An hour and forty of flight. Guaranteed change of scenery. In magical lochs, almost virgin mountains, a moorland with magical colors: mauve, yellow and an incredible palette of greens. A pure nature to discover by train, by car, by mountain bike, on horseback, by boat or even on foot. Where one can walk whole days and cross only flocks of sheep, but sleep at night in hotels of legend.
It was in the Highlands that the chic picnic was invented in the 19th century, with Scottish plaid and silver goblets for these whiskeys with a peaty taste, the bobos of which became addicted: Caol Ila, Macallan ... in the western islands that one finds the best crus. Faced with Glasgow, which got rid of its industrial tinsels to become, in 2013, European capital of culture. The former red brick warehouses, which have become boutiques, bookshops and restaurants, now blend into galleries and state-of-the-art museums, such as the Riverside Museum, built by Zaha Hadid ... But it was in a pub in Edinburgh that JK Rowling imagined the adventures a wizard and writes thousands of pages of his best-selling Harry Potter everyday. For the city, built on the slopes of an ancient volcano, with its winding alleys, medieval castles and its incredible botanical garden, is a fascinating novel in itself.
Edinburgh station is on a red carpet to the sound of the bagpipes for a sublime journey through lochs and fjords to Inverness. Sometimes the train runs along the sea, and the view is breathtaking. It also stops, during a walk in the moor or visiting a distillery ... In the wagons, Agatha Christie's novel atmosphere: tea-time with scones in the company of other passengers, dressed dinners , Scottish music and open-bar that allows to test and re-test about fifty different whiskeys. Every evening, the train stops in an old train station, allowing you to dance on country quays before falling asleep in peace. A journey of dream, to be offered once in his life.
Departures on 18 June, 11, 18, 22 and 26 July, 19, 21 and 27 August, on 8, 10, 20 and 29 September on 17 October.
2 720 € / pers. full board, excursions included. www.royalscotsman.com
The reception is done by a porter in kilt, and no less than 46 different tweeds have been chosen for the decoration of the rooms of this five-star hotel. For a hundred years, this imposing Victorian-style building housed the Scottish daily "The Scotsman". The magnificent wooden reception hall has become a brewery with, a la carte, the delicious "haggis", the famous stuffed sheep's bread, the national dish, to taste absolutely. In the heart of the city, five minutes from the museums, Holyrood Palace and the Royal Mile, the street where all the shops are located to stock up on whiskey and cashmere.
2 nights for 2 pers. breakfasts and dinners included: 698 €. www.luxuryscotland.co.uk
The large rooms (28 m 2 minimum) have been luxuriously refurbished, all in dark wood and white walls. Well located, it offers quick access to the high and low town. The spa has a beautiful pool, and especially a huge outdoor Jacuzzi which allows you to recover by bubbling in the evening after a city tour.
Special offer until the end of June: 3 nights for the price of 2, or 604 € for a double room (without breakfast). www.sheratonedinburgh.co.uk
A / R Paris-Edinburgh: from 130 €. www.easyjet.com
We start with two days of sightseeing in Glasgow. Then we go on a trip to the islands of Arran and Islay, before returning by the wilderness of the Trossachs National Park to visit Loch Lomond and visit the castle of Stirling. In the evening, we sleep in adorable inns.
8 days, flights car rental included, from € 1,600 per pers.
Olivier Glasberg, ex of Kuoni and Donatello, has just created this new concept: it is the children (10-12 years) who are the GOs. Before the departure, you are given a tablet with the notebook. Every day, there is a riddle to solve, a photo to be taken after a mountain bike ride, a local dish to be tested ... As the journey, the answer is written on the shelf to go to step next.
8 days / 7 nights including flights, car rental, nights in 4 * and 5 * castle hotels and English breakfasts: 2 100 € per adult and 1 890 € per child / teen sharing the room parents. www.voyageaufuretamesure.com
Scottish Info: www.visitscotland.com
