Loch Lomond & The Western Isles

Introduction

The Scots’ pride in their land’s spectacular beauty, Celtic traditions and historic battles are evident throughout our Walk in this stunning countryside.

On Highland trails we encounter a pristine landscape of magnificent lakes, heathered moors, mountains and woods scattered with fields rich in flowers, birds and wildlife. Remote islands beckon with lush scenery and picture-perfect ports.

Here rose legendary Scottish heroes - Braveheart, Rob Roy and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Ancient Druids built mysterious stone circles, and contentious clans gathered within medieval castles before doing battle. We visit hauntingly beautiful Gylen Castle and take the ferry to the Isles of Mull and Kerrera.

Walk Summary

Dates	21-Jun-09 - 27-Jun-09 13-Sep-09 - 19-Sep-09
Trip	7 days, 6 nights
Terrain	An unmatched landscape of lochs, sea and islands makes for easy but invigorating walking which, is mostly along well-surfaced tracks. Expect some moderate hills, dips and rises, walking from between 7-10 miles each day. With the exception of the last day, the van is always close by if needed.
Price	US$3895.00 per person double occupancy (single supplement US$450.00)

Walk begins in Cairnbaan, with arrival at Glasgow and ends in Oban, with transfer back to Glasgow.

Walk Highlights

We'll start here

Sunday

We rendezvous in Glasgow and drive to our beautiful hotel by the Crinan Canal in Cairnbaan, for an Introductory Talk and Welcome Dinner.

Overnight: Cairnbaan

Monday

This morning we walk along the Crinan Canal, built by the Duke of Argyll in the 18th century to link Glasgow and the Hebrides. Panoramic views of the Sound of Jura and Loch Crinan, setting for the James Bond movie "From Russia with Love". We enjoy spectacular vistas of ocean, highlands and islands as we explore an Iron Age fort and return to Cairnbaan.

Overnight: Cairnbaan

Tuesday

We walk through Kilmartin Glen, noting Iron Age stone circles and burial cairns, to visit Dunadd, capital of one of the early Scottish kingdoms. After lunch in the museum, we transfer to Loch Melfort and walk to Armaddy Castle through wild country with the islands of Luing and Seil on the horizon. We cross the "Bridge over the Atlantic" for Afternoon Tea in a small inn. And on to Oban for Dinner and overnight.

Overnight: Oban

Wednesday

We take a ferry across Oban Bay to the unspoiled Isle of Kerrera where the few local residents and the abundant wildlife live in harmony. On the rocky west coast we visit haunting Gylen Castle, the ancestral home of the Clan MacDougall, before heading back to the Oban ferry along a track with panoramic views of the town and surrounding islands. A highlight of the day is our visit to a whisky distillery.

Overnight: Oban

Thursday

We cruise to the legendary Isle of Mull and on to the remote Isle of Ulva, population 30, seeing a 9th-century Viking fort and, hopefully, red deer and golden eagle. After lunch in the local boathouse, we visit Tobermory, the picturesque capital of Mull, passing cascading streams and waterfalls tumbling into the ocean. The owners show us around magnificent Torosay Castle before we return by ferry to Oban.

Overnight: Oban

Friday

After breakfast, we drive south to walk along the West Highland Way and to explore the shores and hills of the eastern side of Loch Lomond with views of the awesome peak of Ben Lomond towering above. Our destination is The Lodge, our stunning hotel, and a Farewell Dinner overlooking the loch.

Overnight: Loch Lomond

Saturday

After breakfast, we return to Glasgow.

This itinerary represents a typical Walk. We prepare itineraries well in advance of the trip and therefore we reserve the right to make changes due to weather, local events or other circumstances - but always to improve the experience of our guests.

Hotels

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The Manor House Hotel - Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

Gallanach Road
Oban PA34 4LS

T: +44 (0)1631-562-087
F: +44 (0)1631-562-053
E: info@manorhouseoban.com
W: www.manorhouseoban.com

The Manor House is located on the South shore of Oban Harbour in a lovely position by the sea. It was built in 1780 as the principal residence of the Duke of Argyll's Oban estate and was later used as a Dower House for his family. Of late Georgian architecture, great consideration has been given to preserve the elegance, charm and atmosphere of its past.

