Join us as we explore the west coast of Scotland and its islands with wool and whisky in mind. From bustling Glasgow we'll wend our way by land and sea to quieter country. There are hills and sea lochs to please the eye, hotels perched by the shore, and renowned gardens along the way. This coast is warmed by the Gulf Stream and palm trees are not unusual. We’ll meet textile makers, participate in an intriguing knitting workshop, examine heritage costume, visit a distillery and have ample opportunity to enjoy drams in our well-stocked hotels. Our days will be rich with experiences from new tastes to new yarns, ancient history to contemporary design. We’d love to introduce you to it all!

To Register 

A Registration Form and a non-refundable $1000 deposit are required to join the trip. Once you submit your online registration and deposit payment is received, your spot on the tour is secure. See our Terms & Conditions HERE.

Have questions? Please contact us at info@rowantreetravel.com

This tour has been announced a"Go!"

Unless otherwise stated, our regular Terms and Conditions apply to this trip and for any cancellations (click here to see our Terms and Conditions).

Tour Activity & Mobility Comfort Level 

We would describe this trip as a 3+, Woolly Wander due to:

• Some short walks with uneven terrain throughout the tour;

• Limited ground floor rooms at all properties;

• Not all properties have elevators;

• One activity involves boarding a boat.

Review our Tour Activity and Mobility Comfort Levels here.

Travel Insurance Rowan Tree Travel highly recommends purchasing travel insurance. You may purchase through our preferred partner Arch RoamRight by clicking here or through your own provider.  (*Arch RoamRight is an affiliate of RTTF and we will receive a small commission for policies bought through the provided link.)

Arranging Your Flights In order to gather easily for the tour, we provide an arrival and departure "window" at a major transportation hub - typically an international airport at your destination country. Flights scheduled outside the provided windows may result in additional transportation costs and missed tour activities. For this reason, we greatly appreciate your cooperation in booking travel that accommodates our specifications. Please do not purchase airfare until the tour is guaranteed by RTTF to go forward.

Please Note the Following Rowan Tree Travel reserves the right to alter any part of this itinerary in order to address weather conditions, unforeseen circumstances or to improve the participant experience.

GLASGOW - EARLY ARRIVAL OPTION

If you prefer to arrive in Glasgow a day ahead of the tour start, we’re happy to arrange a night’s stay, including breakfast, at our accommodation in the center of the city.

GLASGOW

Welcome to Scotland!  We will meet in the hotel foyer and stroll out to take afternoon tea and introduce ourselves over the refreshments. Thereafter you’ll be free to explore the city center, make a beeline for the hotel’s champagne bar, consider dinner opportunities or perhaps just curl up and rest in the comfort of your room.

CULTURE & CRINAN

We’ll have a relaxed start to our Sunday with a visit to an art museum in a country park in the city. It’s full of stained glass and tapestries, paintings by Cezanne and Degas, Chinese art and much more, all gifted to Glasgow by a shipping magnate. Then we’ll drive to the coast to catch a ferry across the Firth of Clyde, stretch our legs along the way and reach a dramatic stop at the wonderfully located and undeniably quirky Crinan Hotel. Anyone fancy knitting with a sea view this evening?

KILMARTIN & COAST

Wake to glorious views, ready for a day of contrasts!

A visit to Kilmartin Glen, the richest archaeological area in mainland Scotland. We’ll gain insight into the lives of our ancestors inhabiting the area over the last 12,000 years, and take a walk to see ancient rock art. 

Next, a trip aboard a venerable teak-built former fishing boat is calling us. Our artist skipper will take us for a sail on this renovated vessel so we can admire the dramatic west coast shoreline and spot wildlife at sea level. Anyone up for a knitting-on-board challenge?

MULL

We’ll ease into the day and soon be sailing across to the Isle of Mull. Will we be lucky and spot minke whales on the way? Duart Castle, ancient home of the Clan Maclean, has stood proud for over 700 years, dominating the sea route between Mull and mainland Scotland. Explore the castle, seek sustenance in the cafe and walk at leisure down by the shore. Later, a few minutes’ drive will bring us to our hotel where a wee island-distilled dram is perhaps in order...

TOBERMORY

Today we will head for the town of Tobermory through the ever varied island landscape. On the way we’ll call in to visit a small contemporary knitwear company.

Onward to a cheese farm (with a wonderful cafe in a glass-fronted barn) and finally to Tobermory itself. A whisky tour and tastings at the town’s distillery await! Explore the colorful harbor town before we seek out dinner at the bright yellow hotel.

IONA

The wee island of Iona is regarded by many as the birthplace of Celtic Christianity in Scotland. A drive along the Ross of Mull peninsula will bring us to the little passenger ferry and, a ten-minute crossing later, to this peaceful isle. Explore at leisure: admire the Abbey, linger in the wild gardens of the Nunnery ruins, succumb to Iona Wool, walk to the Bay at the Back of the Ocean, seek out a fresh fish snack for lunch by the harbor...

Back on Mull we’ve a date at Ardalanish with Isle of Mull Weavers. Expect Hebridean sheep, richly shaded fleeces and naturally dyed wools. You may not want to leave.

OBAN

We’ll board the ferry to Oban this morning with time to explore the town. Close by on a headland stand the ruins of Dunollie Castle. At the adjacent museum we'll enjoy a private viewing of their rich archive collection of historic textiles and meet with one of the expert conservators. So many seldom seen treasures, uncovered from trunks and boxes stored away by generations of the MacDougalls of Dunollie.

OBAN

Our accommodation is another gem, situated by the shore. Throw back the curtains, soak up the view, breakfast royally and we’ll head off to meet Deborah Gray. This skilled knitter, spinner and dyer is delivering a rather intriguing knitting workshop for us and we’ll hear about the project she is leading which focuses on nature-based materials and natural dyeing. Be sure to check out Deborah's own natural dyed yarns.

GLASGOW

After a last breakfast-with-a-sea-view it is time to return south. On the way we’ll visit a traditional Scottish township, preserved to provide an authentic glimpse into rural Highland life as it was lived for centuries. Our scenic journey continues, by hill and glen and the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, bringing us safely back to our start point in the city of Glasgow.

TRAVELING ON

Departure day dawns.

We wish you phones full of images, cases packed with wooly treasure, new friends made and happy memories of your wee west coast adventure!

Lindsay, aka  “The Border Tart”, is a stitcher, a printer, a maker and a lover of words. Inspired by color and pattern and passionate about Indian artisans and textiles, she values most highly all things made by hand. She’s a proponent of mindful stitching and hand work of all kinds. In her words, “Making with your own hands brings pleasure, calms the heart rate and imbues each piece with love.” Peruse her small edition stitching kits and other essentials here. You’ll also find her images, thoughts and adventures on Instagram at @bordertart. We’re so pleased to collaborate with this wonderful Scottish artisan and teacher.

Helen has knitted for as long as she can remember, and relatively recently has taken to weaving on a rigid heddle loom. She has been dyeing yarn since 2008 from her home and workshop in Clachtoll, Scottish Highlands. Using acid dyes, the surrounding landscape offers her endless colour inspiration. She leans towards saturated shades, either in semi solid or deeply variegated colourways. You can see her yarns on her website (www.ripplescrafts.com), where she offers a range of yarn weights and bases, but if you’re ever passing by Clachtoll her workshop is also open to visitors. Originally from Southern Africa, Helen and her husband, Stevan, have made the Highlands their home, living entirely off grid and sourcing their energy needs from wind and solar power. The sense of peace and calm she finds in the landscape makes it impossible for her to imagine living anywhere else.