16

SATURDAY EXTRA

MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2013

Take your seat to Scotland.

Fly from Manchester to:

P Hi gh o lus c lan n on ds to ne an the ct d Isl an ds .

Edinburgh up to 4 ights a day. Glasgow up to 3 ights a day. Aberdeen up to 5 ights a day. Inverness up to 2 ights a day.

Skyes the limit for good times on island

DAVID LAFFERTY is feeling on top of the world after a great stay in Scotlands adventure playground
S I clawed my way up to the rocky summit the clouds beneath me parted to reveal a stunning landscape stretching far across the mountains to the dark expanse of the Irish Sea. I had reached the peak of Sgurr Nan Gillean in the Black Cuillin range on the beautiful Isle of Skye and there was only one thought on my mind how the hell were we going to get down? Reaching the summit of this feared peak had been an adventure. Roped together and wearing helmets we had battled the elements before scrambling up the final, at times vertiginous, ascent to the top at 3,162ft. It was a stunning climb, made possible by our expert guide Gillian who had cajoled and coaxed us to the top amidst the howling wind and driving rain.

I didnt fancy going down the way we had climbed and, as the three of us sat on the tiny summit, the other way didnt look too appealing either to be honest. But we set off, still roped together, and crawled along a knife edge ridge before dropping down to a narrow ledge. It was at this point that Gillian informed us that wed have to abseil down 40 metres. After quickly recovering from shock, I informed Gillian that Id never abseiled before in my life. She didnt seem unduly worried and armed with her confidence, if not my own, I made my first ever abseil at 2,800ft in strong winds and loved almost every second of it. Granted I would have been happier to have broken my abseiling duck in Macclesfield Leisure Centre with mattresses beneath me but it wouldnt make for such a

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David Laerty ew to Inverness with Flybe ybe.com. Car hire courtesy of Arnold Clark arnoldclark rental.com. He stayed at the Duisdale House Hotel and Bosville Hotel. Duisdale Hotel rates from 225 for two people for two nights B&B in a Cosy Double Room plus a glass of Champagne on arrival. Special Dinner available for 35 per person with this package.

Upgrade options for other rooms available. Available now through to the end of March. A standard double rooms at the Bosville Hotel costs 70 per room per night including a full Scottish breakfast in January. For more details on room rates and availability visit duisdale.com and bosville hotel.co.uk. For more information on SkyeGuides visit skyeguides.co.uk.

Fares are one way including taxes and charges, only available online, subject to availability. Available for travel on or before 09.09.14. No debit card fees apply. Bookings made by credit card will incur a fee of 3% of the total transaction value, with a minimum charge of 5.00 per booking. Headline fare doesnt apply to all routes. Advance purchase may be required.

It was a stunning climb,

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2013

MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

SATURDAY EXTRA

17

TRAVEL

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The Duisdale House Hotel has been named the best small hotel in the UK and the top hotel in Scotland

good story in the pub afterwards would it? Safely down the cliff and basking in the glory of our adventure, we set off for the final 90-minute yomp back to the car and, more importantly, the pub. The views before us were astonishing, vibrant colours leaping out of every rocky corner with different weather systems merging to create a Tolkein-esque landscape with gentle mist appearing then quickly vanishing with regularity. Soon enough we made it to the haven of the bar at the Sligachan Hotel. Now Scotland is very hit and miss if youre a real ale lover and I feared the worst, but a pint of the Cuillin Brewerys Black Face Ale capped a fantastic day with views you could literally die for. After a toast to the highlyskilled and patient guide Gillian, from Skye Guides, we set off back to our hotel. Skye is an adventure playground with a myriad

of activities to keep even the most restless of travellers amused but its nice to retire back to a bit of luxury after such exposure to the elements and the Isles range of accommodation doesnt disappoint in this regard. We stayed for two nights at The Duisdale House Hotel which looks out over the Sound of Sleat to the remote mainland expanse of Knoydart. Its a fantastic location and the Duisdale has recently hit the headlines, following up its recent UKs Best Small Hotel award by landing the prize of the

top hotel in Scotland at the Scottish Thistle Awards. And on the evidence of our stay itd be hard to argue with the judges. The Duisdale makes a conscious effort to be bright and modern so no antlers on the walls or yards of tartan at every turn. It has just 18 bedrooms so service is impeccable, as is the food. We enjoyed the sevencourse menu on both evenings of our stay and it was a treat to savour, especially after a day on the hill. During the summer you can go out with the fabu-

lously friendly owners on the yacht if you wish, a treat not to be missed. And dont forget to sample their fantastic range of bottled ales and single malts what trip to Scotland would be complete without this? Skye is a stunning, fairly compact island with views at every turn and most people will at some point head for its capital Portree. This can be a great base for adventures in the north of the island as well as the start of some boat trips plus some good restaurants and lively bars full of character and characters. We stayed at the four-star Bosville Hotel right next to the harbour. The views are fantastic and the rooms large and modern. The real highlight of this hotel was the bar which was buzzing with atmosphere at night and the breakfast in the morning more than
The Black Cuillin range on the Isle of Skye

compensated for the extra dram or two wed enjoyed the night before. And if you do enjoy a dram or two youll want to visit Skyes only distillery, Talisker, famed amongst whisky drinkers as one of the best of the island malts. Seeing its location by the sea explains why you get a hint of sea spray from its wonderful 10-yearold single malt. Skye is accessible by car from Manchester over a long drive but the best way to get there is to hop on a plane to Inverness and pick up a car. We travelled with the excellent Flybe in just one-hour before picking up a car from Arnold Clark rentals near to the airport. After that it was a threehour drive through some of the most beautiful scenery the mainland has to offer before crossing the Isle of Skye Bridge to being the real adventure. VisitScotland christened 2013 as the Year of Natural Scotland and on this visit it was easy to see why.

Go to Thomascook. com, call 0844 412 5970 or visit the nearest Thomas Cook or Cooperative Travel. Prices based on two adults sharing unless stated otherwise, correct at time of issue and subject to change, inclusive of ights, accommodation. Prices exclude transfers, available from 17 per person, and other extras such as in-ight meals, Choose Your Seat and 5kg additional luggage allowance.

made possible by our expert guide Gillian who had cajoled and coaxed us to the top