2021 Clan Macneil Tour of Scotland Silver Skye Tours Provided by Alex Hood, [email protected] www.silverskye.co.uk
Confirmed Itinerary with Costs
Friday 30th July 2021 Overnight transatlantic flights. Any Guests wishing to travel earlier to extend their stay in Edinburgh and thereby giving more time to get over jetlag will be accommodated. Amended Package Costs will be sent to such Group members.
Saturday 31st July 2021 You arrive at Edinburgh International Airport where you are met by a representative of Silver Skye Tours. He/she will arrange your transfer downtown which might be by one of our own van/drivers or by a local taxi company with whom we have a contract for them to provide such services. This day is about gathering the tour group and luggage together following a multitude of different flight plans from equally varied places. In Edinburgh, you stay for one night at the Apex Hotel in the city’s historic Old Town. At this location you will be surrounded by bars, cafes and restaurants so we leave you to forage for your own evening meals. However, Breakfast on the morning of 1st is included in the Tour Costs.
Sunday 1st August 2021 Your coach will be at the Apex Hotel at 08:30 in readiness for a 09:00 departure driving north. You leave the City crossing the new Forth Road Bridge (correct title never used is the “Queensferry Crossing”) and heading north through Fife to the Perth area. There, you visit Scone Palace where Scottish Monarchs were crowned in years long gone. From Scone you head north through the Pitlochry area to stop at “House of Bruar” which is a great shopping location with an extremely good self-service restaurant to buy your lunch. North again you drive through the Drumochter Pass into the Spey Valley. We include the Leault Farm sheepdog demonstration on your way north through the Inverness area to the town of Tain. There, you stay for one night at the Morangie House Hotel or the Mansfield Castle Hotel where Evening Meals and your Breakfasts are included in the Tour Costs
Monday 2nd August 2021 Your coach will be at your hotels in readiness for a 09:30 departure driving north. You cross the Dornoch Firth and continue northwards along the east coast through Golspie and Brora to Helmsdale where you stop for a short time at the “Emigrants Statue/Memorial” at Helmsdale on your way to John o’ Groats. Lunch will be supplied before taking the 13:30 ferry from Gills Bay on the north coast, to St Margaret’s Hope on the Orkney island of South Ronaldsay where you are scheduled to arrive about 14:30. From there, you drive north over several Islands linked by causeways visiting the “Italian Chapel” on the little island of Lamb Holm. From there, it’s a relatively short drive to the capital of the Orkney Islands, Kirkwall, where you stay for two nights 2021 Clan Macneil Tour of Scotland Silver Skye Tours Provided by Alex Hood, [email protected] www.silverskye.co.uk at the Kirkwall Hotel. Breakfasts are included in the Tour Costs. We will not include Evening Meals in your package costs at this location as there are many restaurants within a short walk of your hotel. We will circulate options before the tour starts and will make reservations as required.
Tuesday 3rd August 2021 Your coach will be at the Kirkwall Hotel at 08:45 in readiness for a 09:00 departure to visit the main pre-historic sites of Orkney. You will visit ‘Skara Brae’, the ‘Ring of Brodgar’ and the ‘Stones of Stenness’. We’ll decide on the day what order we’ll visit these sites. Lunch at the Standing Stones Hotel is included in your Tour Costs. We will aim to be back in Kirkwall by mid-afternoon where there will be free time to visit St Magnus Cathedral which was founded by the Vikings in 1137AD. Guests dropped in town will be left to wander back to the hotel as and when they see fit. An additional optional tour this afternoon will be a tour of the ‘Highland Park’ single malt whisky distillery which, in our opinion, is one of the best distillery tours in Scotland. We do however accept that many Group Members would rather have free time in Kirkwall so this tour will be a complimentary ‘extra’ only for those genuinely interested.
Wednesday 4th August 2021 Your coach will be at the Kirkwall Hotel at 08:45 in readiness for a 09:00 departure driving west to the port of Stromness. There will be time for you to have a wander in the historic narrow streets of the village before taking the 11:00 ferry from Stromness to Scrabster back on the mainland which is scheduled to arrive at 12:30. From Scrabster you drive the short distance to Thurso where Lunch will be arranged. South from there you retrace your route of 2nd August down the east coast. Just north of Golspie you’ll visit Dunrobin Castle, one time home of the Dukes of Sutherland. Late afternoon, you arrive in Inverness where you stay for two nights at the Premier Inn on the bank of the River Ness, a short walk from the downtown area. Breakfasts are included in the Tour Costs.
