THE EAST WAY

ACROSS THE

THE - SELF GUIDED WALKING SUMMARY HOLIDAY The East Highland Way traverses the dramatic landscapes of the Highlands of . On this epic trip you have the chance to absorb the rich history and wildlife of an area less travelled. From Pictish Forts, through the Highland Clearances to World War II memorials there is a real sense of intimacy with the history of the area as you walk this tranquil trail.

Starting in the Outdoor Capital of the Highlands, Fort William you start your walk in the shadow of until reaching for your first night. From there you delve deep into the Highlands. Dappled light though broadleaf forests, crystal clear Highland lochs and the powerful scent of the Caledonian Pine forest will guide you though to . Once there you can relax in this charming town with a great sense of accomplishment and tranquillity.

The East Highland Way features hand-picked overnight accommodation in high quality B&B’s, country inns, and guesthouses at each overnight stop. Each is unique and offers the highest levels of welcome, atmosphere and outstanding local cuisine. We also include daily door to door baggage transfers, a guide Tour: The East Highland Way book and pre-departure information pack as well as emergency support, should you need it. Code: WSSEHW Type: Self-Guided Walking Holiday Price: see website HIGHLIGHTS Single Supplement: see website Dates: March—October Walking Days: 6  The abundance of historic buildings spanning 1500 years Nights: 7  The generosity of spirit of Highland Hospitality Start: Fort William  Thought provoking and eerie sculptures on the Frank Bruce Trail Finish: Aviemore Distance: 80 miles (128km) Peace and tranquillity in this less travelled area of Scotland  Grade: Moderate  Pristine beaches on IS IT FOR ME? The East Highland Way is a tranquil WHY CHOOSE A SELF GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAY WITH US? escape that would suit anyone that Macs Adventure is a small, energetic company dedicated to delivering adventure excellence. We are likes to get away from it all. Focussed passionate about delivering outstanding walking holidays where every last detail is taken care of. Each on history and scenery, this trip is a holiday we offer is unique, tailor made to meet your requirements. From your first contact with Macs great way to see a part of Scotland Adventure you will deal with a local specialist who knows the region intimately. that few others see.

Self guided walking holidays are a wonderful relaxed way to discover the magic of an area. Free to travel at your own pace and wander off the beaten track, you will discover the beauty of the landscape, the WHAT’S INCLUDED? warmth of the people and the long history of this spectacular land. In the unlikely event you should require Accommodation: Hand-picked B&B’s, emergency support our office is always more than happy to help with your queries. So, from the moment small hotels, country inns and guesthouses. you decide to visit Scotland and walk The East Highland Way you can relax and look forward to an Meals: A hearty breakfast included. Lunch unforgettable self-guided walking holiday. We hope that you will choose to travel with Macs Adventures and dinner not included but always available at accommodation or nearby. soon. Baggage Transfer: Door-to-door baggage transfer. Information Pack: Guide Book as well as a detailed pre-departure information pack.

