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Niel Gow's Scotland 2008

Specialty Hike

The Trip

Nothing tells a story of a country like its landscapes and its music. This year Distant Journeys in collaboration with Scottish walking company C-N-DO Scotland and Scottish Life Magazine music columnist Ed Scott Pearlman will be hosting a new cultural walking tour in Scotland. This will be an 8-day walking tour of Scotland’s wild and romantic countryside punctuated by special musical notes and events.

18th century fiddler and composer Niel Gow was probably one of the most sought after Scottish musicians of his day. Playing at balls, weddings and other events, he traveled widely throughout Scotland, almost always walking. Today much of traditional Scottish music and dance is infused with Niel Gow tunes, as well as his sons, and he is still much beloved and celebrated. During this week we will travel Scotland the way Niel Gow traveled it, on foot. We’ll experience the music scene that reflects his influence and meet some Scotland’s finest musicians.

Beginning in Inverness, the crossroad of the Highlands, we will make our way south through the Strathspey area, stopping to walk in the mountains of Cairngorms National Park, Britain’s largest national park. We then head to the village of Dunkeld in Perthshire. Know as "Big Tree Country", this area of soft landscapes and stately old tree was home to Niel Gow. After taking in some of the local music scene, we will journey to Loch Ossian in the southern Highlands for a taste of Scottish wilderness. This dark lake surrounded by endless hills and open moorlands should provide a uniquely remote setting for walks followed by a music session or two. Finally we make our way to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park with its deep lochs, rugged hills and dark forests. Home to the legendary 17th century outlaw, Rob Roy, the unspoiled beauty of this area has been inspiring imaginations for centuries.

To this trip of scenic variety, Ed and our Scottish guide will bring their knowledge of the Scotland’s colorful history and vibrant music tradition. This trip is about what is timeless, enduring, and unfailingly inspiring; our natural world and music. Come experience Niel Gow’s Scotland!

This walk is timed to begin on the same day that Blazin-in-Beauly Fiddle School near Inverness, ends.

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Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Scotland, pick up at Glasgow Airport. After meeting as a group we head north to the Inverness area, where we will spend the night. Following our Welcome Dinner we will attend a rousing ceilidh of music and dance that is the culmination of the Blazin-in-Beauly Fiddle School. This high energy musical event, with performances by some of Scotland’s best fiddlers, should provide the perfect send for our journeys through Niel Gow’s Scotland.

Day 2: Today we will walk in the Loch Morlich area of Strathspey, now part of the Cairngorms National Park. This is Britain largest national park, encompassing the most extensive mountainous area in the UK, the Cairngorms Massif and with it one quarter of the native woodlands in Scotland as well as 25% of all the threaten wildlife in the UK. Following our walk we head to the unspoiled village Dunkeld, our base for the next two nights.

Day 3: Today we take time to explore the area in and around Dunkeld, home of renowned 18th century fiddler Neil Gow. The countryside surrounding Dunkeld, with it’s enchanting woodlands, charming loch’s and ancient dwellings, is some of the most beautiful in Perthshire. Fiddle evening at Taymouth Hotel, the local music hostelry in Dunkeld.

Day 4: Leaving the greener more colorful cods of Perthshire, we head west to the moorlands and dark waters of Loch Ossian. We will stop for a walk enroute, and then board a train that will take is to within a mile of Loch Ossian. Carrying everything we will need for the next two days, a “torchlight” stroll will bring us to our beautifully secluded Eco-hostel. (The American translation for torch is flashlight.)

Day 5: Moorlands, the dark waters of Loch Ossian and hills leading into the distance blend together to create the wide open, wild landscapes that surround us. Today we walk in the Loch Ossian area looking and listening for the roaring stags. Then it's dinner followed by a music session. This will be a rare opportunity to immerse ourselves in the natural beauty and traditional music of Scotland.

Day 6: Boarding the train again we head south. Descending at Corrour, we hike part of the well know West Highland Way from Bridge of Orchy to Tyndrum. At the end of the day we continue on to our accommodation for the next 2 nights at the Trossachs Tryst near Callander. This is high quality hiker’s hostel on the edge of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, with space for fiddle playing and a ceilidh in the evening. Janet, one of the owners, is a singer and musician and is usually happy to help things go with a swing.

