The Complete Four Seasons Collection 2023-24
H ebridean O dyssey
Treat yourself to a Railtrail tour offering the ultimate island hopping experience in the Outer Hebrides and visiting an impressive eight islands. Discover an area of unspoilt natural beauty offering spectacular scenery, impressive mountain ranges and miles of golden beaches.
8 DAYS
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS ★ Travel the glorious West Highland Line - “Railroad to the Isles” ★ Take a relaxing cruise on Loch Linnhe ★ Visit picture perfect Portree, the Capital of the Isle of Skye ★ Discover the Isle of Barra, considered by many to be the most beautiful little island in Britain ★ Stroll along unspoilt, white sandy beaches ★ See the beautiful Eriskay Ponies on the Isle of Eriskay ★ Glimpse whales, dolphins & sea eagles as you cruise between outstanding island seascapes ★ Discover a birdswatchers’ paradise and view amazing island wildlife ★ Learn about the Hebrides unique and fascinating history spanning back 5000 years ★ Explore the Isle of Lewis and Isle of Harris with expert local guides ★ Journey through the Cairngorms enjoying wonderful Highland scenery Also included in your Tour Fare: ★ Dinner every evening plus one light lunch ★ Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class) ★ Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager DAY 1 We arrive in Stirling and check into the Stirling Highland Hotel, an attractive, historic building and formerly the city’s school. Why not explore the Old Town and take in the view from the castle before dinner? (D)
DEPARTS
Thursday 14 September 2023
Fares From £1929
FARES
FARE REGION
FIRST £2235 £2255 £2285 £2305 £2319 £2219 £2179 £2125 £2079 £2139 £2239 £2169 £2065
STANDARD
London: Depart Euston, Return King’s Cross
£2095 £2105 £2129 £2135 £2149 £2085 £2059 £2045 £2019 £2029 £2099 £2059 £2009 £1949
Greater London South of England East Anglia South West Midlands Yorkshire North East North West South Wales North Wales Heart of England
west coast is a continuous sandy beach while 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, that the S.S. Politician ran aground in 1941 with 20,000 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 an ancient history make any visit to Barra a memorable one. Time allowing and tide permitting, we can venture across the causeway to stunning Vatersay, the most southerly inhabited island in the Outer Hebrides.(B,D) DAY 6 We depart the Outer Hebrides early morning and have breakfast on board our ferry from Lochmaddy to Uig on the Isle of Skye , the largest island in the Inner Hebrides.We visit the capital Portree where we enjoy free time for lunch before we continue over the famous Cuillin Hills via Broadford to Armadale where we board our mid-afternoon ferry to Mallaig. We continue our journey by rail on the West Highland Line across ‘Harry Potter’ famed Glenfinnan Viaduct where the Highlander Monument stands before reaching Fort William and our hotel, the Alexandra. (B,D) DAY 7 This morning 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 board our train for the glorious journey past lochs, through forests and over
Scotland
local guide to explore the island of Harris with its rugged landscape of moorland, deep sea lochs, mountains, and a proud history. We pass numerous unspoilt, white sandy beaches and some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in the Western Isles before continuing 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 birdwatchers’ paradise. 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. (B,L,D) DAY 5 Todays’ island hopping begins by taking the causeway across to S outh Uist , where the
DAY 2 This morning we bride the wonderfully picturesque Highland Line and journey through Perth, Pitlochry and over Cairngorm Mountains to Inverness . From Inverness we continue by private coach to Ullapool and board our afternoon ferry to the Isle of Lewis .We arrive early evening in Stornoway , the capital of Lewis we transfer to our hotel for the next two nights, at the Caberfeidh Today we explore Lewis , this 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 the 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. (B,D) DAY 4 This morning we depart our hotel and travel southwards to Harris . A packed lunch is provided today, and we meet with an expert Hotel. (B,D) DAY 3
Join & Leave at Hotels
£20 tour discount for holders of National Rail cards Single Room Supplement £270
*Please Note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class seating only and First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of their journey. 7 nights’ bed, breakfast & Table d’hôte evening meal plus 1 packed lunch Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class) Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described All excursions and admissions as detailed Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager
hotel, the Jurys Inn before our last dinner together this evening. (B,D) DAY 8 We bid farewell to Glasgow as we make our way homeward. (B)
mountain and moors on the spectacularly scenic West Highland Line from Fort William to Glasgow. On arrival in Glasgow , we transfer to the short distance to our
HOTELS • Stirling Highland Hotel, Stirling • Caberfeidh Hotel, Stornoway • Dark Island Hotel, Benbecula • Alexandra Hotel, Fort William • Jurys Inn, Glasgow For further details of our Hebridean Odyssey hotels, please visit our website www.railtrail.co.uk
10 Visit: www.railtrail.co.uk – for full tour details and fares, and to book online NOW 10
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Call 01538 382323 – to book or to request a detailed tour itinerary Visit: www.railtrail.co.uk – for full tour details and fares, and to book online or call 01538 382323 – to book or to request a detailed tour itinerary
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