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Touring Scotland: Leave the car behind

Itinerary CT-3: Edinburgh & Highlands Romantic break by rail from GBP 475 per person for 3nts

This romantic break is designed for when time is short and you would prefer not to drive, but still enjoy the serenity and peace of the highlands, combined with the history and buzz of the capital city. We have selected a stylish, centrally located hotel in Edinburgh, and a unique, award winning small hotel in a Highland village, easily reached by train.

Day One - Edinburgh

Visitors from all over the world are drawn here by the wealth of historic sites, galleries, museums, shops, restaurants and bars – not to mention the spectacular sight of Princes Street and the castle rock. Yet it’s still perfectly possible to avoid the crowds and find quiet cobbled streets, peaceful cafes and, above all, to simply soak up the ambience of this most scenic of cities. We are ideally placed to give you plenty of suggestions, including the more unusual, off-the-beaten-track hidden gems that only a local would know.

Your Edinburgh hotel

Conveniently located in Edinburgh’s fashionable and leafy West End, just four minutes’ walk from Princes Street, your hotel exudes contemporary urban chic, despite being housed in a traditional Victorian town house. This fusion of styles works beautifully however, with classic original features providing the perfect backdrop for collages and abstract works of art by talented Scottish artists – it’s almost like staying in a stylish modern art gallery! The striking design values are carried through to the bedrooms, which are lavishly decorated in warm, bold colours and boast huge inviting beds piled high with cushions and throws in fabulously luxuriant fabrics. One room even features an original Edwardian copper bath – and many offer spectacular views across Edinburgh.

Day Two - into the Highlands

Travel first class by train across the Forth Bridge then into the highlands, past Pitlochry to the edge of the Cairngorm National Park. Your second hotel is but a short stroll from the station.

Your hotel in the Highlands

This delightful family-run "restaurant with rooms" retains the character and many original features of the 19th century watermill from which it was converted. Delicious award-winning fare featuring fresh seasonal produce is served in the fire-lit oak-beamed restaurant, followed by a dram of your favourite malt in one of two cosy lounges. The mill is set in four acres of riverside grounds teeming with red squirrels and wild flowers - the bedrooms overlook either the forest canopy or the mill stream which lulls you off to sleep as it babbles over the rocks below. Rated by the AA as one of the top 200 places to stay in the UK, and by the Good Food Guide as one of the six best places to eat in the Highlands, this is a wonderful base to relax in the heart of the Cairngorms.

Day Three - the Cairngorm National Park

Time to relax and explore, with numerous walking trails from the village, visit the Highland Wildlife Park, or catch another train the short distance to bustling Aviemore, which offers numerous outdoor activities.

Dinner this evening once again in your hotel.

Day Four - Return Home

Return south to Edinburgh by train.

Prices & Dates

This holiday can be arranged starting any Monday to Thursday, from early February to the end of November 2010

The price is £475 per person for February, March & November, £490 per person for April, May, June & July, £510 per person for August and £510 per person for September, based on 2 people sharing a room for 3 nights, with two nights on a dinner, bed & breakfast basis in a king sized double with river view at the second hotel and the first night in Edinburgh on a bed & breakfast basis in superior double room. It also includes first class return travel by rail from Edinburgh to Kingussie.

The McKinlay Kidd Guarantee

All our holiday prices include a service charge of £8 per person per night towards the costs we incur in researching, planning and designing your holiday. We guarantee to refund this service charge if you believe that arranging your holiday through McKinlay Kidd has not met your expectations for value.

All we ask is that you write to us within 7 days of your return and explain your reason for claiming the refund. This will ensure that we can improve the experience for all our future guests.