Thursday 5th August 2021 Your coach will be at the Premier Inn at 09:00 in readiness for a 09:30 departure. You travel eastwards along the Moray Firth coast to visit Fort George. From there you head up on to the hill to visit Cawdor Castle before turning back to the Culloden Battlefield and Memorial. Lunch can either be bought at the restaurant at Culloden or back downtown in Inverness. The coach will drop off those wanting to visit the Culloden site then take those others wanting extra time in town back to the Premier Inn, a short walk from the downtown area. The coach will thereafter return to Culloden to meet the rest of the group and return them to the Premier Inn.
Friday 6th August 2021 Your coach will be at the Premier Inn at 08:00 in readiness for a 08:30 departure. You follow the shore of Loch Ness south as far as Invermoriston. You then turn northwest through the 2021 Clan Macneil Tour of Scotland Silver Skye Tours Provided by Alex Hood, [email protected] www.silverskye.co.uk mountains of Glen Shiel to the village of Dornie where, if time permits, the coach will stop to allow photographs. North again, you cross the bridge on to the Isle of Skye where Lunch will be supplied. North on Skye you reach the port of Uig. From there, you take the 14:10 ferry to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris where you are scheduled to arrive at 15:50. You stay for two nights at the Hotel Hebrides adjacent to the ferry terminal. Depending on the final group size, a small number of guests may also have to stay at the Harris Hotel on the edge of town. Breakfasts and Evening Meals are included in the Tour Costs.
Saturday 7th August 2021 Your coach will be at the Hotel Hebrides at 09:00 in readiness for a 09:30 departure. You drive north from the Isle of Harris on to the Isle of Lewis heading for the main town, Stornoway. There you will see how the famous Harris Tweed is woven with time, either in Stornoway or back in Tarbert, to buy some of the tweed should you feel inclined. From there you drive to the west side of Lewis to visit the Blackhouse Museum at Arnol before having Lunch. South through Lewis you reach the Callanish Standing Stones said to be of even more historical importance than the Orkney Stones seen earlier in the Tour. From there you head back south to your hotel in Tarbert on Harris.
Sunday 8th August 2021 Your coach will be at the Hotel Hebrides at 07:45 in readiness for a 08:15 departure. You travel south on Harris to the ferry terminal at Leverburgh. From there you take the 09:35 ferry to the Isle of Berneray where you are scheduled to arrive at 10:35. From there you travel over series of bridges and causeways that link the Isles of North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay. Lunch will be supplied during your drive south through the Islands. From Eriskay you take the 16:35 ferry to Ardmhor on the Isle of Barra where you are scheduled to arrive at 17:15. From Ardmhor, you drive the relatively short distance to Castlebay where you stay for three nights at either the Castlebay Hotel or the Craigard Hotel. Breakfasts are included in the Package Costs.
Monday 9th August 2021 You attend the Clan Gathering in Castlebay. Details of events associated with the Gathering will not be confirmed until Spring/Early Summer 2021. See Item 22] in the Terms & Conditions below.
Tuesday 10th August 2021 Clan Gathering in Castlebay. The coach and driver will be available to take guests to sites on Barra as required.
2021 Clan Macneil Tour of Scotland Silver Skye Tours Provided by Alex Hood, [email protected] www.silverskye.co.uk
Wednesday 11th August 2021 Unfortunately you have an early start on this day. The coach will collect you from your hotels at 07:00 to take you to the Castlebay ferry terminal. From there, you take the 08:00 ferry to Oban where you are scheduled to arrive at 12:40. To cover the possibility that the ferry is running late, or delayed by poor weather, nothing is planned for the remainder of this day. So, you have a free afternoon after which you stay for one night at the Perle Hotel in Oban. Breakfasts are included in the Tour Costs. The coach and luggage will travel on the above ferry. However, there is a ferry option for all guests on this day. Guests can either: a] Ride with the coach and Luggage on the direct route from Castlebay on Barra to Oban (Just under 5 hours) as described above, OR b] Have a more leisurely start to the day avoiding the early start and taking the 14:30 (2.30pm) ferry from Castlebay. It visits the Isle of Coll and then the Isle of Tiree on its way to Oban where it arrives at 21:30 (9.30pm) (7 hour journey). Those group members travelling on this longer ferry option, will have to buy their evening meal in the restaurant on the ferry.
