Product Description
Highlights
Discover the flavours of the Highlands with a whisky tasting at one the oldest distilleries in Scotland.. Explore Loch Leven by bike and take in striking panoramas of the water and surrounding munros.. Walk through the history of the highlands in Fort William and Inverlochy, equipped with the insider knowledge of your local host.. Climb the Pap of Glencoe and be rewarded with some of the best views in the Central Highlands.
Overview
Escape to the Highlands on this four-day active Intrepid Retreats experience and fall in love with the wild, brutal beauty of Glencoe. Make yourself at home in a rustic, comfortable inn and make the most of the local produce on offer, whether on a special dinner or on a tasting at one of Scotland’s oldest whisky distilleries. The highlands are a haven for hikers and bikers, so cycle meandering roads past the forested flanks and deep blue waters of lochs, and climb hulking peaks whose shadows fall over the valley. You’ll soon understand why the glen’s beauty has drawn location scouts from throughout Hollywood, eager for a dramatic backdrop for the big screen.
Breakfast Included: 3 Lunches Included: 2 Dinner Included: 1
Loch Leven / Glencoe
Welcome to you Intrepid Retreat in Glencoe, your home for the next few days. Formed by volcanoes and carved by glaciers, Glencoe sits on the shores of Loch Leven, which feeds into Loch Linnie and out into the inner sea. Begin with a welcome meeting at 9 am, where you’ll meet your host and get an overview of the upcoming itinerary. Afterwards, head to a nearby bike shop to get fitted up for your first active adventure – cycling around Loch Leven (approximately 30 kilometres). Take in striking panoramas of the loch and look out at the burial island of Eilean Munde and nearby Eilean na Comhairle, where clans gathered to mediate local conflicts. The road is mostly quiet and you won’t find yourself puffing up long steep hills, but there’s a satisfying downhill stretch on one side. For a fresh snack along the way, on the north side you’ll find a seafood cafe stocked with produce straight from the local waters. If there’s time, drop into world’s largest indoor ice-climbing wall and see those practicing climbing with a pick. This evening, make the most of the warm atmosphere of a homely place to kick off your boots after an active day.
Fort William / Glencoe
Enjoy some free time this morning after breakfast. Relax or soak up the views on a walk around the village. Then head north up the side of Loch Linnie to Fort William. Take a look at the town’s namesake old fort and hear its history as part of the 17th-century Glencoe Massacre as you walk to the Old Inverlochy Castle. The fortress, on the banks of the river that feeds the loch, is on the site of possibly the oldest castle in Scotland. From here it’s not far to a whisky distillery that’s one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland. Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the Isles, looms in the distance. Get an inside insight into what makes this region the home of some of the best whisky in the world with a tour and tasting led by a local expert. See if you can taste the notes of peat smoke, honey and heather from the moors. Let the fresh highland air revive you as you complete your circular walk back though Inverlochy, a village purpose built to house the workers of the nearby Lochaber aluminium smelter. Enjoy a free evening to enjoy highland hospitality and be sure to try some great local produce for dinner.
Sgorr na Ciche / Glencoe
Make sure you fill up with breakfast in the morning as today has a heady hike in store. Pull on your walking boots and head to the start of a trail that might not reach the physical heights of its neighbours, but definitely offers apex views. The Pap of Glencoe – in Scots Gaelic Sgorr na Ciche, the peak of the breast – presides over the village and despite its modest height there’s still a wild walk and a fair amount of up to traverse. But you’ll be rewarded with some of the best views in the Central Highlands. This is truly spectacular scenery that demands to be savoured. Light plays across the rippled valley flanks and silvery water as Loch Leven stretches out below, towards the undulating Mamores range and the long ridges of Beinn a’Bheithir running westward. Celebrate conquering the Pap today with a special included dinner tonight.
Glencoe
Your Intrepid Retreats experience of the Highlands comes to an end this morning after breakfast. Got a bit more time to spare? Maybe take the ultimate active challenge around this parts and scale Ben Nevis.
