Brightwater Holidays Main Brochure 2018

2018

Quality Garden, Special Interest and Scenic Scottish Tours

A User’s Guide to Brightwater This year’s programme is bigger and better than ever before, so if you’re a new enquirer looking to make your first booking, or even a loyal traveller on your umpteenth trip, we’d like to take the opportunity to properly acquaint you with our brand new brochure. Section by section, here’s what you can find inside...

Scenic Scottish Tours

Archaeology & Special Interest Tours

UK and Irish Gardens Tours

By far our most popular category, there’s nary a bonny Scottish stone left unturned in our scenic selection of tours. A remote island paradise, where your first step off the ferry is like stepping back in time; spirited whisky tastings and sumptuous dinners in the capital’s most stylish establishments; or anything in between — whatever you’re looking for in a Scottish holiday, we’re confident you’ll find it here. Turn to p.10 to get started.

While archaeology tours have made an appearance in previous years, we’ve never jumped into the past with quite such enthusiasm before! As well as Crete, Malta, and Portugal, you’ll find Pompeii, Sicily, Hadrian’s Wall, and more besides. Not enraptured by the idea of an archaeological holiday? Well, how about crafts, or whisky, or walking, or opera, or steam trains? Make your way to p.26 and discover your next big thing.

All of our favourite UK and Irish tours — and hopefully some of yours, too — are back for 2018. From the castle grounds of northern Scotland to the tender tropicals of the southerly Scillies, this sceptered isle is represented almost in its entirety through a smorgasbord of superb public and private gardens.

Our selection of destinations, plus better-than-ever hotels and dining, is a match made in holiday heaven — find it on p.42.

Overseas Garden Tours

Secret Garden Tours

Historic Houses Tours

Our overseas tours, whether they be just a quick hop across the channel or an ocean-crossing odyssey, are the stuff that dreams are made of — we’re so excited about them, we’ve even dreamt up a few 2019 tours to add to the mix! Starting from p.56, you’ll be taken from the glamour of the French Riviera to the breathtaking scenery of New Zealand; from the Polynesian perfection of Hawaii to the otherworldly Yunnan Province.

Consider this your cordial invitation to Britain’s most exclusive garden parties, plus the odd cross-channel soirée...

By-invitation-only visits to the private gardens of extraordinary growers and landscapers, along with afternoon teas and sparkling receptions; extra-special access to well-known estates, plus guided tours and talks, and a whole lot of little extras. Head to p.74, and all will be revealed — we await your RSVP...

Over the past quarter of a century, we’ve made a name for ourselves whisking our guests away on unforgettable garden holidays — so what’s the natural next step? Well, we think that the distinguished dwellings and remarkable residences of Great Britain are a pretty good place to start. For impressive Palladian mansions, hallowed Halls, and even the occasional silver screen star, we invite you to turn your attention to p.78.

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

About us Welcome to Brightwater Holidays Welcome to the 2018 edition of the Brightwater Holidays brochure! If you haven’t received it before, welcome. If you have, welcome back.

As our team have been working hard to bring this brochure into being, it’s become increasingly difficult to keep our all-singing, all-dancing, brand spanking new programme under our hats. Finally, we’re in a position to divulge — but where’s the fun in that? Keep reading and you’ll see it for yourself…

You’ll see it, first of all, in our Scenic Scottish section: head to p.10 for brochs and beaches, castles and caves, and just-off-the-coast jewels. You’ll see it in our all-new Historic Houses (p.78) and Secret Gardens (p.74), the perfect bedfellows, we’re sure you’ll agree, for our superlative UK and Irish Gardens (p.42). You’ll most certainly see it in our superb selection of Archaeology and Special Interest tours (p.26), where everyone — from walkers to whisky lovers — is catered for, and finally in our Overseas Gardens (p.56), a flurry of festivals and once-in-a-lifetime excursions.

Brightwater Holidays has been based in Fife’s county town of Cupar for over 25 years. In that time, we have made it our mission to provide quality garden, special interest, and speciality Scottish tours to individuals, private clubs and societies up and down the country. Helping our guests to expand their horizons and fulfil their travel dreams is our privilege — if there’s a sight you’ve always wanted to see, we’d love to help you see it. From the châteaux of the Loire to the temple gardens of Japan, from pottery in the Netherlands to knitting in Shetland, you can discover it all on a Brightwater Holidays tour.

If you have any questions about any of our tours, get in touch by giving us a call on 01334 657155, or visiting us at www.brightwaterholidays.com

Full Financial Protection All our holidays are fully bonded and protected.

The air holiday packages in this brochure are ATOL Protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Our ATOL number is ATOL 4498. ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services in this brochure. Holidays without flights are protected

by ABTOT. This means that in the unlikely event of our insolvency, your holiday would be completed or refunded.

We look forward to you joining us!

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Our ‘No Surcharge’ Guarantee Please rest assured that Brightwater Holidays have a no currency surcharge guarantee. No matter how the Euro (€) or the Dollar ($) change, the price you book is the price you pay.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Make your holiday selection Scenic Scottish Tours

UK and Irish Gardens Tours

Archaeology & Special Interest Tours

A Grand Tour of Scotland

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Up Helly Aa

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A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides

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Arran: Scotland in Miniature

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Autumn Tints of Arran

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Mull, Staffa & Iona

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Islay & Jura

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St Kilda

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Chatsworth & Buxton Opera

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Northern Lights in Iceland

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Steam over Snowdonia

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Steam Trains in the Tyrol

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A Whisky Tour of the Highlands & Islands

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A Whisky Tour of Dornoch & Speyside

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Crafts in India

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Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens

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Crete Archaeology

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RHS Chatsworth Show & Gardens of Derbyshire

Archaeology of Denmark & Sweden

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Gardens of the Far North

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Malta’s Archaeological Heritage

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Arts & Gardens in Cornwall

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Portuguese Archaeology

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RHS Chelsea Flower Show & Classic English Gardens

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Ancient Wonders of Sicily

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Relaxed Provence

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Cheshire & RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

Albania: Land of the Eagles

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Gardens of Dumfries & Galloway

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Shetland & its Outer Isles

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Whiskies of Islay & Jura

A Grand Tours of the Inner Hebrides

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Walking Hadrian’s Wall

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Highlights of Orkney & Shetland

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Walking in Cornwall: The Saints’ Way

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Gardens of Kent & Sussex

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A Classic Scottish Steam Break

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Walking in the Peak District

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Gardens of North Wales

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Scenic Scottish Railways

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Highgrove and the Cotswolds

Undiscovered Orkney

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An Archaeologist’s View of Orkney and Shetland

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Skye & the Summer Isles

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Lord of the Glens Cruises

Private Gardens of Herefordshire

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Knitting in Shetland

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Private Gardens of North Yorkshire

Walking in the Outer Hebrides

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Walking & Painting in Orkney & Shetland

Lundy and Scenic Journeys of the West Country

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In the Footsteps of Robert Burns

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

UK and Irish Gardens Tours

Overseas Garden Tours

Gardens of Historic West Sussex

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Gardens of the North of Ireland

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Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Secret Garden Tours

Gardens of the French Riviera

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Galicia’s Camellia Route

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Gardens & Villas of Sicily

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Gardens of Dorset & Somerset

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Dutch Bulbfields Cruise

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Gardens of Devon & Cornwall

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Gardens of Norfolk and Suffolk

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Legacy of Gertude Jekyll Private Gardens of Guernsey & Sark Scotland’s Finest Castles & Gardens Gardens of Waterford & Cork

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Gardens & Architecture of Andalucia Villas & Gardens of the Italian Lakes

60 61 62

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Gardens of Copenhagen & Zealand

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Malta | The Arts Society

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Alpine Flowers of Wengen Arts & Gardens of Florence & Tuscany Gardens of Normandy

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The Genius of Monet Palladian Villas of Veneto Rome, Ninfa & Castel Gandolfo The Gardens of Costa Rica Seasonal Gardens of Japan Yunnan: Footsteps of the Plant Hunters Gardens of Barbados Gardens & Wildflowers of South Africa’s Western Cape Gardens of New Zealand Honolulu Festival & Gardens of Hawaii Florida: Epcot Garden Festival

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Secret Gardens of the North of Ireland

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Secret Gardens of Aberdeen

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Secret Gardens of Snowdonia

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Secret Gardens of the Loire

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68 69 70

71 72 73

Historic Houses Tours Historic Houses & Gardens of the North of England

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Historic Houses of Devon & Somerset

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Historic Houses of Dorset

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Historic Houses of Kent

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Historic Houses of Oxfordshire

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Historic Houses of Norfolk

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Historic Houses of Scotland

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Downton Abbey & England’s Stately Homes

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For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Travelling with Brightwater It’s as true today as it has been from the start: book your place with Brightwater, and you’ll get so much more than just a holiday. What you get is our guarantee: that you’ll discover more, laugh more, learn more, and relax, safe in the knowledge that we’ve got it all sorted.

“I had a fantastic holiday to Costa Rica. Our guide looked after us wonderfully and was most knowledgeable and our Costa Rican guide was superb. I would certainly recommend this holiday to my friends. This is not a holiday for those who want to sit around and relax. We were on the go from dawn to dusk. I returned home feeling I had been well looked-after, had learnt a great deal and was keen to do another Brightwater holiday!”

GUEST, COSTA RICA

A Safe Pair of Hands

Every Step of the Way

We’re AITO, ABTOT and ATOL verified, and proud members of the Association of Group Travel Organisers. Put simply, it means that your investment in your holiday will always be protected, and that when it comes to supplying that holiday, our standards will always be high.

Clear and comprehensive information, communication and troubleshooting are our hallmarks. For anything you need, at any time, just get in touch. We know our destinations like the back of our hands, and we’re here to help make your holiday the best it can possibly be.

Door-to-door Service Start your holiday the moment you step off the stoop with our new Club Class chauffeur service, taking you from your front door to the departures lounge with ease. Not that we’re limiting you, of course — you can choose to be picked up from any point convenient for you, so if you’re staying with a friend pre-trip, or taking your holidays back-to-back, just let us know the address, and we’ll do the rest.

To find out how you can make your holiday arrangements with us even easier — and, more importantly, start your trip off on the right foot — give us a call on 01334 657155 for full details and prices.

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

What’s New?

Better Value Brightwater

A lot has changed since last year’s brochure first landed on doorsteps and made its way to coffee tables across the land, and all for the better. There’s the same spectacularly varied programme you’ve come to love, but to an even greater extent — where else could you find behind-the-scenes garden and stately home visits, enlightening and evocative archaeological sites, hands-on crafting workshops, and whisky-tasting cruises, all in the same place?

Whether old or new, every tour in this brochure has a little something extra to offer. As well as our splendid special-access visits and unique experiences — marked on each tour page in our new ‘Extra Extra’ boxes, look out for the gem icon!

— there are the behind-the-scenes bits that makes things run smoothly and make every single tour feel a little more like home.

You’ll also find in place the same values we’ve held dear since day one, all of which go into making your tour (see Travelling with Brightwater on p.6). That said, we certainly aren’t immune from a bit of selfimprovement — see Better Value Brightwater, right.

We’re talking about the higher-rated hotels, the added lunches, and the wine with dinner. The bottled water on every coach, the porterage, and the included gratuities. As of 2018, these come as standard on every Brightwater tour, along with everything you see on the page.

I have been on two Brightwater holidays and always praise the company when talking to other possible travellers. I feel secure when booking and know that real people are available all the time if I have any concerns.

GUEST

More than Garden Tours

Everyone’s Welcome

Think it’s all about gardens? Think again. Our tours offer something for everyone, whether you’re a steam train enthusiast, an archaeology buff, or an avid crafter. Whatever you’re into, you can get into it on a Brightwater holiday — see our Archaeology & Special Interest tours on p.26 for inspiration!

Casual weekend potterers, newcomers with a budding interest, even botany professors — no matter who you are, there’s a place for you on a Brightwater holiday. Likewise, whether you travel solo, or with a partner or group of friends — in any case, you’re sure to be in for the warmest of welcomes.

How to Book While we do our very best to make sure the booking process is as painless as possible, there’s no doubt that the first part is the most fun. It goes something like this: put the kettle on, grab a couple of biscuits (we won’t tell), and settle in to browse these tour pages at your leisure.

For full day-by-day itineraries of every tour, and more information on what’s included, pay a visit to our website, brightwaterholidays.com. Then, once you’ve decided on

your next holiday (or holidays!) it’s time to get in touch.

Sorting out the departures and deposits might not be quite as inspiring, but look on the bright side — you get a lovely Scottish accent on the end of the phone! Just give our brilliant team a call on 01334 657155, or email any enquiries to info@brightwaterholidays.com to get your holiday in the works.

We look forward to hearing from you!

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Private and Bespoke Tours Here at Brightwater Holidays, we don’t do typical group tours. Forget what you think you know about the rigid, watch-checking tour guides of old; the nightmare travel companions; the uncomfortable coaches, and get on the same page — this page, to be precise.

Ready-made...

...or tailor-made

You’ve spotted the tour of your dreams, but it’s at the same time as a big event you’ve been looking forward to for months. You’ve been longing to visit Campania, but are more interested in pasta-making than Pompeii.

In search of a truly bespoke holiday experience?

Look no further. Within reason, the only limit to our individually crafted Private Group tours is your own budget — and, of course, your imagination!

Well, no longer do you need to wait for the perfect tour to come up at the perfect time, or even compromise on content — why not use one of our existing tours as a jumping-off point and tailor it to your needs instead?

Explore the land of the Midnight Sun by slow train or husky sled; perfect your behind-bar repertoire on a tour of Edinburgh’s gin joints... The world is your oyster.

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Enlist some friends, and turn our Hadrian’s Wall walk into a challenging trek for charity

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Swap the Gardens of the Far North for sealspotting and birdwatching in its beautifully wild landscapes

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Start off your Scenic Scottish getaway with an overnight trip on the Deerstalker Express

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Make the most of your journey to New Zealand by adding a Singaporean stopover en-route

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Take to the Nile on an Egyptian archaeological odyssey, led by one of our expert Guide Lecturers

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Treat your tastebuds on a wine-lover’s tour of beautiful Bordeaux vineyards

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Relax on an island-hopping tour of the breathtaking Cyclades, travelling in style aboard a luxury sailboat

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Appease your appetite for good food and high culture amid the galleries and restaurants of romantic Florence

Oberammergau: Great for Groups Occurring just once a decade, the historic Passion Play of Oberammergau is the rarest of rare treats — and it’s also, as luck would have it, the perfect example of how we can tailor a tour around your specific interests or travel goals. With the Passion Play as your tour’s headliner, there’s plenty of room for the supporting acts of your choice.

Why not take advantage of the narrow stretch of Austria between borders and head into Italy? The historic Veneto region, with its canals and Counts’ abodes; the glamorous lakeside villas and glorious gardens of Como and Garda; it all beckons. Or why not take the opportunity to delve deeper into beautiful Bavaria itself, a land of fairytale turreted castles and breathtaking mountain scenery (not to mention, if you time it just right, the venerable Oktoberfest)? Head to p.90 to find out more...

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

We’ve put so much thought into the way we craft your private group holiday. There are lots of factors, but no matter your needs, rest assured we’ll be able to combine them into your perfect tour.

Group Size

Room and Board

A family of five, a club of fifty, or anything in between — no matter the number, we’ll find the restaurants and hotels that offer the perfect fit.

5* luxury accommodation and pre-dinner drinks or rustic hotels and independent meals? You decide on the particulars, and we’ll factor it all in to your total.

