Scotland Scotch on the Rocks with Acklams Holidays - May 2025

[Eleanor]

That was the title for the holiday although our Scottish driver was scathing about it as Scotch refers to the drink and, unless we bought a dram in the hotel at night, whisky didn’t feature in the tour...

Whisky or no whisky it was an excellent holiday covering the area around Fort William with day trips to Mull and Skye. We were lucky with wall to wall sunshine and temperatures in the 20˚s.

The driver can make or break a coach trip and Mike must rank as one of the best drivers I’ve had. He quickly got to know everyone’s name and made a point of talking to each of us every day. He soon learnt all our foibles and wasn’t fazed by anything. Nothing was too much trouble. His texts reminding us of pick up times and places were appreciated. He also had a wealth of knowledge about Scotland which he shared with us including his taped descriptions and stories about the places we saw or visited.

It was an intensive holiday involving a lot of travel and action packed days.

Acklams is based in Beverley and picks up across the Yorkshire and Humberside Region. The brochure and website are easy to understand and use. The office staff are excellent and able to answer even quite obscure questions about a holiday. Prices are clear and there are no unexpected hidden extras.

On their more expensive holidays they include a free home pick up. Once I have locked the door, I am their responsibility. There’s no problem of being either being picked up or dropped off at Scunthorpe Bus Station at funny hours.

They use Drax Golf Club as their main feeder point and there is a free bacon bap and drink when we arrive.

Day 1 - to Onich
This was an early start for me with a 7.40 pick up and transfer to Drax. We then made another short stop at Wetherby Services on the A1 to pick up people from North Yorkshire. It was then up the A1 to Scotch Corner and along the A66 to pick up the M6 and M74 to Scotland.

We had a brief lunch stop at Moffat Woollen Mill. This has a good cafe and toilets with a large mill shop attached, which is part of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill group. It is the place to come for cheap shortbread... . It was a lovely day, so I went to eat my packed lunch in Station Park.

Back on the coach, we headed up past Stirling with glimpses of its castle and then through Callander. Described as the Gateway to the Highlands, the scenery became a lot more mountainous from now on.

We had a brief stop at the Green Wellie Shop in Tyndrum. This is privately owned and the gift shop is very different (as well as a lot more expensive).

From there, the road heads north touching the edges of Rannoch Moor. This is one of the most isolated and bleakest parts of Britain with mountains and lochs. When the sun shines, it can feel magical.

We then began to drop down Glencoe with a photo stop for the Three Sisters of Glencoe.

This is a sad story, nearly as sad as the story of the Glencoe Massacre. Three Sisters, named Beinn Fhada, Gearr Aonach, and Aonach Dubh, fell in love with three brothers from the rival Clan MacDonald. The brothers were ambushed and killed, and the grieving sisters transformed into the three distinct mountain peaks, perpetually watching over the glen as a lasting tribute to their lost loves.

From Glencoe it was a short drive along the shore of Loch Linnhe to the Onich Hotel. This is a long low building along side the A82.

I was lucky and had a room overlooking the loch. It was a wonderful view which changed with the light and time of day.

It was a comfortable room although a bit spartan with no pictures, cushions on the bed etc. The shortbread biscuits on the hospitality tray were a bonus. The bathroom had recently been updated with a large walk in shower.

Breakfasts were good although there was a restricted range of cereals and the only fruit was apples or satsumas. The fried breakfast was plentiful and included haggis and black pudding.

The starters at the evening meals were very generous and could have served as a main course. The fish was probably a better choice than the meat. (The gammon was tough and very salty and the mild chicken curry was very hot...) Deserts were good.

cont...

 

[Eleanor]

Day 2 - Mull for Duart Castle and Tobermory.

It was an early start - 6.45 - so we were all given a packed breakfast. We were to catch the 8.30 ferry from Oban to Craignure. There have been issues this year with Calmac Ferries and unreliability, resulting in vessels being deployed across the different routes. Only certain ferries were large enough to take coaches.

Not only is Oban a popular holiday resort, it is also Scotland’s busiest ferry port with services to Mull, Western Isles and many of the smaller islands. It is also now a popular destination point for cruise ships and there was a large cruise ship anchored in the bay as well as the smaller and more exclusive Hebridean Princess berthed up.

The SS Waverley, the world’s last sea going paddle steamer was also berthed in the harbour.

The ferry to Criagnure on Mull takes about an hour and is a lovely run out past the ruins of Dunollie Castle and a wooded headland overlooking the bay.

Lismore with its lighthouse and the mountains of Sunnart can be seen on the right.

On the left is the tiny Lady’s Rock with its lighthouse and Mull beyond.

There are superb views of Duart castle and a glimpse of the C19th Torosay Castle among the trees across the bay.

Craignure is a long linear village centred round the pier. The tourist information centre is here as well as a hotel and pub. Shops include a small Spar Shop with post office, cafe, chocolate shop and charity shop.

It was a short drive to Duart Castle. Their access road is narrow and winding, not the place to meet another vehicle...

