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SPECIAL TOURS - Clan Tours ~~ Dark Deeds Tour ~~ Diana Gabaldon Outlander Tours ~~ North Coast 500 Tour ~~ Rosamunde Pilcher Winter Solstice Tour ~~ The Magical West Tour

S05 Winter Solstice: A Tour for Devotees of the Rosamunde Pilcher Novel visiting Kingsferry and Corrydale in the footsteps of Oscar and Elfrida - 8 hours.

NOTE THAT THIS TOUR IS ONLY CONDUCTED BY HUGH ALLISON AND LAURA MOON SO PLEASE CHECK THE AVAILABLE DATES TO ENSURE THEIR DATES ARE CLEAR BEFORE BOOKING.

Tours are usually exclusive, but occasionally people offer to share their tour. If a tour is open under this scheme details will be shown in green below.

Dunrobin Castle

This tour visits the sites beloved by readers of “Winter Solstice”. The tour content has also been agreed by Rosamunde Pilcher. These places are strung together in broadly the right order for visitors to enjoy remembering and rediscovering the story that Rosamunde Pilcher so magically created.

This review is specifically about this tour if you would like an independent view.

 

It is also, however, a tour that can be very much enjoyed even by people who have never opened the book. This is because it offers much of the very best of the scenery, history and wildlife of the Scottish Highlands, incorporating visits to Castles, Cathedral, and the pretty little towns of the east coast.

Begin by travelling north from Inverness, as Elfrida and Oscar did. The town where the characters purchased essential supplies, and also bought most of their thoughtful Christmas gifts was Kingsferry (Tain). We will call in at this, the oldest Royal Burgh in Scotland (1066) on our way. You will enjoy some free time here, to either wander around the shops, or if you prefer, you may visit the characterful Collegiate Church dating from around 1400.

Oscar and Elfrida had to go to Corrydale next. Corrydale is based upon the luxury hotel to the stars – Skibo Castle, where Guy Ritchie and Madonna were married, and sadly not now open to the public.

Dornoch Cathedral (Creagan Church)From here we travel on past Creagan (Dornoch). One extra option that is highly recommended while travelling north is Dunrobin Castle. This huge Chateau-style castle is the home of the Earls of Sutherland, and one of the Great Houses of the North. The entry fee for the castle also covers a stunning falconry display in the grounds at 11.30am. Morning Coffee can also be taken within the castle.

Next on the agenda is Buckly (Brora), home to McTaggart’s (Hunter’s) Mills. It was here that Sam Howard was busily employed, trying to bring the mills back to life after their disastrous flooding.

On the return journey south we will take the route taken by Sam and Carrie – the narrow back road by Loch Fhada (Loch Fleet). You will have the chance to see the birds and waders, the seals, the small hamlet of Littleferry, and the ancient crumbling castle of Skelbo. This will finally bring us to the culmination of our tour; the very pretty town of Creagan (Dornoch) where our characters settled into the Estate House and had many adventures.

Carrie and Lucy came to the Creagan Estate House later, and like them you will have free time to have a walk, see the town, the shops, and the beach and Golf Course.  The photograph below shows a contender for Creagan House.

A contender for Creagan Estate HouseThe last chapter in Winter Solstice saw Oscar becoming reconciled to the past, and playing Beethoven’s “Song of Joy” for Christmas in Creagan’s church [Dornoch Cathedral]. Our last chapter will be similar. We will visit the Cathedral – a magnificent building erected in 1224 by Gilbert de Moravia. We will see the organ which Oscar played. This was also the organ in which police found paparazzi hiding prior to the christening of Guy and Madonna’s son Rocco.

As we have come to the end of Rosamunde’s story, we turn and head south for Inverness, with a tale well told and a tour complete.

9.00am Pick-up Inverness
10.00am Tain
10.20am Leave Tain
10.45am Dunrobin
12.45pm Leave Dunrobin
12.55pm Brora
1.30pm Dornoch for Lunch
2.30pm Free time in Dornoch
4pm Leave Dornoch
5pm Inverness

Price: £360 for up to seven passengers. NOTE THAT THIS TOUR IS ONLY CONDUCTED BY HUGH OR LAURA SO PLEASE CHECK THE AVAILABLE DATES TO ENSURE THEY ARE CLEAR BEFORE BOOKING.