Tour Destination

All Inclusive

Let us know where you’d like to stay, and for how many days, and we’ll see what we can do. Weekend in London? Three-week Caribbean jaunt? Sorted.

All site and garden visits included, or a pick-and-mix of optional excursions — just how much you’d like to cover in the cost of your tour is up to you.

Transport

Near or Far

Plane, train, or coach — how will you get to your destination? We figure out the cost and itinerary implications so you can make an informed choice.

When sorting your visa, or even finding your nearest coach stop, we’ll see how elements of the far-flung or the familiar will shape your final itinerary.

Get in Touch and Get Started Earlier this year, we put together the perfect tool for prospective group travellers: our Private Groups brochure. To request your copy, pay a visit to brightwaterholidays.com/brochure-request and fill out our short form.

Then, once the pages have been pored over and the inspiration is flowing, give our friendly Private Groups Manager a call on 01334 657155, or send an

“Many thanks for organising our tour to the Netherlands. It was such a success and enjoyed by all.”

email to groups@brightwaterholidays.com to get things started.

No matter what stage of planning you’re in, our team will be able to take what you have and run with it, working with you at every step. And that’s it — just two steps to get your dream holiday in the works.

What are you waiting for?

“Fantastic trip to Normandy — happy customers and a great tour manager in Michael Gill. How did you arrange such brilliant weather?”

ANGELA EDGINGTON

GARETH JAMES

NZWA

KEW HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Scenic Scottish Tours There are islands with Nordic pasts and islands with wave-lapped castles; islands to inspire overtures and islands for aspiring Attenboroughs; islands with white-sand beaches and islands with snow-capped peaks.

Whatever you’re looking for in a holiday, the chances are that you’ll find it just off the coast of bonny Scotland. Don’t believe us? Keep reading, and be amazed.

For the adventurous, there are trips to the abandoned archipelago of St Kilda, journeys into the echoing sea caves of Staffa, and tales of mystery and murder in the shadow of Goat Fell. For all, glorious gardens, grand homes, and the great outdoors (rounded off with a warming dram or two) are there in abundance — heed the call, and join us in the isles.

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

A Grand Tour of Scotland

Departures 6 June, 2018 Please get in touch for quotes on rail travel or connecting flights 10 days from £2,495 Single room supplement £355

What’s included Transfers

Coach drop-offs at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports on Day 10

Hotels

Whether you’ve lived in Scotland all your life or you’re yet to have the pleasure of visiting, there’s always more to explore, with secrets to surprise even the most seasoned visitor — and this Grand Tour is the perfect way to discover them for yourself. Fàilte gu Alba!

Go on the trail of folk heroes, film sets, holy grails and mythical monsters on this awe-inspiring, all-encompassing, Grand Tour of Scotland, perhaps our biggest and best Grand Tour yet.

Designed with the first-time traveller in mind, this gateway getaway brings together everything you’d expect to find in Scotland — and a whole lot of things that you wouldn’t — in one perfect package. World-famous wonders are represented in full force: the Royal Yacht Britannia, the legendary Loch Ness, the iconic Edinburgh Castle, and the esteemed Kelvingrove Museum.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of opportunities for surprise and delight:

our scenic two-hour cruise on the scenic Loch Lomond, in the heart of the beautiful National Park, on the trail of infamous outlaw Rob Roy; our trip to the Dallas Dhu Distillery, a frozen-intime testament to centuries-old methods of whisky-making; and our carefullycurated, locally-sourced Taste of Scotland dinner at the Amber Restaurant.

And the best way to see it all? Luckily, we don’t have to choose just one. By steam train through breathtaking mountain scenery; by coach to chocolate-box Highland villages; by ferry, gliding over waters clearer and more blue than you’d ever think you could find in the British Isles — on this very grandest of Grand Tours, we’ve got it all covered.

Nine nights: three in Edinburgh; one in Dunkeld; two in Inverness; one in Portree; two in Oban

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Scotland including Edinburgh Castle, Holyroodhouse, Royal Yacht Britannia, Culloden, Cawdor Castle, Loch Ness and the Kelvingrove Museum

Meals All breakfasts; seven lunches; nine dinners with wine, including one following our Whisky Experience, and one at a seafood restaurant in Oban

Staff Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Follow the trail of folk hero and outlaw Rob Roy on the unique Rob Roy Discovery Cruise. As we glide across the beautiful Loch Lomond, listen to live commentary about Scotland’s most celebrated outlaw, with a warming whisky coffee in hand.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Up Helly Aa

Departures 29 January, 2018 (coach/ferry)

6 days from £925 Single room supplement: on application

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

A January getaway to the remote Shetland Isles is shorthand for peace and quiet, right? Well, not exactly, because for one day in the first month of the year, as darkness falls and the temperature drops, on the sleepy streets of Lerwick, things are just starting to heat up...

As the sun sinks below the horizon, the usually sleepy Shetlands town of Lerwick is lit with an uncanny orange glow, and a host of strange shadows dance on the walls. Are those horn-helmeted Vikings you see making their way through the streets? And are those flaming torches they’re carrying aloft?

Right, and right again. This is Up Helly Aa, a once-yearly celebration that sees the chill and darkness of winter cast out in a flurry of rousing songs and crackling flames. On this perennially popular tour, quite unlike any other, we take the rare and wonderful opportunity to witness these unique festivities first hand, and even to join in, should we wish!

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But this unique festival isn’t the only bit of Shetlands history we’re celebrating — far from it! You can hardly turn a corner on these isles without stumbling on some archaeological gem or Second World War site, and we intend to do just that.

Join us at Jarlshof, where three acres of remains take us back to the days of the Stone Age; Scalloway, where we learn of the courageous Norwegian Resistance and the wartime exploits of the ‘Shetland Bus’; and Sumburgh Head, Eshaness, and Saxavord Hill for spectacular views.

Charming Shetland is the perfect place for an unusually uplifting winter break, so book yours today for a delightfully different start to 2018.

Hotels

Five nights: two aboard Serco Northlink Ferries; three at Moorfield Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Three full-day tours of mainland Shetland, Yell and Unst; visit to Jarlshof; full day at Up Helly Aa festival

Meals All breakfasts; five dinners

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Enjoy a full day at leisure in Lerwick on the day of Up Helly Aa. You can join in with as much or as little, of the festivities as you like — just be sure to keep a watchful eye out for bands of marauding 'guizers'!

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides

Departures 25 March*, 6 May, 13 May, 27 May, 3 June, 10 June, 24 June, 15 July, 12 August, 26 August and 9 September, 2018 (by coach/ferry)

6 days from £995 Single room supplement from £175

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

This extended tour of the Hebrides has proved extremely popular, offering as it does a unique opportunity to travel the length and breadth of the Western Isles. Our grand tour takes in all the beauty and diversity of this very special environment with ten different islands to explore.

On this outer Hebridean odyssey, our two comfortable bases ensure that this holiday is as relaxing as possible while at the same time offering great variety and the sense of a true journey of discovery which will live long in the memory.

Our journey begins with the ferry crossing from Ullapool to Stornoway.

From our base here at the comfortable Cabarfeidh Hotel we explore the rolling moorland of Lewis, with visits to the remarkable Standing Stones of Callanish, the tranquil little Norse Mill at Shawbost and the distinctive Black Houses at Gearannan.

A captivating journey follows as we travel south through the magnificent

mountain scenery of Harris and by ferry to North Uist, continuing via the causeways that link the islands of Benbecula, South Uist and Eriskay, pausing every now and then to admire the sensational scenery of mountain, moor and machair.

Hotels

Five nights: two nights at the 4* Cabarfeidh Hotel; three nights at the 3* Isle of Barra Beach Hotel (*Dark Island Hotel on 25 March departure)

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Visits to Standing Stones of Callanish, Black Houses of Gearannan, the Norse Mill, Harris, Eriskay, Kisimul Castle and Cockleshell Beach

Meals

Another short ferry crossing takes us over to the Isle of Barra and the hotel of that name, with its outstanding location on Tangasdale Beach and simply stunning ocean views.

All breakfasts; five lunches; five dinners with wine

We visit Kisimul Castle and the neighbouring island of Vatersay with its fantastic sandy beaches and have a day to relax and soak up the island atmosphere before returning by ferry to Oban.

For an even grander tour, you can extend your holiday by linking up in Oban with our Mull, Staffa & Iona tour (p.16). See our website brightwaterholidays.com for full details.

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Arran: Scotland in Miniature

Departures 21 May, 25 June & 27 August, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £595 No single room supplement!

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

Separated into Highland and Lowland, geographically and ecologically diverse, and brimming with history — the Isle of Arran has more in common with the mainland than you might think. The big difference is its size, with all of its charms squeezed into one bijou package.

Tiny towns, impressive castles, imposing mountains, idyllic bays — if we had to name the one place that best encompasses Scotland’s many and disparate charms, it would surely be this.

Allow us to introduce the wonderful Isle of Arran, or as it’s popularly (and aptly) known, ‘Scotland in Miniature’.

On Arran, picturesque villages show a way of life that still revolves around the sea — such as Sannox with its curving beach and Corrie with its quaint twin harbours. The borrowed landscape of these seaside spots feels equally wild, as they sit in the shadow of the impressive Goat Fell, itself giving way to wide expanses just waiting to be explored.

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There are traces of those that have come before too — in the unique windows of Catacol’s ‘Twelve Apostles’ fishermen’s cottages, for example; and in the etymology of towns like Whiting — or ‘Viking’ — Bay. We also explore Arran’s Victorian legacy in the grounds of Brodick Castle — its walled gardens, woodland walks, and ravishing rhododendrons are truly a joy to behold.

Between these engaging visits, there is ample time to spend at leisure as you wish. Why not join our optional excursion to the beautiful, southerly Isle of Gigha; visit the legendary King’s Caves, or simply take it easy? The choice is all yours...

Hotels

Four nights at the 3* Best Western Kinloch Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Full-day circular tour of the Isle of Arran; visits to the Isle of Arran Distillery and gardens of Brodick Castle (Optional Gigha excursion not included)

Meals All breakfasts; one lunch; four dinners with wine; whisky tasting at Isle of Arran Distillery

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Join us on an optional excursion to the isle of Gigha, an often (unfairly) overlooked gem of silvery beaches and beautiful bays. Once here, we visit Achamore Gardens — brainchild of Sir James Horlick— where lunch is included.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Autumn Tints of Arran

Departures 18 October, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £435 No single supplement!

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from mainland

At no time are we more assured of Arran’s beauty than in the autumn months, when its wild woods and wide open heaths are all aflame in a riot of red and gold foliage. Just add impressive castles, imposing mountains, and idyllic bays for a truly unforgettable trip.

“The view of Arran as one approaches is magnificent. A ring of yellow sand runs around the greater portion of the island, behind which rise up sloping green braes and dark fir forests. It might have been some enchanted island which floated upon the calm azure sea.”

So wrote Arthur Conan Doyle in Arran in Autumn, his 1885 article for The British Journal of Photography — and we have to say, surprisingly little has changed since then. The Isle of Arran, known popularly as ‘Scotland in Miniature’, is just as beautiful today. And in the autumn, it’s nothing short of transcendent.

At the always-impressive Brodick Castle, the sandstone walls seem to be lit from

within by late-in-the-year sunshine, and the trees that call its gardens home don their bright autumn cloaks. Around the island’s rugged coast, the profusion of small villages often compared to ‘jewels on a necklace’ invite us in to explore.

And explore we will, on a full-day circular tour taking in the island in all its glory. Pass under the shadow of the unmistakable Goat Fell, through scenery of granite peaks and deep glens, and past lush and rolling farmland. Get to know the ‘12 Apostles’, learn the Norse origins of Whiting Bay, and trace the distinctive curve of Sannox’s picturesque bay. Then when it’s all over, settle in at our lovely hotel, complete with heated pool to help thaw those chilly extremities. Bliss.

Hotels

Three nights at the 3* Best Western Kinloch Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Visit to the gardens of Brodick Castle; full-day circular tour of Arran including Blackwaterfoot, Whiting Bay, Lamlash, Brodick, Corrie and Sannox

Meals All breakfasts; three dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Enjoy a full morning of exploration at the extensive gardens of Brodick Castle, complete with woodland garden — where we recommend keeping an eye out for red squirrels! — and delightful Bavarian summer house.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Mull, Staffa & Iona

Departures 18 May, 15 June, 17 August & 14 September, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 4 days from £750 Single room supplement £90

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

Tranquil Iona, awe-inspiring Staffa, rugged Mull — we like to think that between them, these wildly different islands represent the very best of the Inner Hebrides. Join us for a tour of caves, castles, and colourful towns, and you’ll sure to find that good things really do come in threes!

You want to see what the Inner Hebrides has to offer, but with thirty six inhabited islands, where do you start? Well, we think this carefully-curated offering of Hebridean beauties makes for a very good introduction indeed.

As we set foot on the isle of Iona, the ‘cradle of Christianity’, the atmosphere transforms to a sacred hush. Once here, we enjoy free rein to explore — why not take a look inside the famous Abbey, or take a walk to the intriguingly-named Bay at the Back of the Ocean?

Arrivals on Mull are greeted, by contrast, with the bright and bustling sight of Tobermory, with its colourful waterfront houses, shops and taverns. Go just a

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little further and you’ll even encounter ancient castles and craggy, imposing mountain ranges.

Staffa has served as a source of inspiration for many — Mendelssohn, Turner, Keats, Wordsworth, Tennyson, Scott... and that’s just the artists. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert also fell in love with the island during their royal visit of 1847. In the midst of natural wonders such as Fingal’s Cave, adoration is easy to find. Even our return journey home involves some of the most magical beauty spots in the country.

So what are you waiting for? Join us on tour and see for yourself that the Inner Hebrides are simply out of this world.

Hotels

Three nights at the 3* Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Visits to Iona and Duart Castle; wildlife cruise from Tobermory to Staffa and the Treshnish Isles

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Extend your Hebridean adventure by joining us a few days earlier on our Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides (p.13). See our website brightwaterholidays.com for full details.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Islay & Jura

Departures 2 April, 4 June & 10 September, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £995 Single room supplement £80

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

Exploring Islay and Jura is a study in contrasts: Islay’s verdant fertility plays off against Jura’s mountainous sobriety; the former’s contented bustle underscores the latter’s wild mystery. But these Hebridean cousins also have much in common, as we find out on tour...

With nine working whisky distilleries between them, boundless beautiful beaches, and an abundance of worldclass heritage sites, these neighbouring islands are more alike than different.

taking in the island’s fine gardens and sandy beaches.

Still, Islay, an island well-known for its whisky and seabirds, is rightly called ‘The Queen of the Hebrides’. Jura, meanwhile, is perhaps best summed up by the slogan describing its favourite liquid gold export: ‘The Isle of the Unexpected’.

The rest of the tour involves a series of experiences that we feel distill the essence of these idiosyncratic isles. Take a trip to Loch Finlaggan, historic site of the ‘Lordship of the Isles’, then head out to Loch Gruinart RSPB Nature Reserve with the hope of spotting the rare redbilled chough; or perhaps even migrant barnacle geese flying in from Greenland.

Whatever you decide to call them, we think that the best way to discover these beautiful islands is up to you — spend your third day at leisure, or join our optional excursion to nearby Colonsay for the opportunity to visit Kiloran Bay,

Of course, no visit to these two whiskyproducing wonders would be complete without a trip to at least one distillery: Bowmore, to be exact, where we enjoy a guided tour and take in a wee dram or two along the way...