THE EAST HIGHLAND WAY

ACROSS THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The East Highland Way Feagour to —15 Miles Description: Walk from the West border of the The East Highland Way stretches from Fort After your transfer back down to Feagor, you Highlands to the East on this future classic of William to Aviemore, traversing the Highlands. start the walking day with an ascent up to the Long Distance Walking. Revel in the beauty and To make this trip accessible to accommodation Pictish Fort of Dun da lamh. The amazing views solitude that the trail brings and lose yourself in we have arranged a few transfers in order to here provide a stunning start to the day. From the history of this less travelled part of Scotland. open up this beautiful area to our customers. there the walk levels off until Cluny Castle when it starts to ascend again. Another great feeling of Arrive in Fort William wilderness today as you walk along the banks of ITINERARY: WSSEHW Your first night’s accommodation will be in Fort the River Calder before descending into the town William, the outdoor capital of the Highlands. of Newtonmore for the night. Famous for its proximity to Ben Nevis there are a Walking Days: 6 Newtonmore to —12 Miles multitude of activities and sights in the area. Fort Nights: 7 William is easily accessible by bus or train from Level walking for most of today makes for a Average Daily Distance: 13 miles which takes approximately 3-4 hours. lovely walk. You will take in the Ruthven Grade: Moderate Barracks and cross over the powerful River Fort William to Spean Bridge—11 Tromie today as well as spending a bit of time in Day Route Miles Miles the RSPB reserve on the Marshes. Joining A relatively flat, easy start to the walk means that up with the shorter Way will eventually lead you back down to Kincraig for your 1 Arrive Fort William you have a little time to explore Fort William 2 Walk to Spean Bridge 11 before heading off to Spean Bridge. You will find penultimate evening. 3 Walk to Inverlair (transfer 11 the paths well made and solid on this first day. to Spean Bridge for Kincraig to Aviemore—11 Miles overnight) 4 Walk to Feagour (transfer 20 Spean Bridge to Inverlair—11 Miles The final section of the East Highland Way is one to Laggan for overnight) Starting off on the same forest paths you will of the most spectacular. You start off by walking 5 Walk to Newtonmore 15 soon get into the walking, following the River up to the Frank Bruce Sculpture Park which is 6 Walk to Kincraig 12 well worth spending some time at. From there 7 Walk to Aviemore 11 Spean. A great quiet day of forest walking will 8 Onward Travel eventually lead you to Inverlair where we have you climb up through the Cairngorm National arranged for you to be collected and taken back park through ancient bog forest. Your decent Total Distance 80 to Spean Bridge for your overnight stop. towards Aviemore is broken by the eerie beauty of the Castle of Loch an Eilein, where you should Inverlair to Feagour—20 Miles try shouting to the ghost of the Wolf of Badenoch who still haunts the ruin. Listen carefully for the You will be dropped back off at Inverlair this strange echo that comes back. Aviemore is a morning to begin the longest days walking. delightful wee town to finish in and toast a Though the distance is long, the walking is pretty wonderful trip. easy after a bit of uphill walking in the morning. You will skirt the edge of Loch Moy before Onward Travel walking along the banks of the stunning Loch Aviemore is well connected to all major Scottish Laggan. Ending up in Feagour, we have again arranged for you to be collected and transferred cities by rail and bus.

to your overnight accommodation in nearby Please see the travel details section for more Laggan. information.

THE EAST HIGHLAND WAY

ACROSS THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

HOLIDAY INFORMATION Grade Travel Insurance

This route is graded moderate as it passes We strongly recommend taking out travel Accommodation through some remote country is not waymarked. insurance to cover cancellation or curtailment of Though a good guidebook is provided, navigation your holiday. One of the highlights of this tour is the high skills may be helpful. standard of the accommodation. We specifically choose the hotels, inns, guesthouses and B&B’s Equipment M.A.C.S RESPONSIBLE TOURISM to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your Your information pack has a detailed equipment Minimise Impact & Maximise Benefit stay. They all offer a warm welcome to walkers, list which includes standard walking gear such as traditional hospitality and delicious local food. good walking boots or shoes, warm and Our operating policies, office policies, waterproof clothes and a day pack. holidays and tours are all designed to Single Rooms minimise impact and maximise benefit to This independent walking holiday is not available Dogs the environment and local communities. to solo walkers due to the high costs of baggage Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate Action & Advocacy transfer. Single rooms are available for parties of walkers with dogs as many of the three or more that require them and a single accommodation providers do not accept pets. We believe that by engaging our team and supplement will be required to cover the clients in environmental and community additional costs incurred when booking single Recommended Reading projects we can make a real difference. rooms. We provide you with a detailed guidebook and Carbon & Communities Meals map but there is a wealth of other information on the walk. Travel and our business activity does of A hearty breakfast is included each morning. course contribute to carbon output and Lunch and dinner are not included so you are The East Highland Way website has lots of climate change. We have put several free to choose from the available options. Most of information and keeps you up to date with any policies in place to minimise our carbon your accommodations will more than happy to path diversions. footprint. provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival. Dinner is available either at TRAVEL INFORMATION Sensitive & Sustainable your accommodation or nearby pubs. Macs Adventure has worked hard to ensure Baggage Transfer Getting to Fort William that our holidays are sensitive to the community you are visiting and Your bags will be transferred from your Fort William is well serviced by public transport. sustainable over the long term. accommodation as per your itinerary and moved The train from Glasgow takes approximately 4 onto your next overnight accommodation. We hours and takes in the and a More about M.A.C.S. Responsible Travel ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to small part of the East Highland Way. The bus Policy... 20kg per person. from Glasgow takes approximately 3 hours. Navigation You can book these respectively on the Scotrail PRICE & AVAILABILITY or Citylink websites. The East Highland Way is NOT waymarked and Price some degree of navigational skill is required. We Returning from Aviemore provide a detailed guidebook with route notes, Again Aviemore is well service by public Detailed up to date prices for all our East however should you wish to back this up then we transport being on the main train and bus route Highland Way Holidays are available on our would recommend purchasing OS Landranger from Glasgow/ to . The bus website www.macsadventure.com maps 35, 36, 41 and 42. and train take approximately 3-4 hours.

