Heart of Scotland 28

Monarch of the Glen). The return trip on the railway offers wonderful views of the Cairngorm Mountains. You re-join the road coach to travel from Aviemore into the heart of the nearby Cairngorms National Park and stop for a short stroll along the banks of Loch Morlich. From here it’s just a short onward journey to the Cairngorm Mountain Railway, a 2 km long funicular and Britain’s highest mountain railway. In appearance and design it’s reminiscent of the famed Alpine funiculars in Switzerland. Enjoy the magnificent views of the snow-capped Scottish mountains as the line ascends CairnGorm. After an equally enjoyable descent on the mountain railway, your road coach returns you to Stirling, where dinner will be served at your hotel. (B L D)

Saturday 15th July Clyde Cruise and Isle of Bute aboard Paddle Steamer ‘Waverley’ After breakfast you transfer by road coach from Stirling to Glasgow. The coach drops you off at the steamboat pier and continues with your luggage by motor ferry to your next hotel at the Isle of Bute. You then enjoy an all-day cruise aboard the iconic, double-funnel steamer ‘Waverley’, the last ocean-going paddle steamer in the world. You go ‘doon the watter’ on a sail from Glasgow over the Clyde to Rothesay and Tighnabruaich. The steamer has multiple bars and galleys, and a restaurant where you can buy drinks and meals. You can watch the fully visible marine steam engine as it works, the largest of its kind still in operating condition. You can also go ashore at Tighnabruaich, a lovely coastal village dominated by grand villas built in Victorian times for wealthy merchants, for a one-hour visit before the steamer drops you off again at Rothesay, the principal town of Bute. You’ll stay at an elegant hotel here for the rest of the tour to enjoy the exotic island charm of the ‘Madeira of Scotland’. Dinner is served at your hotel this evening. (B D)

Sunday 16th July Mount Stuart and the scenery of South Bute Today you discover the outstanding natural and cultural highlights on the Isle of Bute south of Rothesay. Bute is only 33 miles from Glasgow and is the most accessible of the westerly isles from the Scottish Central Belt. Highlights include the impressive Victorian Gothic Revival estate at Mount Stuart and the scenic beaches and coves at Kilchattan Bay. The spirit of nineteenthcentury invention is embodied in Mount Stuart, and this neo-gothic mansion was one of the most technologically advanced houses of its age. It was the first home in the world to have a heated swimming pool and be purpose-built with electric lights and central heating. Kilchattan Bay is a settlement of Victorian houses and villas that lies on the south west shore of a largely east facing bay with a mile-wide mouth offering views to the isle of Great Cumbrae, three miles to the east. After your rewarding day, dinner will again be served at your hotel in Rothesay. (B D)

Monday 17th July Ferry crossing to Wemyss Bay In the morning you’ll have some leisure time in Rothesay before taking the lunchtime CalMac ferry from Rothesay to Wemyss Bay. From Wemyss Bay you will transfer by coach to Fort William for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B D)

Tuesday 18th July Jacobite Today a major tour highlight awaits with a trip on ‘The Jacobite’ steam train, one of the great railway journeys of the world. The train runs from Fort William to Mallaig through magnificent Scottish scenery. Mountains, glens, streams, lochs and the sea combine in an unending collage of outstanding views. On arrival in Mallaig, you will have time to purchase lunch before enjoying the return journey back to Fort William. Once again, you will enjoy dinner with your fellow travellers at your hotel. (B D)

Wednesday 19th July Free time in Inverness After a leisurely breakfast, your coach will transfer you to Inverness, sit back and relax and enjoy the spectacular scenery as you travel north to Inverness. On arrival, you will have time to explore this interesting city before a final dinner with your fellow passengers. (B D)

Thursday 20th July Train travel from Inverness There’s an early breakfast at your hotel before you transfer to Inverness Railway Station for your return journey to London. Relax in your First-Class 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 £1895 Single supplement £345

Price includes:

• First Class rail travel from London King’s

Cross to Stirling by East Coast express train and from Inverness to London King’s Cross • 8 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast • 4 lunches and 8 dinners • All rail and boat trips as detaile in the itinerary • All road coach transfers as detailed in the itinerary • All seat reservations and transfers • 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

July 2023

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Bob Green

The Cock O’the North

Thursday 13th July to Wednesday 19th July 2023

Discover the outstanding natural beauty of Scotland’s northern outposts on our ever-popular ‘Cock O’ the North’ rail and road tour. • Explore this rugged terrain by extensive train, road coach and ferry transport, starting with a First-Class journey on the

‘Highland Chieftain’ from London to Inverness. • Steam on ‘The Jacobite’ from Mallaig to Fort William, taking in the famous 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct on one of the greatest railway journeys in the world. • Enjoy two heritage rail trips in one day, on the Strathspey Railway in the shadow of the Cairngorms, and on the Keith &

Dufftown ‘Whisky Line’, the most northerly heritage railway in the UK. • Discover the Kyle of Lochalsh on a trip along the most scenic line in Britain, followed by a fascinating two-day stay on the

Isle of Skye, including a guided tour highlighting its vibrant culture and spectacular attractions. • With overnight stays at comfortable hotels, outstanding cuisine, and point-to-point road coach transport for your luggage included, this is a Scottish holiday tour not to be missed!

Thursday 13th July ‘Highland Chieftain’ to Inverness From the comfort of the First-Class Lounge at London’s King’s Cross Station you join the ‘Highland Chieftain’ for the scenic journey to Scotland. This train follows the route of the East Coast Main Line (ECML) via historic connections and through magnificent landscapes. A light lunch will be served at your seat as you speed on in First Class comfort. Stopping at York to take on passengers who have travelled by service train from Peterborough, you continue via Newcastle, Edinburgh and Perth, and join the Highland Main Line to travel through the beautiful Scottish Highlands to Inverness. At Inverness you check in to The Best Western Hotel and Spa for two nights. Dinner will be served this evening in the hotel restaurant. (L D) Friday 14th July Strathspey Railway; Keith & Dufftown Railway 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, and have lunch in the ‘Buffer Stop’, a railway restaurant car. 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 so-called ‘Whisky Line’ passes through dense pine forests, by the tranquil waters of Loch Park, and along the winding valley of the River Isla. You re-join your coach and return to the hotel in Inverness for dinner. (B L D)

Saturday 15th July Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh by Train After a traditional Scottish breakfast your luggage is collected from the hotel and transported by privately chartered road coach to your next hotel. You then leave Inverness and travel by train to Kyle of Lochalsh, an idyllic location on the northwest coast of Scotland at the entrance to another sea inlet, Loch Alsh. This line has been voted one of the most scenic in Britain and passes through forests, alongside lakes overshadowed by mountains, and along the shores of Loch Carron, a sea inlet. A road coach then takes you over the Skye Bridge to