Luxury Walking View Trip Dates Glencoe and the Highlands Book Now
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Luxury Walking View Trip Dates Glencoe and the Highlands Book Now Trip Grade: Blue 4 Glencoe and the Highlands If you’re looking to enjoy superb hiking in some of the most beautiful areas of Scotland, then this is the trip for you. We start by exploring Highland Perthshire - a land of heather clad hills, long glens and beautiful forests. After hiking in the glens and to the tops, we transfer west via a boat trip up the coast to Glencoe. This is an incredible region for hiking and is our base for the last few days of the trip, allowing us to explore spectacular trails with amazing views. Along the way you’ll hear about the history that shaped this country. Highlights • Hike in two of the Highland’s most beautiful regions, experiencing contrasting landscapes • Enjoy an exciting day speeding between rarely visited islands on a privately-chartered zodiac • Soak in the quiet of the wilderness on our favourite peaks away from the crowds Book with confidence • We guarantee this trip will run as soon as 2 people have booked • Maximum of 8 places available per departure PLEASE NOTE – The itinerary may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wilderness Scotland Guide with regard to weather conditions and other factors. Planned Itinerary Day 1 | Into Highland Perthshire Day 2 | Hiking Glen Lyon Day 3 | The Fairy Hill of Caledonia Day 4 | A Maritime Adventure Day 5 | Wilderness and a Waterfall Day 6 | Hiking in Glencoe Day 7 | Rob Roy's Grave & Creag an Tuirc Arrival Info • Your Guide will meet you at the entrance of Perth Railway Station • 10.30am on Day 1 of your trip Departure Info • You will be returned to Perth Railway Station • 4:00pm on the final day of your trip PLEASE NOTE – The itinerary may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wilderness Scotland Guide with regard to weather conditions and other factors. Day 1 | Into Highland Perthshire Meeting in Perth, a short transfer takes us to a historic library for the trip welcome. After lunch, we'll stretch our legs and head out on a circular walk nearby, winding alongside the River Earn, and a short climb up and over Laggan Hill. Arriving back, we transfer to our comfortable Highland Hotel for a relaxing evening. (L, D) Walk details: 9km/ 5.5 miles | 220m/ 720 ft of ascent | approx. 2.5 hours Day 2 | Hiking Glen Lyon Glen Lyon is one of the most beautiful glens in Scotland, flanked by steep sided hills which offer wonderful walking on their grassy summits. Our guide will choose a suitable hike on the day – which could be an easy walk along the valley floor, or perhaps a hike to one of the easier summits. This evening, we enjoy a whisky-tasting session at the hotel before dinner. (B, L, D) Walk details: 10km/ 6 miles | 750m/ 2460 ft of ascent | approx. 6 hours Day 3 | The Fairy Hill of Caledonia On our final day in Perthshire, we’ll aim to climb the iconic hill of Schiehallion – the Fairy Hill of Caledonia. An excellent trail snakes up the whaleback mountain to its lofty summit at 1,083m, which rewards us with expansive views across the Highlands. Back at the hotel, enjoy a pint of Schiehallion ale or perhaps a local whisky to celebrate! (B, L, D) Walk details: 10km/ 6 miles | 750m/ 2460 ft of ascent | approx. 6 hours Day 4 | A Maritime Adventure After breakfast we transfer west to Oban, where we jump on board a privately chartered RIB (zodiac) for a memorable journey to Glencoe on the sea. We won’t take a direct route – instead, we’ll visit some islands along the way, stepping ashore to explore empty beaches and coves. We then speed up Loch Linnhe, keeping an eye out for wildlife such as seals, porpoises or dolphins, before arriving in Loch Leven and transferring a short distance to our iconic hotel. (B, L, D) Walk details: 4km/ 2 miles | minimal elevation gain | approx. 2 hours Day 5 | Wilderness and a Waterfall We start from the village of Kinlochleven where will climb on a good trail through the forest. You’ll soon be able to hear the thunder of falling water - The Grey Mare’s Tail waterfall is impressive falling almost 50 feet. We’ll continue on our hike as the path comes out of the woods and eventually reaches a remote loch, surrounded by mountains and wild moorlands. On the return, we’ll enjoy stunning views down the length of Loch Leven to the Pap of Glencoe. (B, L, D) Walk details: 13km/ 8 miles | 350m/ 1150 ft of ascent | approx. 