NEW YORK -- Additions to the Royal Scotsman's luxury touring train
program for 2002 include a first-ever one-night plan,
special-interest culinary and golf itineraries and a two-night tour
to the Isle of Bute.
The one-night Wee Dram tour (in Scottish vernacular, a shot of
whiskey) begins in Edinburgh and explores Glamis, Perth and
Stirling. Priced at $960 per person, its two departures are July 22
and Aug. 24.
The Royal Scotsman introduced the one-night Wee Dram, a
spokeswoman said, to attract first-time visitors to Scotland,
special occasion celebrants and those pressed for time.
Whetting palates for two- and four-night tours was an additional
motivation. Repeat passengers for the 2001 season were
approximately 5% of total, an increase over 2000, the spokeswoman
said.
In contrast to the sample taste of the Wee Dram, the Taste of
Scotland is a four-night culinary tour departing April 25 and
priced at $4,500 per person. Taste of Scotland features a cooking
demonstration by Chef Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles; a tour and
lunch with the couple who founded Inverawe Smokehouse; a visit with
cookery writer Claire Macdonald at Kinloch Lodge, her ancestral
home on the Isle of Skye, and a wine tasting with wine merchant
Bill Baker.
Another special-inter-est departure, the four-night Golf Tour,
is $4,820 per golfer and $4,350 per nongolfer. On this tour,
nongolfers sightsee as their partners take to the greens. For
example, golfers play one day at Royal Dornoch while nongolfers
tour the 13th century Dunrobin Castle. One day of travel is
followed by three of golf, with other outings at the Gleneagles and
Nairn courses.
A new two-night tour to the Isle of Bute is priced at $2,550 per
person and visits Inverawe Smokehouse; the Loch Lomond communities
of Arrochar and Tarbet, and Mount Stuart, a Victorian Gothic house
on the Isle of Bute. Prices include accommodations, meals, wine,
alcoholic and other beverages, entertainment, site visits, taxes,
entertainment and gratuities. Also changed for 2002: The two-night
Caledonian Retreat visits the Glenmorangie Distillery instead of
Inverawe Smokehouse.
The Royal Scotsman's schedule of tour departures begins April 21
and runs through Oct. 29. Commission is 10% and higher for group
bookings (10 to 24 passengers), with a free space for groups with
14 paying passengers or more. For more information, call (800)
922-8625; e-mail [email protected] or visit the Web
at www.royalscotsman.com.