Loch Ness & Skye guided rail tour, Scotland
Description of Loch Ness & Skye guided rail tour, Scotland
From Glasgow up to the Isle of Skye, then back down to Edinburgh – this escorted rail trip covers some of the highlights of the highlands. Travelling in a small group, you’ll stay in charming bed and breakfasts in between scenic rail and ferry journeys, with plenty of time to stop and tour the best sights.
The West Highland Line departs from Glasgow and plunges you straight into the highlands. There’s plenty of atmospheric scenery to see out of the window, including remote, desolate Rannoch Moor. Disembarking at Fort William, you’ll head straight to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle, whose 1,000 year-old ruins sit right on its shore.
Your second rail journey is aboard the famous Jacobite Steam Train, which takes you across the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Mallaig. This little fishing port is your gateway to the Isle of Skye. You’ll spend two nights on Skye, meaning you’ll have a full day to tour the island. Take in its magnificently dramatic landscape, from the Cullins, its rocky mountain range, to the steep escarpments of Quiraing. Towns include the capital, Portree, and the quiet town of Dunvegan.
Return to the mainland to enjoy Inverness, capital of the highlands, before it’s all aboard the train once again to Edinburgh, via the Cairngorms, Perthshire and the Forth Road Bridge.
Price Includes:
• Six nights in hand-picked four star hotels on a B&B basis.
• Welcome dinner in Glasgow. Dinner on both nights on the Isle of Skye. Two light lunches.
• Rail travel from Glasgow to Fort William on the West Highland Line, a journey on the Jacobite Express steam train from Fort William to Mallaig, ferry to the Isle of Skye, train travel from Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness on the Kyle Line and from Inverness to Edinburgh on the Highland Mainline.
• A day tour of the south shores of Loch Ness, entry to Castle Urquhart and full day tour of the Isle of Skye.
• The services of a tour leader
• Transfers as described, including luggage transfer from Fort Augustus to Skye hotel
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Reviews
2 Reviews of Loch Ness & Skye guided rail tour, Scotland
Reviewed on 24 Jul 2022 by Michael Steele
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Travelling on the different trains and the professional manner and expertise of the operators organization
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Pack lightly, have patience as you're dependent upon transportation which is not always under the control of the operator
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
No strong experience to support this statement
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
12 out of 10. One of the best guided tours we've ever taken
Reviewed on 19 Jul 2022 by Perry De Souza
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Visit to the Isle of Skye.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Add an extra day to this visit.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Without a doubt.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very relaxing, and interesting
Responsible Travel
Planet
We are continually increasing our range of public transport holidays for those who actively choose low-carbon transport. We use our years of expertise with the timetables of boats and trains to ensure guests can access remote areas without the need for a car.This guided tour has been carefully-designed to allow you to explore much of Scotland, travelling from Glasgow to Fort William, Kyle of Lochlash to Inverness and Inverness to Edinburgh by train. An excursion on the Jacobite Steam train is also included.
This guided tour takes you beyond the end of the train lines, through the careful addition of short taxi transfers, and the occasional coach to provide a guided tour of the area. Travel to the Isle of Skye is by ferry.
We carefully select our business partners to ensure that they share our values of sustainable and responsible travel. For us, true sustainability means promoting and maintaining a way of life in remote and often rural locations.
We are corporate members of the John Muir Trust, an organisation committed to protecting the Scottish Highlands and islands. We are also members of AITO, The Specialist Travel Association, and adhere to their strict code of conduct.
We predominantly market our holidays via the internet. We produce very little printed marketing material. We provide tour documentation via an app rather than printed hard copy whenever possible. We ensure any leftover marketing materials are recycled.
People
We always choose, where possible to work with locally-owned and managed businesses in order to provide an authentic experience in each destination. All transfers and tours are conducted by local people who share our values and commitment to sustainable travel. Where possible, we only use small, usually family-owned accommodation in each location.The meals included in this tour are in these locally owned accommodations, plus a welcome dinner in Glasgow. Each menu focuses on local specialties, with ingredients coming from the local area as much as possible. We also provide the opportunity in this tour to sample a dram at a local whisky distillery on the Isle of Skye.
We directly employ a small team in Glasgow, who share our values of environmental and sustainable responsibility. Each member of our staff undertakes at least two educational visits in a year, so we can always recommend and include the best local restaurants and experiences in our holidays.
We strive to ensure that interaction with the local community is always at the heart of the experience. Our day excursion on the Isle of Skye is led by an expert, who has years of experience and knows the destination inside out.
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