Welcome to Hooked on Cycling holidays and our cycling holiday in Scotland. This particular cycling holiday in Scotland is a guided cycle tour by bike and boat. By day we shall plan daily cycle rides where you shall return to your floating hotel at night. The great thing about bike and boat trips is that if one day you do not wish to cycle you can decide to stay on ship and enjoy the sailing. Your ship for this trip is the Flying Dutchman, an ocean going vessel, we want to discover with you some of the most beautiful places in this breathtaking country. We have designed 2 tour schedules over a six week period. In the first and last week the tour takes you through the Caledonian Canal connecting the east and west coast of Scotland and onto Oban on the west Coast. The middle tour weeks will tour the Inner Hebrides, Mull and Ardnamurchan.

Tour 1 Not Available in 2012.
Tour 2 available 25th August, 1st  September.
A level 2 guided tour.

Tour 1 - Caledonian Canal and the west coast of Scotland - note on the 25th August this trip starts in Inverness, on the 29th September from Oban.

Day 1 Inverness
Arrival to Inverness where you can board the ship at 5pm. If you arrive earlier there is a possible cycle ride to the Culloden battlefield. We can store your luggage while explore Inverness on your own. In the 11th century, Macbeth reigned in the former castle, and on the nearby battlefield of Culloden, the Jacobites lost their last battle against British government troops in 1746.

Day 2 Inverness to Urquhart castle. 15-20 miles.
On the first three, the Flying Dutchman takes you through the 95-km-long Caledonian Canal, only a third of which consists of artificial waterways. In order to overcome the elevation differences between the various lochs, the ship has to pass 29 locks. Between Inverness and Fort William, you pass through 5 lakes, the river Ness and several artificially created canals.
Today you shall start your cycling down the Great Glen on the eastern shore of Loch Ness one of the most famous Scottish Lochs known worldwide for its monster! Ending at Urquhart castle we shall visit the castle and visitor centre.

Day 3 Urquhart to Fort Augustus 20 miles.
Continuing west down the Great Glen you shall reach Fort Augustus at the far end of Loch Ness. You are in the midst of stunning highland scenes. Fort Augustus is a small town named after the fortress that later became a Benedictine monastery. Also remarkable is the 5-step-lock leading from Loch Ness to the adjoining canal.

Day 4 Fort Augustus to Fort William 20 miles.
Today you cycle further on the canal, Loch Lochy and a side excursion to Loch Arkaig. Boarding the Flying Dutchman we shall navigate Neptunes staircase the ancient lock system which step by step takes you down to the elevation of the west coast. Fort William, located at the foot of Ben Nevis, Great Britain’s highest mountain, is a touristic centre and the starting point for a great number of excursions.

Day 5 Salen 30 miles
Today a couple of options depending on weather conditions. A longer sail to Craignure on the island of Mull and from there short cycling to two castles and Loch Spelve (Alternative idea: Sail to Corran and then cycling to Lochaline (30 miles) From there sail to Salen on the Island of Mull.

Day 6 Salen – Tobermory 35 miles - short cut possible.
Today’s ride is on the Island of Mull. We head to Tobermory probably one of the most famous villages in Scotland, at least for UK kids as a children’s television program has been based on the village. This is a unique coastal village with painted coloured houses sitting on the shore side.

Day 7 sailng to Oban and visit of the distillery (maybe short cycling to Falls of Lora.

Day 8 Departure from Oban
Departure after breakfast where you can return to Edinburgh or Glasgow by train or coach. You could extend your vacation by taking the coach to Callander and joining our self guided cycle tour Lochs Galore or even to Balloch and starting our Rob Roy Way walking tour.

Tour 2 - Island of Mull and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula

Oban is starting and ending point of the tour to the Inner Hebrides. Depending on the wind and weather situation, the Flying Dutchman will take you to the island of Mull and to Ardnamurchan Peninsula, whose landscapes are among the most spectacular in Scotland. The cycle tours on the islands are complemented by trips and sightseeing tours on the mainland. Since the tour to the Hebrides is particularly dependent on wind and tide, the itinerary and the destinations are necessarily flexible.

Day 1 Arrival to Oban
Arrival to Oban on the west coast of Scotland, easily reached by train or coach from Edinburgh or Glasgow. Oban a busy summer port town with ferries taking cargo and tourists to the many islands of the west coast of Scotland. Why not visit the whisky distillery before boarding the ship at 5pm.

Day 2 Island of Mull 22 miles
Today we start sailing to to Graignure on the Island of Mull where we should arrive early afternoon. Then we shall start our first cycle ride to Duart Castle for a visit. We continue along Loch Selve and loch Uisg (opposite of this loch there is a stone circle and the old parish church Killean) to the Moy Castle. We shall then return to the ship.

Day 3 Salen on Island of Mull 42 miles.
Today the beautiful ride on Mull to Salen on tracks and minor roads. A chance today to see a lot of wildlife. if lucky you might see seals swimming in the lochs, red dears drinking from rivers and of course you are likely to have numerous encounters with sheep and cows!

Day 4 Salen to Tobermory 22-42 miles.
Today’s ride is on the Island of Mull. We head to Tobermory probably one of the most famous villages in Scotland, at least for UK kids as a children’s television program has been based on the village. This is a unique coastal village with painted coloured houses sitting on the shore side.

Day 5 Tobermory to Kilchoan / Salen 22 miles
The area is important for supporting one of Europe’s last remaining ancient Atlantic oakwoods,which is home to more than 50 species of plants and animals, including important mosses, liverworts and lichens which thrive in the climate. The way is simple enough just follow the road to Salen it’s pleasant run.

Day 6 Salen (Ardnamurchan) -Lochaline (Peninsula Morvern) 35 miles
Today’s cycle tour is to Lochaline (Morvern), it is an easy going route with a highland atmosphere. Very quiet not spoiled by tourism yet.

Day 7 Oban 8 miles
Today we start our sail back to Oban. Along the way we shall dock and a small ferry will take you to the Island Kerrera for the last cycle tour. Ferry costs 5,- pounds for a return ticket per person. This may be a short route in terms of distance, but it offers enough to make it an interesting tour. The island is traffic free.

Day 8 Departure from Oban
Departure after breakfast where you can return to Edinburgh or Glasgow by train or coach. You could extend your vacation by taking the coach to Callander and joining our self guided cycle tour Lochs Galore or even to Balloch and starting our Rob Roy Way walking tour.

Tariff 2012

How to get there
By air , train , bus to Edinburgh or Glasgow then by train or coach to Inverness of Oban.

Accommodation:
We are happy to introduce the Flying Dutchman of captain Klaas as an open sea two- masted topsail schooner which is now belonging to the fleet of Islandhopping. Due to the considerably security- and navigation technique the Flying Dutchman owns the worldwide permit for sailing tours. Because of the sail size of 480 m2 stages between islands can be managed with rigged sails- of course Captain Klaas welcomes the active help of his guests. The Flying Dutchman was launched in 1903 as a herring lugger. The alteration took place during winter 2004: 10 double cabins and a triple cabin with own shower and toilet were included on board.
The frontal saloon in the deckhouse can be used as a cosy dining area as well as a lounge. The cushioned benches offer enough space for the guests. At the stern one may sit next to the captain and might as well have a try to steer the 39m long ship.

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Walking Holidays in Scotland

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