Scot-Trek

Friday 30th June - Tuesday 4th July 2017

Shetland Isles

Another visit to this magical island. It has everything you want - incredible early history sites, magnificent cliffside walks, crossing the sandy tombola to St Ninian’s Isle, climbing the magnificent broch on the isle of Mousa and wonderful nature reserves with puffins galore. Not forgetting the fabled Sunday Tea - you never will!

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Thursday 13th July - Tuesday 18th July 2017

Jersey

Welcome return visit to this atmospheric island off the coast of France. Jersey is perfect for walking with a magnificent coastal path and the gentle Green Lanes of the interior. Many fabulous historic sites - ranging from the 14th century French control to the much more recent German Occupation. Other highlights are a climate which is often idyllic and a fine cosmopolitan cuisine.

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Saturday 5th August - Tuesday 8th August 2017

Muck + Eigg

Return visit to this small green island. Our luxurious accommodation 4* overlooks a sandy beach where seals are often seen. Muck is virtually traffic free so we wander to all corners of the isle. We spend one day across in Eigg where we have a choice of many walks.

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Monday 21st August - Saturday 26th August 2017

Harris + south Lewis

Five days in the Outer Hebrides. One trek is to Reinigeadail, the last village in Britain to have public road access, as we follow the ‘Posties’ path. We also wander along Luskentyre the most beautiful beach in Scotland, take the Coffin road to the Golden Road and visit the remarkable St Clements Church at Rodel. We head north one day to walk in southern Lewis.

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Friday 1st September - Monday 4th September 2017

Raasay

Staying on Raasay means we have time to explore every corner of this beautiful island rather than being restricted to the area around the ferry terminal. We shall be able to discover both parts of Raasay. The wooded picturesque southern corner is where the ferry comes in and where virtually everyone lives. To the north is the now almost deserted north is the highlands and coastline. This includes the famous hand-made ‘Calum’s Road.’  

We stay at the ex-landowners home, the wonderful Raasay House. After decades as an outdoor centre it recently has been reborn after a major fire to include hotel rooms in the upper floors with dorms on the ground floor for children pursuing outdoor courses. This does mean that we can organise canoeing, boating, rock climbing etc for you if you are feeling particularly active! 

Otherwise our walks are split between the two parts of the island. There are some good paths around the House and village letting us visit the Telford church, wander along the nearby bay and coastline and discover hidden lochans and graveyards. To the north there is a spectacular trek up Dun Can one of the most iconic hills and best viewpoints in Scotland. We can walk the length of Calum’s Road and explore the sites of the abandoned townships cleared in the 19th century.

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Saturday 23rd September - Saturday 30th September 2017

Slovakia

New holiday to the Tatras mountains in north central Slovakia. These mountains stretch over into Poland and we actually fly into Krakow in Poland. This area is dotted with various ski resorts and the access paths to the national park are excellent and all embracing. We are based at Penzion Polane a hotel, with sauna, in the shadow of the mountains at Stary Smokovec and linked by electric trains to Poprad the nearby regional capital. From the hotel we have easy access to a series of both circular and linear walks. 

All our walks are in the mountains or the green valleys between them. We follow paths through the Hornod Gorge, around Gerlach the highest mountain in Slovakia, visit waterfalls and the Ice Caves. We also will make time to explore various UNESCO towns and castles and visit Poprad. Those who want more challenging treks to the summits of the highest mountains can be accommodated although in some cases there might be a supplement involved. Various wildlife is to be found in the mountains and the valleys. Bears are common. We use a private bus and electric trains to move quickly to the beginning of all the walks.

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Wednesday 4th October - Sunday 8th October 2017

Iona + Staffa

Iona has a history that never fails to impress and we shall take time to explore both sides of its personality. Weather permitting we shall make the short boat journey to Staffa and see this unique wee island. We are based at the charming St Columba Hotel overlooking the bay and across to Mull. The other view is back to their extensive gardens where they grow as much of their own fruit and vegetables as possible.  

First thing in the morning we shall visit and explore the Abbey and its surrounding grounds before the crowds come across from Oban. This way you get a much better feel for the mystique of this island, famous for over 1400 years as the centre of Christianity in Scotland. We shall also visit parts of this island that you don’t have time to reach on a day trip. One trek will be to the northern end of Iona with its perfect white sandy beaches where the only company is liable to be cattle. Another trip will be to the west side of the island to visit to the wild Bay at the End of the World which is famous for its thunderous waves and dramatic seascapes. A visit will be made to see the landing place of St Columba on Iona. Nearby we shall visit the hidden site of the abandoned Iona Marble quarry, where we can guarantee you will find something green and interesting!  

Weather permitting we shall take a one hour boat trip to Staffa to visit Fingal’s Cave and its dramatic basalt scenery. We shall be able to easily wander across the green ‘roof’ of this remarkable island. Even more remarkable is the local knowledge of the captain of the boat.

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Friday 20th October - Monday 23rd October 2017

Solway Sojourn

We are based in the pretty seaside and yachting centre of Kippford looking directly onto the Solway Firth. The coastal path along the Solway Firth is magnificent and we shall spend two days exploring the beaches, cliff tops and nature reserves along its shores. We shall also venture into the nearby woods to search for red squirrels and easily climb up a small hill to get a panoramic view of the Solway. We are staying at the cosy Kippford Hotel. 

This section of coast is fabulous and we shall walk on fine paths between Kippford and Rockcliffe and beyond visiting tiny hamlets and fine bays. En route we shall take advantage of excellent tearooms. However, the real star of the weekend is the Solway Firth itself as we watch the tide racing in or out from our vantage points above it. We hope to walk across to one of the tidal islands just offshore if the tide permits. Nearby Dalbeattie Forest offers some good walks and hopefully we shall see some red squirrels in this area. The last time we were at Kippford the house a few buildings down from the Hotel had red squirrels every day coming into their garden to be fed.

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Friday 3rd November - Sunday 5th November 2017

Fife Coastal Trail: the East Neuk

We spend two days exploring the most picturesque section of the Fife coast. We walk the route between Earlsferry north to Crail. Both the attractive fishing villages and the coastline are perfect for exploring and we have the time to check out the various wynds and 18th century buildings of the former. The paths are very good as we meander past beaches, over clifftops and along field edges. 

From Earlsferry we can either take the beach or follow the road through into Elie. Elie is one of only three ‘Blue Flag’ beaches in Scotland. We then make a short detour to visit Lady’s Tower before passing the ruins of Ardross and Newark castles. We continue through St Monans and take a dramatic path around the shore and past its windmill. We carry on along the shore to Pittenweem and we take the time to explore this fascinating village. Anstruther is next on our route where we pass the outstanding Fisheries Museum before reaching Cellardyke harbour - my favourite harbour in the East Neuk. The last few miles take us into Crail perhaps the most scenic of all these charming villages we shall visit over the weekend.

 

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