Hotels

Four nights at the family-run Port Askaig Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Visits to Bowmore Distillery, Loch Finlaggan, Museum of Islay Life, Loch Gruinart RSPB Reserve and village of Craighouse; scenic tour of Jura

Meals All breakfasts; one lunch (two if taking optional Colonsay excursion); four dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Pay a visit to the artisans at Bowmore Distillery, and see for yourself how their celebrated single malt is made — by hand, no less! Of course, we couldn’t be expected to leave without making a few quality checks of our own...

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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St Kilda:

What’s included

Voyage to the Edge of the World

Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

Hotels

Three nights at the 4* Cabarfeidh Hotel, Stornoway

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

The St Kilda archipelago forms the most remote part of the British Isles — its profound isolation and unearthly landscapes have to be seen to be believed.

On approach, St Kilda’s craggy profile lends it an air of mystery more befitting to the setting of a fantasy novel than a guided tour. We’re hardly going to let that stop us though.

The archipelago is best-known for the evacuation of its remaining inhabitants in 1930 after a long and devastating struggle for survival, and today is a spectacular national nature reserve as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Join us for a truly one-of-a-kind, off-the-beaten-track adventure.

Shetland & its Outer Isles

Visit to St Kilda and scenic tours of Harris and Lewis, including Standing Stones of Callanish

Meals All breakfasts; one lunch; three dinners with wine

Staff Services of a driver/guide

4 days from £995 Single room supplement £90

Extra Extra...

Relish in the rare opportunity to explore the abandoned St Kilda and learn about its history, both on the archipelago itself and through a DVD showing at our hotel.

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

Hotels

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

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Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

Transfers

Travel

Shetland’s status as a relative newcomer to the British Isles might go some way to explaining its uncanny, unfamiliar, yet wildly beautiful air. Relics of former Scandinavian rule abound, from place names with a distinct Nordic flavour to remarkable settlements and grisly legends. But forget the Viking leaders for a moment — today, nature is the true king here, with rocky outcrops ruled by harbour seals and storm petrels, and, very occasionally, stirringly beautiful, enigmatic orca breaking the surface of the water.

9 May & 6 June, 2018 (by coach/ferry)

What’s included

Four nights: two nights aboard the Northlink ferry; two nights at the historic Busta House Hotel

Once the seat of Northmen, who travelled from Norway to make their mark, Shetland and the Outer Isles are a soul-stirring joy to behold and explore.

Departures

Visits to sites on Mousa, Yell, Unst and mainland; half-day wildlife cruise to cliffs of Noss

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 16 July, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

5 days from £995 Single room supplement £240

Extra Extra...

Take the chance to catch a glimpse of some of the species who call the Outer Isles home on a half-day wildlife cruise to the rugged cliffs of Noss.

A Grand Tour of the Inner Hebrides

Departures 22 July, 19 August and 16 September, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 7 days from £1,495 Single room supplement £120

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

Gentler, lusher, and less wild than their Outer cousins, the Inner Hebrides still have more than their fair share to offer travellers — the sheer drama of sea caves and castles, the friendly warmth of locals, and more than a hint of myth and magic, to name just a few of its charms.

From rocky coasts to glassy lochs, there’s much to be discovered on a Grand Tour of this wonderful, westerly archipelago.

Attempting to sum up the appeal of a landscape in one word might seem foolhardy, but if pressed, we think that ‘inspiring’ just might cover it for the Inner Hebrides. After all, it was here that Mendelssohn was moved to write his Hebridean Overture, and it is here that countless artists, craftspeople and artisans make their living today, many selling their wares from Tobermory’s colourful seafront.

But don’t just take our word for it — on our Grand Tour, you can see it all for yourself: from the natural splendour of

Fingal’s Cave to the sacred tranquility of Iona. These two sites alone speak volumes about these islands’ influence in myth and legend: while the former is named for the eponymous hero of James Macpherson’s epic poem, the latter is the burial place of the real King Macbeth, the inspiration behind Shakespeare’s Scottish Play.

But for every fantastical touch that abounds on these islands, there is just as much in the material world to delight and amaze their visitors. See wonderful wildlife — including otters, seals, puffins and guillemots — off the rocky coast of Staffa; take a guided tour of Bowmore Distillery; delve into the depths of Duart Castle, and much, much more besides.

Hotels

Six nights: three nights at the 3* Isle of Mull Hotel, Craignure; three nights at the Port Askaig Hotel, Islay

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Visits to Iona, Islay, Duart Castle, Loch Finlaggan Visitor Centre, Bowmore Distillery, Loch Gruinart RSPB Reserve and Craighouse; wildlife cruise to Treshnish Isles and Staffa

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; six dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Set sail on a six-hour scenic cruise out of Tobermory’s colourful harbour. We head first to Staffa, and then to the Treshnish Isles where, in July, we can hope to spot a few puffins!

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Highlights of Orkney & Shetland

Departures 5 May, 2 June, 7 July, 18 August and 15 September, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 6 days from £1,395 Single room supplement £350

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

History and heritage, local culture and landscapes, wonderful wildlife... high-achieving Orkney and Shetland do an awful lot extremely well indeed. We thought it only right to celebrate the wonders they contain with a carefully curated tour of their very best bits. Why not join us?

Orkney and Shetland are unique in many ways. For one, they possess a tangible magic quite separate to that of the mainland — an impression felt as soon as you slip its bonds. For another, they seem to encompass a truly astounding breadth of time, from prehistoric to present.

On this tour we take it all in, from the standing stones of Brodgar and Stenness, mysterious remnants of Orkney’s Neolithic past, to the Churchill Barriers, constructed in response to the U-boat attacks of World War Two. In between the two we find traces of the Vikings, former kings of Scotland’s Northern Isles. Visit Tingwall Valley, both a physical and etymological

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remainder of Nordic rule — its Old Norse name, Þingvöllr, translates as ‘Field of the Thing Assembly’ — and Kirkwall, with its 12th-century St Magnus Cathedral, dedicated to the town’s Norwegian founder, Earl Magnus Erlendsson.

There’s also the matter of natural majesty, which these islands have in spades: see where colonies of seabirds crowd the rocky coast at Sumburgh Head, and how the craggy cliffs plunge straight into the waves at Eshaness.

It takes a very special vantage point to be able to fully absorb these islands’ majesty, however. A couple of evenings on a ferry floating atop the quiet North Sea ought to do it...

Hotels

Five nights: two nights aboard the Northlink ferry; one night at the historic Busta House Hotel; two nights at the 3* Kirkwall Hotel, Kirkwall

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Visits to Eshaness, Tingwall Valley, Scalloway (inc. castle), Sumburgh Head, Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel; full-day tour of Orkney

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

See the sights on a full-day tour of mainland Orkney, taking in incredible archaeological spots including the great stone circles of Brodgar and Stenness, Maeshowe, and Skara Brae.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

A Classic Scottish Steam Break

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels

Three nights at the comfortable Arrochar Hotel

Departures Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout; trips as stated below

Visits

This tour takes us back to the heady days of the era of steam, as we journey by track and tide through some of Scotland’s most picturesque landscapes.

Ever wanted to see Britain’s highest mountain? Its shortest river? How about the deepest freshwater loch in Europe? On our Classic Scottish Steam Break, you can. The experiences to be had on this tour run from country-wide superlatives to global exclusives, including a ride on the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer and one of the longest steam-hauled rail journeys in Britain. With this in mind, we hope you’ll forgive us if we find it difficult to pin down just one highlight!

Journeys on Jacobite Steam Railway, PS Waverley and SS Sir Walter Scott; visits to Falkirk Wheel, Mallaig and Lomond Shores

14 June, 19 July, 23 August and 11 October, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 4 days from £595 Single room supplement £90

Meals

Extra Extra...

All breakfasts; one lunch; three dinners with wine; Champagne and chocolates aboard the Jacobite

All aboard the Jacobite steam train for a scenic journey from Fort William to Mallaig. For an extra touch of luxury, we will lay on complimentary Champagne and chocolates on our return leg. Cheers!

Staff

Professional tour manager

What’s included

Scenic Scottish Railways

Transfers Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels

Three nights at the 3* Best Western Inverness Palace Hotel and Spa

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Craggy mountains, sparkling lochs, and startling vistas: the Scottish landscape seems almost as if it were specially engineered for travels by track.

A gently rocking carriage, a continuous reassuring chug and a reedy whistle, the unmistakable smell of smoke — a trip by train is a trip for all the senses. When that trip is taken through the breathtaking landscape of the Cairngorms and along Scotland’s northwest coast, it quickly takes a turn for the unforgettable. We discover this beautiful part of the British Isles on a series of journeys by coach and rail, taking in Victorian spa villages, royal burghs, and Highland towns, all in the most scenic fashion possible — naturally!

Trips on the Strathspey Railway and Jacobite; coastal coach tour; guided tour of Eilean Donan

Meals

Departures 8 June & 6 July, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £745 Single room supplement £300

All breakfasts; one lunch; three dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Of all the scheduled stops on this steam spectacular, our favourite has to be Dunkeld — take the opportunity for photos at this attractive Highland station with traditional semaphore signals.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Undiscovered Orkney

Departures 30 June, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

5 days from £1,095 Single room supplement £150

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

Ten thousand years of human history set in unfathomably ancient landscapes, wide expanses populated just as much by wonderful wildlife as by people — for all that we know about the Northern Isles, there’s still so much more to discover. But don’t just take our word for it...

Ancient brochs, remarkably intact and lapped by crystalline seas; Neolithic chambered graves dug into lush and fertile ground; ruined Medieval castles an almost ghostly marker on the landscape; monumental henges presiding over sparkling lochs — on Orkney, the distant past is an inescapable presence.

It’s not all about the ancients, though.

As for more recent happenings, our tour sees us learn the dramatic story of the scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow, commemorated at the solemn Lyness Naval Base and Naval Cemetery, and the Martello tower at Hackness.

But for all the history that has been packed into this archipelago, there is just

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as much excitement to be gained from Orkney’s more recent endeavours.

We head to Highland Park Distillery for a sneak peek at the production of one of Scotland’s most beloved exports — the perfect opportunity, we think, to see if you agree with their beautifully honeyed Single Malt being christened three-times ‘Best Spirit in the World’ — and to the pioneering Pier Arts Centre, begun with a single founding gift “to the people of Orkney” in 1979.

From the very moment one sets foot on Orkney, its plentiful charms are apparent. But look a little closer, and you never know what you might find...

Hotels

Four nights at the 3* Kirkwall Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Full-day tours of the islands of Westray and Hoy; visits to Maeshowe, Skara Brae, Stenness, Stromness and Highland Park Distillery

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Spend an afternoon at the awardwinning 18th-century Highland Park Distillery, complete with tour and tasting. With titles like ‘Ragnvald’ and ‘Thorfinn’, its spirits give a real sense of these islands’ Nordic past.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Skye & the Summer Isles

Departures 17 May, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

7 days from £1,395 Single room supplement £195

What’s included Transfers

Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

Can any two place names evoke the joys of Scotland’s great outdoors more succinctly than Skye and the Summer Isles? The former, where mist-wreathed mountain peaks punctuate the landscape, is pure drama.

The latter? Pure charm. Join us on tour and get to know them both.

To think of Skye and the Summer Isles is to conjure up visions of vast and open landscapes, welcoming locals, blossoming gardens, and an almost limitless clarity of light. But the beauty of these destinations goes well beyond anything words alone can describe: for a real taste of the sublime, you simply must come and visit them for yourself.

Queen’, with the chance of spying a shy grey seal at the surface. The breathtaking scenery of Corrieshalloch Gorge, and the thunderous Falls of Measach, the dramatic culmination of the river that carved it. The lush sub-tropical eden of Inverewe Gardens, where we are at leisure to admire plush rhododendrons and constellations of olearia.

Calming coastlines, remote reserves, brilliant black mountains and romantic boat rides are all there for us to enjoy first-hand, creating extraordinary experiences and memories that are sure to last a lifetime.

With a population of just five people between them, the Summer Isles can feel wild, isolated, and utterly thrilling to the first-time visitor. Skye, while the largest of the Inner Hebrides, still revels in the sense of being far-flung from the rest of the world. Bring both together, and you have the makings of an unforgettable trip.

Take, for example, a sunlit morning cruise aboard the fittingly regal ‘Summer

Hotels

Six nights: three nights at the 3* Royal Hotel, Ullapool; three nights at a comfortable hotel in Skye

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Visits to Handa, Eilean Bàn, Dunvegan Castle, Inverewe House & Gardens, Aros Centre, Armadale Castle and Museum of the Isles; half-day tour of Raasay; Summer Isles Cruise

Meals All breakfasts; three lunches; six dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Enjoy a leisurely late morning on the small isle of Handa, with three hours at our disposal to explore the archaeological remains and say hello to the local wildlife.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Walking in the Outer Hebrides

What’s included Transfers Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels

Five nights: three at the 4* Cabarfeidh Hotel; two at the family-run Harris Hotel

Mobility

A reasonable level of mobility is required to enjoy this tour to its fullest

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

In the Western Isles, scenic walks reveal a profusion of landmark sites and unforgettable views to surprise even the most seasoned rambler.

There are many ways to see this wild and wonderful archipelago, but this is the first time we’ve done it on foot!

Strap on your favourite boots, and join us on some of the British Isles’ most breathtaking routes, crossing landscapes of peaceful lochs, stunning ruins, charming towns, quaint crofting houses, bustling harbours, and even the Hebrides’ answer to Stonehenge. Like-minded company, well-paced walks, and stunning views — what more could you want?

10 May, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

Visits

Visits to Dun Carloway Broch, Callanish, Black Houses at Gearrannan, Stornoway, Tarbert and Luskentyre Beach; seven walks each up to to seven miles

Meals

All breakfasts; four lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff

Walking guide

6 days from £1,295 Single room supplement £220

Extra Extra...

Explore the fascinating stories, as well as the breathtaking landscapes, of the historic Outer Hebrides at ancient settlements and stone circles.

What’s included

Walking & Painting in Orkney & Shetland

Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry from mainland

Hotels

Five nights: two on Serco Northlink Ferries; one at the Busta House Hotel; two at the Kirkwall Hotel

I n Pa rtn ers hip wit h

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Mobility

For painterly perfection and winning walks, look no further than Orkney and Shetland, the striking isles offering a double whammy of style and substance.

There are few places in the British Isles that so endear themselves to artists and amblers as Orkney and Shetland.

Here in Scotland’s Northern Isles, an abundance of aweinspiring sites and breathtaking walks — in both senses of the word — ensure this new tour will become a firm favourites.

Whether you’re a walker or a painter, there are some things we can all agree on — one: the quaint charms of Lerwick as we explore at our leisure, and two: the pure pleasure of putting our feet up after dinner!

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Departures

A reasonable level of mobility is required to enjoy this tour to its fullest

Departures 21 April, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangments

Visits

Visits across Orkney and Shetland; five walks of up to six miles each

Meals All breakfasts; three lunches; five dinners

Staff

Walking guide and painting tutor

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

6 days from £1,795 Single room supplement £350

Extra Extra...

Painters and walkers alike can enjoy the best of both worlds on our Hamnavoe Circular walk, with sandy beaches and walkways ablaze with wildflowers.

In the Footsteps of Robert Burns

Departures 24 January, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £795 Single room supplement £150

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points throughout Scotland

Burns Night comes but once a year, and when it does, it goes without saying that we at Brightwater need no excuse to get involved. Neeps, tatties, whisky, haggis, and poetry by the plateful: what better way to celebrate the joys of Scotland — and, of course, its best-loved bard?

