The Hebrides & More - 25th September - 2nd October 2025 - FULL

Coupled with its intricate network of island ferries, Scotland hosts spotlessly clean, deserted beaches with cream coloured sand accompanied by the sound of gulls as they ride the currents.  This fantastic island-hopping holiday travels the full length of the Outer Hebrides, covering the most southerly island of Barra to Lewis in the North.

ITINERARY

Day 1:  After the pick-ups you will travel to the Loch Lomond/Arrachar area (Hotel TBC) for your overnight stay.

Day2:  Embarking on a captivating journey through the mesmerizing landscapes of Glencoe, your adventure unfolds with a northward trajectory, where the grandeur of towering mountains and tranquil valleys sets the stage for a truly immersive experience.  Catch the ferry to Uist from Mallaig arriving at Lochboisdale before travelling north to the Dark Island Hotel for 2 nights. https://www.isleshotelgroup.co.uk/

Day 3:  Today a guide has been arranged for a tour if Isle of Eriskay.  Eriskay is known to many as the site of 'Whisky Galore! '. In 1941, the SS Politician ran aground carrying 28,000 cases of malt whisky. The wreck was looted by the islanders, who hid the whisky all over Eriskay and South Uist – thought to amount to 24,000 bottles! Make the short ferry crossing to the Island of Barra.  Barra is the most southerly of the inhabited islands and long famed for its beauty, boasting beaches, hills, machair and moor all in one small island.

Day 4:  Take the sea crossing to Harris, a rugged and mountainous island with moorlands, deep lochs and of course, glorious beaches.  Admire the beaches of Berneray, Nisabost and Horgabost before continuing along the spine of the island to Lewis with its history dating back 5,000 years.  2 nights at the Caladh Inn, Stornoway. https://www.caladhinn.co.uk/ Day 5:  Your Driver’s day off today so a local coach & driver will take over for today.  Be immersed in the folklore and history of the Isles as your local island guide takes you to see the impressive 5,000-year-old standing stones of Callanish (Scotland’s Stonehenge – but older!), ancient thatched ‘Blackhouses’, typical of crofting settlements, with entry included, and the imposing Carloway Broch, a fortified tower dating back over 2,000 years.

Day 6:  Board the ferry for the 2 ½ hour sailing to Ullapool.  Followed by a scenic drive across the sweep of the Highlands, with time free in the Highland capital Inverness (where ferry timings permit).   Highland Hotel, Strathpeffer - The Highland Hotel by Compass Hospitality | Strathpeffer

Day 7 : Breakfast and check out we make the short journey to Culloden. It stands as a monument and a guide to a pivotal day in history. Discover how a bloody fight that lasted only an hour changed life in the Highlands forever. Many people visit Culloden because they’re interested in the legacy of the Scottish clans, as well as to research their own ancestral past. We have resources to allow you to find out which clan you may have been part of, and where and if they fought during the Battle of Culloden. Our Families of the ’45 book is a unique collection of names from the Jacobite Rising and often holds surprises for visitors when they discover which side they fought on.

 After our visit to Culloden we travel down through the highlands to Scone. Here you can Immerse yourself in Scotland's history as you experience the crowning Place of Scottlsh Kings and stand on the Moot Hill, where King's of Scots were crowned on the famous Stone of Scone. Explore the palace's magnificent and extensive grounds which feature the Vlctorian Pinetum, Plant Hunters pavilion, Kitchen Garden, Murray Star Maze and Walled Garden development. Visitors can also see inside the staterooms and the place where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert dined during their visit in 1842.  When you're finished exploring enjoy a bite to eat from the cafe or have a look around the shops filled with Scottish treats..

You will overnight at the Angus Hotel, Blairgowrie - Welcome | 3 Star Hotel in Blairgowrie, Perthshire | The Angus Hotel

Price per person (Based on 2 Adults sharing Twin/Double Room):   Member Plus Adult - £1109 Member Adult - £1129                     Non Member Adult - £1149                 Single Supplement - £205

Price Includes:

• Executive Coach & Professional Tour Driver throughout the tour as per itinerary
• 7 Nights half board accommodation with Breakfast and 3 Course Dinner
• Ferry Uig-Tarbert
• Full Day Guide on Lewis (with local coach & driver)
• Entry Blackhouses & Museum
• Entry Callanish Standing Stones
• Ferry Stornoway – Ullapool
• Entry & guided tour of Culloden
• Entry to Scone Palace & Gardens

Not Included:

• Single Supplement
• Any items of a personal nature such as meals, drinks, etc
• Guide/Driver Gratuities
• Travel Insurance

For further details and bookings, you can either use the  or contact BoThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please include your Name, Home Address, Contact Telephone Number, Membership Number and the Number Places Required (Member/Non-Member)

 ABBA Chique

Friday, 6^th March 2026 x 2 nights (3 days)

The Old Swan Harrogate - The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, North Yorkshire (classiclodges.co.uk)

The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate combines Victorian splendour with elegant contemporary style and is just a short walk from the town centre.

One of the most famous hotels in Harrogate thanks to its romantic past. Once a popular spa, it was the hideaway haven for crime queen, Agatha Christie, when she famously disappeared here in 1926.

The hotel is packed with stunning period features, including revolving doors and polished wooden floors. In winter, you can cosy up in front of the roaring fire in the lobby. There are elegant reception rooms, including the magnificent Wedgwood restaurant, with its original glass ceiling, or the Swan Lounge & Bar, where you can relax with a drink or a snack overlooking the lawns and views of the town centre.

Executive Coach & Professional Tour Driver Throughout

Day 1 – Late morning departure and travel to Harrogate – making a stop along the way.  After dinner this evening, we enjoy an evening of ‘Sway’ with Jason Allen.

Day 2 – Today is free for you to explore the pretty town of Harrogate.  Enjoy a lovely stroll through beautiful Valley Gardens or explore the delightful Victoria arcades for some retail therapy.  Have a relaxing lunch in one of the many restaurants, cafes and bars – maybe even visit the famous Betty’s Tearooms.  Later, we return to the hotel to get ready for our entertainment evening.  This begins with a pre-dinner drink, followed by our 4-course Gala Dinner and tonight’s extravaganza – the highlight of the weekend – an evening with ABBA Chique.  Established in 2009, Kent-based ABBA tribute band, Chique, have since become one of the most sought-after tributes in the country, regularly performing sell-out shows all over the UK and abroad.  All the glamour & glitz of a real ABBA concert, with stunning costumes, made with attention to detail of ABBA’s original designs, and a powerful stage presence full of energy and fun.  You’ll feel as if you were back in the 1970s!

Day 3 – Depart for home after breakfast.

Cost:

Members with share(s): £300pp

Members without shares:  £319

Non Members:   £329

Singles:  we have 6 rooms available for the same price pp  as above

Deposit:  £25 pp

For further details and bookings, you can either use the   or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please include your Name, Home Address, Contact Telephone Number, Membership Number and the Number Places Required (Member/Non-Member)

Watch Abba Chique on the following link.https://youtu.be/vd8NI2yeqU4?si=Nou88iKOr2m3Iy4b

Capital Weekend 2 - 26th - 29th July 2024 - FULL

Why not join us on this Capital Weekend 2 based at the The Bull Hotel, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.

Friday: Travelling to The Bull Hotel at Gerrards Cross with suitable stops along the way. After you've have checked-in there will be time at leisure before dinner.

Saturday - After breakfast we travel in London for our visits to Buckingham Place and The Houses of Parliament.

Buckingham Palace is recognised around the world as the home of the monarch, the focus of national and royal celebrations, as well as the backdrop to the regular Changing the Guard ceremony.

Buckingham Palaceis one of the world's few remaining working royal palaces. It has been open to visitors during the summer months for more than 20 years. On the self-guided tour of the State Rooms you will discover the highlights listed below. The State Rooms -There are 775 rooms in Buckingham Palace including the 19 State Rooms and 78 bathrooms. The State Rooms are a suite of lavishly decorated public rooms in Buckingham Palace where the monarch receives, rewards and entertains their subjects and visiting dignitaries. Several of these rooms were used for the Royal Wedding reception for the Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Kate). These rooms are awash with sparkling candelabra, marble columns, sumptuous carpets, damask wallpaper, fine furniture, sculpture and works of art.

Buckingham Palace's Grand Staircase is a highlight of the tour. The magnificent bronze staircase was designed by the architect John Nash as part of his commission to remodel the palace for King George IV from 1825 to 1830. The impressive double balustrade features an intricate pattern of acanthus, oak and laurel leaves and represents some of the world's finest bronze casting work. The stairs are lit by an etched glass dome in the ceiling.  Some big names are on show at the palace. You can usually come across paintings by Van Dyck, Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto and Claude as well as sculpture by Canova and Chantrey. The paintings in the State Rooms also include some wonderful portraits of past and present royals including Queen Victoria, George III and Queen Charlotte, William IV and his wife Queen Adelaide, Queen Elizabeth II and, of course, the current Royal Family. 

