This three-day journey to Oban, Mull, Staffa, Iona and Loch Lomond is an extension to the Heart of Scotland pilgrimage organised by Carpenter Holidays and Kayleen Asbo and is offered to Heart of Scotland pilgrims who are joining Kayleen and Stephen in Edinburgh and Dunkeld. Our journey will take us from Dunkeld via the breathtaking Loch Tay and Glencoe, to Oban where we spend two nights at the Oban Bay Hotel and make the crossing by ferry to the Isle of Mulll and from there to Iona and Staffa. The small island of Iona has been a vibrant centre of Christian worship ever since St Columba arrived in AD 563. We will visit the Benedictine Abbey founded in the 12th century on the site of Columba's original monastery. Pilgrimage to St Columba’s Shrine continues to thrive, though monastic life on Iona ended with the Protestant Reformation of 1560. It’s thought that the world famous Book of Kells was made here, along with other great works of art. Iona’s Abbey Museum houses Scotland’s finest collection of early medieval carved stones and crosses.
Weather permitting we will take the 30-minute boat trip to the tiny island of Staffa and have the opportunity to see Fingal's Cave which inspired the German composer, Felix Mendelssohn to write his Hebrides Overture following his visit in 1829.
Our two nights in Oban also coincide with the annual "Mòd" which is a mixture of competitions, concerts, ceilidhs and other events. In addition to the more formal element of the festival, there is also a lively Fringe programme. Although Gaelic is at the heart of everything at the Mòd, all events can be enjoyed by non-Gaelic speakers and this is particularly true of the Fringe programme. Details have yet to be published, but we are sure to experience some Gaelic entertainment during our time in Oban.
After Oban, we journey on to Inveraray and Loch Lomond where we stay for our final night at the 5-star Cameron House Hotel on the banks of the Loch which Mendelssohn visited in 1829 and made his sketch (see below right) of the loch and Ben Lomond - a view that has remained unchanged for nearly 200 years.
On our final morning, Friday 18 October, our bus will take us to Edinburgh airport and train station for independent departure home
If you would like to join Kayleen and Stephen on this extension to the Heart of Scotland pilgimage, see details of how "To Book" below.
Itinerary
Tuesday 15 October 2024 – Dunkeld to Oban, via Loch Tay and Glencoe. We depart Dunkeld by minibus at 10.00am and travel west via Aberfeldy, and Loch Tay, to Tyndrum where we stop for lunch under your own arrangements at the Green Welly cafe. From Tyndrum we journey on to Oban via Glencoe, stopping briefly to take photos of the mountains and valley, before travelling on to Oban where we check in to the Oban Bay Hotel for two nights. We will have dinner together either at the hotel or a nearby restaurant and, venture out to one of the many venues to experience some of the cultural offerings of the Oban Mòd.
Wednesday 16 October – Mull, Staffa and Iona. An early rise for a 6.30am walk (20 mins) from the hotel to Oban ferry terminal from where we catch the 7.25am ferry across to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. From Craignure we board the bus which takes us across the island to Fionnphort where we arrive at around 10.30am. Here we have a choice: either (weather permitting) to take the boat from Fionnphort for the 30-minute trip to the Isle of Staffa with its extraordinary Fingal's Cave, which has attracted so many visitors over the years including the novelist Sir Walter Scott, the painter J M W Turner, Queen Victoria and, of course, Felix Mendelssohn. If you prefer not to visit Staffa and Fingal's Cave (or if the weather prevents it), you can take the 10-minute ferry from Fionnphort to Iona to explore the island under the guidance of Kayleen who will take you via the Nunnery to the Abbey. There will be plenty of time to explore the Abbey and have lunch under your own arrangments before taking the bus and ferry back to Oban. Those who visit Staffa will be dropped on Iona at around 12.30pm where you will have time for lunch and to explore the Abbey before the journey back to Oban. In the evening we will have dinner together at the hotel and, again, venture out to experience some Mòd entertainment!
Thursday 17 October – Oban to Loch Lomond. After a leisurely breakfast, we depart Oban at 11.00am for the one-hour journey to Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne. We have lunch together at the Inveraray Inn where Mendelssohn stayed on his own journey in 1829. After lunch we travel via the Bonnie, Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond to the Cameron House Hotel at the south end of the Loch where we check in for one night, with our final dinner together at the hotel.
Friday 18 October Departure. After breakfast at the Cameron House Hotel, we depart at 10.30am for the journey back to Edinburgh, stopping briefly en route to enjoy the special view as we go past Stirling Castle. We will arrive at Edinburgh Airport at 12.30pm and Edinburgh Waverley Train Station at 1.30pm where the holiday will end. Please make your travel plans according to the drop-off times. Or, if you wish to stay on in Edinburgh for a day or two (or to enjoy the luxurious Cameron House Hotel for an additional few nights), please let Stephen know and he can make arrangements for your extended stay.
Programme
Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 October
Events at the Oban Mòd to be announced
Travel Information
Whether you are coming from the UK, the USA or elsewhere, you will need to make your own travel arrangements to Edinburgh. If you are an American citizen, you do not need a visa to travel to the UK as a tourist, provided your stay is less than 6 months.
Should you wish to extend your visit to Scotland by staying later than Friday 18 October, we can arrange for additional nights at the Cameron House Hotel at Loch Lomond, or in Edinburgh. Please note that, if you stay on for addiational nights, you will need to make your own arrangements for the transfer from hotel to airport (or train station) at the end of your stay.
Price per person
Price of Heart of Scotland extension:
Tour price: £1,650 per person based on sharing a double or twin room
Single supplement: £300
Sharing rooms - if you are a single traveller who would be willing to share a twin room with another person, please let us know at the time of booking and we will endeavour to pair you with a roommate. However, we do not guarantee this (particularly for those who book later by which time most "pairings" will have been confirmed), so please be aware of the possibility that you may need to pay the single supplement if no roommate can be found.
Payment schedule:
Payment due in full at the time of booking.
Price includes: accommodation, breakfast daily, three dinners, one lunch, Mòd events to be confirmed, ferry crossings, boat trip to Staffa, visit to Iona Abbey, minibus transportation throughout, all tips for guides and bus driver, the services of Stephen Carpenter and Kayleen Asbo as tour managers.
Excluded is lunch en route from Dunkeld to Oban, and on the island of Iona when you are free to make your own arrangements at the many eateries on the island, drinks with meals. Also excluded is travel insurance which travellers will need to organise themselves.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation costs between 100 days up to 50 days before departure of the trip: 50% of the total invoice
Cancellation costs from 50 days up to the day of departure before departure of the trip: costs of the total invoice
To Book
Booking is through Stephen Carpenter, at Carpenter Holidays.
To book, send an email to stephen [at] carpenterholidays.com. Stephen will then confirm your space by return.
Once your place is confirmed, you can pay for the holiday via the PayPal link below of by bank transfer.
If you have any questions about the “Heart of Scotland” extension, please do not hesitate to contact Stephen by email as above, or by phoning him on +44 (0)20 8946 6821 or +44 (0)7730 817891.