Vacation Scotland

For the last 50 years or so the Northern Corries of the Cairngorm Mountains have been a winter playground for skiers and snowboarders alike, with months of deep snow covering the high peaks. In summer however, with only a few secluded snow patches left, these craggy slopes become the preserve of the intrepid few who [...]

The Island of Islay is famed for its whisky; but it is also a very beautiful place with a complicated landscape of rolling, heather-clad hills, broad coastal grasslands and soft sandy beaches. As a result of Islay’s unusually fertile land, the population was always higher and history has often been played out here; indeed, the island [...]

The Trotternish Peninsula in the north of the Isle of Skye is a Tolkienesque world of ridges, pinnacles and plateaux; a staccato terrain that forms a stunningly beautiful landscape. At the north end of the peninsula, as it juts out into the sea facing the broad horizons of the Western Isles beyond, is the Cuithraing, [...]

In ancient times the people of the Highlands didn’t consider the Grampian Mountains as a single block, but as a complex series of ranges and valleys; each with their own characteristics, lofty peaks and secret pathways. A few of the old names have come down to us; and the broad plateau of hills lying to [...]

Running a travel company, I’m often asked – when is the best time to travel to Scotland; when will I see Scotland at its very best; and there is no right answer to that. Yes, the summer is warmer, but then the roads are busy, and it’s harder to find places to stay. May or [...]

On a few of our extended tours we visit the stunning valley of Glen Affric: a fantastic landscape of ancient forest and high snow-capped mountains. This is the domain of the Wildcat and Golden Eagle; a time-capsule where the Caledonian Pine Forest thrives. Originally part of the Chisholm domains, Glen Affric has survived the Highland Clearances, sheep grazing and being over run by deer on the sporting estate. Now a National Nature Reserve, and owned in part by the Forestry Commission and the NTS – its future is secure, and a wonderful experience for any visitor.