This fantastic four-day tour charts the life and times of the brilliant Robert Burns, peerless poet of the lowlands, through the beautiful pastoral settings that inspired him. Basing ourselves in the west Scottish countryside, we follow in Burns’ fascinating footsteps, from his humble Ayrshire beginnings in 1759, to the poet’s untimely death in Dumfries at the end of the 18th century.

A fervent collector of folk songs and tales, no-one has done more to preserve Scotland’s heritage — nor, dare we say it, to promote the country’s haggises! Join us to discover the man behind the legacy, stepping into the sites that spurred him on to write such great works as Tam o’Shanter, To A Mouse, and A Red, Red

Rose. Imagine the rousing dances and debates that took place in his co-founded club, read the original lines of his cherished manuscripts, and even sip a wee dram or two at the poet’s favourite pub, Dumfries’ the Globe Inn. Within just 47 years, Burns transformed the landscape of Scottish literature forever. Come along with us to Ayrshire and be immersed in the legacy of the world’s most celebrated Scot — who knows, a visit to the farm whose tranquil surroundings influenced Burns’ nature poems, or to the extensive collections of the Mitchell Library, might even inspire some of the aspiring bards in our group to poetic greatness!

Hotels

Three nights at a 4* hotel in the Ayr/Troon area

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits Visits to Burns House Museum, Bachelors' Club, Birthplace Museum, Rozelle House, Ellisland Farm, Robert Burns' House Museum and Robert Burns' Burial Site; talk in the Burns Room at the Mitchell Library

Meals

All breakfasts; three lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Raise a glass to the man himself — we enjoy a lunch and tutored tasting of local whiskies at the bard's favourite haunt, the historic Globe Inn.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Archaeology & Special Interest Tours Binoculars, opera glasses, a pair of walking boots, a pair of knitting needles, a book of poetry, a nosing glass — what do these things have in common?

Well, if you said “nothing”, you’d be absolutely right. But, as is the case in many a world-class collection, the charm in our Special Interest tours lies not in the things they have in common, but in what makes them unique.

For the wanderers, we have our wonderful walking tours; for the steam aficionados, a series of spectacular trips by rail and sea; for culture vultures, a night (or afternoon) at the opera. Archaeologists, aurora borealis-chasers, whisky fanatics — come along and hop aboard, there’s something for all!

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Chatsworth & Buxton Opera

Northern Lights in Iceland

Opera might be seen as more of an indoor pursuit, but on this elegant excursion, we get to know Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire inside and out, from farmhouses to medieval halls through the picturesque Peak District.

Seeing the Northern Lights is a bucket-list item for many of us, but Aurora Borealis aside, Iceland is chock full of the things! From geothermal dips to moonlit trips, this tour is a Who’s Who of once-in-a-lifetimers.

For lovers of great opera, stately homes, and glorious gardens alike, this is a holiday that hits all the right notes.

It may be the focus of our tour, but the Aurora Borealis is only one of the many natural wonders present in Iceland.

It’s unlikely you’ll find another country with such extensive otherworldly appeal: lunar lava-formed landscapes, thunderous waterfalls, moody geysers and glistening glaciers — and those are just the geological bits!

Look no further for a pitch-perfect picturesque retreat as we wend our way through the spectacular Peak District National Park. For those of the plantsman persuasion, our visit to Felley Priory — with its fully stocked nursery and superb tearooms — is sure to make your heart sing.

But don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten the reason we’re all here!

The Buxton International Festival is the jewel in the crown of this fabulous escape, and (subject to confirmation) we take in not one, but two extra-special matinee performances: Verdi’s Alzira and Mozart’s Idomeneo. Bellissima!

What’s included

What’s included

Transfers

Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points in the south of England

Hotels

Three nights at the 3* Rutland Arms Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Felley Priory, Hardwick Hall, Chatsworth House and Gardens and Haddon Hall; two opera performances

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

On our tour of Reykjavík, the world’s most northerly capital, it becomes clear that even Iceland’s man-made efforts have that same air to them — the cavernous and craggy Lutheran church of Hallgrímskirkja, seemingly more suited to a spot in Middle Earth than the North Atlantic; and the parliamentary buildings of Alþingi, thought to be the oldest parliament in the world. Bucket lists and pencils at the ready...

Return flights London to Reykjavík

Departures 9 July, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £995 Single room supplement £130

Extra Extra...

Take in the wonders of the world-class Buxton International Festival on two afternoon visits, with the chance to see outstanding matinee performances.

Hotels

Four nights: two in Reykjavík; two in Hella

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Reykjavik city tour; visits across Iceland including Þingvellir National Park, Gulfoss Waterfall and Geysirs; full-day tour of south Iceland including a walk behind Seljalandsfoss waterfall

Departures 4 February & 18 November, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £1,995 Single room supplement £220

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

When it comes to extra-special experiences, the Northern Lights are hard to beat. We head to Hella to (hopefully!) see them at their very best.

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Steam over Snowdonia

Steam Trains in the Tyrol

“A land of contrasts”. We’ve read it — and, admittedly, written it — often, but in the case of Wales it couldn’t be more true. Deep valleys and soaring, snow-capped peaks; bustling city and wild country — we see it all.

Think of a typical Austrian scene, and you’re probably thinking of the picturesque Tyrol region. Steep-sided mountains silhouetted against the sky, cosy wooden chalets, maybe even the odd lonely goatherd...

As the most powerful two-foot gauge steam locomotives in the world pull you around impossible bends and up daring gradients, as you wend through the foothills of the fairytale Snowdonia National Park, you realise that this is a holiday unlike any other.

Join us for a rollicking railroad exploration, and get acquainted with the region in style. A scenic cable-car ride whisking you to a mountainside lunch; the gentle clink of glasses (schnapps, naturally) mingling with the chug and whistle of the Zillertal Steam Railway; a quaint cog-railway ride to the shores of Lake Achensee, followed by a serene skip across the surface.

Fans of our Classic Scottish Steam Break are sure to find our Snowdonian sojourn thrilling — we take a ride on the Anderton Boat Lift, a 19th-century precursor of its Scottish cousin the Falkirk Wheel; cross the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a lesser-known but no less impressive or imposing structure than the Glenfinnan Viaduct; and weave our way through the peaks and valleys of jaw-droppingly beautiful landscapes. If you’re a lover of trains, tracks, and all things steam, we warmly invite you to say ‘bore da!’ to our brand new break.

What’s included

What’s included

Transfers

Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points in the south of England

Return flights London to Munich

Hotels

Hotels

Three nights at the 3* Celtic Royal Caernarfon Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Journeys on Llangollen Railway, Welsh Highland Railway, Ffestiniog Railway and Snowdon Mountain Railway; visit to and lift on the Anderton Boat Lift

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

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The journeys, whether by track, by cable, or by water, might be spectacular, but our stops are every bit as stunning. Explore fairytale castles and cavernous cathedrals in Innsbruck, go on the trail of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — or, if you prefer, of a troublesome nun called Maria — in Salzburg, and settle in for a traditional taste of warm, spiced Apfelstrudel in Rattenberg, Tyrol’s smallest town.

Departures 29 July, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 4 days from £695 Single room supplement £130

Extra Extra...

Be queen (or king!) of the castle for the day — enjoy a guided tour of the impressive Caernarfon Castle, which boasts a scenic water-side position.

Five nights at a 4* hotel in the Tyrol

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Zillertal Steam Railway ride, cable car ride and cog railway ride; visits to Ambras Castle and Rattenberg; full-day city tours of Salzburg and Innsbruck

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 31 July, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 6 days from £1,595 Single room supplement £325

Extra Extra...

Choose between a Mozart- or The Sound of Music-themed guided tour on a full-day's excursion to the picturesque town of Salzburg.

A Whisky Tour of the Highlands & Islands

A Whisky Tour of Dornoch & Speyside

For the perfect holiday, take one part stunning scenery, two parts touring and tasting, three parts delicious whisky, and serve chilled. Our suggestion? Serve up with a side of expert guidance and convivial company.

Futuristic distilleries meet ancient fortresses and selections of worldy whiskies meet the quintessentially Scottish loch in Inverness, a place with plenty to offer the wandering whisky aficionado.

A dram of whisky at home, in your very own chair, unfettered by time or outside demands, is a beautiful thing. But sometimes, an adventure can be even better. So why not take your love of whisky on the road with our spectacular tour of Scotland’s Highlands and Islands, bursting with notes of sea spray and mountain air?

What with a host of vertical tastings, laid-back lunches, private cruises, and castle stays, Inverness is the place to go for a tastedbud-tantalising UK stay — whisky-lovers, prepare to be whisked off your feet.

From the Highlands of mainland Scotland to the majestic windswept islands of Mull and Skye, we sip and swirl to our hearts’ content. Visit distilleries at Ardnamurchan and Tullibardine; tantalise your tastebuds with expert-led tastings in the shadow of Ben Nevis and the colourful coast of Tobermory; and enjoy sumptuous Scottish produce at elegant restaurants and modern, laid-back whisky bars.

What’s included

What’s included

Transfers

Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels

Five nights: one in Oban; two in Fort William; one in Lochalsh; one in Perth

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Visits across the Highlands and Islands including Old Inverlochy Castle, Oban, Tullibardine Distillery and Tobermory

Meals All breakfasts; six lunches; five dinners with wine, followed by a whisky

Staff

Professional tour manager

In this whisky-producing region, well-established stalwarts and innovative upstarts share equal kudos, and rightly so. From the proud traditions of Glen Ord and Glenmorangie to the maverick makers of thoroughly modern Knockdhu, the gamut of delicious whiskies is represented. It’s not just about the tastings though.

We walk the halls of historic castles (and even stay in one overnight), see those all-important casks in the making, and take a leisurely cruise on the infamous Loch Ness — nosing glass in hand, naturally.

Departures 21 October, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

6 days from £1,695 Single room supplement £185

Extra Extra...

Take to the lake on a private boat cruise on the the picturesque Loch Linnhe, complete with blind whisky tasting on board and followed by a delicious seafood lunch.

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels

Four nights: two at the 3* Dornoch Castle; two at the 3* Dowans Hotel, Aberlour

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Departures 21 September, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

Visits

Visits to Glen Ord, Glenmorangie and Knockdhu distilleries, Cawdor Castle, Ballindalloch Castle and Garden; Loch Ness cruise

5 days from £1,595 Single room supplement £175

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; four dinners with wine, followed by a whisky

Staff

Professional tour manager

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

Enjoy a delectable introductory dinner and international tasting in the impressive environs of Dornoch Castle, with its beautiful rooms and extensive selection of whiskies.

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Whiskies of Islay & Jura

Walking Hadrian’s Wall

In Partne r s h i p wi th

Youthful? Perhaps. Balanced? Always. Well-rounded?

Oh, yes. Join us for a wee dram — or more — of the ‘water of life’ in its ancestral home, where exciting developments are happening in the world of whisky...

For the intrepid, for the interested, for the Emperor Hadrian! This challenging and enlightening walking holiday brings our surroundings to life, ably assisted by expert archaeologist and keen walker Mark Corney.

As in oenological circles, forays into the world of whisky can be daunting. But our brand new whisky tour is by no means just for the experts — anyone who enjoys partaking of the good stuff will feel right at home. Join us on a journey both geological and sensory as we taste our way through the smoky malts of Islay and the sweet, peaty offerings of the Isle of Jura, as well as navigating the picturesque remote landscapes and scenic channels of Islay and Jura.

Hadrian’s Wall: the final frontier. Well, for around three centuries, anyway, when this coast-to-coast fortification formed the northern border of the sprawling Roman Empire. Today, it is the largest Roman artefact to be found anywhere in the world.

There’ll be premium tours, of course, of distilleries both young and old. There’ll be tutored tastings, where you’ll learn how to swirl, smell, sip and swallow like a pro. And, at the end of the day, there’s a hotel bar stocked with rare and valuable whiskies to return to. Bliss.

Its 73-mile-long path, along which a significant portion of the wall still stands, can still be followed on foot — and that’s precisely what we intend to do! Perhaps most excitingly, this tour does double duty, as one for the walkers and the archaeology-lovers alike. We walk the wall in the company of an expert in Roman archaeology, who will bring its past as a colourful, bustling settlement to life. Beginning at the shore of the Solway Firth, and ending at the fort of Segedunum, this is a true journey of discovery.

What’s included What’s included

Hotels

Eight nights at a series of hand-picked hotels

Transfers

Return coach transfers from Glasgow

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Hotels

Four nights at the 4* Islay House Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching and ferry transfers throughout

Visits

Visits to Kilchoman, Bowmore, Jura, Bruichladdich and Laphraoig Distilleries and the Museum of Islay Life

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; four dinners with wine, followed by a whisky

Staff

Professional tour manager

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Departures 18 June, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £1,995 Single room supplement £525

Extra Extra...

Pick the brains of a local distiller as part of a special Q&A session and tutored tasting in the comfort of our luxurious country house hotel.

Mobility

A reasonable level of mobility is required to enjoy this tour to its fullest

Visits

Visits along the wall including Birdoswald, Carvoran, Vindolanda, Housesteads Fort, Carrawburgh and Segedunum; eight walks of up to thirteen miles each

Meals All breakfasts; nine lunches; eight dinners with wine

Staff

Mark Corney as archaeological expert

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 25 June, 2018 9 days from £1,995 Single room supplement £320

Extra Extra...

Get to the heart of the Hadrian’s Wall story with a visit to the interactive Segedunum Museum, on the site of the former fort.

Walking in Cornwall: The Saints’ Way

Walking in the Peak District

For a saintly schlepp, look no further than our brand new walking tour, taking us through the scenic heart of ‘Kernow’ where the 28-mile Saint’s Way enables us to wind through bucolic countryside and scenic seaside.

Where can you find stately homes, chocolate-box villages, historic mills and remote medieval villages all breathtakingly beautiful scenery? For us, nowhere beats the Peak District for perambulatory perfection.

Seaside scenes rendered in shades of blue; craggy cliffs and wheeling seagulls; green as far as the eye can see, one of the warmest welcomes to be found anywhere in the country — whatever notions you hold about Cornwall, prepare to have them well and truly reinforced.

Bakewell, Derwent, Edge. No, it’s not the world’s strangest word association game (although there are bonus points to be had if you answered “tarts”, “pencils”, or “U2”), it’s our newest itinerary, and it just so happens to take in some of the British Isles’ most scenic spots.

But that’s only the beginning. From the moment we set off from picture-perfect Padstow, the origin of the Saint’s Way, it becomes clear that there’s much more to discover in this neck of the woods. Travel quiet back lanes and leafy tracks to pay visits to magnificent country houses with equally magnificent — and occasionally bonkers — gardens, see scenic wonders made famous by Daphne du Maurier, unlock the region’s fascinating Celtic past, and much more besides.

For the walking enthusiast, the Peak District is hard to top. And so, too, are experiences like being greeted by the spectacular sight of Chatsworth House, nestled in a bend of the river; tracing the tracks of an old railway line by foot, complete with futuristic illuminated tunnels; descending into the wondrous Blue John Cavern; and being absorbed by the story of one of Europe’s greatest disasters at the ancient plague village of Eyam.

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from East Midlands Airport and Nottingham Railway Station

What’s included Hotels

Four nights at the 3* Lanhydrock Hotel

Hotels

Four nights at the 4* Derbyshire Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Mobility

A reasonable level of mobility is required to enjoy this tour to its fullest

Visits

Visits to Pencarrow Gardens, Lanhydrock House and Gardens, Fowey and Marsh Villa; three walks of up to ten miles each

Meals All breakfasts; three lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff

Walking guide

Mobility

Departures 29 April, 2018 5 days from £995 Single room supplement £190

Extra Extra...

Spend a leisurely afternoon exploring the wonderfully varied Pencarrow Gardens, home to everything from an ice house to an Iron Age fort!

A reasonable level of mobility is required to enjoy this tour to its fullest

Visits

Visits to Chatsworth House and Gardens, Haddon Hall, Eyam and Blue John Cavern; four walks of up to ten miles each

Departures 14 September, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £995 Single room supplement £200

Meals All breakfasts; three lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff

Walking guide

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

After an afternoon walk, we are rewarded with a visit to the otherworldly Blue John Cavern, with its abundance of stalactites and stalagmites.

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An Archaeologist’s View of Orkney and Shetland

What’s included Transfers Return coach journeys from pick-up points across Scotland; return ferry transfers from the mainland

Hotels Five nights: two nights aboard Serco Northlink Ferries; one night at the historic Busta House Hotel, two nights at the 3* Kirkwall Hotel

Travel Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits Orkney and Shetland are an archaeologist’s dream: beautiful, isolated archipelagos ringed by the North Sea, blanketed by windswept landscapes, and dotted with the remains of long-gone cultures. Join us on an island-hopping tour, and follow our expert guides as they bring the sites of these ancient isles to life.

Scotland’s Northern Isles are imbued with an allure that’s difficult to pin down. Surrounded by sparkling seas, you get the feeling that you are separated from the mainland by more than just distance — by time itself, in fact. Timelessly stark landscapes, strewn with ruins from a distant Nordic past, go a long way to maintaining this illusion.

Gain a fascinating insight into Stone Age life at Skara Brae, whose everyday objects — the beds, jewellery, and even medicines of inhabitants long gone — paint a telling picture.

Enjoy a unique hands-on experience at the Tomb of the Eagles, where we ponder the still unanswered questions of ancient life in Orkney; and marvel at the complexity of the former Norse settlement at Jarlshof as you consider the Scandinavian chapters of Scotland’s history.

While the human history of these striking archipelagos is our main focus, there’s plenty more to see. Take a free afternoon to wander the lanes of Kirkwall, the vibrant harbour-front capital of Orkney; and walk the rugged cliffs of dramatically craggy Sumburgh Head, soundtracked by the chattering call of resident fulmars. Finally, top it all off with an overnight ferry voyage back to the mainland, the perfect opportunity to look out at the still North Sea under a blanket of stars.

Visits to sites across Orkney and Shetland, including Jarlshof, Churchill Barriers and Tomb of the Eagles

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff Services of an archaeological expert

Extra Extra...

Travel by scenic causeway to South Ronaldsay to marvel at the Tomb of the Eagles and Liddle Burnt Mound, two distinct archaeological sites found by accident by the same local farmer 50 years ago!

Departures 19 May, 9 June & 1 September, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 6 days from £1,495 Single room supplement £350

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Lord of the Glens Cruises

What’s included Transfers Return coach transfers from Inverness to ship

Hotels Five/seven nights aboard MV Lord of the Glens (depending on cruise)

Travel Comfortable coaching during land excursions

Visits “Who on Earth is the Lord of the Glens?”, we hear you ask. Well, in certain circles, including ours, he’s a pretty big deal — 150 feet, to be precise. Join us aboard his luxurious decks for a laid-back cruise experience and a unique perspective on one of the most beautiful corners of the world we have the pleasure to know.

Six/eight day cruise along the beautiful Caledonian Canal including a variety of sites (dependent on cruise, see website)

Meals All breakfasts; all lunches; all dinners

In years past, the Lord of the Glens has proved a popular chap among our guests, and 2018 is sure to be no exception. With 2017 tours selling out faster than you can say “doon ra watter” and more popular demand than you can shake an oar at, you know our canal-going cruise has got to be something special.

Staff Services of a ship director

Don’t just take our word for it though, we prefer to let the sites (and the sights!) speak for themselves. The brooding Urquhart Castle, presiding over the shore of Loch Ness; silent ripples on the cool, glassy surface of Loch Linnhe as we slip under the shadow of Ben Nevis; the cheerful greeting of Tobermory, a postcard come to life with its bright shopfronts, lobster potstrewn jetties and keening seagulls.

Depending on your perfect itinerary, you can choose between two excursions: the six-day Highlands and Islands cruise, or the eight-day Heart of the Highlands cruise. Both are equally wonderful — we’re not biased, promise — but offer something a little different. See our website for the full itineraries.

Whichever trip you choose, unforgettable experiences are guaranteed. Think early-morning excursions to tiny unspoilt islands, receptions with the captain, friendly remote villages and engineering masterpieces — think Lord of the Glens.

Extra Extra...

On both cruises, we are treated to a glittering farewell reception in the company of our captain on our final night aboard the ship. There are many benefits of travelling by boat, but we think this might be right there at the top!

Departures Departures throughout 2018 & 2019 Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 6 days Highland and Islands Cruise from £1,025 8 days Heart of the Highlands Cruise from £1,945 Single cabin supplement on application

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Knitting in Shetland

Lundy and Scenic Journeys of the West Country

Even those who think they know all there is to know about the art of knitting can pick up a thing or two in the scenic Shetland Isles, and we’re not just talking about those pesky dropped stitches...

For a holiday that’s just as much about the journeys as the destinations, you need look no further than lush Lundy and some lovely ladies of the sea: the SS Great Britain and MS Oldenburg, to be precise!

As anyone who’s been lucky enough to visit the Shetland Isles can surely attest, it can get a bit chilly. It should come as no surprise, then, that one of their most famous exports is as warming as the welcome we receive on landing there.

With no roads or cars to travel them, with star-bright nights and no light pollution to compete, it’s a peaceful, unspoilt paradise.

Are we talking about a remote desert island in the vast Indian Ocean? Not quite. This is Lundy, and you can find it just a few miles from the coast of North Devon.

There are workshops aplenty, both starting off our mornings and rounding off our afternoons. These present the perfect opportunity to hone our skills — and perhaps even learn some new ones — under the watchful eye of experienced artisans who make a living selling their wares. But knitting knowledge isn’t the only thing available for us to take home — a visit to the elegant Nielanell Design Studio is the perfect opportunity to pick up a stylish souvenir (whether you gift it or keep it for yourself is up to you, although we recommend the latter).

What’s included

What’s included

Transfers

Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels

Five nights: two nights aboard Serco Northlink Ferries; three nights at the historic Busta House Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits and activities across the Shetland Isles, including three hands-on craft workshops

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

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Reaching this unique little island by boat, we have a few hours ashore to independently enjoy its charms — browse the bijou shops, investigate the old church, take a walk along the rugged coast, soundtracked by the chatter of the seabirds who call it home, and come together for lunch at the island’s only pub.

That’s not all, though — with steam train rides and museum visits, we also have plenty of opportunity to discover Devon itself. What are you waiting for?

Return coach transfers from London, Reading, Swindon and Bristol

Departures 23 September, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 6 days from £1,395 Single room supplement £295

Extra Extra...

Take part in a series of workshops with talented local crafters, including an afternoon learning the art of Shetland hand-knitting.

Hotels

Three nights at the Best Western Tiverton Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Departures 8 June, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

Visits

Visits to the SS Great Britain and Lundy; journeys on West Somerset Railway and Tivertonian horse-barge

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

4 days from £695 Single room supplement £130

Extra Extra...

Dine like a true Lundy local with a special lunch at the Marisco Tavern, ‘the pub that never shuts’ — needs must, as the only pub on the island!

Crafts in India

What’s included Transfers Flights London to Delhi, Delhi to Jaipur and Jaipur to London; train transfers Delhi to Agra

Hotels Seven nights: three at a 4* hotel in Delhi; four at a 4* hotel in Jaipur; two in flight

Travel Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits What do you picture when you picture the bazaars of India? Precise measures of precious spices heaped like miniature dunes? Jewel-like sarees glinting with delicate embroidery? The impossibly intricate peaks and wells of wood-carved wares? If you’re one for the details, then look no further: this is the holiday for you.

Bustling cities and serene temples; dusty back-streets and cavernous white-marble mausoleums; the little things and the bigger picture — when one thinks of India, the word “contrast” will always come to mind, and on this tour, we relish it.

And from the moment we land in New Delhi, you feel it — this is India in all its colourful, cacophonous glory. Whisked away by rickshaw, we take a full-day tour of the city, taking in the oasislike Jama Masjid mosque, the intricate Red Fort, the wonderful National Crafts Museum, and the open-air Dilli Haat bazaar, the perfect opportunity to pick up a hand-crafted souvenir. Then, we venture further — by plane, train and automobile, to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, to Jaipur City Palace and the Mehtab Bagh.

There is no shortage of spectacular sights here.

Not forgetting, of course, that this is first and foremost a tour for the craft-lovers — see wedding sarees embellished by hand with the most delicate beads and glistening threads, take a trip to a working paper factory, enjoy a full-day Blue Pottery workshop under the watchful eye of the experts, and learn textile blockprinting as taught by local Jaipur artisans. On this holiday, there are many things to be made, enjoyed, and brought home with you to spark a future smile — your proudly handmade wares and memories among them.

Visits including Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, Blue Pottery workshop and block-printing workshop

Meals All breakfasts; seven lunches; seven dinners

Staff Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Try your hand at potterymaking and block-printing with immersive full-day workshops taught by skilled local crafters. What better souvenir from a craft holiday than something you've made yourself?

Departures 18 September, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

10 days from £2,995 Single room supplement £495 For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania In Part ne rs hip wit h

Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Roman towns uncannily preserved for thousands of years by the very material that destroyed them, are unlike anywhere else on Earth — and the way we explore them, with special insight and access, is just as unique.

Ask any archaeology enthusiast — or any travel-lover, or history-lover, or anyone, for that matter — and they’re sure to agree that a trip to the ancient town of Pompeii is nothing short of a bucket-list topper.

And why wouldn’t it be? It gives us the gift of unparalleled insight into life in the Roman World with its remarkably well-preserved streets, buildings, and even bodies of those unfortunate enough to be caught in Vesuvius’ pyroclastic flows, frozen forever in shells of hardened ash.

In its capacity as a reminder of the devastating power of nature, and as a passport to the ancient world, it is almost entirely unique — but for the nearby town of Herculaneum, that is. Often unfairly overlooked in favour of its more famous neighbour, Herculaneum is a treasure trove of archaeological finds, waiting to be discovered just off the beaten track.

On this unforgettable excursion, we explore both of these tragic towns, with more depth

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than any other tour provider, thanks in no small part to our expert archaeological lecturers, many of whom have excavated at the site. With us every step of the way, they guide us through the grand villas of the Roman rich, world-class museums and their fascinating exhibits, cavernous underground cisterns which once supplied the entire Bay of Naples, and on breathtaking journeys to serene temples and even to the crater of the mighty Mount Vesuvius itself.

From world-renowned sites to well-kept secrets, this tour rounds up all the incredible experiences to be had across the Roman Bay of Naples into one unforgettable holiday. Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime journey into the ancient world, where you can walk in the footsteps of gladiators, slaves, senators and citizens in incomparable company, and learn more about Ancient Roman life than you ever thought possible.

Extra Extra...

Go behind the scenes and beneath the surface at the Piscina Mirabilis, the world’s largest Roman cistern. At the site, we enjoy special access of the kind only usually available to archaeologists, all thanks to our expert guide.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

What’s included Visits

Transfers Return flights London to Naples

Visits to Paestum inc. museum, National Archaeological Museum, Piscina Mirabilis, Pozzuoli, Stabiae, Villa San Marco, Villa Ariadne, Herculaneum, Villa Regina, Vesuvius and Oplontis

Hotels

Meals

Seven nights at a family-run hotel in a charming medieval village

All breakfasts; eight lunches; seven dinners with wine

Travel

Staff

Comfortable coaching throughout

Services of a professional tour manager and expert Guide Lecturer

Days One & Two

Day Five

On Day One, we arrive in Naples and transfer to our hotel. Beginning our tour in earnest on day two, we drive south to explore the site and museum at Paestum — the temples here are some of the best preserved anywhere in the Greek world.

We go off the beaten track today to the villas of Stabiae, an exclusive Roman resort for the very wealthy. This afternoon we can explore more of Pompeii, or, take time to relax at your own leisure.

Day Three We devote a whole day to Pompeii, visiting some of the best-preserved structures including a theatre, bathhouses, bars and brothels. Many of our guides have excavated at Pompeii and will introduce the latest research shedding light on the site.

Day Four We marvel at the exceptional collections of artefacts at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples, before continuing to Pozzuoli to see the best-preserved basements of any amphitheatre in the world. Finally, we receive special access to the cavernous Piscina Mirabilis at Misenum.

Day Six We visit Herculaneum, the perfectly complement to a visit to Pompeii. We visit another hidden gem of the Bay of Naples this afternoon, a modest farmhouse discovered at Boscoreale, named the Villa Regina, and its fine on-site museum.

Day Seven On our final full day, we ascend the great crater of Vesuvius, to be rewarded with amazing views. We spend the afternoon at the villa at Oplontis, also buried and preserved by the eruption.

Day Eight We return home today.

Departures 2 April, 2018 9 April, 2018 16 April, 2018 30 April, 2018 7 May, 2018 14 May, 2018 21 May, 2018 10 September, 2018 11 September, 2018 17 September, 2018 24 September, 2018 1 October, 2018

2 October, 2018 8 October, 2018 9 October, 2018 15 October, 2018 Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

8 days from £1,995 Single room supplement £185

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Crete Archaeology

Archaeology of Denmark & Sweden

Four thousand years ago, the island of Crete became the home of the first advanced society in Europe: the Minoans. What better place, then, for the archaeology lover to get acquainted with the past?

Join us on a journey of discovery through southern Scandinavia, going on the trail of warriors, commoners and kings. These lands are home to a rich abundance of artefacts, from runestones to ruined ring castles.

Crete — so expansive, so idiosyncratic, with a wild interior and charming towns, that it’s often acknowledged it could be its very own country. And from the moment you set foot on this most striking of islands, we’re sure you’ll find yourself in agreement.

The Nordic lands of Denmark and Sweden are unmistakably Viking country — megaliths and mounds, tales of legendary kings and mysterious stones abound, enabling us to build up a vibrant image of this near-legendary civilisation.

From our base in Rethymnon, a place of uplifting bustle and vibrancy, we’re ideally placed to explore the many archaeological wonders that Crete has to offer — labyrinthine Minoan palaces, including the world-famous Knossos; Bronze Age settlements, and world-class museums filled to the brim with momentous finds. But there is also ample opportunity to focus on the present — slow down, enjoy the heart-warming hospitality, great company, and delectable cuisine, and savour what will surely be a tour to remember.

But it’s not just about the Vikings here — drive the spectacular Øresund Bridge, eponymous star of Scandi noir drama ‘The Bridge’; come face-to-face with the remarkable ‘bog bodies’ of the magnificently preserved Tollund Man and Elling Woman; and explore the personal collections of a brewing dynasty at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Our tour’s unique combination of capitals and castles, standing stones and warships, and some of Europe’s most beautiful landscapes, is truly the stuff that memories are made of.

