LBC in talks with holiday company about birding holidays to Scottish Highlands

LBC is in  preliminary discussions with a long-established holiday company, Cairngorm Travel, which is interested in a joint venture re  running occasional five-day birding holidays to the Scottish Highlands.

In outline, the trip would be via  luxury coach with pick-ups in Lincoln, Louth and Brigg, possibly with the option of feeder minibus connection from other towns (eg Scunthorpe and Grimsby).

Accommodation would be four nights at the CT-owned Duke of Gordon hotel in Kingussie, near Aviemore (a stone’s throw from RSPB Insh Marshes) with full breakfast and a four-course evening meal and entertainment each night.

There would be optional coach trips to Loch Garten and/or  at least one other birding hotspot (or a distillery). CT would aim  to tailor things to LBC requirements. 

Alternatively, a bus stop is outside the hotel and a railway station (trains to Inverness bia Aviemore) and Glasgow (via Pitlochry and Perth) is three minutes' walk away. 

Cost of the holiday would be approx between £350 and £400 per person.

It's much less expensive than other birding holidays to Scottish hotels and saves the hassle of a long car/rail journey up north. 

This would be a pilot toe-dipping ‘eco-tourism’ venture for CT, and they are keen to  give it a trial run. However, it would probably need a minimum of 30 travellers (birders/ partners/friends  with a few single room occupancies) to make it a goer. Subject to confirmation, there is one free place for every 20 booked. 

There could be a possibility of the first trip in late-April/early-May this year - just in time for the tree pipits, redstarts, breeding waders, ospreys etc.

If anyone has an interest, even if only tentative at this stage, please reply to this post or email me at secretary@lincsbirdclub.co.uk and I will get back to you as soon as I have been able to assess potential demand and to advise CT accordingly.