It has elegantly decorated, ensuite bedrooms in the period style but they also include every modern amenity. The Manor House is particularly known for it's beautifully restored Dining Room. Head Chef and his team are proud of their gourmet menu featuring fresh local fish, game and produce and using fresh herbs from the hotel's garden. The Bar and lovely Drawing Room, like the Dining Room, have magnificent views over Oban Bay, the adjacent islands and the mountains of Morvern and the Isle of Mull.

The Lodge at Loch Lomond - Friday

The Lodge at Loch Lomond

Luss, Argyll
G83 8PA
Tel: +44 (0) 1436 860201
Fax: +44 (0) 1436 860203
www.loch-lomond.co.uk

Set amidst some of Scotland's most idyllic and unspoilt areas,The Lodge is engulfed by a natural beauty, surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. The hotel offers all the intimacy, warmth, charm and atmosphere, that only a family run hotel could. Yet it has the quality of service and standards that have attracted two United States Presidents.

Many of the rooms. and the restaurant, offer undisturbed panoramic views of Scotland's most breathtaking loch and its majestic mountainous surroundings.

This hotel list is a provided as an example. We may use different hotels of the same quality and style on specific trips. The Wayfarers will notify confirmed travelers of any changes to the hotels.

Photo Gallery

Bagpipes capture the sound of the Highlands.

Travel Information

Before & After

Venture further to Loch Ness, Fort William and the Cairngorm Mountains or stay close on the Isle of Eriska
Arrive early and visit Edinburgh ~ only an hour from Glasgow

Weather:

Temperatures usually range from around 45º to 65ºF (7º to 18ºC) in spring/autumn and from 60º to 70º F (15º to 21ºC) in summer although it can rise to above 80º F (27ºC) on some days. You are likely to need a light jacket or sweater in the evenings. Rainfall is unpredictable but occurs all year round and can be heavy, even in summer. Equally there can be long spells of warm dry weather so you will need to bring clothing to accommodate all situations.

To see more Travel Information and a list of our recommended tips please register or sign in. Once you confirm a booking for this walk, as a registered website member, you will be able to access detailed Joining Instructions including exact arrival and departure points and times as part of the Travel Information.

FAQs

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Are there any hidden costs?
Our Vacations do not include the cost of air or rail fares to and from the destination or tips for your walk leader and manager.
How large are the Groups?
Our maximum group size is 16, but groups average between 8-12 people.
Will I feel welcome as a single traveler?
Yes! Our walks are the perfect environment of comfortable camaraderie for the single traveler.
Can you accomodate special diets?
Yes!
How physically fit do I have to be to do a Wayfarers Walk?
If you are in good health and reasonably fit you will be comfortable participating in a walk.

Ask a question

Please do not hesitate to ask us a question about this walk.

Reading List

Hammer of the Scots By: Jean Plaidy

Buy book: Hammer of the Scots

Jean Plaidy, a prolific writer of historical fiction who is also known as Victoria Holt to her legion of fans, weaves an intriguing tapestry of historical fact and fiction that will hold the reader in its thrall. This is the story of a king who desired nothing more than to be a just and wise ruler. That King is Edward I of England. Edward I, happily married to Eleanor of Castile, would inherit an unhappy and nearly bankrupt kingdom upon the death of his father, Henry III, whose profligate wife, Eleanor of Provence, Edward's mother, had incurred the enmity of the people for her lavish spending and the ensuing heavy taxation. Edward's fervent wish was to put to right all that was wrong. His was to be a reign which saw prosperity for his people. Edward I would declare the first Prince of Wales, his son Edward II, who, unfortunately would grow up to disappoint his father. Edward I viewed his son as a dissolute weakling, and he disdained his son's relationship with Piers Gaveston, who was rumored to be his son's lover. He feared for England, as he felt that his son and heir had little judgment. Edward I died, leaving England in the very hands of he who would prove himself unfit to rule.

Ivanhoe By: Walter Scott

Buy book: Ivanhoe

The epitome of the chivalric novel, Ivanhoe sweeps readers into Medieval England and the lives of a memorable cast of characters. Ivanhoe, a trusted ally of Richard-the-Lion-Hearted, returns from the Crusades to reclaim the inheritance his father denied him. Rebecca, a vibrant, beautiful Jewish woman is defended by Ivanhoe against a charge of witchcraft--but it is Lady Rowena who is Ivanhoe's true love. The wicked Prince John plots to usurp England's throne, but two of the most popular heroes in all of English literature, Richard-the-Lion-Hearted and the well-loved famous outlaw, Robin Hood, team up to defeat the Normans and regain the castle. The success of this novel lies with Scott's skillful blend of historic reality, chivalric romance, and high adventure.

Scotland: The Story of a Nation By: Magnus Magnusson

Buy book: Scotland: The Story of a Nation

Lucid, witty, and unafraid of controversy, Magnusson's book does a fine job of condensing a complex history, stretching out for 10 millennia, into a single volume. This overly heroic history of Scotland focuses almost exclusively on royalty and warfare. Loosely patterned after Sir Walter Scott's Tales of a Grandfather (1827-1829), Magnusson's narrative purports to describe Scotland from the Stone Age to the present. Yet his omissions are breathtaking. We're treated to a dozen pages about the Battle of Falkirk (wherein England's implacable King Edward I defeated William Wallace in 1298) and its aftermath. But Magnusson never mentions Scotland's central role in the Industrial Revolution, when Glasgow emerged as a global industrial center. He does emphasize some crucial themes in Scottish history: its constant struggle with hegemonic England, the problems of royal succession and how they led to national instability, and the bloody conflict between Church and State, especially during the reign of the Stuarts. Former chairman of the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland, Magnusson deftly describes Scotland's geopolitical heritage. He also works hard to dispel some myths, taking particular aim at the film Braveheart and Shakespeare's Macbeth.

The Great Scot: A Novel of Robert the Bruce, Scotland's Legendary Warrior King By: Duncan A. Bruce

Buy book: The Great Scot: A Novel of Robert the Bruce, Scotland's Legendary Warrior King

Bruce, a banker by day, has created a little cottage industry of sorts with several nonfiction books of Scottish history, such as The Mark of the Scots (1996) and The Scottish 100 (2000). Turning to fiction, he tells the story of Robert the Bruce, Scotland's greatest king, from his unexpected victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, when the vastly outnumbered Scots routed the English forces, to the peaceful end of a long and eventful life. The novel is a fun read that brings to life characters and events we really only know about through history books. Anyone interested in Scottish history will probably enjoy this rousing tale

A Walk Through Britain By: John Hillaby

Buy book: A Walk Through Britain

What does it mean to be English these days? That's what journalist and TV quiz master Paxman wonders in this study of British identity. A humorous, ironic, nostalgic, skeptical, dilettantish, mildly eccentric, self-deprecating and proud account (like its subject), the book surveys the various aspects of stereotypical English identity one by one in realms ranging from sex to food. Although he occasionally gives too much credence to flimsy stereotypes and is unnecessarily harsh on the subject of the cult of the English countryside, on the whole, Paxman offers an intriguing investigation. His sociohistorical survey rambles through characteristic attitudes toward foreigners, the weather, religion, the home, sport, language and the countryside. Based on book research, personal observation and Paxman's interviews with Brits including John Cleese and the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, this odd collection of theoretical musings, historical tidbits and quirky observations should serve as both a corrective and a comfort for Anglophiles in Britain and elsewhere.

Dragonfly in Amber By: Diana Gabaldon

Buy book: Dragonfly in Amber

An engaging time-travel romance, the second of a trilogy, that animates the people and politics of a pivotal period in history--while turning up the heat between an appealing modern heroine and a magnetic romantic hero. It's now 1968, and Claire Beauchamp Randall has returned to Inverness, Scotland, with her daughter, Brianna. This is Claire's first visit back since she and husband Frank visited 22 years before--when she walked through a Druid stone circle into the middle of the 18th century. Now, Frank is dead, and Claire hopes to learn what happened to the second great love of her life--gallant Jamie Fraser, laird of Lallybroch whom she married during her journey into the past. She's also looking for a way to tell Brianna who her real father is. Framed by these dilemmas, the bulk of the story consists of the second installment of Claire and Jamie's adventures. Escaping the English death sentence passed against Jamie, they flee to prerevolutionary Paris, where they secretly work at foiling Bonnie Prince Charlie's efforts to regain the Scottish throne. But this espionage is only the beginning...A most entertaining mix of history and fantasy whose author, like its heroine, exhibits a winning combination of vivid imagination and good common sense.

Edinburgh: A Cultural and Literary History By: Donald Campbell

Buy book: Edinburgh: A Cultural and Literary History

Home to one of the world's great arts festivals, the capital of Scotland is a city of contrasting moods and atmospheres. Rising from the volcanic ridge that runs from the Castle Rock to Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh is a combination of living history and vibrant modernity. The historic fastness of the Castle presides over the classical sweep of the New Town, the eccentric charm of the Old, the affluent haughtiness of the West End, and the whimsical respectability of the Southside. Gothic, Georgian and Modernist rub shoulders in this eclectic city, while literature, the visual arts, music, and drama have all flourished through the ages. From the glories of the Royal Mile to the gritty reality of Leith, this book reveals the many faces, past and present, of a great world city.

Kiss of the Highlander By: Karen Marie Moning

Buy book: Kiss of the Highlander

Rife with unexpected plot twists, Druid lore and sparkling humor, Moning's latest time-travel romance, returns to the Scottish Highlands for another romp between an ancient laird and a modern lass. Gwen Cassidy's hopes of finding a man crumble when she realizes that her much-anticipated tour of Scotland is a senior citizen expedition. Frustrated, Gwen decides to hike the breakneck hills of Loch Ness alone, and she ends up falling down a ravine and awakening Drustan MacKeltar, a Scottish lord who has been slumbering for 500 years under a gypsy's spell. Although Drustan is bewildered by the modern century, he is not puzzled by his feelings for Gwen. Her passionate heart and brilliant mind intrigue him, and he enlists her aid to return to the 16th century. Once back in Drustan's time, their struggle to save his people alters history and results in a surprising denouement. There's much that's fun here, both in characters and situations, but detail-oriented readers may be distracted by the novel's many anachronisms: for example, Gwen has coffee in bed in 1518 even though coffee wasn't available in England until the 17th century. Nevertheless, Moning's snappy prose, quick wit and charismatic characters will enchant.

Notes from a Small Island By: Bill Bryson

Buy book: Notes from a Small Island

Before his return to the U.S. after a 20-year residence in England, journalist Bryson embarked on a farewell tour of his adopted homeland. His trenchant, witty and detailed observations of life in a variety of towns and villages will delight Anglophiles. Traveling only on public transportation and hiking whenever possible, Bryson wandered along the coast through Bournemouth and neighboring villages that reinforced his image of Britons as a people who rarely complain and are delighted by such small pleasures as a good tea. In Liverpool, the author's favorite English city, he visited the Merseyside Maritime Museum to experience its past as a great port. Interweaving descriptions of landscapes and everyday encounters with shopkeepers, pub customers and fellow travelers, Bryson shares what he loves best about the idiosyncrasies of everyday English life in this immensely entertaining travel memoir.

Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland By: Dorothy Wordsworth

Buy book: Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland

On an extraordinary 663-mile journey through the Scottish Lowlands and southwestern Highlands in the late summer and early autumn of 1803, Dorothy Wordsworth kept a journal. Traveling with her brother William and, for a short time, Samuel Coleridge, she recorded with warmth and wit the adventures, sights, and unspoiled romantic landscape of their trip. Her engaging journal, unavailable for many years, returns to print in this beautiful volume that provides remarkable black-and-white photographs of the Scottish scenes described.

Steel Bonnets: The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers By: George MacDonald Fraser

Buy book: Steel Bonnets: The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers

"If Jesus Christ were amongst them, they would deceive him," it was said of the plunders, raiders, and outlaws who terrorized the Anglo-Scottish Border for over 300 years. Theirs is an almost forgotten chapter of British history, preserved largely in folktales and ballads. It is the story of the notorious raiding families--Armstrongs, Elliots, Grahams, Johnstones, Maxwells, Scotts, Kerrs, Nixons, and others--of the outlaw bands and broken men, and the fierce battles of English and Scottish armies across the Marches. The Steel Bonnets tells their true story in its historical context-- how the reivers ran their raids and operated their system of blackmail and terrorism, and how the March Wardens, enforcing the unique Border law, fought the great lawless community. A superb work of scholarship and a spellbinding narrative.

The English Landscape: It's Character and Diversity By: Bill Bryson

Buy book: The English Landscape: It's Character and Diversity

You are very lucky in England. The English Landscape is a stunning volume of essays and photographs celebrating the breadth, diversity, and delicacy of the English countryside. A distinguished selection of writers such as the Duchess of Devonshire, Richard Mabey, Anna Parord, Christopher Lloyd, Robin Hanbury-Tenbison, Marina Warner, Dame Jennifer Jenkins, and David Bellamy pay homage to their favorite parts of the English landscape. Complete with color photographs and maps, The English Landscape will engage Anglophiles, travel enthusiasts, and literature buffs alike.

The Life of Walter Scott: A Critical Biography By: John Sutherland

Buy book: The Life of Walter Scott: A Critical Biography

Immediate and immensely readable, The Life of Walter Scott is a masterful account that penetrates into the darker areas of Scott's life in a skeptical (yet sympathetic) spirit, bringing the massive oeuvre and the chronicle of the life into manageable proportions, one illuminating the other. Scott (the "Great Unknown") has always presented challenges to the biographer. Layers of myth continue to protect him from posterity. There is also the sheer size of Scott's achievements as poet, novelist, man of letters, and self-made Laird of Abbotsford. Through this account, Scott is justified as a writer to be read and understood today as much as in his heyday in the nineteenth century.

The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England By: Antonia Fraser

Buy book: The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England

In 1066 William the Conqueror captured the English throne, and since that time 39 kings and queens have reigned over the British dominions. Their lives, alliances, whims, delusions, and intrigues have had an incalculable influence on the culture, politics, and very boundaries of the entire world. The names and dates come fast and furiously, but here are a few facts: Over half of France was in England's possession during the reign of Henry II. Richard III was the last English monarch to die on the battlefield. And, as a 19-year-old princess, Queen Elizabeth II joined the Auxiliary Transport Service as a mechanic in the final days of WWII.

The making of the English Landscape By: W.G. Hoskins

Buy book: The making of the English Landscape

The best introduction to the evolution of the the English landscape. For professionals, students, travelers and all who seek to understand the processes - natural and human - behind the scenery, this is the best place to start. Erudite and readable with great photos and illustrations. Must take it with you on your next visit.

The Secret Lion: Fact/Fiction History By: C.W. Gortner

Buy book: The Secret Lion: Fact/Fiction History

It's 1553, and, with England's teenaged King Edward VI near death, Northumberland is the country's de facto ruler. Next in line for the throne are Edward's sisters, first Mary and then Elizabeth. But Northumberland doesn't intend to relinquish his power; he determines to keep control of the throne for himself, and no expediency is beneath him. Once you step into the luxurious pages of The Secret Lion, you will find yourself on an excursion full of intricate plots, rich settings and historical themes. The time is sixteenth century Tudor England, during the riveting and exquisite renaissance period. Brendan Prescott is ordered as squire to pompous Lord Robert Dudley, a position he soon finds filled with peril. Trust and honor are fiercely tested when those who hold an esteemed position in the high court serve most prominently as a threat. It would seem the castle walls have eyes and ears. As a series of lies and secrets unravel, the young squire must change the course of events placed before him to ensure Princess Elizabeth's future while facing haunting elements about his past.

Waverley By: Walter Scott

Buy book: Waverley

Set during the Jacobite rising in Scotland in 1745, this novel springs from Scott's childhood recollections and his desire to preserve in writing the features of life in the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland. Waverley was first published anonymously in 1814 and was Scott's first novel.

Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare By: Stephen Greenblatt

Buy book: Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare

There's no shortage of good Shakespearean biographies. But Stephen Greenblatt, brilliant scholar and author, reminds us that the "surviving traces" are "abundant but thin" as to known facts. Greenblatt uses the "verbal traces" in Shakespeare's work to take us "back into the life he lived and into the world to which he was so open." Whenever possible, he also ushers us from the extraordinary life into the luminous work. The result is a marvelous blend of scholarship, insight, observation, and, yes, conjecture--but conjecture always based on the most convincing and inspired reasoning and evidence. Particularly compelling are Greenblatt's discussions of the playwright's relationship with the university wit Robert Greene (discussed as a chief source for the character of Falstaff) and of Hamlet in relation to the death of Shakespeare's son Hamnet, his aging father, and the "world of damaged rituals" that England's Catholics were forced to endure. It is the story, too, of 16th- and 17th-century England writ large, the story of religious upheaval and political intrigue, of country festivals and brutal public executions, of the court and the theater, of Stratford and London, of martyrdom and recusancy, of witchcraft and magic, of love and death: in short, of the private but engaged William Shakespeare in his remarkable world.

What's Next?

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