Thursday 12th August 2021 Your coach will be at the Perle Hotel at 09:00 in readiness for a 09:30 departure. From Oban you drive south through Connel along the shore of Loch Linnhe to Glencoe where you stop at the Visitor Centre. This centre has been refurbished since your visit in 2018 and now includes a movie about Scotland’s most notorious incident throughout our long history, the “Massacre of Glencoe.” You will drive through Glencoe heading south by Tyndrum and Crianlarich to the Callander area where, by popular request of those who toured in 2018, there will be a stop at the Trossachs Woollen Mill store where, at the time of writing, there are still Highland Cattle posing for visitors’ photographs. South from there you drive through the Stirling area to visit The Kelpies on your way back to Edinburgh. There, you stay for two nights back at the Apex Hotel where Breakfasts are included in the Tour Costs. Stops on this journey will be kept to an absolute minimum in an effort to get you into your Edinburgh hotel before the City gets extremely busy with Festival events late afternoon/evening.
Friday 13th August 2021 You have a free day in Edinburgh to see the sites at your own pace and enjoy the chaos of the Edinburgh International Festival. All Group Members will be supplied with a pass at the beginning of the tour which will include entrance to Edinburgh Castle. In the evening, you have tickets for the 21:00 performance of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo which ends at 22:30 or thereabouts. You have a relatively short downhill walk from the Tattoo to the Apex Grassmarket Hotel.
2021 Clan Macneil Tour of Scotland Silver Skye Tours Provided by Alex Hood, [email protected] www.silverskye.co.uk
Saturday 14th August 2021 You transfer to Edinburgh International Airport for onward travel. You transfers might be by bus, by “Silver Skye Tours” vans, or by a local Taxi Company contracted to supply such transfer services for ‘Silver Skye’ guests. Whatever method, the costs are included in your Package Costs.
[All ferry times are from 2020 timetables. They may change before your tour but they’re not expected to change much]
Group Size
Due to the narrow size of many of the roads in the Outer Hebrides, there is a maximum size of coach we can use. This restricts the size of your Group to 48. The first 48 to pay their deposits will form the Tour Group. Silver Skye will thereafter have a Waiting List of those willing to replace anyone who has to cancel their participation.
It should also be noted that the above Costs are only guaranteed for a group of at least 30. If the group size is less than 30, we will have to make changes to transport arrangements which will inevitably make a difference to the Package Costs detailed below.
Package Costs
The cost for the above package based on two Adults sharing a room on each night of the tour is £3,266.oo (GB Pounds) per person.
A 10% Deposit of £326.oo (GB Pounds) per person is due at the time of booking unless you intend using one of the Alternative Payment Schedules below. The balance of £2,940.oo (GB Pounds) per person is due six weeks prior to your Tour Package starting which, for the above Itinerary, is on or before Saturday 19th June 2021
Single Occupancy Supplement
The cost for the above package based on you having single occupancy of a room at each overnight location is £4,748.oo (GB Pounds) per person.
A 10% Deposit of £474.oo (GB Pounds) per person is due at the time of booking unless you intend using one of the Alternative Payment Schedules below. The balance of £4,274.oo (GB Pounds) per person is due six weeks prior to your Tour Package starting which, for the above Itinerary, is on or before Saturday 19th June 2021
2021 Clan Macneil Tour of Scotland Silver Skye Tours Provided by Alex Hood, [email protected] www.silverskye.co.uk
Alternative Payment Schedules
To try and assist Clan Members’ participation in the Tour, and as we did for the previous Clan MacNeil Tour in 2018, we are happy to take interest free monthly payments starting the month you sign up for the Tour and ending in December 2021, several months after the tour.
As an example, a guest signing up in February 2020, would make 20 identical payments of £163.30 (GB Pounds) by Credit Card on 29th February 2020, 30th March 2020, 30th April 2020, 30th May 2020, 30th June 2020, 30th July 2020, 30th August 2020, 30th September 2020, 30th October 2020, 30th November 2020 (no payment December), 30th January 2021, 30th February 2021, 30th March 2021, 30th April 2021, 30th May 2021, 30th June 2021, (no payments July and August during tour period), 30th September 2021, 30th October 2021, 30th November 2021 and 30th December 2021.
Single Occupancy
Guests paying extra for Single Occupancy Rooms starting in February 2020 would make 20 identical payments of £237.40 (GB Pounds) by Credit Card on the dates quoted above.