What’s included

What’s included

Transfers

Transfers

Return flights London to Heraklion

Return flights London to Stockholm; Copenhagen to London

Hotels

Seven nights at the 4* Bio Hotel, Rethymnon

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Crete including Knossos, Gortys and Spinalonga; sightseeing tour of Chania

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; seven dinners with wine

Staff

Services of an archaeological expert

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Hotels

Departures 24 April, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 8 days from £1,495 Single room supplement £245

Extra Extra...

Take to the streets of charming Rethymnon on a walking tour, including a stroll through the municipal gardens and an exploration of the old quarter, with its bustling markets.

Seven nights: two in Uppsala; one in Malmö; two in Copenhagen and two in Aarhus

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits throughout Denmark and Sweden including Anundshög, Jelling and Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.

Meals All breakfasts; eight lunches; four dinners

Staff

Services of an archaeological expert

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 9 July, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 8 days from £1,995 Single room supplement £400

Extra Extra...

Look into the face of prehistoric Denmark at Silkeborg Museum, home to the extraordinarily wellpreserved remains of the ‘Tollund Man’.

Malta’s Archaeological Heritage

Portuguese Archaeology

Malta’s diminutive archipelago is by no means any indication of the vast riches it holds — from the Neolithic to now, they are many and varied, and all out there to be discovered on this very special tour...

Variety, as the old adage goes, is the spice of life — and nowhere is this more true than in Portugal. From the sacred hush of woodlands and ancient sites to rolling rivers and buzzing cities, we take it all in.

Arriving in Malta, with its golden limestone-cliff coasts, lucid seas, beautiful laid-back towns and heart-stirring views, you could be forgiven for thinking that you’ve already seen all there is to see. But take a peek beneath the surface, and no doubt you’ll be astounded by the wealth of wonders to be found there.

Around Portugal’s burgeoning modern cities, rugged coasts and quiet woodlands, you’ll find clues to civilisations who came before. Visit the Almendres Cromlech, where the sun-warmed soil supports 8,000 year old stones; walk the former streets of Conimbriga, an extensive Roman settlement; and marvel at the remains of the Iron Age hill fort at Citânia de Briteiros.

Venture inside the walled citadel of Mdina, explore the warren of narrow tomb-lined passages of St Paul’s Catacombs, and take to the waves for a boat trip around the spectacular cliffs and caverns of the famed Blue Grotto. But most startling of all, perhaps, are the mysterious sites left by civilisations with whom we are just starting to get acquainted — the millennia-old Mnajdra Temples, the megaliths of Ħaġar Qim: these make for a truly unforgettable archaeological expedition.

What’s included

What’s included

Transfers

Transfers

Return flights London to Malta

Return flights London to Lisbon; Porto to London

Hotels

Hotels

Six nights at the 4* Dolmen Resort Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Malta and Gozo, including Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra Temples, Bay of Xlendi and the Blue Grotto

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; six dinners with wine

Staff

Services of a local expert guide

Fast-forward to the Middle Ages — which brought us the charming town of Guimarães and the monumental baroque majesty of the Bom Jesus do Monte sanctuary — and even further to the present, and enjoy all that Portugal’s history has to offer. There’ll also be plenty of time to relax, whether on lazy Douro boat rides or walks in the woods, making for a wonderfully varied getaway.

Departures 6 November, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangments 7 days from £1,395 Single room supplement £150

Extra Extra...

Go subterranean at the ancient underground Catacombs of St Paul, the very earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta.

Seven nights at a variety of hand-picked hotels

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Portugal including Almendres Stone Circle, Anta Grande do Zambujeiro, Igreja de São João, and Palacio Nacional de Sintra

Departures 10 April, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangments 8 days from £1,595 Single room supplement £300

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff

Services of an archaeological expert

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

In Porto, take the opportunity to take to the water on an optional laid-back river ride down the Douro. What better perspective on pastoral Portugal than from the decks?

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Ancient Wonders of Sicily

What’s included

In P art n er s h ip w it h

Transfers Return flights London to Palermo

Hotels Seven nights: two in Palermo; two in Agrigento; three on Ortygia Island

Travel Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Let us introduce you to Sicily: seductively beautiful and perfectly placed in the heart of the Mediterranean.

Discover this fertile prize, coveted by countless cultures including the Phoenicians, Greeks, Normans and Romans, through its remarkable sites, charming cities, and unforgettable landscapes.

On the Mediterranean island of Sicily, variety is undoubtedly the watchword. Around seemingly every corner is a monument to another civilisation who set their sights on Sicily, only to be ousted by the next; one extravagant architectural style jostling with another; another road leading to another remarkable relic — not that we’re complaining, of course.

From the sun-bleached stone of its ruined Greek temples to the golden glint of its Norman mosaics, the opulent turquoise inlay of its cathedral walls to the glassy cerulean depths of its coastal waters, this little island is bursting with treasure.

But although you could be forgiven for thinking so when you first lay eyes on the glittering walls of Monreale Cathedral and the Cappella Palatina, we don’t just mean treasure in the conventional sense. This trip is all about the precious memories and unprecedented experiences.

Take, for example, a private early-evening visit to the Cappella Palatina, to take in its majesty at your leisure; an idyllic boat trip from Ortygia’s grand harbour, arranged just for us; or an exclusive guided tour of Syracuse’s Neapolis Archaeological Park alongside an expert archaeologist, on hand to bring the past to life at a moment’s notice. All this, and more, awaits.

Visits to Monreale Cathedral, Cappella Palatina, Segesta, Selinunte, Agrigento, Piazza Armerina, Neapolis Archaeological Park and Euryalus Castle

Meals All breakfasts; six lunches; seven dinners with wine

Staff Services of a professional tour manager and expert Guide Lecturer

Extra Extra...

Experience Roger II’s Norman Cappella Palatina at its most magical — we are privileged to be invited on a specially arranged private visit, at dusk, to admire its wonders at our own pace. Bellissima.

Departures 20 March & 11 September, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangments 7 days from £1,995 Single room supplement £285

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Relaxed Provence

Albania: Land of the Eagles

I n Pa rtn ership wit h

In Partne r s h i p wi th

When in Provence, do as the Romans do. It might sound strange to the ear, but join us for a relaxed Roman jaunt in the beautiful south of France, among lavender fields and rolling vineyards, and you’ll soon get it.

For two thousand years of untouched archaeological heritage, set in daydream-inducing landscapes, look no further than Albania — this unspoilt Balkan beauty spot is an archaeology enthusiast’s dream.

The idyllic landscapes of Provence are home to some of Europe’s finest Roman remains: triumphal arches, amphitheatres, theatres and aqueducts at once feats of engineering and a clear demonstration of power to the local Gallic tribes. Today, many of these monuments remain remarkably complete, from the magnificent amphitheatres at Arles and Nîmes to the ruins of Glanum, an abandoned Roman town dramatically sited in a cleft in the hills. The best way to see them? In the company of expert archaeologists, of course.

Albania is quite unlike any other country in Europe. Still very much off the mainstream tourist trail, this is a place where pristine ruins stand in isolation in landscapes largely untouched by modernity. In Classical times, the Greeks and Romans built cities here, overlooking the sparkling waters of the Ionian sea; centuries later, Byzantine Christians and Ottoman Turks fought over its dramatic mountain strongholds.

So where does the “relaxed” bit come in? Like many good things, this holiday is deliciously balanced, combining laid-back winery lunches with water-channel walks and museum visits with relaxed rambles through cobbled streets.

What’s included

What’s included

Transfers

Transfers

Return flights London to Marseille

Hotels

Six nights in a hotel near St-Rémy-de-Provence

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Nimes, StRémy-de-Provence, Orange, Arles including Archaeological Museum, and Pont du Gard

Meals All breakfasts; six lunches; six dinners with wine

Staff

Services of an expert Guide Lecturer

Fast forward a few thousand years to our own voyage of discovery, where we are joined by archaeologist Oliver Gilkes, who offers his encyclopedic knowledge of Albania. Having directed excavations in the country for over 20 years, he is also able to secure privileged access to sites, not available to the average holidaymaker.

Return flights London to Tirana

Hotels

Departures 14 May, 2018 (by air) 17 September, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 7 days from £2,395 Single room supplement £325

Extra Extra...

Wet your whistle Provençal style on a special wine-tasting and lunch at a picturesque winery in the world-famous Châteauneufdu-Pape region.

Eight nights: three nights at a 4* hotel in Tirana; two nights in Saranda; one night in Gjirokastra, two nights in Berat

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to museums and sites across Albania, including Butrint, Apollonia and the Skanderbeg Museum

Departures 19 April, 2018 (by air) 7 October, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 9 days from £2,350 Single room supplement £195

Meals All breakfasts; nine lunches; eight dinners with wine

Staff

Services of an expert Guide Lecturer

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

Travel in the esteemed company of field archaeologist and Albania expert Oliver Gilkes, who has directed excavations here for over 20 years.

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UK & Irish Garden Tours The world is full of beautiful gardens, but there are few better than those in Britain and Ireland — even though we do say so ourselves. From the Northern Isles of Orkney to the southern reaches of the Scillies, we’ve got the lot.

There are the lasting landmarks, the Civil War ruins on Dorset hills and medieval castles presiding over Scotland’s cities. There are the fleeting — but fantastic — experiences, the oneday wonders at Chelsea, Chatsworth, and Tatton Park. And that’s before we’ve even got around to mentioning the glorious gardens themselves.

There’s scarcely space!

No matter, though — you’ll find them all within the next few pages, so why not set aside a little time, get the kettle on, and daydream about your next staycation with Brightwater?

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens As we slip the bonds of the mainland, our tiny plane buffeted gently by the coastal winds, we are soon greeted by Tresco — and what a greeting it is. With powdery white sands and clear, jewel-like inlets, this is a lush island paradise just a stone’s throw from Cornwall. What bliss!

Departures 23 & 26 March, 2018 16, 20, 23 & 30 April, 2018 11 May, 2018 17 & 21 September, 2018 1 & 5 October, 2018 4 days from £975 Single room supplement from £175

What’s included Transfers

Return train transfers from London Paddington — first class upgrades and rail travel from other UK stations available on request; discount available for guests making their own way to Penzance

Hotels

Three nights at the 4* New Inn

Visits

Visit to Tresco Abbey Gardens with option to return

Meals All breakfasts; one lunch; three dinners with wine

Until the middle of the 16th century, the island of Tresco, the second-largest of the Scilly Isles, was in the possession of hermits. Following the dissolution of the monasteries, that would all change, but as their former home would become the framework for modern Tresco’s most remarkable attraction, we think we owe them a debt of gratitude.

That attraction, of course, is Tresco Abbey Gardens, where ancient monastic ruins provide arches for climbing plants and shelter for tender tropicals, and a reminder of the island’s spiritual beginnings. Often described charmingly as ‘Kew with the roof off’, the Abbey Gardens are home to a spectacular collection of plants unlike any other in the UK, flourishing — thanks, in no small part, to the determination of the

staff — in spite of an often unforgiving British climate.

It should come as no surprise, then, that these magnificent gardens are the star of our tour. Introduced by a special talk from the Curator or Head Gardener on the eve of our visit, we admire the array of plant life and the amazing ‘Valhalla’ collection of ships’ figureheads, with the option to return later for more. But there’s plenty of opportunity to see what the rest of the island has to offer, too — why not treat yourself to a boat trip to see the other Scillies, or visit one of the country’s best-kept beachy secrets?

Extra Extra...

Enjoy unlimited access to the spectacular Abbey Gardens throughout our time on Tresco — for when one day just isn’t enough to fit it all in!

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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RHS Chatsworth & the Gardens of Derbyshire

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across the south of England

Hotels

Three nights at the 4* Kenwood Hall Hotel (or similar)

Travel

In 2017, Chatsworth became the new contender for Chelsea’s crown — in 2018, we can only wonder what treats this floral fiesta has in store for us.

For only the second time in history, June 2018 sees Chatsworth’s thousand-acre estate host a horticultural show not to be missed. It’s a palatial playground for gardeners of all levels of expertise, working with all manner of spaces from big to bijou, and our itinerary gifts us with a full day to explore the exhibits. So what to do for the other three?

In lovely Derbyshire and Yorkshire, that’s one problem we certainly won’t run into. A private buffet lunch in Felley Priory’s farmhouse; a guided tour of RHS Harlow Carr, an integral part of the Yorkshire countryside; an afternoon to roam free in the Victorian spa town of Harrogate, and more besides. Forget what they say, it’s great up North!

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Felley Priory, Hardwick Hall, RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate, RHS Chatsworth Show and Haddon Hall

Meals All breakfasts; three lunches; three dinners with wine; one afternoon tea

Staff Professional tour manager

Departures 5 June, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £775 Single room supplement £130

Extra Extra...

Spend a full day at your leisure at the spectacular RHS Chatsworth Flower Show, including a complimentary lunch at White Peak Restaurant, located at the heart of the showground.

What’s included

Gardens of the Far North

Transfers Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels Four nights at the 4* Palace Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

A journey to the far north of Scotland brings with it many rewards, not least a sense of freedom that’s hard to find anywhere else on the mainland.

Think of the Highlands, and it’s likely you’re thinking of a desolate, devastatingly beautiful landscape, all wide open spaces and windswept peaks. But as spot-on as that vision might be, it’s certainly not just the wild that’s wonderful here.

The domestic spaces of Scotland’s far north are a joy to behold and explore, and that’s exactly what we intend to do. Starting at the indomitable Inverewe, we make our way through the Castle of Mey, beloved retreat of the Queen Mother; Cawdor Castle, immortalised by Shakespeare in his infamous Scottish Play; and Abriachan’s nursery, the perfect spot to pick up some souvenirs of your northerly sojourn.

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Visits

Visits to Cawdor Castle, Dunrobin Castle, John O’Groats, Castle of Mey, Dundonnell House Gardens, Inverewe, Dunbeath Castle, Langwell, House of Aigas and Abriachan garden and nursery

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 15 July, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

5 days from £975 Single room supplement £195

Extra Extra...

After a morning visit to Aigas House and its impressive gardens, we are treated to lunch in the house’s Baronial Hall, using sumptuous produce from the estate itself.

Arts & Gardens in Cornwall

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across the south of England

Hotels

Four nights at the 4* Cornwall Hotel

Travel

Artists have been attracted to the western tip of Cornwall for over a century, finding inspiration in its shimmering seas and coastal towns.

Like so many of the world’s great artistic destinations, the western tip of Cornwall is essentially a study in contrasts.

From the steamy eco-domes of the Eden Project, recreating the world’s jungles and plains in miniature, to the seeming wilderness of the Lost Gardens of Heligan, scene of one of Europe’s most ambitious horticultural rescue missions, via impressive formal sculpture gardens and stately homes, this remote peninsula has something for all. If that wasn’t already enough, then take these wonders, and put them in landscapes plucked straight from picture postcards — quaint seaside towns with artistic flair, rolling rural hills and fields, and dramatic craggy cliffs — for instant inspiration.

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Cornwall including Hestercombe, Barbara Hepworth Museum, Trewithen and Lanhydrock

Meals

Departures 18 May, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

5 days from £995 Single room supplement £250

All breakfasts; five lunches; four dinners with wine

Extra Extra...

The doors of Tregothnan are usually only opened to the public twice a year, but seeing as we have friends in high places, we’ve managed to squeeze in a special visit...

Staff Professional tour manager

What’s included

RHS Chelsea Flower Show & Classic English Gardens

Transfers Return coach transfers from pick-up points in Central London

Hotels Six nights: three in Gatwick; three in North Petherton, Somerset

Travel

The Great Spring Show is back for another year, and aren’t we glad? This most sparkling of gardening events is top of the horticultural hot-list for 2018.

