Scotland railway short break, West Highland Line

Planet

We are continually increasing our range of public transport vacations for those who want to leave the car behind. We grapple with the timetables of trains, boats and buses, and fill-in the gaps with short taxi transfers to make this possible in the more remote, rural areas. Not having a car in tow can transform your experience, especially in the Scottish Highlands – exploring the area around your hotel on foot helps you to properly engage with the environment and experience the place at a more appropriate, slower pace.

This particular vacation provides a wonderful highlight of first class train travel on the West Highland Line, and we can add-on rail travel from anywhere else in the UK, so there is no need for a car at all.

The hotel featured in this vacation is committed to protecting the magnificent environment within which it is situated, actively recycling as much waste as possible. Their green policy includes:

1. Composting all kitchen waste
2. Using leftover bread and vegetables for chickens
3. Recycling glass, cans, paper, cardboard and juice cartons
4. Waste oil is recycled by a local firm
5. Using eco-friendly cleaning products
6. Limiting the use of water and electricity through low-voltage bulbs and short wash cycles

The hotel also has a reedbed which purifies waste water before it is returned to the stream in the garden.

We are corporate members of the John Muir Trust, and in this way support their aims to safeguard iconic wild lands such as Ben Nevis, Sandwood Bay and the Red Cuillin on the Isle of Skye, add weight to their campaigns against inappropriate developments in wild places by standing up for wild land, help fund their work in partnership with local communities in wild land areas, thus contributing to the long-term sustainable development of the Trust and making a real difference to wild places by reinforcing John Muir’s message that we need wild places for nature and people.

People

For us, true sustainability means promoting and helping to maintain a way of life in remote, often rural locations, where the economic benefit from tourism can make a genuine difference. That’s why we work almost exclusively with local, family-run businesses, not with large corporate organisations. We build close and lasting relationships with our business partners, based on mutual trust and an unerring commitment to customer satisfaction. The hotel featured in this vacation fits the bill perfectly - with a strong environmental policy and commitment to serving locally-sourced organic food.

We directly employ a small team of local people in Glasgow. We offer part-time and flexible working. We ensure staff take undertake at least two recce visits in a year so that they have first-hand experience and knowledge of our products throughout Scotland and Ireland. All staff share our values of environmental and sustainable responsibility.

We are members of AITO, the Association of Independent Tour Operators, and adhere to their strict code of conduct.