Tag: Rabbies

Tour Scotland’s Outlander history with Rabbie’s

This weekend the smash hit Outlander returns to our TV screens, and Scottish touring company, Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com) is offering fans of the historical drama the opportunity to visit some of its most famous filming locations.

Step aboard a luxury mini-coach and be transported to a fictional, mystical world.

Travel back with Claire to the Jacobite revolution on the Outlander Trail

Outlander first hit our screens in 2014, when millions of us watched Claire Fraser fall unknowingly into the violent world of 18th century Scotland. Since then, she, and her soulmate Jamie, have adventured with Pirates in the West Indies and fought for survival in revolutionary America – but the show has never forgotten its Scottish roots, nor the dramatic wild highlands that inspired this story of rebellion and romance.

The Rabbie’s Outlander Trail sets off from Edinburgh and soon arrives at Culross, where cobbled streets lead to the historic Culross Palace.

This charming town posed as the fictional village of Cranesmuir in Outlander, the home of Geillis Duncan and her ill-fated husband Arthur. Continue to the small town of Falkland where fans can relive the show’s first ever episode, recognizing familiar sights such as Mrs. Baird’s Guesthouse and the Bruce Fountain, where Claire’s husband Frank first saw the ghost of Jamie.

Elsewhere, visit Newtonmore Highland Folk Museum, which houses replicas of 18th-century turf-roofed Highland crofts, which were used in the show’s earliest episodes.

After resting overnight in the ‘Capital of the Highlands’, Inverness, the tour visits Culloden, a town drenched in history as it sits not far from the Culloden Battlefield, the site of the last battle fought on British soil.

Viewers watched Outlander’s Claire and Jamie say their tearful goodbyes here before Jamie joined the Jacobite army to fight for the Stuarts. You have the opportunity to explore the visitor centre and site, and pay tribute to those real soldiers who lost their lives fighting for their freedom.

On the third day of this Outlander adventure, guests visit the majestic Glen Affric, a beautiful spot with high mountains and dense pine forests. Landscapes like these were once the perfect hiding spots for Jacobite soldiers evading the English redcoats.

Next, travel along the entire length of Loch Ness to reach Glenfinnan, and the tall stone monument which proudly commemorates the beginning of the last Jacobite rising.

On your final day exploring the sites and scars of 18th century Scotland, get ready to discover the iconic fortresses which projected power and dominance over the Highlands.

First up is Doune Castle, an extensive ruin that represented Castle Leoch, home of Colum and Clan MacKenzie in Outlander. Later it’s Blackness Castle (above), a heavily fortified stronghold perched on the shore of the Firth of Forth. Your final destination is Jamie’s lovely Lallybroch home – Midhope Castle.

An essential photo opportunity for fans of the show to remember their journey through locations synonymous with Outlander and Scottish history itself.

Prices for this four-day Outlander Trail start at £265 with the first tours departing in April. A one-day Outlander Adventure which visits Culross, Linlithgow Palace, Blackness and Midhope Castles and more departs during March, with prices starting at £46. Both tours depart from Edinburgh.

This isn’t the only tour offered by Rabbie’s which transports fans to their favourite fictional worlds:

Lacock Village has long been a favourite of Hollywood location scouts, and when guests step off the bus and explore the beautiful village they will soon see why.

Productions as diverse as Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, and Pride and Prejudice have all been shot in this rural Wiltshire village.

Appropriately enough, the nearby Lacock Abbey was where William Henry Fox Talbot created the earliest surviving photographic negative in 1835, and kick-started popular photography!

The Abbey’s peaceful cloisters have since portrayed Hogwarts, and its antechambers doubled as the place that young Harry Potter stumbled upon the Mirror of Erised.

Visit Lacock, along with other gorgeous locations on the Bath, Avebury & Lacock Village tour departing from London. Prices start from £56.

As with all Rabbie’s tours, guests are transported in luxury 16-person mini-coaches and treated to the stories and services of a friendly-driver guide. The mini-coaches mean Rabbie’s tours can reach the smaller, independent destinations, ensuring your trips supports local communities and independent businesses.

To book a Rabbie’s Tour and for more information, visit www.rabbies.com.

