Scotland walking holidays

country:Scotland, UK
location:Inner Hebrides, Western Isles, Cairngorms, Scottish Highlands 
trip type:Introductory to strenuous walking holidays
departures:2010: 8 May, 15 May, 12 Jun, 19 Jun, 3 Jul, 24 Jul, 31 Jul, 7 Aug, 21 Aug, 28 Aug, 4 Sep, 25 Sep, 9 Oct
price:From £745 - £895 (7 - 8 days) excluding flights. Price includes guide, twin share accommodation, meals & transport throughout.
vouchers:Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday
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introduction to Scotland walking holidays

The Orkney Islands (Introductory walking holidays) 
From £895 (7 days) ex flights / train. Departs: 08 May, 24 Jul & 04 Sep 2010.
Orkney reaches northwards in a beautiful cluster of over seventy islands from the northern-most tip of the Scottish mainland.

The individual islands within the group offer superb and varied walking to suit everyone’s tastes, and on this holiday our knowledgeable guides will introduce you to the very best scenery, wildlife and historical sites that Orkney has to offer. Our itinerary takes in Skara Brae (a Stone Age village on Mainland), the Ring of Brodgar, the Stones of Stenness, Maes Howe and Mid Howe. It also includes recent historical sites such as the Kitchener Memorial and the Italian Chapel.

The Knoydart Peninsula
(Moderate walking holidays)
From £875 (8 days) ex flights / train. Departs: 12 Jun, 03 Jul, 24 Jul & 14 Aug 2010.
Accessible only by boat or by a long and wild mountain track, the Knoydart Peninsula is a truly special area. Flanked by the sea-lochs of Loch Nevis and Loch Hourn, the mountains rise dramatically from the clear seas below. This itinerary takes in the very best of the peninsula, ranging from delightful coastal walking to spectacular mountain ascents. We use a boat to access the Peninsula and use it throughout the week to access remote routes and to enjoy a day trip to Skye, Rum or Eigg.

Cape Wrath & NW Highlands (Moderate walking holidays)
From £895 (7 days) ex flights / train. Departs: 15 May, 03 Jul & 21 Aug 2010.
Cape Wrath and the North West Highlands make a perfect base for a walking holiday in Scotland. This genuine wilderness holiday explores a region of contrasting landscapes, seeking out white sandy beaches, towering sea cliffs and wild glens and iconic peaks. Sculpted by the forces of nature and the Highland Clearances, it is an intriguing and captivating corner of Scotland.

Outer Hebrides & Skye (Introductory walking holidays)
From £895 (7 days)  ex flights / train, based on two sharing. Departs: 05 Jun, 10 Jul, 07 Aug & 11 Sep 2010.
Peaceful hills, clear blue seas and vast deserted beaches form the landscape of the Outer Hebrides. Explore this pristine archipelago on the edge of Europe and contrast it with the rugged landscape and history of the Isle of Skye in this unique island-hopping guided walking holiday.

The Shetland Isles (Introductory walking holidays) 
From £895 (7 days) ex flights / train. Departs: 26 Jun, 31 Jul 2010.
A walking holiday in the Shetland Isles takes you to the most northerly tip of Scotland. Our guided walks in the Shetlands boast excellent bird watching, intriguing historical sites and a genuine wilderness experience in one of the most remote but rewarding corners of Scotland.

Wester Ross & the Cairngorms (Moderate walking holidays) 
From £825 (7 days) ex flights / train. Departs: 19 Jun, 31 Jul, 28 Aug & 09 Oct 2010.
This 2-centre walking holiday visits the West and East Highlands, offering a trip of contrasting scenery and superb walking. From the slender ridges and isolated peaks of Wester Ross, to the high plateau and ice-sculpted glens of the Cairngorms, the walking is varied as you climb some of Scotland's finest mountains and explore the ancient Caledonian pine forests which fill the glens in both regions.

The Wilds of Assynt (Moderate walking holidays) 
From £745 (7 days) ex flights / train. Departs: 12 Jun, 07 Aug, 25 Sep 2010.
This walking holiday explores the beautiful regions of Assynt and Coigach in the North West Highlands. Located just to the north of Ullapool, the hills and lochs create a landscape of outstanding natural beauty. Enjoy guided hikes up iconic Scottish mountains, relax and look for marine wildlife on a cruise around the Summer Isles and discover some of the best coastal walking in Scotland.

lower carbon travel
All of our trips start and finish at or close to railway stations, as this makes it much easier for our clients to travel to the Highlands by rail. We encourage travel by train or bus in all of our joining instructions that we send to clients, and also have a section on our website which includes links to train timetables and booking services to make it easier for clients to choose to travel by rail.

traveller reviews for Scotland walking holidays

Everything about this trip was great, but memories of the magnificent mountain scenery I'm sure will stay with me forever. (more)
highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2009 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
Footprints in the sand, Scotland walking holidaysDespite its beauty, the Highlands and Islands is one of the least affluent regions of Scotland. During these Scotland walking holidays, by bringing the benefits of tourism to this area and using local services and produce, we help to support local businesses, create employment and contribute to the overall sustainable development of the region.

Our strict 'leave no trace' policy on the Scotland walking holidays ensures that our presence in these beautiful regions will not have a negative effect on this fragile environment. This concept will be explained by our guide at the start of the trip and practised throughout. Through responsible guiding, we will enable our clients to develop an understanding of the existing and future issues which affect these valuable wilderness areas. Our Scotland walking holidays start at railway stations to encourage travel by rail.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.

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