Tea/Coffee after dinner ✓ At least 2 nights Sunday Enjoy a cruise aboard the ‘Lady of the Lake’ entertainment ✓ The Royal Yacht Britannia to experience the beauty of Loch Katrine and the ✓ Edinburgh Botanic Gardens ✓ Cruise on magnificent scenery. Listen to the tales of the loch Loch Katrine with cream tea on-board and admire the ever-changing Trossachs landscape. ✓ Stirling Castle ✓ Duntreath House with A cream tea on-board in included. We continue to morning coffee & home baking ✓ Glengoyne “The Key of Scotland” – Stirling Castle with admission Whisky Distillery. included. This impressive castle offers a dominating Not included: All lunches. view of the area around it from its impregnable walls. Monday We set off to the delightful 16th century Duntreath House at Blanefield. Here, you will be met by Lady Edmonstone and Sir Archie who will show you around their home. Afterwards enjoy morning coffee and some home-baking, after which you are free to explore the castle, grounds and keep at leisure. We continue in the afternoon to nearby Glengoyne Whisky Distillery. Tonight, after dinner there is live musical entertainment.
LEGENDS OF THE LOCHS
Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Dates & Prices
Included Excursions
Tuesday A morning to relax in Drymen with an included lunch at the hotel before we depart for Edinburgh. Enjoy some time for shopping or sightseeing in this captivating city before we make our way to the castle and take our seats for the 9pm performance of the military tattoo. (Please note access to the Tattoo is via a steep gradient, which may be a problem for people with walking difficulties. Also, this will be a very late return). Wednesday Following a leisurely breakfast, we take a drive to the Loch Lomond Shores Visitor Centre, located on the banks of bonnie Loch Lomond – Regarded as the Queen of the Scottish Lochs and measuring some 23 miles long and 5 miles across, Loch Lomond is the largest expanse of fresh water in Great Britain. Thursday Today we enjoy a guided tour around Pollok Park, located in the south side of Glasgow. Pollok House (NTS) is Scotland’s answer to Downton Abbey and gives a real taste of upstairs/downstairs life in the 1930’s. this grand country house is filled with lavish and priceless furniture as well an impressive collection of Spanish Art. We return via the marvellous Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum – one of Scotland’s most popular ‘Free’ attractions and features 22 themed, state of the art galleries displaying an astonishing 8000 objects.
Look What’s Included on your Holiday
✓ Door to Door Service ✓ Our own courier service ✓ Luxury Traveller Coach with First Class Seating ✓ 4 nights half board (Note lunch replaces dinner on Day 2) ✓ Welcome Drinks Reception ✓ 4-course Individual Dining Experience in the Merlin Restaurant including a ‘Taste of Scotland’ dining ✓ High Quality Wine with dinner ✓ Tea/Coffee after dinner ✓ At least 2 nights entertainment ✓ Edinburgh Tattoo Ticket ✓ Pollok House (NTS) & Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. Not included: All lunches except on day 2. Loch Lomond
Dates & Prices
Thu 21-Mon 25 Sep 2023 4 Nights £705
Included Excursions Friday Our tour of the Trossachs today takes us to Look What’s Included on your Holiday Aberfoyle Woollen Mill before a storytelling cruise on ✓ Door to Door Service ✓ Our own courier Loch Katrine on-board the steam ship SS Sir Walter Scott. After an included lunch at a Lochside restaurant we enjoy a scenic drive via Callander to view the magnificent Falls of Dochart at Killin. Located at the western end of Loch Tay the falls can be viewed from service ✓ Club Class Extra Legroom Coach ✓ 4 nights half board ✓ 4-course Individual Dining Experience in the Merlin Restaurant ✓ High Quality Wine with dinner the village’s bridge where we can admire the misty ✓ Tea/Coffee after dinner ✓ At least 2 nights spray and crashing white waters that flow around the entertainment including a Scottish weaponry Islands of Inchbuie, known locally as the ancient burial display with swords, kilts and storytelling and site of Clan McNab. traditional Scottish Night & live music Saturday After a leisurely breakfast we visit enjoy an ✓ Packed lunches are provided where a lunch excursion travelling along the western shores of Loch is Not included ✓ Aberfoyle Woollen Mill Lomond to Luss. At Tarbet, where we turn westwards ✓ Loch Katrine Cruise ✓ Boat ride on the via Arrochar and Loch Long to the magnificent Falkirk Wheel & entrance to the Kelpies. viewpoint of ‘Rest & Be Thankful’ before reaching the Not included: All lunches. town of Inveraray which is situated on the shores of Loch Fyne. Sunday Today we visit two of the most spectacular attractions in Scotland. Enjoy a boat trip on the Falkirk Wheel, the world’s only rotating boat lift which replaces the original 11 locks linking the Forth & Clyde and Union Canal’s. Then towering 30 meters above the Forth & Clyde Canal, The Kelpies are a feat of engineering. Each made with 300 tonnes of structural steel they are a monumental tribute to the horse-power heritage that was vital to the early industries of central Scotland.
