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Scottish Highlands

April 28, 2024

Based in Inverness – Combining High-speed Train & Luxury Coach Travel

7 days from £1095 – Sunday 28 April – Saturday 4 May 2024

Following on from, and retaining the same general format as our successful Scottish holidays in 2021 and 2022, the 2024 tour is based farther north, in Inverness. The group will get the train from London to Stirling and stay there overnight, before continuing the journey into the Highlands by coach the next day.

Once in Inverness holiday highlights include Loch Ness & Urquhart Castle, Ullapool, Fort George and the Duke of Sutherland’s Dunrobin Castle.

Coming home the coach journey takes a route via Loch Ness, Glen Coe and Loch Lomond, before a final night in Glasgow. The next day is free until everyone catches a mid-afternoon train back to Birmingham International where the coach, having left Glasgow earlier than the group, will be waiting to complete the final leg of the journey back to Dorking.

Combining high-speed train and luxury coach travel has proved a winning formula on our previous tours to Scotland. The train crunches the miles in comfort, while the luxury coach offers the convenience and carries the bags, leaving you to enjoy the train journeys unencumbered by your main luggage.

The holiday also offers an element of choice with your hotel in Inverness and in which class you travel on board the train. In Inverness there are two hotels to choose from, the traditionally styled 4* Palace, and the Premier Inn Inverness Centre. Both overlook the River Ness and are only 170m apart on the same side of the river. With the train journeys the holiday price is based on First Class travel on LNER and Premium Standard on Avanti but, if you’d prefer to save £100 per person, you can opt for standard class seats, which are still very comfortable.

The Choice of Hotels in Inverness

We wanted to give passengers a choice, especially solo travellers, given that they have been especially squeezed by recent high inflation on the hospitality world. The two hotels offer great locations, and are only 170m apart. Both overlook the River Ness from the same bank. The 4* Palace is a gracious, traditional style hotel, with smart public areas and an inviting indoor pool. The Premier Inn is a modern, practical hotel in pristine condition. Both hotels have their own restaurants and bars, and please note that if you choose to stay at the Premier Inn, you can still opt to eat at the Hotel Palace for a supplement of £25pppn.

The Train Journey

(Unencumbered by main luggage – that follows on the coach)

Travelling by train offers passengers speed, comfort and both the opportunity to admire the scenery and to move around.

Going up to Scotland the journey will be in First Class on LNER from London Kings Cross to Stirling. As a first class passenger you enjoy a premium seat, more space and have a light lunch served to you, with complimentary drinks including wine, beers, spirits, tea & coffee plus other soft drinks.

You will also have access to the First Class Lounge at Kings Cross and, with fewer passengers per carriage, getting on and off is easier. The journey time is just over 5-hours.

Coming south the journey from Glasgow to Birmingham will be on Avanti West Coast, with passengers travelling in Standard Premium and, although no food or drinks are included, all passengers enjoy more space than in standard, and a premium seat at a table that’s aligned to a window. The journey time is just over 4 hours.

If the idea of saving £100 per person is attractive to you, there is the option of standard class travel on the trains. Standard class is still comfortable, the trains having been built for long distance travel, and free wifi is available to all passengers regardless of the class of travel.

The Itinerary

Sunday – As previously, two coaches will be at Dorking at 08.00, one to drive to Londons Kings Cross Station and the main coach to drive direct to Stirling with all the luggage on board. The hotel is very close to the station and the main coach and train should arrive around the same time. Dinner will be in the hotel.

Monday – Leaving Stirling, the coach drives to Inverness to arrive by mid- afternoon, allowing for a comfort stop at the House of Bruar, and a visit to the dramatically positioned and formidable Fort George built to protect the Moray Firth after the Jacobite Rebellion.

Tuesday – Today we head farther north to visit Dunrobin Castle, the spectacular ancestral home of the Dukes of Sutherland that, despite its remote location, is undoubtedly one of Britain’s most magnificent private residences.

Wednesday – Slowing the pace, the programme offers everyone a free day for sightseeing in Inverness.

Thursday – More stunning Highland Scenery as the coach drives westwards via a rugged and beautiful route to the remote fishing harbour of Ullapool on Scotland’s West Coast.

Friday – Leaving the hotel after breakfast the coach will take a wonderfully scenic route down to Glasgow. It will start by following the banks of Loch Ness to visit Urquhart Castle. It then continues via Glen Coe and the shores of Loch Lomond to arrive at the hotel by around 17.00. The evening is then free. A light bag will be required for the overnight stay in Glasgow as the coach, with the main luggage on board, will be continuing its journey south so as to be ready to meet everyone off the train on Saturday.

Saturday– The morning is free in Glasgow before everyone catches an Avanti West Coast Line train down to Birmingham, where
the coach will be waiting to meet the group. The expected time of arrival back in Dorking is 20.30.

Exactly What’s Included

Optional Supplements

To Book

Call 07771 793294 & ask for Neil,
or use our contact form to email me.