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Touring the Western Isles

Skye is particularly famous for its mountain scenery
Skye is particularly famous for its mountain scenery

Join us on a trip to Scotland’s magical islands

Brightwater Holidays has developed a wide ranging portfolio of escorted tours in partnership with the Press and Journal. We are delighted to offer three of these holidays with local pick-up points including Aberdeen, Elgin, Nairn, Forres and Inverness.

The Western Isles have a unique landscape and culture that is quite distinct from the rest of Scotland. The scenery is captivating, unspoilt and majestic, with everything from towering mountains to mile-long beaches of blinding white sand. The tang of the sea is never far away and the air is fresh and invigorating – sometimes a little too invigorating!

The landscape has been shaped by more than 5,000 years of human habitation and everywhere there are relics of previous lives, from Neolithic cairns and Bronze Age standing stones to Iron Age houses, Norse mills and Blackhouses from a couple of centuries ago.

The ancient Gaelic culture is genuine and pervasive, not just in the place names but in music and song and in the lilt of the local accents. To journey here is to travel to another time and place, far from the cares and stresses of the modern world and experience an unparalleled combination of sights, sounds and sensations.

St Kilda

In July we offer the rare opportunity to travel to ‘the edge of the world’, as we sail to the abandoned archipelago of St Kilda, 40 miles west of the Outer Hebrides.

Already acknowledged for its magnificent physical appearance and its biological character, St Kilda has now been inscribed as a cultural record of the lost crofting community that once lived here, its Dual World Heritage Status putting it on a par with a handful of sites such as Machu Picchu in Peru and the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa.

yl-Hebrides1It is this combination of great natural beauty and a haunting human dimension that makes St Kilda such an appealing prospect, not to mention the fact that just to travel here is an adventure in itself.

Weather permitting, we will sail from Leverburgh in Harris to St Kilda, where we have half a day free to wander among the deserted village streets, view the gannet and fulmar colonies or simply take in the unique atmosphere that only a remote island can provide. We will also explore the contrasting islands of Lewis and Harris and travel via the Isle of Skye.

Skye & Raasay

Skye has a romantic history and a scenic beauty all of its own and in early September we offer the chance to explore the island in more depth.

It is particularly famous for its mountain scenery, and although the peaks are often obscured by a veil of mist, the resulting magical, haunting effect stays long in the memory.

We travel through the wild countryside of Glen Gary, Cluanie and Glen Shiel and over the bridge to Skye. We will visit Dunvegan Castle, which has been home to the chiefs of MacLeod since the 13th century. Among the many priceless relics on display is the Fairy Flag, the sacred banner which is said to bring good luck to the clan.

After a scenic drive around Trotternish, the hauntingly beautiful northern peninsula, we will have some time in Portree, the epitome of a Hebridean port.

By the ruins of Armadale Castle is the recently developed Museum of the Isles, built in the form of a Celtic cross, where visitors are led through a series of galleries telling the history of the Highlands.

The island of Raasay provides a haven of real island tranquillity, unspoilt and sparsely populated, with ruined castles, Pictish symbol stones and abundant wildlife.

We will also call in at the restored Eilean Donan Castle with its impossibly romantic setting on Loch Duich.

The Outer Hebrides

Later in September we are offering one of Brightwater Holidays’ most popular tours, a Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides.

This extended tour of the Hebrides is a unique opportunity to travel the length and breadth of the Western Isles. Our grand tour takes in all the beauty and diversity of this very special environment with nine different islands and four ferry trips included.

Two comfortable hotels ensure that this holiday is as relaxing as possible while at the same time offering great variety and the sense of a true journey of discovery which will live long in the memory.

The odyssey begins with a journey over the bridge to Skye, by ferry to North Uist and onward to Benbecula, our base for the first two nights. From here we travel to Barra, at the southern end of the Outer Hebrides, where we visit Kisimul Castle, which stands sentinel over the natural harbor of Castlebay; Cockleshell Beach, used as the island’s airport, and the neighbouring island of Vatersay with its fantastic sandy beaches.

yl-Hebrides3After a visit to the RSPB reserve at Balranald on North Uist, which supports a wide range of birds such as turnstones, lapwings and corn buntings, we take the ferry from Berneray to Leverburgh at the southern end of Harris and visit St Clement’s Church at Rodel, whose tombs are among the most spectacular in Scotland.

There are outstanding views as we travel along the coast, including the island of Taransay of ‘Castaway’ fame, through the mountainous countryside of Harris which eventually gives way to the rolling moorland of Lewis.

We continue to the island capital of Stornoway, our base for the final two nights. From here we explore Lewis, with visits to the remarkable Standing Stones of Callanish, the tranquil little Norse Mill at Shawbost and the distinctive Black Houses at Gearannan.

On our final day we have free time to explore Stornoway before returning to the mainland by ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool and back to our original departure points.

THE HOLIDAY

For a brochure call 01224 338004 and quote the following:
AB723 – The Outer Hebrides
AB144 – Skye & Raasay
AB126 – St Kilda
To book, call 01334 657155 and quote “PRESS AND JOURNAL” to secure your place.