English Lakes 8

Trust. Following the cruise, you’ll have lunch at ‘The Sun’ in Coniston, a 400-year-old pub with exposed beams, stone walls, flagstone floors and a local Brathay slate bar top. It’s situated beneath the Cumbrian Fells and has an elevated view over the village of Coniston. Later you transfer by road coach to Ambleside for the ferry to Wray Castle, a Victorian neo-gothic building with grounds that include part of the shoreline of Lake Windermere. There will be a visit to the castle after which you can explore the adjacent gardens at your leisure. You return to The Belsfield Hotel in Bowness for dinner. (B L D)

Sunday 19th June Scenic cruises on Lake Windermere and Ullswater This morning you explore the northern half of Lake Windermere on board a classic motor vessel sailing from Bowness to Ambleside at the northernmost extremity of the lake. MV ‘Tern’, is a steam powered yacht built in 1891 and converted to diesel in 1956. After the 30-minute voyage to Ambleside Pier you’ll join a private road coach for the onward journey to Grasmere, where there will be a coffee stop. Continue by coach from Grasmere to Keswick, travelling via Dunmail Raise and Thirlmere. On arrival at Keswick, you enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant before your road coach takes you on to Pooley Bridge. Here, you have an afternoon cruise on one of the celebrated Ullswater ‘Steamers’ on the second largest lake in the Lake District. Ullswater is one of the most beautiful English lakes, comparable to Lake Lucerne in Switzerland because of its mountainous backdrop. You’ll see the spectacular waterfall of Aira Force, midway along the lake on the western side and cruise the length of the lake from Pooley Bridge to Glenridding. You rejoin the road coach for the return journey via scenic country roads to Bowness and enjoy dinner at your hotel in the evening. (B L D) Monday 20th June Steam train on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway A tour highlight awaits today as you travel by road coach to Ravenglass, a small coastal village with Roman connections located at the estuary of the rivers Esk, Mite and Irt. The famous 15inch gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway (La’al Ratty) has its terminus adjacent to the Cumbrian Coast railway line station. The line runs for 7 miles (11.3 km) from Ravenglass to Dalegarth Station near Boot in the Eskdale Valley. You’ll be given a day rover ticket for use on the line, which operates an intensive timetable of steam and diesel trains, so you can explore at your own pace. Options include alighting at intermediate stations to film or photograph the passing trains, and it’s only a short walk from the terminus at Dalegarth to the village of Boot and its two pubs. The railway is popular for its open carriages providing superb sightlines of the surrounding scenery, but there are enclosed carriages depending on the weather. After your day on the railway you return to Windermere by road coach in the late afternoon. You dine with fellow guests at The Belsfield Hotel this evening – a fitting climax to a fabulous tour. (B D)

Tuesday 21st June Homeward bound After breakfast at the hotel you transfer by road coach to Windermere Railway Station. Those passengers who joined the tour at Windermere will travel home independently, the remainder will join a train to Oxenholme Lake District for the return to London Euston again in the First-Class comfort of an Avanti Pendolino train. (B)

Tour Summary

Tour price £1495 Single supplement £165 Ground only £1385 (Windermere – Windermere with own travel to/from Windermere)

Price includes:

• First Class rail travel from London Euston to Oxenholme Lake District and return by

Avanti Trains Pendolino • Standard Class rail travel from Oxenholme

Lake District to Windermere (20 minutes)* • 5 nights Half-board hotel accommodation • 2 lunches • All rail and boat trips as detailed in the itinerary • A one day rover ticket for use on the

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway • All seat reservations and transfers • The services of a tour manager

*The First Transpennine Express trains running the short distance between Oxenholme Lake District and Windermere have insufficient first class seats to accommodate our party.

All prices shown are per person based on two persons sharing. Meals included each day are shown as: B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner

June 2022

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 2 3

Approx. timings Outward Return London Euston 09:43 14:10 Oxenholme 13:21 11:23

Heart of Scotland

Wednesday 6th July to Tuesday 12th July 2022

Scotland is a rugged country full of scenic and cultural surprises, as you’ll discover for yourself on this highlight-packed holiday tour to its wild, spectacular heart. • Based in the historic city of Stirling, then Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, you’ll explore the unique cultural and natural attractions grouped around the Trossachs, the Cairngorms, and Bute itself. • Steam highlights include a cruise on Loch Katrine aboard steam launch ‘Sir Walter Scott’, steam train on the Strathspey

Railway and a transfer to the Isle of Bute on the sea-going paddle steamer ‘Waverley’. • Ascend rugged Cairngorm mountain on the UK’s highest funicular railway and visit the neo-gothic Victorian Gothic Revival estate at Mount Stuart on Bute. • You’ll also discover the diverse wildlife in and around both of Scotland’s National Parks, showcasing the variety of flora and fauna in the rugged Scottish landscape. • From unspoilt beaches to inspiring coastlines, with convenient point-to-point transfers on ScotRail service trains and by private coach included, this is a unique holiday opportunity for seasoned traveller and newcomer alike.

Wednesday 6th July London to Stirling on the ‘Highland Chieftain From the comfort of the First-Class Lounge at London King’s Cross Station you join the ‘Highland Chieftain’ passenger train for the journey north to Scotland, following the route of the scenic East Coast Main Line (ECML). A light lunch will be served at your seat as you travel First Class in relaxed, spacious comfort, as nearly the length of Britain rattles past. Your train stops at York, taking on those connecting by service train from Peterborough before continuing via Newcastle and Edinburgh to historic Stirling, where you book into the Stirling Highland hotel for the next three nights. A welcome dinner is served at the hotel this evening. (L D) Thursday 7th July Steam Cruise on Loch Katrine and Stirling Castle This morning you transfer by coach from Stirling along scenic roads to nearby Loch Katrine, set in the Centre of the Trossachs National Park. You’ll then enjoy a 2-hour lake cruise on the world-famous steamship ‘Sir Walter Scott’ to Stronachlachar from Trossachs Pier, taking in the inspiring landscape that influenced Sir Walter Scott, Coleridge and Wordsworth. On returning you’ll take a light lunch at the restaurant on the Pier. Afterwards you transfer by coach again to Stirling Castle for a tour of the grounds of one of the largest castles in Scotland, surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. After your tour there’ll be time to look around Stirling, taking in the historic Old Town and the picturesque Back Walk footpath that encircles it. Dinner will be taken at your hotel this evening. (B L D)

Friday 8th July Strathspey Steam Railway and The Royal Deeside Railway This morning you travel on a ScotRail service train over the iconic Highland Main Line from Stirling to Aviemore before joining a steam train on the Strathspey Railway. This heritage line shares the main line railway station at Aviemore and runs to Boat of Garten and Broomhill (‘Glenbogle’ in the BBC series Monarch of the Glen). The return trip on the railway offers wonderful views of the Cairngorm Mountains.