5 hours Day 6 | Hiking in Glencoe Some of the best views in Glencoe are from a rarely climbed peak that will be our target today. Following a faint trail, we hike up the flanks of the open hillside. The views open up quickly as we gain height. Reaching the summit, the views are simply sensational, as we gaze directly across the valley at the north face of Buachaille Etive Mor, the most iconic sight in Glencoe. Afterwards, we’ll stop in at a well-known mountaineer’s pub to toast the end of the trip before heading to dinner. (B, L, D) Walk details: 11km/ 7 miles | 650m/ 2130 ft of ascent | approx. 5 hours Day 7 | Rob Roy's Grave & Creag an Tuirc We leave Glencoe and transfer south to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Here, we’ll stop at the tiny churchyard in Balquhidder and visit the grave of Rob Roy MacGregor. There will be time for a short hike to Creag an Tuirc - a great viewpoint and the perfect place to reflect on a special week. The summit is marked with a large cairn and offers incredible views down the length of Loch Voil. A short transfer takes us back to Perth, arriving late afternoon. (B, L) Walk details: 3km/ 2 miles | 150m/ 490 ft of ascent | approx. 1.5 hours Trip Grading | Blue 4 | Blue graded walking holidays are suitable for fit and experienced hikers. We walk at a good pace and you can expect to be out for 6-8 hours a day. You will not always be on a path and the terrain underfoot can often be rough and boggy, including boulder fields and mountain tops, you will need to be confident hiking on uneven ground. Some of the daily walks will involve a mountain ascent of over 3000ft / 900m high. Daily distances will be typically up to 16km but may be longer occasionally. Daily hike details are available in the itinerary. The weather in Scotland can be unpredictable and at times can make activities more challenging. Please do bear this in mind when thinking about what trip to join. If our guides feel that you are not able to complete a scheduled hike they may ask you not to join in that day. If you have any questions about the grading, then please do give our Adventure Consultants a call to chat through your experience and suitability for this trip. It is your responsibility to ensure you are appropriately fit and capable of doing the described hikes in the expected times. Please refer to the grading section on our website for more details. If you are unsure we encourage you to speak to us first. Accommodation and Meals On this trip we use two luxury Highland hotels - spending 3 nights in Highland Perthshire and then 3 nights in Glencoe. In Perthshire, we stay in a 10-bedroom hotel with a renowned restaurant. The hotel is a historic and charming building, which has been lovingly refurbished to create a stylish yet traditional country house feel. In Glencoe, we stay in a magnificent country house. Each of its 9 suites offer very spacious rooms with expansive views of the mountains or sea. With a fabulous location in Glencoe and warm hospitality, it’s one of our favourite places to stay in Scotland. On this trip we generally eat dinner as a group however if you would like to make alternative arrangements you are free to do so. Your guide will have an evening off during this trip where they do not eat with the group. They will recommend options for dinner that evening and will help you make any necessary reservations. Single Rooms For solo travellers: Accommodation is based on sharing a twin room with another solo traveller of the same gender. A limited number of rooms for single occupancy are available on a first come first served basis, subject to a single supplement. Please enquire for availability. Single supplements vary across our itineraries so please refer to the ‘What’s Included - Accommodation’ tab on the trip page on our website for this trip or contact our sales team. All Inclusive Inclusions This trip includes the following: • 6 nights accommodation in welcoming 4* hotels • All meals during the trip, from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 7 (Meals included indicated as B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) • The services of an experienced and knowledgeable guide / driver throughout • All transport throughout the trip starting and finishing in Perth • Privately chartered RIB / zodiac excursion Our All Inclusive trips include all accommodation, meals, guiding and travel during the trip. We do not include drinks or any gratuities you may choose to leave. Our holidays reviewed in your words… The trip exceeded my expectations on every level. This was my first time traveling with Wilderness Scotland and I was a “ bit wary.