London, Surrey, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, East Sussex: if your imagination is alive with all the possibilities a gardenlover’s tour of these colourful counties could hold, then you’re in luck — this is the holiday for you. With visits to the genre-defining country garden of RHS Wisley, the Capability Brown-designed Stourhead, the Roman city of Bath, the Palladian mansion of Wilton House, and more, this tour is a treasure chest of sparkling gems. But undoubtedly the jewel in the crown is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show — what else?

Spend a whole day admiring the exhibits, swooning over the show gardens, and picking up valuable tidbits of advice from the experts on this very special excursion.

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits including RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Sissinghurst, Great Dixter, Wilton House and Stourhead

Meals

Departures 24 May, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

7 days from £1,495 Single room supplement £250

All breakfasts; seven lunches; six dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

Take a full day to explore all the RHS Chelsea Flower Show has to offer — be transported by the show gardens, pick up some souvenirs, pick the brains of the exhibitors, and more.

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Cheshire & RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across the south of England

Hotels

Three nights at the 4* Hallmark Hotel the Queen, Chester

Travel

The ravishing Tatton Park Show is just one stop on this tour of Giverny-esque gardens, breathtaking bouquets and acres of outdoors delights.

You can be sure that British Summer Time is underway when RHS Flower Show Tatton Park gets going. This annual institution has brightened up July for almost 20 years, and never fails to enthral its many visitors. Situated in the estate’s expansive deer park, the show boasts a festive community atmosphere few can match.

Elsewhere, the treasures of Cheshire combine to win you over as we embark on a tour of informal island gardens, the acres of Ness and Mount Pleasant, and some of the country’s most historic herbaceous borders.

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Ness Botanic Gardens, RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, Arley Hall, Mount Pleasant and Stonyford Cottage

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Departures 18 July, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £695 Single room supplement £135

Extra Extra...

Come face to face with the best growers from up and down the country, not to mention a whole host of experts, on a full-day visit to RHS Tatton Park Flower Show.

What’s included

Gardens of Dumfries & Galloway

Transfers Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels Three nights at the 4* Woodland House Hotel

Departures Travel

Was there ever a name as evocative as the Garden of Cosmic Speculation? Something to ponder as we delve into this thought-provoking garden tour...

Mathematical plantings inspired by black holes and fractals; the Chippendale collection of Dumfries House, where we lunch in a lavish, book-lined library; a plantswoman’s progress measured in rhododendrons and red squirrels; a monkey puzzle avenue leading the way at Logan House.

Dumfries and Galloway set the scene for a captivating cast of characters and gardens, and an itinerary stuffed with surprises. Featuring a series of champion trees, guided personal tours, and even a transformed coal mine, this unique tour will raise your spirits as high as the region’s soaring red kites.

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Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Dumfries and Galloway including Logan Botanic Garden and the Garden of Cosmic Speculation

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

15 June & 17 August, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £695 Single room supplement £170

Extra Extra...

At the stunning stately home of Dumfries House, we round off our grand tour with a specially-arranged two-course lunch in the library.

Gardens of Kent & Sussex

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points in Central London and Gatwick

Hotels

Three nights at a 4* hotel in Kent

Travel

We lead you away from the crowds, and plunge in to an exclusive itinerary of English gardens, showing you the stars of Kent and Sussex in a different light.

The home counties might be archetypes of Englishness, with Kent and Sussex no exception. But rid yourself, if you can, of visions of cottage gardens and croquet on the lawn, because it’s time to go beyond the gardens you know. Step in to the superior scenes of Sissinghurst on a specially-arranged early bird visit. Marvel at the species on display at Lullingstone Castle, the prize of modern plant-hunter Tom Hart Dyke, who was once kidnapped for nine months while pursuing his passion; spot the rare, exotic varieties at Nyman’s, a National Trust gem; picnic in the Sussex Prairie Garden; and trace the ill-fated footsteps of Anne Boleyn among the luscious lawns and rose gardens of Hever Castle, her childhood home.

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits including Lullingstone Castle, Great Comp Garden, Sissinghurst and Great Dixter

Meals

Departures 27 May & 25 June, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £795 Single room supplement £150

All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Extra Extra...

Explore one of English gardening’s most influential spaces — all 35 acres of it — at Gravetye Manor, where our guided tour will be preceded by a laidback lunch.

Staff Professional tour manager

What’s included

Gardens of North Wales

Transfers Return coach transfers from pick-up points in London and the Midlands

Hotels Three nights at the 3* Celtic Royal Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Intrepid guide Tony Russell shares his expertise on a guided tour through the spectacular mountains, gardens and seascapes of unspoilt North Wales.

It’s always a privilege to tour with an expert, especially when that expert is as experienced as Tony Russell, and the setting is as glorious as North Wales!

Together, we take in destinations such as Plas Tan y Bwlch, the Victorian ‘garden for all seasons’ in Snowdonia; Plas Cadnant, an award-winning estate of restored hidden gardens (and Wales’ very own Lost Gardens of Heligan); the eccentric village of Portmeirion, with its remarkable Italian features; and the outstanding nurseries of Crûg Farm, the only site in England and Wales to hold a permanent collecting licence outside Kew — a sure sign of excellence!

Visits

Visits to the gardens of Dorothy Clive, Crûg Farm Plants, Plas Cadnant, Bodnant Gardens, Plas Brodanw, Plas Tan y Bwlch, Portmeirion and Arley Hall

Meals

Departures 8 June, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £795 Single room supplement £195

All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff Tony Russell as tour manager

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

Encounter the unexpected at the Hidden Gardens of Plas Cadnant, one of North Wales’ best-kept secrets and an impressive example of restoration.

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Highgrove and the Cotswolds It isn’t every day that one is invited to enter Prince Charles’ very own organic garden — unless you’re the Duchess of Cornwall, that is — but with arrangements in place for exclusive private tours of Highgrove with one of the prince’s expert guides, these are special days indeed.

Departures 20 April, 4 May, 22 June, 10 August & 7 September, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements.

Please note: Highgrove admittance is subject to successful application. To be confirmed in February 2018.

4 days from £795 Single room supplement £375

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across the south of England

Hotels

Three nights at the 4* De Vere Cotswold Waterpark Hotel

Travel Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Abbey House Garden, Hidcote Manor, Kiftsgate Court, Highgrove, Misarden Park and Westonbirt Arboretum

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

A haven for flora, fauna, and environmental practice, Highgrove stands out as an impeccable example of how to make the most of the land that sustains us, characterised by 200 years of history and the prince’s personal zeal.

Highgrove is by no means the only exemplary garden in the area, and the rest of our trip features several beguiling locations worthy of a tour all to themselves.

As part of our exclusive tour we view several endangered native plant species, including ox-eye daisies, yellow rattle, common spotted orchid, meadow cranesbill and ragged robin. We also take in the Stumpery, a lush assembly of ferns and architectural features favoured by local wild ducks; the wonderfully fragrant Thyme Walk, with its unusually sculpted yew topiary; and the prince’s own walled Kitchen Garden, where his favourite Welsh leeks and Charlotte potatoes grow in abundance.

Beginning at the Abbey House Garden, with its singular ‘medieval’ herb garden, our journey leads us to the unusual ‘garden rooms’ of Hidcote Manor, the famous rambling roses of Kiftsgate Court, the timeless pleasures of Misarden Park, and the amazing tree collections of Westonbirt Arboretum, where some 18,000 trees and shrubs have laid their roots. This is truly an inspiring introduction to the Cotswolds.

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Extra Extra...

For an even more regal approach to Highgrove, join us on our 5-day Hidden Highgrove tour — extra-special access, a private buffet supper at Hidcote Manor, and dinner at Highgrove’s own Orchard Restaurant make this a right royal treat. Get in touch for full details.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Private Gardens of Herefordshire

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across the south of England

Hotels

Three nights at the 3* Brooks Country House Hotel

Travel

Join us on a journey through the rolling hills of rural Herefordshire, home to some glorious gardens writing the book on horticultural excellence.

Call us hopelessly romantic, but here at Brightwater, we like to think that all good gardens tell a story — and here in Herefordshire, there are some real page-turners to be found.

See The Laskett, for instance, the uniquely autobiographical garden of Sir Roy Strong and his late wife Julia, where each element is lovingly designed to reflect treasured relationships and times. See also Montpelier Cottage, where we are led by respected garden designer Noel Kingsbury through an adventurous space that jumps between disparate settings with ease, from German parks to the great American prairie. We’ve even factored in the perfect storybook ending in the fairytale environs of Hampton Court Castle.

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to The Laskett, Montpelier Cottage, Westonbury Mill Water Garden, Hampton Court Castle, Stockton Bury Gardens and Misarden Park

Meals

Departures 9 May, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £795 Single room supplement £150

All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Extra Extra...

Pay a visit to renowned garden designer Noel Kingsbury in his own domain, the spectacular Montpelier Cottage gardens, where he leads us on a personally guided tour.

Staff Professional tour manager

What’s included

Private Gardens of North Yorkshire

Transfers Return coach transfers from pick-up points across the south of England

Hotels Three nights at the 4* Crowne Plaza Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

From our elegant base in the historic spa town of Harrogate, we enjoy expansive arboretums, vibrant meadows, and a series of irresistible teas and treats.

North Yorkshire may be the largest county in England, but its exceptional selection of gardens somehow seems to be all too often overlooked — on this tour, we aim to right that wrong. Nestling amidst the outstanding beauty of the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales, many gardens of great character and class are waiting to be discovered, and, as with many Brightwater holidays, this tour features several exclusive experiences, moments you won’t find with anyone else. Book now and you can look forward to an illustrated talk in George Smith’s own studio, a special guided tour of RHS Harlow Carr, afternoon tea at the Mount St John Estate — and so much more besides.

Visits

Visits to The Manor House and Garden, Yorkshire Arboretum, Sleightholmedale Lodge, Thimbleby Hall, Mount St John Estate and RHS Harlow Carr

Meals

Departures 3 July, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £845 Single room supplement £150

All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

In Heslington, near York, we find internationally-acclaimed floral artist George Smith MBE, who gives us an illustrated talk in his studio followed by a garden tour.

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Gardens of Historic West Sussex

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from London

Hotels

Three nights at the 4* Hilton Avisford Park

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Departures 4 October, 2018 (by coach)

Perennially popular Brightwater guide Michael Gill shares the secrets of his stomping ground in West Sussex from glorious Goodwood to lovely Loxwood.

Here in the beautiful south, the architecture is, of course, extraordinary, from the cavernous chapel at Lancing College to the Elizabethan Parham House. But a series of gorgeous gardens equally prove that it’s what’s on the outside that counts. The 700-acre grounds at Petworth House, landscaped

by Capability Brown and tended by the resident deer; the magnificent view from Arundel Castle’s gardens, stretching out across the South Downs; the gentle slopes of High Down Vineyard, best admired with glass in hand... But that’s not to say, of course, that what the county’s dwellings hold within their walls isn’t equally marvellous. In West Sussex, it’s all out there (and, well, in there) to discover.

Visits

Visits to Petworth House, Goodwood House, Arundel Castle and Gardens, Lancing College Chapel, High Down Vineyard, Bishop’s Palace Garden and Parham House and Gardens; boat trip on the Wey and Arun Canal

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine; wine tasting at High Down

Staff Michael Gill as tour manager

Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £895 Single room supplement £150

Extra Extra...

Admire the ongoing restoration of the Loxwood to Southland Lock route from the best possible vantage point: the decks of a barge on the serene Wey and Arun Canal.

What’s included

Gardens of the North of Ireland

Transfers Return flights London to Belfast

Hotels Four nights: two at the 4* Dunadry Hotel; two at the 4* Da Vinci’s Hotel

Travel

Verdant landscapes, tranquil lakes, and a bounty of beautiful gardens enrich the north of Ireland — join us as we follow in the footsteps of the giants.

The interaction between the public and private spheres has long proved a blessing when it comes to creating our holidays, but never more so, perhaps, than on this trip to the north of Ireland. Here, educational institutions and small family-run businesses come together to create beautiful outdoor spaces as educational as they are pleasing to the eye, expansive National Parks give way to the landscaped grounds of quietly refined deaneries, and bustling city streets conceal terrifically tranquil domestic gardens. Join us on our journey in the footsteps of passionate hobbyists and professional plant-growers along the beautiful Antrim coast and beyond.

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Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Northern Ireland including Antrim Castle Gardens, Mount Stewart and Rowallane Garden

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 13 August, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

5 days from £995 Single room supplement £215

Extra Extra...

Escape to Italy and Japan without leaving the suburbs of Derry on a personally guided tour of Hampstead Hall, the private garden of Liam Greene.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels

Three nights at the 4* Gleddoch House Hotel and Golf Club

Departures Travel

Go on the trail of the talented Mr Mackintosh, one of Scotland’s most celebrated sons, through Glaswegian streets and across beautiful bays.

Travel straight to Scotland’s creative heart with the masterpieces of Mackintosh as your guide — from Hill House, arguably his finest domestic creation, to the competitionwinning House for an Art Lover; from the Gothic grandeur of the island-crowning Mount Stuart to the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, where the Mackintoshes’ own furniture and fixtures are the star attraction. But even when you look outside of Mackintosh’s considerable achievements, there is plenty to see on the Firth of Clyde: the King Fern at Ascog Fernery, for instance, or the woodland garden of Glenarn.

Whether you’re in it for the arts or the gardens, or both, one thing’s for certain: this is one artfully-designed tour.

Comfortable coaching throughout

9 September, 2018 (by coach)

Visits

Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

Visits to House for an Art Lover, Hill House, Glenarn, Mount Stuart, Ascog Hall Fernery, Glasgow School of Art, the Hunterian Museum and Willow Tea Room

Meals

4 days from £650 Single room supplement £130

All breakfasts; three lunches; three dinners with wine

Extra Extra...

Enjoy the view of one of Glasgow’s most famous streets from the windows of the world-famous Willow Tea Rooms, where we are treated to a luxurious afternoon tea.

Staff Professional tour manager

What’s included

Gardens of Dorset & Somerset

Transfers Return coach transfers

Hotels Three nights at the 5* Dillington House

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Two of England’s most beautiful counties play host in this wonder-filled West Country expedition, a mix of small private properties and stately homes.

Take a look at Dorset and Somerset, their rolling hills, fertile fields and charming villages the archetypal image of the English countryside, and it’s obvious where the appeal lies.

But for the gardening enthusiast (and, let’s be honest, the chronically nosy), there’s so much more to discover if you only take a peek over the wall or behind the gate. Luckily, we don’t have to resort to such practices to get into the private gardens of these famously friendly counties — on this special tour, we’re invited guests. See East Lambrook, the ‘home of English Cottage Gardening’; Minterne, with its stunning Himalayan garden, and more, all with personally guided tours or introductory talks from the owners included.

Visits

Visits to the Old Vicarage, Kingston Lacey, Minterne, The Old Rectory, East Lambrook Manor and Heale House

Meals

Departures 11 June, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £750 Single room supplement £170

All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

Join a member of the Digby clan on a personally guided tour of Minterne House, a striking stately home in the tranquil Dorset countryside which has been in the family since 1620.

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Gardens of Devon and Cornwall

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from Bristol

Hotels

Five nights: two at the 3* Best Western Tiverton Hotel; three at the 4* Cornwall Hotel

Travel

Picturesque hamlets, lush, green hills, ragged rocks, and thriving gardens await in this simply superlative six-day tour of the rural South-West.

