32 Features Travel journallive.co.

uk Saturday, May 21, 2011 THE JOURNAL

From and gardens are open to

READER TRAVEL the public for day
31 visitors.
It boasts a
magnificent landscape, with the
6 DAYS 145,000-acre estate offering scenes of
FROM
rolling farmland and wild, open
£369 hills. The wildlife and atmosphere of
this true wilderness can be enjoyed
in many different ways, and there
are a range of activities available,
including pony travelling, land rover
safaris, country sports, ranger
activities, walking and cycling.
We, though, were there for the
Summer in Paris pure chill-out aspect, and our base at
Tilt Lodge was the perfect setting for
The Glorious City of Light dong just that.
Departs July & August 2011 There are five woodland lodges,
There’s no place in the world quite like Paris – nowhere
each named after the rivers on the
quite so exciting, glamorous or beautiful, especially in estate – Errochty (sleeps four),
the height of summer. Tummel (sleeps six), Garry (sleeps
The price includes: six), Fender (sleeps four) and ours,
● Return flights to Paris from Newcastle Tilt (sleeps four).
● Return airport to hotel transfers They provide the ideal base and
● Five nights’ bed and continental breakfast
accommodation at the Espace Champerret Hotel are beautifully light, with a
(upgrade hotels are available for a supplement) contemporary feel, but in an
● Guided City Tour & Seine River Cruise informal and natural way. GRAND LOCATION Gordon Barr at Blair Castle, a place steeped in history
● The services of a Tour Manager Single supplement applies
Each lodge has an en suite master
Deposit £50.00 pp plus insurance from £25.00 pp made payable to
Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd. ABTA V7812. ATOL protected 2325. bedroom and a separate bathroom.
The kitchen is fully fitted with a full
set of modern electrical equipment
6 DAYS to make your stay as convenient as
FROM
possible.
£459 Adjacent to the kitchen is an
open-plan dinning area and adjacent
to that is the living room with
comfortable seating.
Plus, there is the added bonus of a
large terrace patio with furniture to
relax and enjoy meals al fresco.
Each lodge has been designed and
Seville, Granada & located to provide guests with
privacy and good views into the
Classic Spain woods and further to the
Departs Sept to Nov 2011 surrounding hills.
The price includes: It was those woods we decided to FACTFILE
● Return flights to Málaga direct from Newcastle
venture into during our stay.
● Return airport to hotel transfers There are a number of walks you Gordon stayed at Tilt
● One suitcase allowance per person can choose from and most are more Lodge on Atholl PRIVATE One of the secluded woodland lodges at Blair Atholl
● Five nights’ B&B at the three-star Las Villas de
Antikaria, Antequera (the four-star Antequera Golf
than accessible. Estates.
hotel is available for a supplement) We spent a whole morning on A two-bedroomed
● Full day excursion to Seville one, marvelling at the scenery and 175 pairs of antlers, the superb China ponds. In summer, the glory of this
● Full day excursion to Granada with entrance to the short break from
Alhambra Palace
wildlife: birds of prey, squirrels, Room featuring more than 1700 garden is the wide herbaceous bed
frogs – all in a morning’s walk at
Friday to Monday, until individual pieces and a magnificent that runs the length of the south-
● A Tour Manager in resort Single supplement applies
Atholl Estates. July 1, is £315. In the display of armoury in the entrance facing wall and is divided by
Deposit £50.00 pp plus insurance from £25.00 pp made payable to
Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd. ABTA V7812. ATOL protected 2325. Just five minutes walk from the height of the summer, hall, which includes a targe (shield) buttresses of yew.
lodge itself is the magnificent Blair you can only book used at the Battle of Culloden. When we visited, swans were busy
8 DAYS
Castle. weekly breaks there. Blair Castle has played host to a building nests while, in the nearby
FROM Here you can explore seven Blair Castle string of illustrious visitors, Diana’s Grove, we enjoyed gazing at
£289 centuries of history through the Woodland Lodges can including Bonnie Prince Charlie, the huge conifers – the grove boasts
fascinating historic interior of the be booked online or by Queen Victoria and Crown Prince the UK’s second tallest tree!
castle. phone on 01796 Hirohito of Japan. Be sure to try the sculpture trail