Guests signing up for these alternative payment schedules in March 2020 would make 19 payments and Guests signing up in April 2020 would make 18 payments etc. The sooner you sign up, the less you will pay each month. All payments must be completed by the end of December 2021.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1] ‘Silver Skye’ agrees that, unless stipulated by you our Clients, or agreed following consultation with you, our Clients, all vacation arrangements made on your behalf will be personal and tailored to the needs of you/your group alone and, with exception of airport transfers and public transport services detailed above, no part of such arrangements will involve Group Travel with other persons whether or not they be other Clients of ‘Silver Skye’ unless specifically mentioned in the above Itinerary.
2] Once an agreed Itinerary is set down with the approval of both ‘Silver Skye’ and you our Clients, a non- refundable 10% Deposit is payable either by Direct Bank Transfer or by Visa /MasterCard in Pounds Sterling. Six weeks prior to the start of your Vacation Package, the Balance of your vacation costs are due in full. This sum is also non-refundable. For this tour, we are also offering Alternative Payment Schedules as detailed above. The terms of this offer will vary depending on when you sign up for the Tour but will, in all cases, have to be completed by the end of December 2021.
2021 Clan Macneil Tour of Scotland Silver Skye Tours Provided by Alex Hood, [email protected] www.silverskye.co.uk
3] ‘Silver Skye’ strongly recommends that appropriate Travel Insurance is taken out at the time of booking which will cover reimbursement of all non-refundable payments in the event of you/your group having to Cancel all or part of your vacation. ‘Silver Skye’ recommends that the Insurance also gives you/your group appropriate Health and Accident cover for the duration of your Vacation including travel in Cars, Buses, Ferries, Trains, Aircraft, or any other form of transport whether owned by you or any other person, whether rented by you or any other person, whether driven or controlled by you or someone else on your behalf, or on behalf of ‘Silver Skye.’
4] Tickets for Ferries, Buses, Aircraft, Trains or any other form of transport booked or purchased by ‘Silver Skye’ on your behalf, are subject to the conditions applied by the carrier involved, and ‘Silver Skye’ will not be liable for any failure by such carrier which results in a change of Itinerary from that detailed above. ‘Silver Skye’ undertake to choose accommodation and transport suppliers who have an excellent reputation for their services in Scotland. ‘Silver Skye’ do not accept or have any liability for acts and/or omissions whether negligent or otherwise of Ferry Operators, Coach Operators, Owners and/or Management of Accommodation booked on your behalf, or any other person providing services relative to your Vacation unless that person is employed by ‘Silver Skye’ or subject to the Direct Control of ‘Silver Skye.’
5] In the event of any change having to be made to the above Itinerary caused by matters beyond the control of ‘Silver Skye,’ it is agreed that wherever possible, such changes will not involve a reduction in the standards of services detailed in the Itinerary, and that any changes which have to be made to the agreed Itinerary will be as short as possible prior to resuming the agreed Itinerary as soon as practicable thereafter. It is agreed that ‘Silver Skye’ will not be held liable for any such changes unless they are caused by persons employed by ‘Silver Skye’ or subject to the Direct Control of ‘Silver Skye’.
6] ‘Silver Skye’ is not liable for any loss, inconvenience or damage caused by war, threat of war, riot or civil disorder, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, natural disaster, fire, sickness, weather conditions, transport problems, airport regulations and delays, temporary technical, electrical or mechanical breakdown within accommodation, explosion of any nuclear plant or part thereof or radioactivity and/or contamination arising from such plant, or any other events beyond the control of ‘Silver Skye’
7] By acknowledging these Terms and Conditions, and returning this email on behalf of other persons in your touring group, you confirm that you have made such other persons aware of the content of these papers, and that they are happy to have you return them on their behalf thus indicating their acceptance of the terms herein.
8] The ‘Package Costs’ include being met by a representative of ‘Silver Skye’ at Edinburgh International Airport on the morning of Saturday 31st July 2021 and your transfer from there to the Apex Hotel in Edinburgh’s historic Old Town. Your transfer may be by one of our own vans and/or possibly by a local taxi company contracted by us to provide such services. If you arrive during the morning “rush hour”, we may just use taxis as they have dedicated traffic lanes to get through the City far quicker than our own vans.
9] The ‘Package Costs’ include all accommodations based on two Guests sharing a room at each overnight location OR, if you have elected to pay extra for Single Occupancy, you will have sole use of a room at each overnight location. At some overnight locations where there is limited accommodation available, we may use two or even three different hotels depending on the final size of your Group. Having planned this Itinerary 18 months in advance of your arrival in Scotland, ‘Silver Skye’ reserves the right to change hotels at your overnight locations if circumstances come to our notice making it appropriate to ensure your comfort, or essential to ensure the efficiency of the Tour. Such changes will NOT involve any lowering of standards.
2021 Clan Macneil Tour of Scotland Silver Skye Tours Provided by Alex Hood, [email protected] www.silverskye.co.uk
10] The ‘Package Costs’ include all meals detailed in blue in the above Itinerary.
11] The ‘Package Costs’ include, where applicable, admission charges to the following sites/events:
Edinburgh Castle Cawdor Castle Scone Palace Culloden Battlefield, Memorial & Visitor Centre Sheepdog Demonstration Harris Tweed demonstration Italian Chapel The Blackhouse Museum Skara Brae Callanish Standing Stones Ring of Brodgar Kisimul Castle Stones of Stenness Glencoe Visitor Centre Dunrobin Castle The Kelpies Fort George
12] The ‘Package Costs’ include being met by your coach and driver at the Apex Hotel on the morning of Monday 2nd August 2021, and thereafter his/her services through to your arrival back at the Apex Hotel in Edinburgh on Thursday 12th August 2021. Your first day on the Isle of Barra, Monday 9th August 2021, will be treated as a rest day for your coach driver to conform to Coach Driver’s regulations.
13] The ‘Package Costs’ include the services of a ‘Scottish Tourist Guide’ who will travel with you from departure from the Apex Hotel on the morning of Monday 2nd August 2021 through to your arrival back at the Apex Hotel on Thursday 12th August 2021. [Please Note: at the time of writing (Jan 2020), Jean Blair who accompanied your 2018 tour is holding the dates for you]
14] Guests are asked to limit their luggage to one piece of airline Hold Baggage, and one small Carry-on. On arrival in Scotland, you will be given a ‘Silver Skye’ Baggage Tag which must be securely fastened to your item of airline Hold Baggage. The ‘Package Costs’ include the services of a Baggage Truck which will carry one piece of airline Hold Baggage per person. The truck will aim to get to your various hotels ahead of the main group although, when ferries are involved with arrival times on the Islands of Harris and Barra, your luggage will arrive at much the same time as the rest of the group. If Guests wish continuous access to their hold baggage, all such items can be carried in the storage area of your coach.
15] The ‘Package Costs’ include ferry transport for vehicle + passengers on the following ferry services: Gills Bay (Mainland) to St Margaret’s Hope (Isle of South Ronaldsay, Orkney) Stromness (Orkney) to Scrabster (Mainland) Uig (Isle of Skye) to Tarbert (Isle of Harris) on Friday 6th August 2021 Leverburgh (Isle of Harris) to Isle of Berneray on Sunday 8th August 2021 Isle of Eriskay to Isle of Barra on Sunday 8th August 2021 Castlebay (Isle of Barra) to Oban (Mainland) on Wednesday 11th August 2021
16] The ‘Package Costs’ include a ticket for each group member for the evening performance of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo on Friday 13th August 2021.
2021 Clan Macneil Tour of Scotland Silver Skye Tours Provided by Alex Hood, [email protected] www.silverskye.co.uk
17] The ‘Package Costs’ include your transfer from the Apex Hotel to either Edinburgh International Airport or Waverley Train Station, Edinburgh on the morning of Saturday 14th August 2021. This transfer may be by coach, a ‘Silver Skye’ van, or by taxi operated by a company who are contracted to ‘Silver Skye’ to provide such services.
18] The ‘Package Costs’ include the use of ‘Silver Skye’ 24 Hour Help Line throughout your vacation. This number will be given to you prior to departure from the USA in order that friends and family can use it should urgent contact be required with you during your trip both before and after your time with us on the above Itinerary. The number to be used on your tour, will put you in direct contact with our Team accompanying your Tour.
19] The ‘Package Costs’ include all Scottish & UK Government taxes. Please note these are the only taxes which will be charged on the various parts of your Package.
20] The ‘Package Costs’ do NOT include your travel costs prior to arrival in Scotland on Saturday 31st July 2021 or after arrival at Edinburgh International Airport on Saturday 14th August 2021.
21] The ‘Package Costs’ do NOT include entry fees to Castles, Palaces, Museums, Boat Trips, Distillery Tours or any other attraction NOT mentioned above.
22] The ‘Package Costs’ do NOT include admission charges or costs relating to any event organised by your Clan at the Gathering on the Isle of Barra. The exception will be admission to Kisimul Castle on Barra where admission costs are included. Details of Gathering events will be circulated by the Clan office bearers nearer the date.