Rabbies adds Europe itineraries to portfolio for 2022

On sale now, small coach tour operator Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com) has unveiled a new series of Europe tours – exploring the most beautiful sites across Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland – which will hit the road from May next year.

To celebrate the launch, guests booking a 2022 Europe tour with Rabbie’s can save five per cent when booking before 31st January 2022, using the promo code EUROPE5 at rabbies.com.

20 new tours, each six or 13 days in duration, will take guests on a journey uncovering the continent’s incredible cuisine, history, landscapes and culture.

Similar to the company’s popular UK trips, guests on Rabbie’s European tours will travel in luxurious mini-coaches, with a maximum group size of just 16. The small size of Rabbie’s coaches allows the tours to access off-the-beaten-track and less-touristed destinations that larger operators are unable to reach.

Each trip is hosted by one of Rabbie’s expert guides, offering guests insider knowledge on everything there is to know about the places visited – including where to find the best spot for lunch!

The six-day South of Spain & the Treasures of Andalucía tour travels from Madrid to Lisbon, taking in Spain’s former capital Toledo, Córdoba, Granada including Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada National Park, dramatic Ronda, Seville and the charming Algarve town of Tavira en route.

Visit a Spanish olive oil production site for a lesson in olive oil-making while soaking in the endless olive grove views. Be entranced by the ornamentation of the Alhambra Palace before delving into the rugged landscapes of the Cumbres Verdes mountains on the forefront of the Sierra Nevada.

Stroll the city walls and picturesque plazas of cliff-top Ronda and join a half-day tour to Jerez de la Frontera – the heartland of sherry and Spanish brandy.

Finally, cross the Portuguese border with a stop at Tavira in the Algarve – a town on the River Gilão that exudes an irresistible charm. Prices for the six-day tour start from €1,185 per person based on 4 July 2022 departure.

Alternatively, the 13-day Vistas of Switzerland & Italy tour travels from Milan, visiting places of exquisite beauty like Lake Como, Interlaken, Zermatt, Cinque Terre, Pisa, and Florence, before arriving in Rome.

Explore Italy’s stunning lake region while admiring its mountainous vistas and colourful villas on a boat trip across Lake Como to Lenno. Head deep into the Alps for sky-touching mountain views and take the winding roads to Simplon Pass – a key historical route.

Discover the most admired peak in all of Europe – the Matterhorn – before travelling by train to car-free Zermatt. Back on the coach, travel south, and sample Parma ham and Parmesan cheese in Parma, the place of their origin.

Architectural wonders aren’t so hard to find in Northern Italy, a certain leaning structure begs for your attention in Pisa and Lucca’s completely preserved city walls are the perfect warm up to the breath-taking wonders of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance.

Sample one of Italy’s most famous exports in the famous Chianti wine region, before arriving in Montepulciano, your hilltop home for two nights in rural Tuscany. Expect delights of the culinary and aesthetic variety in this part of Italy, before travelling further south to Rome. Prices for the thirteen-day tour start from €3,465 per person based on 23 May 2022 departure.

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Other European tour options available:

In Spain/Portugal

  • Portugal, Galicia & the Heart of Spain
  • The Mountains and Mediterranean Marvels of Spain (Departing from Barcelona or Madrid)
  • Passions of Spain

In Italy/Switzerland

  • The Italian Affair
  • The Best of Northern Italy (Departing from Milan or Rome)
  • Italy’s Iconic Coasts and Cities
  • Highlights of Italy and Switzerland

Rabbie’s European tour prices include transport in a luxury air conditioned mini-coach with a local driver, the stories and services of an English-speaking guide, accommodation in 3-4 star hotels with continental breakfast and selected excursions.

For more information and to book, please visit www.rabbies.com.

Halloween haunts: Scary places to visit in the UK

How brave are you feeling this Halloween? Small group tour operator Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com) have selected some of their spookiest destinations to test the mettle of their guests.

Rabbie’s tours explore locations that are dripping with gruesome history, twisted legends and good old fashioned ghost stories. Like on all Rabbie’s Tours, guests are in the capable hands of specialist driver-guides, whose deep knowledge of creepy folklore might just keep you up at night!

Rabbie’s is an award-winning small-group tour operator and for a limited time only, they’re offering an Early Bird Savings discount allowing travellers to save up to 10 per cent on all 2022 departures when booked before 7 November 2021.