We had two hours at Duart Castle which included a short introduction to the castle and then to explore the keep. This is the only part open to the public as the Macleans still live in the rest of the castle.

The castle was rebuilt from a ruin in the early C20th. The kitchen on the ground floor was used as the family kitchen until the 1980s.

Their dining room was on the floor above, so even with the dumb waiter lift, food must have been getting cold by the time it was served. This is a splendid room with wooden ceiling, family portraits, a grand piano as well as the dining table. It has a billiard room off, formed in the thickness of the walls. There are displays of family silver, and medals as well as dirks and pistols.

On the floor above is the state bedroom with four poster bed, and dressing room and (basic) bathroom.

Spiral stairs lead up to the roof with views across Mull and the bay. The room beneath the attic is now an exhibition area with information about the history of the clan, the rebuilding of the castle along with some family uniforms.

By the time I’d finished, I had time to walk round the outside of the castle and follow the footpath round the Millennium woodland before heading to the cafe.

A drink and scone was included in our entry price. Rather than the scone I opted for the gorse shortbread which was delicious with a slight flour of gorse flowers. The rest of the cakes looked equally as good.

From Duart Castle, it was a lovely drive back along the main road through Criagnure to Tobermory. It is a slow run as for long stretches the road is a single track with passing places. There were lovely views across to the mainland.

We had nearly three hours in Tobermory which is the largest settlement on Mull, with brightly coloured houses arranged around the bay. This is the ferry point for Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula and is also popular with cruise ships. There were two in the bay which explains why Duart castle was so busy.

Having visited Tobermory Distillery on my last visit to Mull, I walked along the sea front enjoying the views before climbing up the hill behind the main street to visit An Tobar with its small art gallery shop and cafe and the adjacent Parish Church.

The top of the town feels very different. It retains the original grid street plan of the C18th fishing settlement with streets lined with small whitewashed house.

Above the town is the old cemetery with the remains of a medieval chapel, which can still be seen as bumps in the ground.

We caught the 17.05 ferry back to Oban and eventually got back to the hotel about 7pm. It had a been a long but very enjoyable day.

cont...

 

[Eleanor]

Day 3 - Fort William area

Today was a much easier day, spending the day in and around Fort William, visiting Neptunes Staircase, the Commando Monument and a trip on the Ben Nevis Gondola.

We left the hotel at 9.30 after a leisurely breakfast. The first stop was Fort William, just a short drive along the shores of Loch Linnhe.

Not only is Fort William the largest town in the area and a main service centre for locals with supermarkets and shops, it is also popular with cruise ships and famous for outdoor pursuits. Money brought into the town by visitors has led to a regeneration of the Main Street which now has few empty shops, a good range of tourist shops selling tartan and cashmere as well as many outdoor shops. Fort William is thriving.

My first stop was to find the remains of the Old Fort built in the C18th to control the Highlands and any potential Jacobite uprisings. When the railway arrived in 1894, the line ran through the centre of the fort. Most of the buildings were demolished for building stone. The Governor’s House survived until 1948 and part of the panelling is now displayed in the West Highland Museum in the town centre. Most of the remaining walls were removed in 1975 to make way for a new road along the shore and for a new railway station.

Now all that remains is part of the wall flanking the shores of Loch Linnhe and the River Nevis. The fort can be seen from the road, but it is a bit of a case of ‘blink and you will miss it’. This is a shame as it was the start of Fort William and an integral part of its history.

All that is left is a central grassed area with picnic tables and information panels . You have to walk round the outside of the site to appreciate the remains of the walls.

I then walked to find the arched gateway to the Old Fort which was removed and reassembled at the nearby Craig’s Cemetery.

I just had time for a quick visit to The West Highland Museum, mainly to visit the Governor’s Room with the remains of the panelling. The large table is known as a birching table, complete with a birch. The last birching was carried out in 1948. The person was laid face down on the table with arms placed through the holes. Wrists were tied beneath the table and legs strapped to prevent any movement.

A display cupboard in the corner of the room had stone cannon balls as well the key to the governors house. There were examples of flintlock pistols, a joug (iron collar which could be locked around the neck of a law breaker) and beggars badges.

There was a lot of information about the history of the fort. As well as artefacts covering the history of the area (Rob Roy’s sporran, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s waistcoat), there is also a natural history room with stuffed birds and bird’s eggs.

Leaving Fort William, or next stop was Banavie for Neptune's Staircase. This is a flight of eight locks on the Caledonian Canal which raise (or lower ) the level by 62ft over a distance of 500yards. The staircase was built by Thomas Telford between 1803 and 1822, as is the longest staircase lock in Britain. It can be glimpsed briefly from the road.

We parked in the large car park just off the main road. This leads to the towpath and stairs on either side of the canal. The top lock gate functions as the lower gate for the next lock. I just had time to walk to the top of the staircase to where the canal now follows the river up the valley to Loch Lochy.

