Recommend July 2010 - (Page 33)

Canyoneering at the River Garry Gorge (opposite page) and the Boat Hotel (below). American Airlines, United Airlines and other major carriers service those cities from either the U.S. west or east coasts. It’s easy to be enthralled by the magnetism of Edinburgh and Glasgow, ancient cities with a zesty cosmopolitan flavor, where visitors can easily be tempted to spend their entire Scottish experience delighting in the savoir-faire there. But if a client wants a taste of the Scottish outdoors, the possibilities seem endless. A thrilling activity popular in Scotland is canyoneering (called canyoning in Europe), a pastime that became popular in the canyons of the western U.S. rivers decades ago. While canyoneering, participants test their mettle against the forces of nature as they rappel down sheer canyon walls into rushing rapids. This is an adrenaline-fueled activity practiced mostly in the spectacular River Garry gorge near the village of Calvine in western Perthshire, a large area of Scotland known for a diverse landscape that ranges from large agricultural valleys to the impossibly high mountains that make up the backdrop of the southern Highlands. In fact, visiting pastoral paradises like Perthshire and Kinross, the Highland regions where most of Scotland’s outdoor activities are practiced, will make one understand why Europeans rank Scotland as one of the top destinations for outdoor sports in the continent. A splendid start for exploring this side of Scotland is with a stay at the Fortingall Hotel in the village situated in the middle of the Highland Perthshire and regarded as one of the prettiest in the country. This captivating hotel abuts a 19th century church that has the obligatory graveyard near its doors and what botanists say is probably the oldest tree in Europe, a 5,000-year-old yew. Fortingall is the ultimate destination for canoeing, summer and winter hiking, skiing, mountaineering, parasailing, mountain biking, photography tours and even birdwatching. Fortingall was already gracing the Scottish countryside when the Romans made camp in a meadow near the River Lyon. Legend has it that a legionnaire impregnated a local woman and took the child to Rome to be raised in privilege. The half-Scottish kid went on to become Pontius Pilate, the Roman Procurator of Judaea who sentenced Jesus Christ to death. Fortingall’s surroundings are blissful, with Roman stone bridges, pine forests, tall mountains and Victorian inns everywhere. The Fortingall is a 10-room treasure that, according to general manager Roddy Jamieson, can best be architecturally described as, “The result of the Arts and Crafts movement that was prevalent during the Victorian Age.” According to Jamieson, a wing dates back to the 1600s; its final restoration taking place in 1888 when a shipping magnate converted it into a hotel. “People love its quaintness,” says Jamieson. “We have quite a large number of international guests from mainland Europe which allows us to run at a 70 percent occupancy rate most of the year. “Avid fly fishermen and hunters come in the summer; skiers and snow hikers visit in winter. Despite its quiet seclusion, Fortingall is quite a sportsman destination.” Rates range from approximately $200 pp per night, to about $300 for a family room and annex, with a $60 sgl person supplement. Although getting here is easy for those arriving by car, others may find it more convenient to use a tour company like Wilderness Scotland, a firm with a solid standing in introducing travelers to Scotland’s active vacation treasures. Wildnerness Scotland is a sister company of Wilderness International, which operates in 20 different countries. Its tours include hiking in Greenland, mountain biking in Bhutan and many others. Its photography tours of Africa are legendary. “We offer 36 itineraries and nine different activities in Scotland,” says Myles Farnbank, director of training for Wilderness Scotland and a native Londoner who has lived in Scotland for 16 years, “including sea kayaking in the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Skye, open canoeing through rivers, summer and winter hiking, skiing, mountaineering, sailing, mountain biking, photography tours and wildlife watching. We use the Fortingall Hotel as one of the bases from where we set off to explore and participate in all the active sports found in the Highlands.” Farnbank adds that Scotland currently ranks as Europe’s number one wildlife destination. “Here,” he says, “one sees everything from ospreys on the River Tay, to golden eagles in the Highlands. Red deer and fox are common in the forest where we have spotted the elusive European wildcat. Along the coast there are whales, otters and some of the best marine life in the world.” sergio ortiz ÍÍ july 2010 33

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend July 2010

Cover: Experiential Travel
Contents
Editor’s Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk
Tour Talk
Louis Cruises'
Chile
Shamwari Game Reserve
Jordan
Scotland
Las Vegas
Rancho De Los Caballeros
Caribbean
Mexico
Calling Indiana Jones Types

Recommend July 2010