As a draughty medieval castle, a But it’s not just the castle itself too, which incorporates existing
481263.
stately Georgian mansion, or a that is worth a visit, its gardens are contemporary and 18th Century
comfortable Victorian family home,
Contact: Atholl too, especially the Hercules Garden. sculpture as well as eight new works.
Blair Castle has been a magnet to Estates Office, Blair The grounds at the castle were The sculptures have been
visitors down the generations. Atholl, Perthshire laid out by the 2nd Duke of Atholl in strategically placed in the castle’s
Malta An extensive tour takes in up to 30
rooms full of treasures and alive
PH18 5TH.
Email: enquiries@
the 18th Century. In the hollow east
of the castle, he made a magnificent
gardens and grounds at St Bride's
Kirk, on Hercules Walk, and inside
FLYING DIRECT FROM NEWCASTLE with stories and personalities of atholl-estates.co.uk nine-acre walled garden. A statue of the Hercules Garden.
Departs Nov 2011 to Mar 2012 their former occupants. Web: Hercules is placed above the garden Away from the castle and lodge,
Highlights of the visit include the www.atholl-estates. with a spectacular view across its you can drive through other parts of
Visit this sunny Mediterranean island, full of character
and charm, and enjoy an especially warm welcome.
Victorian ballroom, bedecked with co.uk sloping ground and interlocking this beautiful area which are steeped
The price includes: in history.
● Return flights to Malta from Newcastle
Killiecrankie is just a few miles
● Airport to hotel transfers
● Seven nights' bed & breakfast accommodation at the
READER TRAVEL: HOLIDAY OF THE WEEK away and its pass was the scene of
one of Scotland’s most gory battles,
three-star New Tower Palace Hotel, Sliema (3* and 4*
up-grade hotels available at a supplement) Classic Scottish Steam wonderful Ben Nevis, many and breakfast at the Winnock while a few miles further on, is
● Half-day guided tour of island capital Valletta Break – departs July 7 and fresh water lochs and to the Hotel, Drymen, or similar Queen’s View – a stunning viewpoint
● Full-day guided island tour which is a must-see on any visit to
● The services of a friendly, professional tour manager 24, 2011. Four days from deepest seawater loch in O Coaching throughout
this region.
Single supplement applies £425pp Europe (Loch Nevis). O Journeys on PS Waverley,
The next big event at Blair Atholl,
Deposit £50.00 pp plus insurance from £25.00 pp made payable to Steam locomotion is as Journeys on the sea going SS Walter Scott, The Fort on May 29, is the annual Gathering
Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd. ABTA V7812. ATOL protected 2325.
popular now as it has ever paddle steamer the PS William/Mallaig Line and Highland Games.
To request a brochure or to book call: been so why not combine a Waverley and the SS Walter O A visit to the Falkirk These will open with a “March On”
0191 201 6000
To book by credit card please call:
steam rail journey with some
fantastic Scottish scenery, to
Scott (one of the last
surviving screw steamers)
Wheel – the world's first
rotating boatlift.
by the Atholl Highlanders, while the
competition begins with the
give an unforgettable will help you enjoy the Argyll O Tour representative heavyweights competing in
0844 391 2155
Quoting advert code NEC
Scottish rail adventure. hills, Kyle's of Bute and For your complimentary traditional games such as tossing the
The Jacobite Steam Train – the calm waters of Loch colour Classic Scottish caber, throwing the hammer and C
Lines open Mon-Fri: 9am-7pm, Sat: 10am-4pm & Sun: 10am-2pm. Answering machine at all other times.
Fort William to Mallaig – is Katrine. Steam brochure, telephone putting the shot. M
Book online at: To be honest, though, if it’s peace
one of the longest steam Price includes: The Journal reader travel Y
www.newmarket.travel/nec and tranquility you prefer, then the
hauled rail journeys available O Return coach travel from team on 0191 201 6000 or woodland lodges are for you.
K
or for online brochure requests:
www.newmarketbrochures.co.uk/nec in Britain today, taking you Newcastle, Darlington and call into our offices in Groat We had the perfect chill-out here –
Booking line
84 miles through fabulous Berwick Market, Newcastle, a place to recharge your batteries and
calls charged at scenery, passing the O Three nights dinner, bed NE1 1ED. simply enjoy.
4p per min