The Summer Highlander 6

This impressive castle stands on high terraces and affords wonderful views across its formal gardens to the North Sea beyond. There’ll be time to visit the castle and its grounds, including a falconry display, before lunch. Afterwards there’ll be more time to explore the castle gardens and museum before you return by road coach to your hotel in Inverness. (B L)

Thursday 9th June The Far North Today there’s a trip by road coach to the iconic village of John O’Groats. The route from Inverness follows the A9 trunk road, which hugs the North Sea coast for much of the way from Golspie to Wick, giving spectacular views. John O’Groats is the well-known starting point for charity events travelling the greatest length of Britain to Land’s End. It has a tiny harbour and, if the weather is good, there are views across the Pentland Firth to the Orkney Islands. You continue a few miles west to the Castle of Mey, where a light lunch will be served. The castle was restored from a near ruin by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother for use as a holiday home. Further on, at Thurso Railway Station, you join a ScotRail service train for Inverness. The railway takes a different route to the road, initially crossing isolated moorland, thus providing a fresh perspective on the region’s wonderful scenery. The railway line meets the North Sea coast at Helmsdale and follows the coastline, often running between the road and the sea. It’s not uncommon to see seals basking on the shore on this section of the route. On arrival at Inverness you return to your hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D) Friday 10th June The Strathspey and Keith & Dufftown Railways This morning you travel by road coach to Aviemore to join a steam train on the Strathspey Railway. This heritage railway 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 affords outstanding views of the Cairngorm Mountains. You re-join your road coach to travel from Aviemore to Dufftown, a packed lunch will be provided on the train. The return trip by vintage diesel rail car takes you on the 11-mile long Keith and Dufftown Railway, the most northerly heritage railway in the UK. This socalled ‘Whisky Line’ passes through dense pine forests, by the tranquil waters of Loch Park, and along the winding valley of the River Isla. To end an eventful day, you visit a traditional Highland whisky distillery before returning to the hotel in Inverness. (B L D)

Saturday 11th June The ‘Highland Chieftain’ to London There’s an early breakfast at your hotel before you transfer to Inverness Railway Station and join the ‘Highland Chieftain’ express for the return journey to London. Relax in your FirstClass seat as you travel once more through the scenic Highlands. You climb to Drumochter summit, the highest in the UK, and follow the valley of the River Tay to Perth and then to Edinburgh to join the ECML onwards to Newcastle, York and London’s King’s Cross. A light lunch will be served on your journey south. (B L)

Tour Summary

Tour price £1530 Single supplement £295

Price includes:

• First Class rail travel on the ‘Highland

Chieftain’ and on ‘The Jacobite’ steam train • Standard Class rail travel between Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness and between

Thurso and Inverness (First Class not provided on these trains) • 5 nights accommodation in hotels • 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners • All visits, train and ferry travel, and coach transfers as detailed in the itinerary • The services of a tour manager

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 King’s Cross 12:00 15:48 Peterborough 11:58* 15:26* York 13:54 13:57 Kingussie 19:15 ------Inverness ------- 07:55

*Passengers from Peterborough change trains at York on both outward and return journeys.

English Lakes

Thursday 16th June to Tuesday 21st June 2022

Ravenglass & Eskdale Steam Railway

Ravenglass & Eskdale Steam Railway

Discover the delights of the English Lake District by vintage motor vessel, steam train and steam yacht on this featurepacked holiday tour to Cumbria. • Based at an elegant hotel in the resort town of Bowness-on-Windermere, you’ll enjoy cruises on vintage vessels on Lake

Windermere and Ullswater. • Steam train highlights include a trip on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway and an exclusive exploration of the legendary 15-inch narrow gauge railway ‘La’al Ratty’. • Enjoy a lake-themed cruise on Coniston Water aboard the restored Victorian steam yacht ‘Gondola’, followed by lunch at the 400-year-old ‘Sun’ pub in Coniston. • Other holiday highlights include visits to the Victorian neo-gothic Wray Castle and the Haverthwaite engine shed. • Outstanding scenery, excellent cuisine and the convenience of short point-to-point travel distances by private road coach all add to your enjoyment on this relaxed, highlight-packed holiday in England’s idyllic Lakeland.

Thursday 16th June First Class rail travel to Windermere Your holiday begins in the First-Class lounge at London Euston Station before boarding a midmorning/early afternoon Avanti Trains Pendolino service. You’ll travel in sumptuous comfort at a top speed of 125mph along the West Coast Main Line (WCML) to Oxenholme in the Lake District. Here you change trains and take a First TransPennine Express service for the journey to Windermere. From Windermere station you’ll have a short coach transfer to the delightful village of Bowness-on-Windermere, located on the banks of Lake Windermere. Your hotel for the duration of the tour will be The Belsfield Hotel. You then have some leisure time to explore Bowness before dinner at your hotel in the evening. (D) Friday 17th June Lake Windermere cruise; Steam train on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway After breakfast you board the stylish vintage motor vessel ‘Swan’ for a forty-minute cruise through outstanding Cumbrian lake scenery to Lakeside at the southern end of Lake Windermere. This triple-deck ship was originally built by Vickers in 1938, and is now an iconic fixture on England’s largest lake. The lake pier is adjacent to Lakeside Railway Station and here you join a connecting steam train on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, a former branch line of the Furness Railway (FR), originally opened in 1869. You’ll travel the entire length of the line to Haverthwaite with plenty of time to visit the impressive engine shed there, with its collection of historic steam and diesel locomotives. Crossing the footbridge to the woodland viewing and picnic area you can buy souvenirs in the gift shop. Afterwards, transfer by coach to the Lakeland Motor Museum, where you will have time to explore and purchase lunch. In the afternoon you return by steam train to Lakeside and from there by connecting ship to Bowness. You’ll dine at The Belsfield Hotel this evening. (B D)

Saturday 18th June Steam boat cruise on Coniston Water; Wray Castle Today you visit Coniston Water, the third largest lake in the Lake District, for a lake-themed cruise on the restored Victorian steam yacht ‘Gondola’. Originally launched in 1859 to carry railway passengers, The Illustrated London News at the time described it as “a perfected combination of the Venetian gondola and the English steam yacht”. The preserved steamer is now cared for and operated by the National