Bargain stars soar
RYANAIR carried more customers than any other European airline last year. The budget airline was Europe’s most popular, transporting more than 128 million passengers, the International Air Transport Association said. Easyjet came second with 77 million. Emirates was in third with 58 million, with Lufthansa in fourth and British Airways fifth. A SPECTACULAR new Scottish road trip, the North Coast 500, has been named world’s best value. But get off road to find even more holiday highlights in the Highlands.
Scottish Route 66 The North Coast 500
Let’s deal with that iconic road trip first. The NC500 was launched in 2015 and just won Travel magazine’s prestigious value for money award. It starts and ends in Inverness and runs around the north Highland coast, covering 500 miles.
It is worth all the praise, with stupendous scenery, a quirky mix of places to stay and superfresh seafood.
And it is a trip of two halves – the west coast is wild and romantic, while the east is green and rich in castles and distilleries.
The distance is not huge but many roads are single-track, with passing places and potholes and the landscape demands your attention, so allow yourself five days. If you want to do it independently, rent a campervan from the likes of Bunk Campers, see bunkcampers.com. FIND MORE: northcoast500.com.
Trainspotting Top track trips
The Belmond Royal Scotsman, a posh sleeping train, prowls the Highlands but is expensive and mainly for Americans who want tea in castles. Savour the same landscapes on normal trains.
The route from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh rolls across moorland covered in deer and along lochsides with eagles. From Fort William to Mallaig there is the Jacobite steam train that starred in Harry Potter as the Hogwarts Express.
Details on normal trains on scotrail.co.uk and on the Jacobite via westcoastrailways.co.uk. Inverness and Fort William are reachable by sleeper train from London, set to be upgraded with Royal Scotsman-standard suites. FIND MORE: sleeper.scot.
Cocktail cruise Small Isles by ferry
One of the best tips on west coast Scotland is to take the Caledonian Macbrayne ferry Lochnevis out of Mallaig. It does a daily circuit of the Cocktail Islands: Rum, Eigg, Canna and Muck.
Each of these isolated outposts has a story to tell, particularly Rum, with a deserted castle built by a millionaire complete with a wind-up orchestra. And Eigg, once a millionaire plaything, but whose community raised enough to buy it.
A Small Isles day trip that touches three of the four costs a mere £10.90. And there is a good chance of seeing whales, porpoises and seals. FIND MORE: calmac.co.uk.
Nessie’s pad Bob on the Caledonian Canal
The Highlands is divided by a fault line running diagonally from one coast to the other, from Fort William up to Inverness. It is known as the Great Glen and hosts the 60 mile Caledonian Canal, which links into Loch Ness.
There is a range of boat trip options, either on your own charter, day trip on Loch Ness or on a cruise barge with activities, such as Fingal of Caledonia. Walking, biking, sailing, kayaking or just relaxing are all on offer to Fingal’s passengers, with a week with all meals and activities from £925. FIND MORE: caledonian-discovery.co.uk.
Wild side Mountain bothies, wild camping
Scotland is the only part of the UK where camping outside designated campsites is permitted, and in most of its wilderness areas there are no official sites anyway.
Hikers and climbers who carry tents will also know about the other secret accommodation in the wilderness – mountain bothies. These remote shelters are former shepherd’s huts or isolated crofts. More than 100 of them in strategic locations are voluntarily maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association.
You can’t book them, you can’t drive to them and there are no facilities but at least there will be a roof over your head – and they are free. FIND MORE: mountainbothies.org.uk.
Brave hearts Top castles
Highland history is one of inter-clan warfare and periodic battles with the English, particularly