Hebridean Odyssey

DAY 1

We spend our first night in Glasgow at the contemporary Radisson Blu Hotel ideally located close to the central railway station. Spend time admiring Glasgow's Charles Rennie Mackintosh architecture or explore the city using the 'Clockwork Orange', Glasgow's underground system, before our first dinner together this evening.

DAY 2

This morning we travel north on the stunning West Highland Line, admiring the watery landscapes of the Firth of Clyde and Gareloch. With scenery becoming ever more dramatic, we trundle beside Loch Long and skirt the 'bonnie banks' of Loch Lomond before climbing into the western Highlands. At Crianlarich, we continue northwards, over Rannoch Moor towards our destination of Fort William. In the afternoon we enjoy a relaxing cruise on Loch Linnhe - a lovely sea loch - looking out for seals and porpoises, diving birds, and perhaps a golden eagle. Following our cruise, we return to our Fort William hotel for dinner.

DAY 3

After breakfast we continue our journey enroute to the Isles by private coach. We travel via the Skye Bridge, Broadford, and over the famous Cuillin Hills to the capital Portree, where we enjoy free time for lunch. In the early afternoon we travel the shores of Loch Snizort to Uig for our ferry cruise to North Uist. Our journey to Benbecula takes us past numerous lochans and beautiful beaches before we arrive at the Dark Island Hotel, our base for the next two nights.

DAY 4

Today the island hopping begins by taking the causeway across to South Uist where the west coast is a continuous sandy beach and the east is dominated by mountainous peaks. We continue via a further causeway to the Isle of Eriskay. Eriskay is famous for the Eriskay Ponies and is also the real 'Whisky Galore' island. It was just off Eriskay, between Great Todday and Little Todday, that the S.S. Politician ran aground in 1941 with 50,000 cases of whisky aboard. The locals managed to save several hundred cases before the ship sank, providing them with a good supply of their 'Water of Life'. From here, enjoy the short ferry crossing to the Isle of Barra which is considered by many to be the most beautiful little island in Britain. Its tranquil beaches, distinctive culture where Gaelic is widely spoken, and ancient history make any visit to Barra a memorable one. A packed lunch is included today. Time allowing, we can venture across the causeway to stunning Vatersay, the most southerly inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides.

DAY 5

This morning we depart our hotel for our onward journey to North Uist via the Benbecula causeway. North Uist is a relatively flat island covered with peat bogs, low hills, and lochans. More than half the land is covered by water, making North Uist a birdwatcher's paradise. We take the morning ferry to the Isle of Harris and Lewis, a rugged landscape of moorland, deep-sea lochs, mountains, and a proud history. A packed lunch is included today, and we meet with an expert local guide to explore Harris before continuing northwards. We pass numerous unspoilt, white sandy beaches and some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in the Western Isles to Lewis before we arrive at the capital Stornoway and our hotel for the next two nights.

DAY 6

Today we explore Lewis which is the most northerly island of the Hebrides and the largest island of the Outer Hebrides. Lewis has a history that goes back thousands of years and ancient stone circles and standing stones can be found everywhere. We learn about the dramatic landscape of Lewis on a full day tour in the company of our island guide, including the impressive standing stones of Callanish, a traditional thatched blackhouse settlement, and the ancient broch at Carloway, one of Scotland's best preserved defensive structures dating back 2,000 years.

DAY 7

We depart the Hebrides this morning by ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool before our spectacular journey through to Inverness. We have a little free time in Inverness before boarding our train to Stirling, journeying through the glorious Cairngorms. We stay at the Stirling Highland Hotel for one night, located close to the railway station.

DAY 8

We bid farewell to Stirling as we make our way homeward.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner