BAGKLIST

certainly in April, accommodation is no problem. 1

There is a thirteen-day Travelpass 5 available which would permit a more r leisurely journey about the country. but for shorter periods, you‘re best to accept that transport is a major part of the holiday and not just a i means to an end. Yet even in four I days, it‘s surprising how many miles you can clock up while getting to | know a wide variety of towns and 1 villages en route. You are inevitably ; governed by timetables— there are i only four trains a day that make the 1 whole journey from Inverness to Wick , for example - but careful planning can work these to your advantage; we discovered the 920-year-old hilltop town of Tain simply because that was as far as the train went.

On our first day we made it as far as Brora on the North East coast, j Carron with mountains towering where we stayed the night, before ; above, stations so insignificant that crossing the country to Kyle of ; you have to request the train to stop, Lochalsh, catching a bus down Skye, ; and the well-documented trek past the ferry over to Mallaig and the Ben Nevis on the West Highland West Highland line back to ; line.

Glasgow. All this and we still had I The alert traveller quickly

time for a train-free day - it's f develops a nose for sniffing out virtually impossible to travel on a l luggage lockers and amenable Sunday in many areas— scrambling station staff. and stocks up on food around the Lochalsh peninsula and I for out of the way places (although doing particularly well on the ! the Scotrail ‘trolley service of light under-used Trivia machines. ! refreshments‘ turned up on every Essential journeys include the ! train we caught). Like any precipitous climb through Glen out-of-town holiday. you have to

No tourney to Kyle oi Lochalsh is complete without a visit to the exquisite ladies“ loos, complete with daflodils and scenic postcards

make your own entertainment a

i stop-over town like Dingwall. for

instance. is of limited appeal unless you’re prepared to forge a path into the surrounding countryside or you fancy getting exceptionally drunk. But for comfortable access to the most dramatic landscapes and isolated hamlets. commanding panoramic views and travelling with relative energy-efficiency, you can’t beat the train.

By day four we‘d even spotted our first deer.

TRAVEL

I Paragliding Course: Shrewsbury's High Sports Paragliding School offers everything from one-day taster courses to advanced cross-country thermal paragliding courses in Europe‘s fastest-growing airsport. Courses are adaptable to suit individuals, families or groups. For more details call (0743) 850107 or write to High Sports Paragliding School, 51-52 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY1 IXJ.

I High Adventure if you fancy trekking and mountaineering in the Himalayas. Alaska or Africa. High Adventure has a selection of three-week holidays organised for groups of less than twelve and costing upwards of£1500. Treks are arranged throughout the year and they will even assist you in planning your own private expedition particularly if it involves ‘remote areas and mountaineering expeditions to significant peaks.‘ A full colour brochure is available from High Adventure, 91 Telford Avenue. London SW2 4XN. Tel 081 674 8997.

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