THE HIGHLIGHTS
VOYAGE BY PADDLE STEAMER
Aboard the world’s last ocean-going paddle steamer, PS Waverley, you’ll go to sea across the Firth of Clyde, spending the day enjoying the gentle beauty of the Argyll hills and the Kyles of Bute from the deck. Named after Sir Walter Scott’s first novel, it was built in 1946 to replace the 1899 Waverley, which was sunk at Dunkirk.
Scott described Loch Katrine as a ‘burnished sheet of living gold’, and you will see the ‘enchanted land’ surrounding it from a steamship that bears his name. The SS Sir Walter Scott has been piloting tourists majestically over Loch Katrine for more than 100 years and is one of only a few surviving screw-driven steamers in service today. She retains her original engines, now using smokeless solid fuel, and many passengers enjoy pressing their noses against the viewing pane to watch the poetry in motion that is a triple-expansion steam engine. The scenery around the loch is utterly breathtaking and located at its northern end is Glengyle, the birthplace of Scottish outlaw and folk hero Rob Roy.
THE ASTONISHING FALKIRK WHEEL
In the 1930s, the Forth & Clyde and the Union Canals were linked by 11 locks that took almost a day for a boat to pass through. Nowadays, the remarkable Falkirk Wheel, opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, does the job in four minutes. As part of your unique boat journey, you will experience the world’s first rotating boat lift for yourself before sailing along the Union Canal below the historic Antonine Wall to its visitor centre. This UNESCO World Heritage site, named after Emperor Antoninus Pius, marked the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire, some 99 miles north of the better-known Hadrian’s Wall.
A STEAM JOURNEY ON THE JACOBITE
The Fort William to Mallaig railway line is memorable, spectacular and frequently voted the world’s greatest railway journey. Your steam train round-trip begins at the southern end of the Great Glen, in the shadow of Ben Nevis at Fort William. Hopping aboard the iconic Jacobite, you will puff past rugged scenery, craggy coastlines and inland lochs, including Loch Shiel, where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in 1745. After a stop for local seafood or fish and chips in the bustling fishing port of Mallaig, you will return to Fort William with a special treat of Champagne and chocolates to enjoy on the journey.
STAY IN LUXURY
You will stay for three nights in the charming four-star Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa in the heart of The Trossachs, overlooking the majestic Loch Ard, with Ben Lomond in the distance. The 55 classically styled bedrooms are inspired by the landscape, featuring heather-hued tweeds, as well as comfortable, luxurious beds and furnishings. Bed, breakfast, dinner and wine in the hotel’s award-winning Garden Restaurant are all included. Using organic and free-range locally sourced fish, meat, game and cheese, and the highest quality ingredients, the elegant Garden Restaurant offers classic Scottish dishes in a contemporary style, with views of The Trossachs as you dine.