‘Aberdonian’ Tornado Steam Train
Dates & Prices
Mon 28 Aug-Fri 1 Sep 2023 4 Nights £998
Immerse yourself in top-quality encounters on this nostalgic adventure of Scottish sights. Travel in iconic style and enjoy the high life as the mighty Tornado waits to whisk you away on a memorable ‘Aberdonian’ trip via nostalgic steam, along the Fife coastline, across the Forth Bridge from Edinburgh to Aberdeen. Other highlights of this tour include visits to Abbotsford, home of the great novelist Sir Walter Scott and a visit to the 5-Star Seabird Visitor Centre, where you will encounter the world’s largest colony of gannets and puffins on the Isle of May nature reserve.
Holiday Itinerary
Monday We travel north to Edinburgh for our 4-night stay. Tuesday Today, we experience the Scottish Seabird Centre – A 5-Star award-winning visitor experience that allows visitors a unique view of the marine environment through interactive cameras highlighting amazing wildlife in its natural habitat. See the world’s largest colony of Northern gannets and the biggest puffin colony on the east coast of Britain on the Isle of May National Nature Reserve, all to be enjoyed with a breather at the café, with amazing coastal views of iconic Bass Rock. Wednesday Experience Sir Walter Scott’s celebrity status at his stunning Abbotsford home. Often referred to as ‘conundrum castle’ the house was carved by local stone with wooden panelling giving an ancient atmosphere. Your tour will uncover an extensive woodland estate and family home with amazing gothic architecture, walls packed with curios and artefacts reflecting a life and obsessions of one of Scotland’s most important national figures. Compact, fragrant gardens within high walls, set a scene fitting with one of Scott’s historical romances complete with ‘Juliette’ balcony sited at his bedroom window, ‘Rapunzel’ tower, and gothic staircase leading to meadows and the river beyond. Thursday Relax and enjoy the finer things as you travel in premier style on a simply unrivalled experience aboard the ‘Aberdonian’ Tornado Steam Train. From Edinburgh Waverley, we cross the UNESCO World Heritage Forth Bridge, and along the Fife coastline. We enjoy premier dining complete with bubbly breakfast, and a silverserved four-course dinner, while scenic lush countryside, rugged cliffs and charming coastal panoramas open out through the large picture windows (Provisional Timings): • Edinburgh Waverley (OUT) 09:00 hrs (RET) 21:30 hrs • Arrive 20 minutes prior to departure (Edinburgh & Aberdeen) to take a photo of the steam engine • During our lay-over time in Aberdeen (Approx 4 Hrs) we join a local coach for a visit to Crathes Castle.
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Look What’s Included on your Holiday
✓ Door to Door Service ✓ Our own courier service ✓ Luxury Traveller Coach with ‘First Class’ seating & legroom ✓ Fully reclining seats ✓ Complimentary on board hot and cold drinks ✓ Free Wi-Fi and USB charging points ✓ Complimentary gift bag ✓ 4 nights half board ✓ Return Steam Train ride behind Tornado on the Aberdonian with premier dining including breakfast and 4-course dinner ✓ Entrance to Crathes Castle ✓ Abbotsford House ✓ The Scottish Seabird Centre. Not included: All lunches.
(Please be aware that the steam train journey from Edinburgh to Aberdeen is approx 3½ Hrs each way. On the day of your Aberdonian experience, breakfast and dinner will be provided on board, not at the hotel) Friday Homeward bound. The order of the days our excursions operate may be subject to alteration.
Due to the nature of this tour, it may not be suitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss anything with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.
Abbotsford House
The Edinburgh Marriott Hotel, Edinburgh HHHH
Enjoy 4-Star comfort at our luxurious hotel located 15 minutes from the historic city centre. Start or end your day in Edinburgh in the Cast Iron Grill restaurant or enjoy light bites and drinks in Brew Bar Lounge with patio garden. Heated indoor pool & gym. Mobility Grade: 3. Locality is level. Hotel has lift to all upper floors.
