Inspiring Adventures in the Wild Places of the UK & Ireland BESPOKE HIKING ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF SCOTLAND

Transcription

1 in the Wild Places of the UK & Ireland BESPOKE HIKING ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHTS OF SCOTLAND T h e Wi l d e r n e s s C o l l e c t i v e Te l : ( 0 ) r u s s e l t h e w i l d e r n e s s c o l l e c t i v e. c o. u k

2 INTRODUCTION This bespoke itinerary offer some spectacular hiking in some of Scotland's iconic areas such as the Isle of Skye and Glencoe whilst also taking in some historic sites including Urquhart Castle and Glenfinnan, where you can pay tribute to a Scottish hero; Bonnie Prince Charlie. Accompanied by your private outdoor guide whilst in the highlands, you ll have the ultimate resource to take you off the beaten track on some wonderful walking adventures. DAY BY DAY ITINERARY DAY 1 ARRIVE EDINBURGH Arrive into Edinburgh and make your way to your central hotel in Edinburgh. You are free to explore the city this afternoon before dining in one of the many restaurants that Edinburgh has to offer. Overnight 4* boutique hotel, Edinburgh DAY 2 WALKING TOUR OF EDINBURGH Your will enjoy a walking tour of Edinburgh today, meeting your guide at your hotel at 10:00. Your guide (qualified in the history and culture of the City of Edinburgh) will bring the city to life with tales of times gone by as you explore the old and new town. The itinerary is flexible depending on what you want to see and do but your guide will lead the way and make suggestions for your first full day in this amazing city. Overnight 4* boutique hotel, Edinburgh The Wilderness Collective " 2

3 DAY 3- EXPLORE EDINBURGH Take time to explore the city at your leisure today. Maybe you want to re-visit some of the sights you saw yesterday or perhaps your guide has made a recommendation that you just have to take advantage of. Either way, the city is yours to explore or just find a good coffee shop or bar and sit back and watch this amazing city in all it s glory. Overnight 4* boutique hotel, Edinburgh DAY 4 - TRAVEL TO FORT AUGUSTUS VIA INVERNESS Leave the city behind as you take a train north beyond the rolling hills of Perthshire to the Highland Capital, Inverness. Your guide will meet you from the train for the beginning of your Highland adventure. You'll head south from Inverness down the Great Glen stopping to admire the largest Scottish loch (by volume) that is Loch Ness and enjoy an afternoon cruise. Overnight 4* hotel, Fort Augustus DAY 5 - GUIDED WILDERNESS WALK Today is all about getting into the true wilderness with a more remote walk with your guide. Options are a-plenty but one recommendation would be to head to Glen Affric, a national nature reserve claimed to be the most beautiful of all the Scottish glens. You'll return Fort Augustus this evening and if you haven't already done so then the hotel restaurant offers a delicately refined dining experience that shouldn't be missed. Overnight 4* hotel, Fort Augustus DAY 6 - GUIDED WILDERNESS WALK We travel further west today to the Isle of Skye which offers by far some of the most memorable walking in Scotland. We'll visit Eilean Donan castle en route where you'll take a step back in time before having three days to explore this island and take in the variety of walks available with your guide. You'll spend the next 3 nights at a luxury 4 star accommodation who have a 2 AA Rosette restaurant. Before dinner, we'll perhaps visit the only whisky company with it's headquarters still in the Scottish Hebrides - the Gaelic Whiskies. Overnight 4* hotel, Isle of Skye The Wilderness Collective " 3

4 DAY 7 - BOAT CRUISE FROM SKYE We'll travel to a remote corner of Skye today and jump onboard a boat for a journey to one of Scotland's most isolated and breathtaking lochs. Here you'll find yourself in the heart of the Cuillin mountains and can take a walk around the loch taking in this spectacular scenery before retuning by boat later in the afternoon. Overnight 4* hotel, Isle of Skye DAY 8 - EXPLORE THE ISLE OF SKYE We'll tour Skye today, stopping for some walks including an exploration of the Sanctuary and the Old Man of Storr on the Trotternish peninsula and a hike through the unique and bizarre rock formations of the Quirang. Your guide will discuss all these options and more with you and you will be able to pick the walks that most appeal. No visit to the Isle of Skye would be complete without a pilgrimage to Talisker, the only distillery on the Misty Isle where you can see distillers at work, creating Talisker, a single malt whisky like no other. This alluring, sweet, full-bodied spirit is so easy to enjoy, and like Skye itself, so hard to leave. Enjoy a complimentary dram before your tour and take time to gaze upon the dramatic Cuillins from a different viewpoint, across the waters of Loch Harport. Overnight 4* hotel, Isle of Skye DAY 9- TRAVEL TO INVERLOCHY CASTLE VIA MALLAIG We'll continue on our way leaving the Isle of Skye by ferry to the port of Mallaig. After lunch we'll head east to Glenfinnan, where a spectacular monument pays tribute to a Scottish hero: Bonnie Prince Charlie. The viaduct which features in the Harry Potter movies is also here and we hope to time it so that you see a steam train crossing the famous arches. You will enjoy your last couple of nights at a 5* castle hotel, uniquely located amongst the glens, lochs and mountains of the West Highlands of Scotland. Overnight 5* castle hotel, Fort William The Wilderness Collective " 4

5 DAY 10 EXPLORE GLENCOE Today we visit another of Scotland's most spectacular and beautiful places, Glencoe. Learn about the history of the area at the Glencoe Visitor Centre and walk the paths of many a clansman in this historic glen before returning to your accommodation and bidding farewell to your guide. Overnight 5* castle hotel, Fort William DAY 11 TRAVEL TO GLASGOW You will return to the city today as you take a train from Fort William to Glasgow enjoying the scenery en route. Your last night will be spent at a 5* spa hotel in the centre of Glasgow. Enjoy the afternoon seeing the sights of Glasgow or relaxing in the spa, reminiscing over your time in Scotland. Overnight 5* hotel, Glasgow DAY 12 - DEPART Time for some final shopping or just a relaxing morning before transferring to Glasgow airport for your onward flight. The Wilderness Collective " 5

6 BOOKING INFORMATION All our hotels and guest houses are hand selected based on their quality, customer care and local character. We work closely with all our hotel partners to ensure our guests experience the very best during their stay with us in Scotland. The itinerary above is available all year round however accommodation and activities are however subject to availability at the time of booking. Please also note that June, July and August are busy periods and therefore early booking is essential to facilitate this itinerary. YOUR FINANCIAL PROTECTION You can book with us in complete confidence that all trip payments made to us are fully protected. Wilderness Scotland Ltd is a licensed and bonded tour operator holding an ATOL licence for trips which include air travel. For trips that do not include air travel, your financial security is guaranteed through our membership and bonding with ABTA. CONTACT ME: For any questions or support related to this trip don t hesitate to contact me directly as below: Russell Murray The Wilderness Collective, Inverdruie House, Inverdruie, Aviemore PH22 1QH russell@thewildernesscollective.co.uk Tel: +44(0) Fax: +44(0) The Wilderness Collective " 6