A ‘COMPASS TOURS’ DAY EXCURSION
BY SPECIAL TRAIN
BY SPECIAL TRAIN
BRIEF ROUTE COMMENTARY: - After picking our passengers the train journey starts on the scenic West Coast route via Cumbria and climbing over Shap Fell heads up through Carlisle and Lockerbie, where take the climb over Beattock summit. At Carstairs we continue north through South Lanarkshire. On arrival at Motherwell, we skirt round the outside of Glasgow and into Cumbernauld. From there we skirt round Falkirk and head up through Stirling, our first option, and into Perthshire. As we pass the mountains near Gleneagles we enjoy some further fine scenery.
CITY OF STIRLING: We expect arrival into Stirling to be something in the region of 11:45. Stirling is Scotland's youngest city gaining the status in the summer of 2002. This is Scotland's heritage capital, where the Wars of Independence were fought and won; where, for three centuries, monarchs ruled in regal splendour and where merchants and craftsmen plied their trade below the castle rock. Nowadays you can literally touch and feel the sense of history and nationhood, which is Stirling's trademark, as you meander through the Old Town, enter the spectacular cliff-top castle or sample the town's unique 'living history' events programme. Its castle is arguable the finest in Scotland many would say and one of the best anywhere in the UK. You may like to visit the famous Wallace monument, Bannockburn Heritage centre, Argyll’s Lodging, Church of the Holy Rude (where James VI was crowned), the Old Town Jail, Tollbooth, Mercat Cross and Darnley’s House (where Mary Queen of Scots husband once lived). The city also hosts some excellent walks, great shopping streets and a wide range of eateries, pubs and bars making it an ideal spot to head if you’re looking for gifts for family and friends or just fancy picking up something for yourself. Return from Stirling is hoped to be about 17:00.
CITY OF PERTH: Arrival at the ‘fair city’ should be around 12:25 allowing an afternoon to go exploring its attractions and perhaps even some of the nearby things Perthshire has to offer. The city has a number of popular archietectual and historical attractions, most notably Scone Palace, St. John's Kirk, and also the centre of the regimental Black Watch and its museum is situated there. Also neaby are the world renowned Branklyn Gardens home to things such as Himalayan Blue Poppies. The other major green areas in the city are the famous North and South Inch parks, which together with the Riverside Park, form three quarters of a ring around the city centre. Kinnoull Hill and Craigie Hill also provide spectacular views of the city. Without a doubt there is plenty to do in and around this area. We expect return departure from Perth to be somewhere around 16:25 allowing time to combine any of the above with some shopping and a meal perhaps.
DUNDEE: We expect an arrival may be around 12:45 and Dundee is one of Scotland’s finest cities with some great attractions and an excellent range of shopping (especially handy if your planning to do some seasonal gift hunting). The station is fairly handy for the main shopping areas so you won’t have to go far to find what you’re looking for, as well as plenty of excellent pubs, bars, café’s and restaurants. Dundee’s most famous attraction is the research Ship ‘Discovery’, the very ship in which Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton sailed to Antarctica in, and this is situated opposite the railway station so is the first sight to greet visitors to Dundee. It now forms the centrepiece of an award-winning museum where you are taken back through the history of the ship and those who famously sailed in it. Return from Dundee is hoped to be around 15:45 to 16:00.
RELATED WEBSITES:
http://www.visitscotland.com
http://www.visitscottishheartlands.com/
http://www.stirling.co.uk/
http://www.stirling.gov.uk/visitstirling
http://www.instirling.com/sight/castle.htm
http://www.perthshire.co.uk
http://www.perthshire-scotland.co.uk/perth2.htm
http://www.angusanddundee.co.uk
http://www.city-of-dundee.info
ESTMATED TIMINGS: *PLEASE NOTE times are only those that have been requested. Confirmed final times will be sent out with your tickets around four or five days before the tour when Network Rail advise us of them.
CHILDREN UNDER 5 YRS can be brought on the train free of charge only if not taking up a seat and sharing seats with accompanying adults.
REFRESHMENTS: A buffet service of snacks, hot and cold drinks, and alcoholic beverages is available to all our passengers throughout the day – as well as an at seat trolley service in first class seating areas, operating at occasional intervals.
THE TRAIN: The train is hired in and operated through licensed UK rolling stock providers and train operating companies and formed entirely of traditional intercity carriages hauled by heritage British Built diesel traction throughout. First class passengers are seated in tables of 2 or 4 seats with curtains, larger more deeply cushioned reclining seating. Standard class is seated mainly in bays of 4 seats around a table (but some trains convey a little standard class accommodation with private ‘airline’ style bays which have 2 seats together with folding tables – please contact our office though if you are unsure as to whether they are specifically available). If you have specific seating requests or type – please give us plenty of notice, ideally when booking.
Many of our recent Railtours have been very busy or fully subscribed so early booking is advised!
This is our final planned excursion train of the 2007 season and we’d like to extend a special thanks to the many volunteers who regularly steward these charter trains and give up their free time to make them continue to be possible. Our friendly team, as with all previous seasonal shopping dated trips will be happy to assist you in stowing any of your additional shopping and gifts on board the train which conveys ample room to carry most of what you may choose to bring home with you. Please don’t hesitate to ask for help!
the train, and other things you may want answering