Disappointingly, you don’t get the full impression of the flight of lochs either from the top or bottom. They really do need to be seen from the air!

We then took the narrow and winding B8004 up the valley through the trees to the Commando Monument above Spean Bridge. Standing on the bare hillside with 360˚ views across Lochaber. On a clear day it is a wonderful view point with views of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor as well as along the Great Glen and down towards Gairlochy.

Nearby, set among trees, is the Garden of Remembrance, surrounded by a low stone wall used for private memorials for Commandos serving in World War Two but also of those killed in the Falklands War, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The car park is always busy and today was no exception. Most people don’t stop for long.

The final stop of the day was the Nevis Range Mountain Gondola, signposted up a narrow road from the A82, which climbs up through the trees to the base station. The ticket office is here as well as a cafe, outdoor wear shop and the very well used toilets.

The gondolas can carry up to six people (which is a bit cramped) and the queue does move quickly. You need to be nippy climbing into the cars as they hardly stop. The ride takes about 15 minutes to the Top Station, 550m above. The gondolas can swing a bit in the wind and also slow down or even stop for a few minutes if people are slow getting in or out of the cars. It climbs up through the trees onto the open mountain side, with views back down the mountain. The perspex windows are slightly tinted and scratched making it difficult to take photographs during the ride.

There is a cafe at the top station along with a large viewing area. The views down to Fort William and Loch Linnhe, or up the Great Glen to Loch Lochy are stunning.

There are signed walks from the top station to view points. Unfortunately we only had about an hour at the top as the last gondola down was advertised as 4pm.

It had been another full and busy day with the added bonus of wall to wall sunshine!

cont...

 

[Eleanor]

DAY 4 - West Highland Railway to Skye

It was another early start, leaving the hotel at 7.30, although we did have breakfast this morning. We drove to Fort William to catch the 8.15 train to Mallaig. This was the first train of the day and had the benefit of not being busy. We could spread out with a window set each. I chose a seat on the left hand side of the coach facing the front as I knew this would give the best views of the coast and also Glenfinnan viaduct.

It is a lovely run. From Fort William, the train follows the shore of Loch Eil before climbing to the iconic Glenfinnan viaduct and views down to Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument.

From here, the line continues to climb up through the mountains along the shore of Loch Eilt, which was used in several Harry Potter films, through an isolated area with little settlement. The lines then begins to drop with coastal views, isolated beaches and views across to Skye and the Small Isles.

Mallaig is a small village at the end of the line and we had about an hour here before rejoining the coach for the short ferry crossing to Armadale on Skye. It was a very calm crossing with wonderful views across to the small isles and especially Eigg and also Skye.

Approaching Armadale, the ruined Armadale castle can be glimpsed among the trees. 
Armadale is a tiny settlement with not much more than a pier.

Back on the coach, we drove to Broadford to the Dunollie Hotel where a soup and sandwich lunch was provided. We just had time to walk down to the small harbour and Market Square with a co-op and tourist style shops.

After lunch we drove along the coast with views across to the tiny privately owned island of Pabay and also Scalpay.

The towering mass of the Black and Red Cuillins were ahead of us. We stopped at Sligachan for 30 minutes with its old road bridge and views down the river to the sea.

We then drove back to the mainland, crossing the Skye Bridge.

We drove past Eilean Donan castle, with its very bust car park nd then up Glen Shiel beneath the Five Sisters. We had a brief coffee stop at the Pitstop at Kintail, at the head of Loch Duich. This is one of the few places between Kyle of Lochalsh and Fort William. This came highly recommended for its scones by the driver. They more than lived up to their reputation and there was also an interesting range of cakes too.

The road dropped down along the bankss of Loch Clunie reservoir. In the middle of May after a very hot and dry two months it waas already beginning to look low.

It was then back through Invergary and Loch Lochy to Fort William and back to the hotel.

cont...

 

[Eleanor]

Day 5 - Back Home via Callander

It was another early departure for the long drive back to Drax interchange. The sun shone as we drove up Glencoe and Rannoch Moor with our first stop at Callander. Described as the Gateway to the Highlands, by now we were beginning to lose the mountains and the scenery was a lot more gentle and green.

Callander is an attractive small town on the banks of the River Teith. It has a good range of cafes and shops and is popular with both locals and tourists. It was used as the setting for the popular TV programme ‘Dr Finlay’s Casebook’ in the 1960s and possibly hasn’t changed much since then.

We had just over an hour here, time for a quick walk around the town and to buy supplies for lunch from the Mhor Bakery.

Our next stop was Caledonia Park, which is the large designer outlet at Gretna Green. As well as the shopping experience it does have quite a few nice places to eat and is preferable to Gretna Green and its ‘Famous Blacksmith’s Shop’... I found a seat and ate my goodies from Mhor’s Bakery.

It was then back over the A66 to pick up the A1 back to Drax. Being the Friday before half term, it was increasingly busy with traffic. There was a drink and biscuits waiting for us at Drax while our luggage was transferred to our feeder coaches and then it was back home!