Spooky staycations include …

  • Whitby, the most haunted town in Britain: Today Whitby is a bustling fishing port, but by spending just a little time exploring, you’ll soon learn how the town earned its spooky reputation. The ghost of St. Hilda, who founded Whitby Abbey, is rumoured to roam the Abbey ruins, where she peeks from the highest windows. The Barguest Hound, a monstrous black dog with large teeth and claws is said to patrol the streets, and rumour has it that Tudor mansion Bagdale Hall is still haunted by Browne Bushell, a pirate executed for his crimes. It’s no wonder Whitby served as inspiration for Bram Stoker who wrote his famous novel Dracula while staying in the town. It’s no less surprising that the town hosts a Goth Weekend to celebrate all that is spooky and subversive about this quiet seaside community. Visit Whitby during Rabbie’s five-day tour of York, the Dales, Lake District & Hadrian’s Wall, with prices starting from £299 per person departing from Edinburgh.
     
  • The haunting graveyard that inspired Robert Burns: Rabbie’s one-day Culzean Castle, Burns Country & the Ayrshire Coast tour promises to be a treat for those looking to immerse themselves in creepier stories from Scotland’s most famous bard. In the village of Alloway you’ll find Auld Kirk, an eerie 16th century chapel long since left abandoned. Burns grew up only a few miles away and it’s likely that he will have played amongst these ruins as a boy. Modern visitors who are brave enough to wander through the graveyard may spot the resting place of William Burns, Robert’s father. Memories of the spooky abandoned church and graveyard must have influenced the poet when he wrote “Tam o’ Shanter”, as his protagonist, Tam, is chased away from Auld Kirk by witches and warlocks. Today, two iron mortsafes are displayed inside the chapel. These large iron contraptions were once locked in place over gravestones to stop graverobbers digging through the bones of the dead. Who knows the sort of characters a young Robert Burns might have met while playing amongst the headstones, but one thing is sure, Auld Kirk remains one of Scotland’s creepier destinations. It’s only right that Rabbie’s take guests on a tour to discover more of the company’s name-sake’s history – this one-day tour from Edinburgh starts from £39 per person.
     
  • Irish legends at Torc Waterfall: Explore the beauty and spirituality of Ireland’s West coast, taking a moment to visit Tor Waterfall – a wonderful rock formation with cascading streams falling down its face. While the area may be beautiful, its name Torc, Irish for Boar, hints at the twisted legends that lie beneath the service. Stories tell of a man who was cursed by the devil to spend each night transformed into a wild boar. The man created the waterfalls as a place to hide his shame and wandered the area in despair. That was, until a cold-hearted local famer revealed the man’s secret. The man is said to have burst into flames and disappeared into the nearby Devils Punchbowl Valley. Explore this beautiful yet haunting landscape on Rabbie’s three-day Dingle, Killarney & the Wild Atlantic Way tour, departing from Dublin for as little as €309 per person.

Rabbie’s operates sustainability-focused, eco domestic travel options, ensuring that the places we love are there for future generations to enjoy and advocates ‘taking only photos and leaving only footprints’.

Rabbie’s tours provide worry-free journeys so guests can enjoy a sustainable staycation without concerns.

For more information and to book, visit www.rabbies.com.

Make up for lost time with the perfect day out

With the next stages of lockdown easing and diaries filling back up from 26 April in Scotland and 17 May in England, now’s the time to start reuniting with loved ones and making memories beyond your back garden.

Rabbie’s (www.rabbies.com) offers safe, small group tours across the UK, including day trips perfect for that first adventure out of lockdown.

From Edinburgh … Explore the enchanting world of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts and discover the historic and beautiful borders.

With its fascinating history, both in the real world and make-believe, Alnwick Castle – which doubled as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – is the perfect place to let yourself, and your mind, run free.

On this day tour, passengers can look forward to taking in captivating coastlines, graceful rivers, gentle valleys and rolling hills of the Scottish Borders. Rabbie’s’ Alnwick Castle, the Northumberland Coast & the Borders one-day tour departs from Edinburgh and costs from £44 per person.

From Manchester… Discover the mountains, marvels, and myths of North Wales and Chester.

