Highland Adventure Safari's Familiarisation Trip 4th July 2007

We began our day in the café with hot bacon rolls and coffee to warm us up before we started our first task in true American 4th of July style panning for gold! However, this time for Scottish gold from the river Tay. Apparently this gold is very valuable needless to say I found only fools gold, oh and few gem stones albeit not very valuable but you really do hooked as soon as you start to “Swirl the Pan”

We then broke up into our teams and got into our 4x4 Landrovers to start the Highland Adventure Safari. We were supplied with binoculars and a small wildlife book for reference. We set off up the mountainside and viewed the peak of Schiehallion one of Scotland’s famous and most hiked mountains. Birds of prey were spotted as well as red deer and of course the flora and fauna. We stopped at the hillside bothy for lunch which Highland Adventure Tours had prepared for us which was delicious to say the least, featuring all local produce such as smoked venison, salmon and duck, local cheeses & chutneys with fresh bread all washed down with some red & white wine…..our guides did all the driving so why not!

We continued through the hills in our 4x4 landrovers to an area where a marquee had been erected for a private ceilidh, again another feature that this diverse company can cater for. We were excited to learn that we would be taking part in our very own falconry display and we all managed (those who were brave enough) to hold a HUGE Sea eagle. The birds of prey were displayed and even flew through our arms and only centimetres over our heads – all in all it was quite breathtaking.

We proceeded down the mountain to the village of Kenmore and visited the Kenmore Hotel which is Scotland’s oldest Coaching Inn established on the 03rd November 1572 - a very cosy traditional Inn featuring 30 bedrooms and catering for the touring market. In 1782 Rabbie Burns was so struck by the area that he wrote a poem etched onto the chimney in the Hotel bar in pencil where it still is to this day covered and protected by a glass screen.

To village has an elegant clocktower which also doubles as the gate entrance to the Taymouth Castle built in the 1800s and built as the family seat for the Campbell’s of Glenorchy

The area has many historic sites and was a favourite of Queen Victoria who first toured the area in 1842. She visited the Taymouth Castle as well as Castle Menzies seat of the Menzies clan and returned on several occasions.

Our day ended with an afternoon stop at a Swedish style cabin which had an indoor barbeque. A nice stop for refuelling with more local food and drinks! This cabin is also used for fishing trips which can also be organised by Highland Adventure Tours.

Highland Safaris are a member of mygrouptour, why not add them to your very own Europe Group Tour.  Click here for further information