Scotland Coast to Coast Walk and Barge

Our weeklong barge-supported walking trip across Scotland exceeded our expectations. It proved to be the ideal family reunion/ heritage trip for older adults intent on combining physical activity with discovery. The friendly, expert 4-man crew of the barge "Fingal of Caledonia" led us, fed us, and educated us from Fort William to Inverness. Our week of walking an average of 15 miles per day over undulating terrain (generally on the Great Glen Way) gave us ample time to reconnect with each other, learn about the social and ecological history of Scotland, and experience a variety of stunning landscapes along the Caledonian Canal. The barge was more comfortable than we had imagined, with a commodious living and dining space for socializing. The cabins were small but efficiently designed, with private baths and plenty of hot water. The chef's meals exceeded our expectations, featuring a variety of foods artfully presented. We appreciated the skipper's nightly reviews of the map of the next day's hike, and enjoyed hiking alongside our trail guide who knew the landscape so well. We would definitely recommend this trip!

Thoroughly enjoyed this walking holiday. The views were magnificent and the barge (Fingal) was charming. Our guide Ankia, was knowledgeable and ensured we were all keeping up and walking at a comfortable pace. The skipper, Adam and Ankia made a great team explaining our route with the aid of pictorial maps. Lucy fed us well and Steve ferried us safely back to the boat at the end of our walks. They were a great team and nothing was too much trouble for them. I would certainly recommend this holiday with this crew. Memorable.

In every way, this journey exceeded our expectations. Six travelers and five crew became a team of 11 friends, sharing a joyful experience, while creating lasting and lovely memories. It is difficult to identify all of the highlights, but I'll try! The food.....the BEST! It was delicious, hearty, healthy, creatively prepared, and always exceptional. The chef, Ben.... is kind, gracious, funny, and so very talented. He made it look easy! We often felt like we were the beneficiaries of the Great Scottish Baking Contest, but that might minimize how much we also enjoyed the delicious soups, the amazing stews, the phenomenal Sunday Roast, and the scrumptious breakfast platters (the pancakes were superb!) The fruit smoothies were the best I've ever had. And that's just the start of it all. The crew was expertly attentive and accommodating. Our walks were comfortably and professionally guided by Chris, while also leaving us ample time to explore on our own. Our evenings were relaxing, and filled with laughter, funny stories, and a few yummy glasses of wine. We had plenty of time to get to know one another, and ample time to just relax and read a good book (of which there were many on the barge). Our last evening was spectacular as Ru provided a bit of authentic Scottish musical entertainment, making his accordion sound like an orchestra, while also providing stories about the history of Scottish folk music. Rich, a new-ish member of the crew was extraordinarily attentive to all of us, and able to anticipate our every need - truly! While he did many things, Rich often delivered us to the shoreline by Zodiac, for the start of our hikes, and picked us up when the day was done. And he did much more than that. He was never too busy to be there for all of us, or any one of us. And he was kind, gentle, respectful, smart, and very very funny! Such a wonderful vacation, with such amazing fellow travelers - forever friends, we hope! Clearly one of our very best vacations ever. It was perfectly orchestrated, and so much fun. It was truly a trip to be remembered.

The crew (skipper, bosan, guide,cook) were all professional and fun and ensured all the guests were safe, enjoying themselves and extremely well fed. Each evening the following days barge trip was outlined as were the walking options. As the barge had to negotiate many locks there were many hop on/hop off points for those not wanting to walk the entire Great Glen. The scenery both from the barge and the well maintained walking tracks was so spectacular that the light rain each day of our trip seemed insignificant. The facilities on the barge were very comfortable and it was fun having meals all together around one large table. The cabins were comfortable and the showers functioned exceptionally well with good pressure and warmth. Our only suggestion would be the reconfiguration of the split level bed to two singles would suit the majority of travelers in our age group of retirees.

The guides were excellent. They were both full of local and historic knowledge that was passed on to us and this made the trip so much more interesting. The accommodation was excellent.

For anyone who enjoys the beauty of the Scottish Highlands, in company with like minded people this is a very rewarding experience.

Everything was fabulous, walking wasn't too challenging, food and accommodations were excellent. Staff was friendly and helpful. Great mix of people too.

A most amazing and wonderful trip. Highly recommend this tour - worth every penny.

Had a lively time the crew and our walking guide made every effort to ensure that we enjoyed every day.

The scenery was beautiful on this walking tour of Scotland. The crew of the Ros Crana were wonderful and they worked really hard. I particularly appreciate all the extra effort Tre and Ben went to prepare gluten-free options. The food was spectacular! Bryony and Sophie have extensive knowledge of the Great Glen Way, Scotland and provided hours of great conversation. Rue and Rich were fabulous deck hands and were always friendly, positive and willing to help.