 The majestic Throne Room is a favourite with visitors. It contains the thrones that are used for investitures and ceremonial receptions such as at the jubilees of Queen Elizabeth II and also has doubled as a ballroom on occasion (on your guided tour, you'll also see the official Ballroom – the palace's largest multi-purpose room). You may recognise the Throne Room as the backdrop for some famous royal wedding photos including Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) and  Phillip in 1947 and the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011.

Your State Room ends at the tranquil Garden Cafe on the West Terrace of Buckingham Palace. The cafe offers a range of light refreshments including tea, coffee, sandwiches and pastries. During the summer opening, the Garden Shop contains a delightful range of gifts and souvenirs exclusively created for the Royal Collection. You'll find homewares, china, clothing, jewellery and children's toys, books and postcards. Most of the products on sale are inspired by works of art in the Royal Collection.

The Houses of Parliament - The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London. Through the video and audio stories on the multimedia device, discover the history, art, and architecture of the building, and what happens today at UK Parliament. You can set your own pace but should allow up to 90 minutes to make the most of your visit which includes the House of Commons Chamber, the House of Lords Chamber, Westminster Hall, and much more. 

Returning late afternoon to The Bull Hotel prior to Dinner.

Sunday: After breakfast we will leave the hotel travelling to Kew Gardens. day at leisure to explore the gardens. There’s an impressive 250 years (and counting) of history in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, but they’re also paving the way for the future with not one, but two national bases for research into botanical studies. While you’re strolling through the Victorian Palm House or seeking out the luscious flora (including the giant, stinking Titan Arum in the Princess of Wales Conservatory), scientists are working away in offices and laboratories behind the scenes. 

 Nowadays the Gardens stands at a huge 300 acres, but they started out a little more humbly in the back yard of what was once the royal palace – favoured most by George III. There’s lots to see here, whether you like green stuff or not. The grand Victorian glasshouses remain a favourite with visitors, one of which (Temperate House) holds the record for the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse. And if you want to explore elsewhere? Why not take a trip to the Treetop Walkway. At 18 metres high, this trek through the leaves offers fab views of the grounds. Once you’ve come back to earth, stroll down to the Chinese Pagoda, which was built in 1762 and towers over the southern end of the Gardens. And if the plants aren’t doing the trick, try seeking out the sculptures, which feature Henry Moore’s ‘Reclining Mother and Child’ in a stunning setting that changes with the light of each season. In fact, the art alone could take up your entire visit – see the Eduardo Paolozzi sculpture ‘A Maximis Ad Minima’ and visit the Marianne North Gallery and the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, all included in the ticket price.

Returning to the hotel late afternoon, prior to dinner at the hotel.

Monday: After breakfast you will check-out of the hotel and make our way homewards with suitable stops before arriving back in Manchester early evening.

Hotel: The Bull Hotel is located in Gerrards Cross, Bucks. Set in landscaped gardens in a conservation area of Buckinghamshire, The Bull retains the cosy spirit of an historic coaching inn, and its 4-star rooms and suites are ideal for today’s traveller. All rooms offer comfortable beds and en-suite bathrooms and many feature modern artworks and views over landscaped gardens. (www.sarova-bullhotel.com)

Price Per person: (Based on twin/double 2 adults sharing) -

• Member Plus (Members with Lottery Shares) - £409
• Members (No Lottery Shares) - £419
• Non-Member - £429
• Single Supplement £93
  

Look What's included: 

• 3 Nights Accommodation including Full English Breakfast and 3-course, choice menu dinner
• Porterage (if required)
• Executive Coach & Professional Tour Driver throughout the tour as per itinerary
• Tour of Buckingham Palace 
• Multi-media tour of the Houses of Parliament
• Admission to Kew Gardens

What's NOT included:

• Meals and Entrance to attraction fees other than those stated in the itinerary
• Driver/Guide Gratuities
• Any Items of a personal nature such as drinks, souvenirs etc

For further details and bookings, you can either use the  or contactThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please include your Name, Home Address, Contact Telephone Number, Membership Number and the Number Places Required (Member/Non-Member)