The Western Isles 36

Mallaig to explore the village and fishing port and find lunch, before boarding the ferry for Armadale on the Isle of Skye. You then travel on the road coach, which has followed the tour with the luggage, to your hotel in Portree, the island’s main town and well known for its picturesque harbour. (B D)

Thursday 27th July Coach tour of Skye; Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides This morning you explore the fascinating Isle of Skye by road coach. Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides and the island’s peninsulas radiate from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of the most dramatic scenery in the country. The Black Cuillin mountain range is the only truly alpine environment in Britain and has twelve summits above 3,000 feet. Your coach pauses a few times for photo opportunities as it crosses Trotternish, the northern peninsula of Skye, to Uig. Here you join a ferry for the one and half hour crossing to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. Although not an island itself, Harris is the southern and more mountainous part of Lewis and Harris. You travel through the exposed countryside to the island’s capital, Stornoway, and the hotel where you will stay and dine for the next two nights. (B D)

Friday 28th July Guided tour of The Isle of Lewis Today a guided coach tour of the Isle of Lewis awaits you. The Isle of Lewis is at the North west corner of the Hebrides and has a rich cultural heritage. From the neat Victorian homes lining the streets of Stornoway, to the stretching white sands of Bosta on Great Bernera in the east, where the clear Atlantic waters sound the evocative toll of the Time and Tide Bell, Lewis is an island of exciting contrasts and diverse experiences. Places of particular interest include the Butt of Lewis cliffs and lighthouse, Carloway Broch, Lewis Bridge and the Callinish Standing Stones, an impressive stone circle comparable to Stonehenge. Lunch will be taken during the tour and dinner will be served at your hotel this evening. (B L D)

Saturday 29th July Free time in Stornaway; ferry to Ullapool; north to Lochinver This morning you’ll have some free time to explore Stornoway and a choice of visiting Lews Castle and grounds, the impressive war memorial, or the harbour area. Observance of the Christian Sabbath, Sunday, had long been a unique aspect of the island’s culture and until July 2009 there were no Sunday ferry services to or from Stornoway. You’ll then take a ferry across ‘The Minch’, maybe sighting dolphins en route, and return to the mainland at Ullapool. The road coach from Ullapool then goes north to Lochinver, a pleasant village with a beautiful harbour and a magnificent mountain backdrop. You’ll stay at the luxurious Inverlodge Hotel, set on a hillside overlooking the bay, for the next two nights. All rooms present amazing views and deer often appear on the lawns outside. (B D)

Sunday 30th July By road to the North West Scottish Highlands There’s a day trip by road coach today, to discover the remote and impressive landscape of the North West Highlands. You pass through magnificent mountain scenery with striking lochs and glens, and maybe catch a glimpse of some uncommon wildlife. You begin to notice the wild sea as you travel near to the coast at Scourie. Your destination is Durness on the far north coast of Scotland, an area of unspoilt beaches backed by cliffs. The surrounding coastline is some of Europe’s most isolated and spectacular, where sea birds, seals, porpoises and minke whales may be seen. You stop in the village and take time for lunch. In the afternoon you return by coach to the hotel at Lochinver. (B D)

Monday 31st July Dunrobin Castle and Inverness Today you travel east by road coach along isolated mountain roads passing through Lairg and Golspie before arriving at Dunrobin Castle, the family seat of the Earl of Sutherland, on the east coast. This impressive castle stands on high terraces with 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 after which you transfer to Golspie Station to board a train to Inverness. You then transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Tuesday 1st August The ‘Highland Chieftain’ to London After an early breakfast at the hotel you transfer to the railway station to join the ‘Highland Chieftain’ for the return journey to London. You can relax again in First Class seats as you leave Inverness and pass through the wonderful Highlands en route to Perth, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York and London King’s Cross. A light lunch will be served on the journey south. (B L)

Tour Summary

Tour price £2295 Single supplement £395

Price includes:

• First Class rail travel from London to Stirling and Inverness to London with at-seat dining • 8 nights half board accommodation in 3-star hotels • 5 Lunches • All visits, train, boat and ferry travel, and coach transfers as detailed in the itinerary • First Class rail travel on ‘The Jacobite’ from

Fort William to Mallaig • Standard Class rail travel between Arrochar and Fort William and Golspie and Inverness (First Class not provided on these trains) • 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

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 26 27 28 29 30 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 31 1 2 3 4 5 6

Approx. timings Outward Return London King’s Cross 12:00 15:49 Peterborough 11:58* 15:26* York 13:54 13:54 Stirling 17:19 ------Inverness ------- 07:55

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

Heart of Scotland

Wednesday 26th July to Thursday 3rd August 2023

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. • Tour highlights include a trip on ‘The Jacobite’ steam train, one of the great railway journeys of the world • 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 26th July London to Stirling on the ‘Highland Chieftain’ From the comfort of the First-Class Lounge at London’s 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 your hotel for the next three nights. A welcome dinner is served at the hotel this evening. (L D) Thursday 27th 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 guided 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 28th July Strathspey Steam Railway and Cairngorm Mountain 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