THE EAST HIGHLAND WAY

ACROSS THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Availability HOW TO BOOK underwritten by Insurers who are members of the Association of British Insurers & Lloyds This walking holiday is best enjoyed between Once you have read all the information in this Syndicates. April and October. You can start on any date that factsheet or on our website and decided on your suits your travel plans and you will find up to date preferred itinerary, visit our website or give us a ABTA Member availability on our website. The walk is very call to confirm availability. You can then book Statement popular so it is best to book as far in advance as securely online at www.macsadventure.com, by you are able to. phone on +44 (0) 141 530 8886 or download a Macs Adventure Holidays booking form and post it to Macs Adventure, 44 is a Member of ABTA. ABTA and ABTA Included Speirs Wharf, Glasgow, G4 9TH, UK or fax it to Members help holidaymakers to get the most +44 (0) 845 527 5688 from their travel and assist when things don’t go  Hand picked bed and breakfast according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a accommodation in en-suite rooms wherever Please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone on possible. high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code +44 (0) 0141 530 8886 or email: of Conduct. For more information on ABTA, the Door to door baggage transfer.  [email protected] if you have any Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme  A detailed info pack and guidebook for the queries and one of our expert customer service available to you if you have a complaint, contact group leader. team will be happy to help. ABTA, 30 Park Street, SE1 9EQ, tel 020  Emergency telephone support from our office 3117 0581 www.abta.com in the event of a problem. BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE Excluded Activity Scotland Code  Travel to the start or from the finish of the Financial Security of Conduct walk. In accordance with "The Package Travel, Macs Adventure is a  Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks. Package Holidays and Package Tours member of the Activity Scotland Association, the  Travel Insurance. Regulations1992" all passengers booking with trade association which supports and promotes  Personal Equipment. Macs Adventure Ltd are fully protected for the activity providers in Scotland. Macs Adventure initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all abides by the Activity Scotland Code of Practice,  Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage. monies paid to us, including repatriation if which ensures that your activities are safely and required (this insurance will not cover repatriation professionally organised, comply with the law and are financially protected. CUSTOMER REVIEWS to the country of origin for the passengers outside of the EU), arising from cancellation or

curtailment of your travel arrangements due to

We are justifiably proud of our reputation for the insolvency of Macs Adventure Ltd outstanding holidays on The East Highland Way. You can read numerous customer reviews on our There is no requirement for Financial Protection website to get a good idea of what to expect from of day trips, and none is provided. This Macs Adventure. insurance is only valid for packages booked that DO NOT include flights.

Consumer aware: Your booking is insured by IPP Ltd and its panel of insurers. - This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to Macs Adventure Ltd. For further information please go to www.ipplondon.co.uk

This Insurance has been arranged by International Passenger Protection Limited and