Cameras at the ready for Conwy, one of the most picture-perfect harbour towns in the world, and home to a castle fit for a king (King Edward, to be exact), perched by the sea.

Fuel up with an iconic fish and chips lunch before heading into Snowdonia National Park for scenic roads and sweeping views before a visit to the historic town of Chester. Rabbie’s’ Snowdonia, North Wales & Chester one-day tour departs from Manchester and costs from £42 per person.

From London … Mix in a slice of history with your Gin and Tonic. Escape the big smoke to amble along the lanes and paths of the ancient city of Winchester.

Take in the awe-inspiring cathedral, ancient mill and cute cafes before heading to Laverstoke Mill, home to one of the world’s most popular gins, Bombay Sapphire.

Learn all about the ethically minded production of the drink, while enjoying a tipple or two before heading back to the city. Rabbie’s’ Bombay Sapphire Gin & Winchester one-day tour departs from London and costs from £56 per person.

With social distancing measures in place, reduced group sizes and increased cleaning measures, Rabbie’s offers worry-free journeys for a sustainable staycation.

Post-roadmap travel options from Rabbie’s

The eco-friendly way to see the best that the UK and Ireland has to offer

We are set for another summer of staycations, calling for experiences even more off the beaten track to discover the UK and Ireland’s natural beauty and spread the tourism wealth.

With an increased demand for sustainability-focused, eco-travel, Rabbie’s continues to expand its domestic travel options without sacrificing its excellent green credentials.

Rabbie’s ensures that the places we love are there for future generations to enjoy and advocates ‘taking only photos and leaving only footprints’. Explore the best of what the UK and Ireland has to offer – its wildlife, vistas, delicacies and rich history – all while actively preserving its future …

Visit the sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters of your dreams, but in Scotland:

After so long spent at home, the far-flung islands and dolphin-spotting on the three-day tour of Lewis, Harris and the Outer Hebrides are a welcome escape. Visit the incredible Luskentyre beach known for its tranquil waves, white sands and Loch Braun, home to native whales and dolphins.

This area of outstanding natural beauty comes with a rich history, with Viking relics left behind from over 800 years ago, including the Callanish standing stones to visit as well as the opportunity to experience life as a highlander at the centre of traditional crofting, Arnol Blackhouse. The tour departs from Inverness, and costs from £209 per person.

Hiking through the delightful depths of Derbyshire and rewarding yourself with a delicious Bakewell tart:

Derbyshire is England at its most quintessential, full of quaint cottages and luscious rolling hills. On the Derbyshire, Peak District & Poole’s Cavern tour, visit Castleton, nestled in the hills and the Celtic settlement with former ruins located nearby on the hill of Mamtor.

After a hike to one of the most photographed spots of the county at Monsal Head, tuck into lunch in Bakewell, home of the iconic almond puddings. ‘The cherry on top’ of the afternoon consists of a visit to Poole’s Cavern, a limestone cave system previously marvelled at by Mary Queen of Scots, full of stalagmites and stalactites.

Take a bite out of English history and embrace the natural awe of the UK whilst staying carbon-neutral. The one-day tour, departing from Manchester, costs from £39 per person.

Take in the soaring mountains, spectacular wildlife, and mystical history of Ireland’s West Coast, with nothing in between you and the Atlantic:

A jam-packed three days full of the Emerald Isle’s less visited, awe-inspiring wonders such as the Cliffs of Moher and Connemara National Park. On the West Coast Explorer Tour, Rabbie’s transports guests to a world of dungeons and dragons at Dunguaire Castle, and natural beauty spots such as the Cliffs of Moher and Lough Corrib’s scenic shores which were captured in “The Quiet Man”.

Of course, no trip to Ireland would be without a tipple, enjoy a drink at Locke’s Distillery, the oldest in the world as well as a bite to eat in the foodie hub of Galway. Departing from Dublin, the three-day tour costs from €309.00 per person.

With social distancing measures in place, reduced group sizes and increased cleaning measures, Rabbie’s offers worry-free journeys so you can enjoy a sustainable staycation without concerns. 

To arrange a private tour call Rabbie’s on +44(0) 131 226 3133 or email explore@rabbies.com.