Confirmed Itinerary with Costs, Official
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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.