SCOTLAND Scotland's culture and traditions, history and literature, language and accents, its landscapes and architecture and even its wildlife set it apart from the rest of Britain. Scotland has been compared to an iceberg - there's much more than first meets the eye. Come with an open mind, a keen eye and a sense of adventure. Queen Victoria's love for the Scottish Highlands helped promote the fashion of visiting Scotland. Every year thousands cross the unmarked border between England and Scotland for sport - golf, fishing, hunting, skiing, climbing, but also in search of something less tangible. We seek a sense of the romantic past in one of the last remaining wildernesses in Europe. The division between the Lowlands and the Highlands is a diagonal line along a fault from Dumbarton in the west to Stonehaven in the east. The Lowlands are not flat, but rolling grassy hills and green dales rich in farming and industry, supporting 2/3 of the entire Scottish population. The Highlands and Islands cover about 1/4 of Britain's land surface. They are not as high as mountains in the Americas, but when seen with their wild lochs, rugged coastline, purple, heather-covered moors, icy streams and wooded glens, they inspire awe. There is evidence of human habitation from stone age cave dwellings, to Iron age forts, crumbling crofts and ruined castles.

LOW IMPACT ISLANDS AND HIGHLANDS (SHORT CIRCULAR WALKS)
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ISLANDS AND HIGHLANDS (CIRCULAR WALKS)

Flying direct to Scotland we travel north to the Islands and Highlands, walking, and riding the train alongside the lochs and in the glens. We have opportunities to spot red deer and stags, perhaps sight the rare peregrine falcon, the osprey, puffins, Golden Eagle and the Scottish Wildcat. Along the rugged west coast, otters hunt along the tide line and seals swim in the clear water. We'll ride the rails from the heartlands of Scotland to the Atlantic shores, past the blue waters of Loch Linnhe at the foot of the wooded and heather covered hills of Lochaber and Ardgour.

ULSTER SCOTS (CIRCULAR WALKS)

This tour is a combination of the best of the West Coast of Scotland and the Inner Hebrides, with Northern Ireland - an area partly settled by and heavily influenced by Scots in the 17th century. Flying in to Glasgow, you will spend a week in Scotland, enjoying the spectacular sea lochs of Argyll and the small islands. For the second week, you travel by ferry to Northern Ireland (less than a 2 hour crossing), where you will enjoy the Antrim Coast and the scenic hills from the Sperrins to the Mournes. Your return flight will leave from Belfast (or from Dublin if you choose).

THE ROMANTIC TROSSACHS (CIRCULAR WALKS)
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LOW IMPACT TROSSACHS (SHORT CIRCULAR WALKS)

The small area known as “The Trossachs” is unique, with lochs and mountains and glens and deep forests.....and history. The literature of Sir Walter Scott, Wordsworth and Coleridge has been inspired by this region and Rob Roy, (Scotland's infamous answer to Robin Hood) came from this area. The history books are full of references to the area, from Roman attempts at invasion, to the battles and royal intrigues of later years. The scenery is what brings me to this part of Scotland again and again - and the hospitality. To the west is Loch Lomond with the peak of Ben Lomond looming above. To the east are Stirling and Edinburgh, and to the north are the wild and rugged Highlands. Staying in the Trossachs, we actually straddle the Highland Fault, a geological boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands which runs across Scotland from east to west. After two days near Loch Lomond, we spend the rest of our time in the centre of the Trossachs, but go out each day to sail on the lochs and to walk the hills and the forest paths.

THE OUTER HEBRIDES (CIRCULAR WALKS) The Outer Hebrides, also known as the Western Isles, is a chain of islands 130 miles long in the North Atlantic, off the west coast of Scotland. They take the brunt of the Atlantic storms which would otherwise break on the Inner Hebrides and the Western Highlands. The rugged, treeless landscape of moorlands, mountains, deep sea lochs, splashing rivers and huge skies is breathtaking. In contrast to the wealth of prehistoric sites - including standing stones, burial chambers and brochs, you'll marvel at the delicate machair with its carpet of wild flowers and delicate ecosystem. The beautiful, lonely bays where the deep cobalt blue of the Atlantic ocean contrasts with white sandy beaches took my breath away the first time I saw them. The Western Isles are the very heartland of the Gaelic culture, and even road signs are in Gaelic. There is an interesting religious division in the Isles - strict Protestants populate the northern islands, while Catholics are in the majority in the south. On Lewis and Harris you will find Harris Tweed, and meet the crofters who produce it. Amongst other delights on our walks, we'll find a medieval church, see a huge variety of bird species, and discover the real story behind the SS Politician, which inspired the book and film “Whisky Galore”. In the evenings, at pubs and island hotels, we'll sample the local produce including freshly caught shell fish.

EDINBURGH EXTENSION

With every walking tour in Scotland, an accompanied three day Edinburgh visit is offered at a very nominal price. Seeing Edinburgh requires a minimum of a week, and a good pair of walking shoes, but we are devoting the better part of three days, so the very best orientation is with one of the circular tour buses. There is a commentary, and you will enjoy the orientation and the history. During our stay we enjoy a theatre, sample the food at two of Edinburgh's fine restaurants, and we'll fit in many of the well known sights of the city including the castle, Holyrood House, Charlotte Square with its Georgian House furnished in contemporary style, Princes Street and the Royal Mile.

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