The Summer Highlander

Tuesday 16th to Saturday 20th July 2013

This tour allows us to travel to and from Scotland by fast trains, avoiding busy roads and making the journeys even more enjoyable by travelling First Class. Highlights of the tour include travel by train on preserved steam railways, the spectacular train journeys from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and from Mallaig to Fort William, and the Isle of Skye.
We are accompanied throughout Scotland by a road coach that will handle our luggage. We take advantage of the contemporary First Class Lounge at London’s King’s Cross Station which provides a peaceful space in which to relax prior to our journey.

Tuesday 16th July
Highland Chieftain to Scotland
At mid-day the Highland Chieftain train leaves London’s King’s Cross Station bound for Inverness. It stops at York to collect further passengers, including those who have travelled by service train from Peterborough. As we speed along the East Coast Main Line a light lunch will be served at our seats. We pass through Newcastle, Edinburgh and Perth en route to Kingussie, from where we transfer by road coach to our hotel in Fort William. Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant. (L D)

Wednesday 17th July
The Jacobite and over the Sea to Skye
The Jacobite steam train is described as one of the great railway journeys of the world. It takes us for 42 miles through some of the most magnificent scenery that Scotland has to offer. Apart from stunning mountain and sea views, it crosses the world famous twenty-one arch Glenfinnan Viaduct. The final destination is Mallaig, where there will be around an hour to explore this attractive fishing port and then board the ferry for the Isle of Skye. At Armadale we rejoin our road coach which, as always, has followed us with our luggage. We travel through Kyleakin and Broadford on the picturesque Isle of Skye before crossing the famous Skye Bridge, which links Skye to the Kyle of Lochalsh. At Kyle of Lochalsh we board the late afternoon service train to Inverness and travel along one of Europe’s most scenic railway lines. We run alongside Loch Carron, then enjoy superb views of lochs and mountains, and pass through forests, en route to Inverness, where we arrive around 20:00. We transfer to our hotel which will be our base for 3 nights. Dinner will be served at our hotel. (B D)

Thursday 18th July
The Far North
Breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant before we depart by road coach to Dunrobin Castle. Here a piper will greet us and lead us to the castle which is perched high above the seashore. We shall have a tour of the castle and its grounds, including a falconry display, before taking a light lunch. We rejoin our coach and continue northbound to John O’Groats, with its tiny harbour and views across the Pentland Firth to the Orkneys. We visit the Castle of Mey before arriving at Thurso Railway Station where we join a ScotRail service train to Inverness. The railway takes a different route to the road, thus providing a fresh perspective on the region’s wonderful scenery. On arrival at Inverness we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B L D)

Friday 19th July
The Strathspey and Keith & Dufftown Railways
Today, our road coach takes us to Aviemore where we join a Strathspey Railway steam train for the journey to Broomhill and return. Our train will travel through the countryside at a leisurely pace, with the Cairngorm Mountains in view, allowing us to fully appreciate the scenery in an area famous for its stunning natural beauty. On arrival back at Aviemore, our coach takes us to Dufftown, where lunch will be served in the Buffer Stop, a railway restaurant car. We take a return trip by vintage diesel rail car on the 11 mile long Keith and Dufftown Railway, the most northerly heritage railway in the UK. It passes through spectacular scenery, with glimpses of the varied wildlife, along a river valley and climbing through dense pine forests. To complete our day, we have a visit to a traditional Highland whisky distillery before we return to our hotel in Inverness. (B L D)

Saturday 20th July
The Highland Chieftain back to London
We enjoy an early breakfast at our hotel before transferring to the railway station to join the Highland Chieftain for our return journey. We can relax in our First Class seats as we leave Inverness and pass through the Highlands, a wonderful experience, en route to Perth, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York and London King’s Cross. A light lunch will be served on the journey south. (B L)

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

Train Timings

Approximate timings shown

Price

Price per person: London £945 – Peterborough £925 – York £900
Single supplement: £175

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)
• 4 nights accommodation in a twin, double or single room
• 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners

Meals included each day are shown as: B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner