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A British Isles Adventure Clea & John Ralph
Clea and John Ralph
Friday 19th April – Saturday 11th May 2024
Friday 19th April – Saturday 11th May 2024
On a bespoke, celebratory trip, enjoy exploring the diverse, wild landscapes of England, Wales and Scotland. Accompanied by your knowledgable Wilderness guide begin your adventure in Cornwall, a place defined and shaped by the sea. Stroll around charming fishing villages, pedal through quiet countryside and learn about the region’s rich history of folklore. Afterwards, travel into Wales and enjoy exploring the rugged bounds of the Bannau Brycheiniog and Eryri National Park, before ribboning your way north into the green, pastoral folds of Yorkshire. A region known for its amazing natural larder, its widely embraced field-to-fork ethos also secures its standing as one of the top foodie destinations in the UK. Enjoy exploring this quintessential English landscape on foot, as well as enjoying delicious local food. Next, arrive in Edinburgh, and take some free time to explore this bustling city. Head west to the wild, salt-stung shores of Skye and learn about the island’s geology, wildlife and heritage as you discover its many instances of natural beauty. Back on the mainland, spend time in the Cairngorms National Park, visiting a working Scottish croft and spending time pedalling among ancient Caledonian pines. On a trip designed to showcase some of the most beautiful, wild landscapes of the British Isles and with every accommodation carefully chosen for its picturesque location, cosy ambience and delicious seasonal food – enjoy an adventure you’re sure to remember for years to come.
Meet your Wilderness guide at 2.30 pm this afternoon at St Austell Train Station and enjoy the short drive to Fowey. A pretty harbour town set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – this is the perfect, sea-soaked place to begin your adventure. Enjoy stretching your legs with a stroll along the esplanade before winding your way through narrow streets lined with small artisanal shops and cosy coffee shops, bakeries and eateries. Later this afternoon, check into your boutique hotel which commands lovely picture-perfect views across the estuary. Take some time to relax before turning in for a good night’s sleep.
Overnight: Fowey | Hotel Harbour Fowey
Meals Included: None
After breakfast, head out with your guide to explore Port Issac – a 14th-century fishing village where white-washed cottages look out across the rolling Atlantic. A walk along the South West Coast Path east will bring you to Port Gaverne, a narrow cove home to a small community and a lovely sandy beach. After lunch, pick up your hire bikes and enjoy an afternoon cycling the Camel Trail. Running along a disused railway enjoy the melodic whirr of your wheels as you pedal, enjoying the picturesque views and keeping an eye out for local wildlife. This evening, relax back at your hotel after a thoroughly good afternoon spent on two wheels.
Overnight: Fowey | Hotel Harbour Fowey
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
After breakfast, nosy your way south to explore Lizard Peninsula. Accompanied by your guide, your will explore one of the many stunning coastal options in this area. Perhaps stop for a dip in a sheltered bay or simply roll up your trousers and walk through the surf. With wildflowers speckling the coastline with colour, enjoy the beautiful views and the fresh air bright with salt and sunshine. Return to your hotel this evening and enjoy a delicious dinner of fresh, local produce.
Overnight: Fowey | Hotel Harbour Fowey
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Today, leave the white breakers of the Atlantic behind and make your way north into Wales. As you drive, chat with your guide about walking choices today, before lacing up your boots and heading out to explore Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons). . This afternoon we will pick up our E- Mountain bikes and head off on wheels to explore the peaceful, glacial valley that is the Brecon Beacons. Once you had chance to blow away the cobwebs we will transfer to settle into your relaxed hotel found within the small hamlet of Llanhamlach.
Overnight: Brecon Beacons | Peterstone Court
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
This morning travel north into Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) a rugged landscape where the culture, history, and heritage run deep and the Welsh language is part of the day-to-day fabric of the area. Visit Sygun Copper Mine and enjoy a self guided audio-visual tour. Explore the old workings on foot, following copper ore veins containing traces of gold and silver and encountering magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations. Afterwards, settle into your nearby hotel which is tucked on the hillside and made of solid stone. Cosy and comfy, enjoy a good night’s sleep ahead of exploring Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) tomorrow.
Overnight: Snowdonia | Sygun Fawr Country House
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Rising 3,560 feet over Eryri’s glacier-carved landscapes, Yr Wyddfa is the country’s highest peak. Enjoy a hike this morning in the stunning mountainous landscape. From Pen-Y-Pass, wind your way up a rocky path for spectacular views of Llyn Llydaw – a long thin lake on the mountain’s eastern flank, before descending an old miner’s track and taking in the ruggedly beautiful views. This afternoon, dive into the heart of Welsh industrial history on a fascinating tour of the National Slate Museum. Enjoy engaging talks and live demonstrations as you get a glimpse into the importance of slate mining in the history and politics of Wales.
Overnight: Snowdonia | Sygun Fawr Country House
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Leave Wales today and travel northeast into the Yorkshire Dales National Park – a place of ribboned glens, limestone pavements, rolling fields and shattered mountainous peaks. After a cup of coffee and a slice of sponge, join your guide for a walk to Gordale Scar and Malham Cove, the former a hidden atmospheric ravine and the latter a spectacular limestone cliff formed during the last Ice Age. Settle into your lovely hotel later this afternoon, perhaps relaxing in the sunshine before enjoying dinner. With much of the hotel restaurant’s produce being grown or sourced locally, you only need to turn your head to spot the cattle grazing contentedly on the hillsides beyond.
Overnight: Malham | The Lister Arms
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Today your guide will suggest some routes so get ready for an exhilarating adventure as we embark on an e-mountain bike exploration of the breathtaking Yorkshire Dales. Your e-mountain bikes are equipped to handle the diverse terrain of the Yorkshire Dales, allowing you to effortlessly traverse hills and valleys while taking in the stunning landscapes that this picturesque region has to offer. You will explore charming villages, lush greenery, and iconic landmarks, creating lasting memories in the heart of this enchanting landscape. You will return to the Lister perhaps for a glass of Yorkshire ale to round off a wonderful day.
Overnight: Lister Arms | The Lister Arms
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Rucksacks packed, strike out for a morning ramble. Begin in Grassington, a pretty market town and ribbon your way up onto the hillside. As you walk, look out for the limestone pavements and as you make your way through Grass Wood (a Nature Reserve run by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust), listen out for the secretive woodcock and the noisy chaffinches that make this broad-leafed woodland home. After lunch, enjoy a visit to Wensleydale Creamery. Both an art and a science, cheesemaking in Yorkshire has been part of the rural and cultural landscape since the 12th century.
Overnight: Malham | The Lister Arms
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Today we start early and wind our way north , travelling through the pastoral beauty of Yorkshire and into the Northumberland National Park. Accompanied by your guide, you will see the ancient fort of Vindolanda, one of the best archaeological sites in Britain on the Hadrian’s Wall Path. We will spend the afternoon exploring some of the other parts of this spectacular Roman wall.
Afterwards, continue North to Bamburgh and settle into your hotel for the evening.
Overnight: Bamburgh | The Victoria Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
This morning we will set out to cross over to Lindisfarne, a National Nature Reserve also known as the Holy Island. Reached by crossing a tidal causeway the isle is 3,500 hectares of dunes, saltmarsh and mudflats. Home to an array of flora and fauna, 20 different species of orchid can be found growing among its shifting sands. Look out for ringed plovers and merlin, as well as waterfowl such as little grebe, shoveler, mallard, moorhen and coot. After a morning of exploring we will make our way up the coast, crossing the border from England into Scotland to arrive in the architecturally stunning city of Edinburgh. Your guide will make sure you’re happily settled in your hotel before saying farewell, which is centrally located with fantastic views of Edinburgh Castle. With some fabulous, traditional pubs just around the corner, perhaps head out this evening to enjoy a drink before heading to a softly-lit restaurant for a delicious dinner.
Overnight: Edinburgh | Grassmarket Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
After a relaxed breakfast, meet a local city guide this morning for a brilliant and engaging walking tour. Where every winding close, gothic spire and tumbling monument is imbued with history, enjoy ribboning your way through the cobbled streets, visiting some of the iconic sights as well as discovering hidden gems off the tourist trail. After lunch, enjoy another afternoon with free time to spend as you please. Perhaps stroll down to the Waters of Leith, meandering your way along the river to the historic and beautiful Dean Village. Or, choose to walk up Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano which is popular with tourists and locals alike. This evening, enjoy dinner in one of Edinburgh’s many award-winning restaurants.
Overnight: Edinburgh | Grassmarket Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast your guide will meet you at your hotel foyer and transfer you West to Oban. You can chat along the way to get to know each other discuss the adventures you have ahead. Once in Oban you may have time whilst waiting for your ferry to explore the bustling fishing port of Oban. Enjoy the 45 minute sailing out to Mull perhaps from the comfort of the observation cabin or if the weather is good out on deck. Once in Oban you will be transferred to your accommodation for the next two nights at the elegant Georgian Pennygate Lodge.
Overnight: Mull | Pennygate Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Depending on how you feel, there are a handful of options to choose from today. If you wish, head out for another engaging, wild walk with your guide, traversing a landscape that holds its history close. There is also the opportunity to head up to the quirky town of Tobermory with its brightly coloured craft shops and pubs to visit local shops or perhaps swing by the Tobermory distillery – sitting in the centre of this vibrant Hebridean community. This afternoon we will pick up our E-bikes and feel the wind in our hair as we explore this pretty island in the Inner Hebrides. This evening, enjoy a celebratory dinner, toasting your adventure with the traditional ‘Slainte Mhath’ which means ‘good health’.
Overnight: Mull | Pennygate Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Today, make the scenic journey from Mull to the Isle of Skye – where red deer graze across heathery hillsides and lonely lighthouses look out to sea. Enjoy the scenery as you cross over from Mull to the Ardnamurchan peninsula, where you will wind your way through this stunning landscape perhaps stopping at a remote beach or an uninhabited castle. Once we reach the fishing village or Mallaig we take the short hop by boat from Mallaig to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, on the way chatting to your guide about Skye’s many myths, stories and folklore. Once ashore we take the drive to Portree where you can stretch your legs with a walk, spotting a variety of coastal birds and identifying the local fauna. Afterwards, explore the colourful town of Portree, which boasts majestic views of the Cuillin Mountain Range and many small, independent shops full of local gifts and seasonal produce. After a wander, continue to your bespoke hotel, which embraces the wilderness of this misty isle with autumnal colours, stunning views and a relaxed ambience.
Overnight: Isle of Skye | The Bracken Hide
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
This morning head out to explore the dramatic landscape of the Quiraing. Learn about the unique geology of the area, hearing about the labyrinth of leaning lava rocks, weathered buttresses and rocky architecture. Enjoy walking among the dark, stark rock formations that rise from the heathery ground like great ruined battlements. With no need to rush, take your time and enjoy stopping to capture the incredible views of rolling waves, ragged mountains and rocky islands. Return to your lovely accommodation this afternoon, taking some time to relax before enjoying dinner and a good night’s sleep far from city lights.
Overnight: Isle of Skye | The Bracken Hide
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
After breakfast overlooking the quiet landscape, head south with your guide, arriving in Elgol – a tiny hamlet scattered along the western cliffs of the Strathaird peninsula. From a small jetty, board the charming Bella Jane and sail over Loch Scavaig into the very heart of the Black Cuillin Mountains. Upon reaching the shore, leave the boat to explore Loch Coruisk, also known as the Cauldron of the Waters – a deep dark loch that stretches like a shadow below the impressive volcanic peaks. While there isn’t much ascent today, the walking is sometimes rough, and a couple of river crossings involve stepping stones. Back at your hotel, enjoy a relaxing evening, perhaps stepping outside after dinner to appreciate a sky awash with stars.
Overnight: Isle of Skye | The Bracken Hide
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Travel back to the mainland this morning and make your way inland to the small Highland village of Spean Bridge. Along the way, stop to visit Eilean Donan Castle, an iconic fortress perched upon a tidal island at the confluence of three sea lochs. Continue east, enjoying the beautiful drive as you wind your way along the shores of Loch Cluanie and Loch Laggan, stopping to take in the views or take a short stroll to a pretty viewpoint. Once in Spean Bridge, hop on the train which will take you through the hills to the remote station of Corrour. Once the train departs you can marvel at this remote outpost over lunch and a short hike with your guide. We will hop back on the train to Spean Bridge this afternoon and your guide will transfer you the short hop to your accommodation for this evening on the beautiful shores of Loch Lochy. Enjoy dinner at the in their beautiful waterside restaurant.
Overnight: Spean Bridge | Whispering Pine Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Today after a leisurely breakfast we will leave Loch Lochy behind passing rocky hill scenery with pine trees and gorse, heather, and bracken border the road in a medley of bright vegetation. You will head out with your guide on foot to explore this beautiful area surrounding Loch Ness. Rocky hills clamber with pine trees and gorse, heather, and bracken border the road in a medley of bright vegetation. After a day well spent you will be taken to your accommodation for the next two evenings at this family-run hotel. Serving delicious food, many of the ingredients on your plate are sourced from the hotel’s kitchen gardens or foraged from the bountiful natural larder surrounding it.
Overnight: Fort Augustus | The Lovat
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
After a leisurely breakfast, hop in with your guide for a short transfer to Dundreggan Rewilding Centre – a flagship rewilding estate owned by the conservation charity and Wilderness Scotland’s long-time partner, Trees for Life. Joined by an expert and passionate guide, enjoy a walk on the estate, winding your way under ancient oaks through mature, regenerating woodland and across open moorland. Once covered by vast swathes of Caledonian pines, very little of Scotland’s original forests now remain. As you walk, learn about natural forest regeneration, re-introducing native flora and fauna and the rewilding of Scotland’s wild spaces. After lunch we will pick up our E-bikes and head off to explore this beautiful area surrounding mystical Loch Ness.
Overnight: Fort Augutus | The Lovat
This morning after breakfast you will head out with your guide. There are plenty of great options, depending on the weather and energy levels for the day, opt for a route that suits you. Perhaps ascend Meall a Buachaille (Hill of the Shepherd) and soak up the views of the southern hills and the glittering water of Loch Morlich below. Return to your charming guesthouse this evening and relax. If you like, you may wish to walk to the Old Bridge Inn this evening and enjoy a drink in this traditional, ambient pub on the banks of the River Spey.
Overnight: Aviemore | Ravenscraig
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Set out into the whisky hills to a private remote kitchen this morning and spend a fascinating day in the home and kitchen of the charismatic writer, broadcaster and ‘food anthropologist’ Ghillie Basan. Set in an idyllic location you will discover a colourful and well stocked kitchen with inspiring views over the local hills. Ghillie will guide you in cooking a delicious feast (including local ingredients foraged from the surrounding hills) while you share stories and learn about the dishes you are creating.
Overnight: Aviemore | Ravenscraig
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Your guide will help you load up your kit into the van and drop you at Aviemore Train Station where your trip will conclude. From here, you can catch a train back south, enjoying the views of the Monadhliath mountains as you chug along through the quiet landscape.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Friday 19th April – Saturday 11th May 2024