Day 7: We will spend our last day walking in the Trossachs area, part of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, this is a landscape of rugged hills, autumnal woods, lochs and tumbling burns. There are a great variety of walks available in this area allowing some flexibility given the weather.

Day 8: After a leisurely breakfast, there will be a transfer to Stirling. Trains depart Stirling frequently for Glasgow and beyond.

Please Note: All our itineraries are subject to change. Walks will be weather dependent and fiddle sessions and events may be altered or added.

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Additional Information:

Included:

Scottish walking guide/driver, Scottish fiddler, teacher and music columnist, Ed Pearlman , Minibus transport from arrival at airport on 17th to departure on the 24th, Train journeys to and from Corrour, All accommodation, all breakfasts, 6 packed lunches, 5 evening meals, Any group safety equipment required.

Not Included:

Air fare, 2 dinners in Dunkeld, optional/individual or individual excursions, items not on set dinner menus, beverages, insurance, tips to guides, items of personal nature (phone calls, laundry, excess baggage charge, passport fees, etc.).

Luggage:

During this hike trip members luggage will be transported between accommodations, with the exception of Days 4 & 5 when we will be staying at the remote hostel of Loch Ossain. Most days it will be necessary to carry only a daypack containing the things needed for the day (i.e. water lunch, warm sweater, rain gear). For our walk into Loch Ossian in addition to the usual items, trip members will need to carry the clothing and accessories you will need for these two nights, plus any small musical instrument you wish to bring.

Musical Instruments:

Our Niel Gow’s Scotland trip is primarily a cultural walking tour, however there will be a number of opportunities for trip members to participate in musical sessions. Trip members are welcome to bring small easily transportable musical instruments, including fiddles.

Accommodations:

In an effort to keep the costs for our Niel Gow's Scotland walk as moderate as possible, we will be staying in simple but comfortable hiker’s hostels and B&B’s.

Hiker's Hostels: We will spend 2 night at Trossachs Tryst near Callander. Located near Lomond and Trossachs National Park this hostel provides 2 to 4 person bunkrooms with private bathrooms. There is a common dining room as well as meeting room and laundry and drying facilities are also available. 2 nights will be spent at Loch Ossian , a “rustic style Eco Hostel set high on Rannach Moor.” Again there is a common dining area and shared bunkrooms. While there are washing facilities, like the White Mountain Huts of New Hampshire, alas there are no showers. Some of Scotland’s hiker’s hostels have separate bunkrooms for men and women.

Bed and Breakfast: We will spend 3 nights at comfortable B&B’s, 2 nights in Dunkeld and one night near Inverness. Both offer 2 to 3 person rooms with private bathroom facilities.

Travel:

It is easiest to fly to Glasgow, Scotland. However, there are frequent trains from Edinburgh and Manchester, England as well, just be sure to allow for extra travel time.

Meeting point:

Glasgow airport at 11:00 am on Day 1 for a group transfer to Trossachs Tryst.

Ending point:

The trip will end the morning of the last day with a transfer to the Glasgow airport.

Who would enjoy this hike:

This will be our first run of our Niel Gow’s Scotland walk and our first time collaborating with C-N-DO Scotland, a leader in walking and hiking tours in Scotland. Ed Pearlman , well known fiddler and columnist for Scottish Life Magazine, with his knowledge of and insight into the Scottish Fiddle tradition, as well as his personal connections to some of Scotland’s finest musicians, will add a unique dimension to the trip.

First of all this is a walking trip for those who are excited about the opportunity to be part of an inaugural trip, who are flexible, and have a highly developed sense of humor and spirit of adventure. This is also a trip for lovers of Scottish music and culture who like to hike and who would like to experience some of the landscapes that have influenced the Scottish music tradition. And this is a trip for hikers who are interested in learning about Scottish culture throw its music. Walks on any give day will be determined by the weather and the ability and interests of the group. Trip members should anticipate fall-like weather and, as always in Scotland, rain

For More information or to register please call.