It isn’t easy narrowing down all the best gardens of the south into what we can see on a single six-day tour. But come with us to Devon and Cornwall and we think you’ll agree that we’ve done a great job… Enter the legendary Lost Gardens of Heligan, a world of whimsical sculptural elements and otherworldly tropical ravines; enjoy early access to wild Trebah, with its subtropical planting juxtaposed against the classic English coastline; take a guided tour of rural RHS Rosemoor, a charming mix of formal and informal planting; leave the modern world behind amid the Arts and Crafts splendour of Hestercombe — and you still won’t have done even half of what we have planned!

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Devon and Cornwall including RHS Rosemoor; Lanhydrock and the Lost Gardens of Heligan

Meals All breakfasts; six lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Departures 21 June & 7 September, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

6 days from £1,095 Single room supplement £275

Extra Extra...

Our fifth day kicks off with special early-bird access to the wild and colourful Cornish garden of Trebah, so that we can explore at our leisure, unhampered by crowds.

What’s included

Gardens of Norfolk and Suffolk

Transfers Return coach transfers from Central London

Hotels Five nights at the 4* Dunston Hall Hotel

Departures Travel

The eastern “bump” of England is often overlooked, but it shouldn’t be! Discover the gardens of Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk with our experts to guide you.

Fancy exclusive early bird access to 17th-century Blickling Hall? A Head Gardener tour of Beth Chatto’s dramatic gardens, plus those of the refined country manor at Holkham? Are you tempted by a personal introduction to Place for Plants from owner Rupert Eley? A guided visit to Raveningham, home of RHS President Sir Nicholas Bacon?

Or some time at East Ruston Old Vicarage, where exotic plants thrive just two miles from the North Sea? If your answer to all — or, indeed, any — of these questions is a resounding “yes”, then this is the tour for you!

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Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across East Anglia including Beth Chatto Gardens, RHS Hyde Hall, Wyken Hall and Vineyards and Holkham Hall

Meals All breakfasts; six lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

9 September, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

6 days from £1,095 Single room supplement £250

Extra Extra...

A visit to the incomparable Beth Chatto Gardens is a treat for any garden-lover, but a guided tour of the grounds with the head gardener makes our visit extra special.

The Legacy of Gertrude Jekyll

Departures 20 May, 2018 (by coach)

When it comes to gardening legacies, few can approach the productivity and prestige of Gertrude Jekyll. As the mother of the Arts and Crafts movement, Jekyll created some 400 gardens across Europe and North America — join us to witness her lasting vision first-hand.

Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 6 days from £1,350 Single room supplement £245

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points in London

Hotels

Five nights: three in Farnham; two in Ilminster

Travel Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across the south of England including Gravetye Manor, East Lambrook and Vann

Meals All breakfasts; six lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Gertrude Jekyll may have passed away in 1932, but when you visit her surviving works today it’s clear that her spirit lives on. Picture radiant flower beds, flashes of colour and impressionist arrangements, and you’ll start to have an idea of this artist’s distinctive style. Pictures alone will not do them justice however: to really understand the reach of Jekyll’s influence, you have to breathe the gardens in yourself.

On this tour we visit a number of Jekyll’s works, as well as a few of the gardens she inspired — such as East Lambrook, the creation of Mrs Margery Fish; otherwise known as the “Home of English Cottage Gardening” — and Gravetye Manor, where we take a quintessentially English afternoon tea in a quintessentially “English Natural Garden”.

At Vann, we enter the plantswoman’s 1911 water garden, enjoying a special introductory talk as we go. At Buckhurst Park we observe a confluence of designs from Jekyll, Edwin Lutyens and Humphrey Repton, off-set by the original Hundred Acre Wood. At Munstead we even gain an insight into Jekyll’s final years, with a tour of her experimental estate from current head gardener, Annabel Watts.

Along the way, we also stop at the unique restorative project of Upton Grey, a living museum unmistakably “Jekyllian” in both planting and architecture.

Extra Extra...

The second afternoon of our holiday proceeds in luxuriously laid-back fashion at Gravetye Manor, where our tour finishes with an afternoon tea.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Departures

Private Gardens of Guernsey & Sark

31 May & 13 September, 2018 (by air)

You don’t need to get half a world away to find a world of magic: just see the Channel Islands for a textbook example of the tantalising travel possibilities that can be found right here on our doorstep. Wide open beaches, wild ruins, secret coves and superb gardens await.

Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £1,395 Single room supplement £235

What’s included Transfers

Return flights London to Guernsey

Hotels

Four nights: three on Guernsey; one on Sark

Travel Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Guernsey and Sark including Guernsey Prison Garden, Saumarez Park and La Seigneurie Gardens

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

At just two-and-a-bit miles square, the little island of Sark is proof positive that good things come in small packages. And what good things they are: the seemingly diamond-studded night sky, unfettered by the haze of light pollution; the carless tracks, which we traverse by horse-andcart; the historic La Seigneurie Gardens, with their Victorian glasshouse; and the luxurious Stocks Hotel, where we make our home for the night.

And while it might be the second-largest of the Channel Islands, the same goes for Guernsey. Our warm welcome to the archipelago, a drinks reception in the private grounds of Grange Court, is a sign of things to come on our five-day tour, one of exclusive experiences, special access, scenic trips, and friendly faces.

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The open-to-the-public outdoors here is a joy to behold, a close concentration of beachy landscapes, specialist nurseries, flower-blanketed meadows, Victorian gardens, and picturesque parks bursting with life.

But the stars are, without a doubt, the private gardens and those who tend them.

The spacious terraces and spectacular views of the Evans family’s La Bigoterie, the beautifully informal country garden at L’Etiennerie Farm, and the conservationist’s garden of Forest Lodge.

For glorious gardens with a distinct Anglo-French flavour, look no further.

Extra Extra...

Embark on a private guided tour of the Guernsey Clematis Nursery, followed by an educational talk and rounded off with a drinks reception.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Scotland’s Finest Castles & Gardens

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points in Edinburgh

Hotels

Six nights: four in Edinburgh; two in Crieff

Travel

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Scotland is a place full to the brim with contrasts, and nowhere is it more true than on this delightful tour.

A tour of Scotland’s finest? Quite unsurprisingly, it sounds right up our street — if it appeals to you too, then why not come along for the ride? Journeying from central Edinburgh to the farther-flung burghs, glens, and towns of Perthshire, this is the perfect holiday for those looking to combine fascinating tales from Scotland’s rich history with its most striking outdoor spaces, the ancient and the modern alike.

Travel through mind-bending contemporary grounds full of statuary and optical illusions, wild glens with artistic associations, imposing castles with impeccable formal landscaping, cities at the very centre of modern living, and outliers with more than a nod to a quieter past.

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits including RBGE, Floors Castle, Stirling Castle, Traquair House and the Garden of Cosmic Speculation

Meals

Departures 22 September, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

7 days from £1,450 Single room supplement £350

Six lunches; six dinners with wine

Extra Extra...

On landing in Edinburgh, after a visit to the world-class Royal Botanic Garden, we are whisked away on a panoramic introductory city tour, the best way to greet the capital!

Staff Professional tour manager

What’s included

Gardens of Waterford & Cork

Transfers Return flights London to Cork

Hotels Six nights: three in Waterford; three in Cork

Departures Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Cork (the ‘real capital’ of Ireland) and Waterford (the country’s oldest city) make perfect bases for our off-the-beaten-track Irish adventure.

Ask us about the multifarious charms of world-beloved Irish capital Dublin, and we could keep going for hours.

But venturing further afield on the Emerald Isle holds rich rewards indeed, not least a hoard of horticultural gems.

Explore colourful collections of camellias at Tourin House; rare and tender trees at Fota Arboretum; island gardens, the result of collaborative efforts between architects and garden designers, in Bantry Bay; and private gardens owned by passionate plantsmen and women, who are kind enough to open up their garden gates and lead us on personal guided tours of their treasured outdoor havens.

Visits

Visits across Waterford and Cork including Lismore Castle, Ballyin House and Gardens, Jameson’s Distillery and Fota Arboretum

Meals

16 August, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

7 days from £1,595 Single room supplement £340

All breakfasts; six lunches; six dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

Take to the water for an afternoon cruise across the picturesque Bantry Bay to the wonderful Garnish Island — passing a colony of tame seals as we do so!

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Overseas Garden Tours There are plenty of magic moments to be found closer to home — as our UK and Irish Garden (p.42) and Scottish Island holidays (p.10) attest — but go a little further afield, and there’s no telling what you might discover...

Have you ever seen a town steam with sulphur? Join us in New Zealand (p.73) and you soon will. Want to know how the Pope likes his gardens? Then come along to Castel Gandolfo (p.65) and find out. Whether you fancy searching for southern right whales in South Africa (p.72) or superstars in the Italian Lakes (p.61), we’re sure we have the tour to suit your mood. From tropical island idylls to European villas, our selection covers everything the garden-loving traveller could desire. And with all flights and overseas transfers included, there’s even more time to unwind. Simply book, pack, and enjoy!

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Gardens of the French Riviera Dive in to the south of France, and immerse yourself in a heady mix of petals and perfume. This is a climate that truly nourishes and nurtures — no surprise, given that the sun shines here for more than 310 days a year.

Departures

Each of our two Riviera tours comes with a very different ‘flavour’. In February we enjoy some fruity fun at the Menton Lemon Festival, while in May, on our visit to the International Rose Festival, everything will be coming up... well, roses! Which one will you choose?

22 February, 2018 (by air/coach) 3 May, 2018 (by air/coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 6 days from £1,350 Single room supplement from £195

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Nice

Hotels

Five nights at the 4* Hotel Le Grimaldi, Nice

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across the south of France, including Serre de la Madone, Fondation Ephrussi de Rothschild, La Mouissone and Clos du Peyronnet

Meals The Côte d’Azur may only make up a small corner of France, but boy does it pack a lot in. Experience the vibrant variety that year-round sun can bring, as we take in a tantalising selection of this glamorous region’s best gardens.

Owner William Waterfield leads us around his private beauty, Clos du Peyronnet, in a Brightwater exclusive.

We skip across the Italian border to the ravishing Mediterranean gardens of La Mortola, some 44 acres flourishing against the backdrop of a sparkling blue sea. There’s the Exotic Gardens of Monte Carlo, with their splendid collection of succulents; the Greek grandeur of Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, an architectural homage to the ancient

world; and Villa Thuret, where we enter a jungle landscape of some 3,000 tropical plant species. And that’s just for starters.

When we’re not among the gardens of the rich and famous, we’ll be dining out in restaurants, cruising along scenic coastal roads, reclining at our fabulous four-star hotel in the chic centre of Nice, and even — the crème de la crème — mingling with the horticultural masters at some magical local events. Whether you opt for the International Rose Festival — a beguiling blend of blooms from across the world — or the dazzling spectacle of the Menton Lemon Festival, with its jaw-dropping parade, we guarantee a holiday as full, luxuriant, and diverse as the garden destinations it involves.

All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

Pay a visit to the medieval hilltop town of St Paul de Vence, which has been a haven to writers, artists and actors over the years, including Marc Chagall.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Galicia’s Camellia Route

What’s included Transfers

Return flights London to La Coruña

Hotels

Five nights: two at a 4* hotel in La Coruña, two at a hotel in Compostela, one at a 4* hotel in Vigo

Travel

They may be nicknamed the “Japan Rose”, but for an abundance of camellias there’s no need to travel too far east. We find the best in northern Spain.

Reawaken your springtime senses in gorgeous Galicia. Our floral pilgrimage takes us to a host of traditional pazos and pueblos, as we surround ourselves with the sights, scents and sounds of north-western Spain.

Sample regional wines at the 15th-century Pazo a Capitana, find inspiration in the perfect symmetry of Mariñán, wander the cloistered calm of Santiago de Compostela, and let the ancient olive trees of Santa Cruz de Rivadulla soothe your soul. With camellia walks and blossoming gardens galore, few destinations can come close to beating Galicia for a joyful celebration of the spring.

Gardens & Villas of Sicily

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Galicia including Pazo de Mariñan, Pazo de Oca and Pazo de Quiñones de León

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Departures 14 March, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

6 days from £1,350 Single room supplement £215

Extra Extra...

Travel to the rural setting of Pazo a Capitana for an enjoyable lunch of local cuisine accompanied by a tasting of regional wines. A full flavoured introduction to the Galicia region.

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Catania

Hotels Seven nights: three at a hotel in Taormina, two at a hotel in Ragusa, two at a hotel in Palermo

Travel

It’s time to experience Sicily in the spring. Join us on a sparkling excursion to an island paradise of mountains, beaches, and the volcanic Mount Etna!

Turquoise waters lap against the shore, warm sea breezes drift in from the coast, cacti bristles glisten in the sun, the scent of freshly-diced herbs pervades the air. This is Sicily: a Mediterranean haven rich with culture and traditions; a feast for the senses at every turn.

We discover the island’s secrets from coast to coast, dining al fresco in private gardens, stepping into strange volcanic craters, and wandering a wealth of villas and ruins. To cap it off, we even enjoy an exclusive tour with Princess Maria Carla Borghese!

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Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Sicily including Villa Trinità, Casa Cuseni, San Giuliano and Palermo Botanical Garden

Meals All breakfasts; six lunches; seven dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 20 March, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

8 days from £1,895 Single room supplement £175

Extra Extra...

Enjoy a multisensory tour of Gli AROMI Sicily with one of its owners.

Founded 18 years ago, Gli AROMI grow herbs and spices with passion. A homemade lunch here is also included.

Dutch Bulbfields Cruise Some say it’s the journey that’s important, not the destination. We say: why not have a holiday where both come an equal first? This brilliant tour mingles the artistic and horticultural highlights of Holland with all the charms of a leisurely cruise down the scenic Dutch waterways.

Departures 2 April, 2018 (by overnight ferry) 3 April, 2018 (by air) 3 April, 2018 (by Eurostar) 3 April, 2018 (by coach)

Spend four nights snuggled aboard the MS Symphonie as we travel serenely between Amsterdam and Antwerp, fitting in a first-class itinerary of blooming bulbfields, top museums, and world-renowned galleries as we go.

5 days from £1,195 | 7 days from £1,445 Single supplement on application

What’s included Transfers Return flights from London; return overnight ferry transfers from Newcastle; return Eurostar transfers OR return coach transfers

Hotels

Four nights aboard the 4* MS Symphonie; further two nights aboard overnight ferry on seven-day package

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Museum Van Loon, Rijksmuseum, Keukenhof, Rubens House, Antwerp Botanic Garden

Meals You start the day in your four-star floating accommodation, enjoying a hearty breakfast onboard with your group of new-found friends. Rare birds and riverbanks drift past the windows, matching the restful pace you’ve long been craving. After a generous lunch it’s time for another thrilling excursion: your ship has docked near the Keukenhof, one of the world’s largest gardens, where several million flowers are now in full bloom. The scene as you enter the gardens is truly extraordinary: an incredible mass of colours and fragrances; unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Thank goodness you remembered your camera! You spend the afternoon drinking in the breath-taking sights and scents, before a stress-free

transfer takes you back to the ship. Then it’s all aboard for a delicious evening of dinner, drinks, and lively conversation.

Tomorrow you’ll enter a thriving national marine park, and get to know the bustling Belgian city of Antwerp. But first? The water is already starting to lull you asleep...

Make this dreamy vision a reality by booking on to our next Dutch Bulbfields cruise. Wander the hallowed halls of the Rijksmuseum, with its peerless collections of Dutch Golden Age art, take an optional evening boat trip along Amsterdam’s canals, and step inside the rooms of the Rubens House, with the newly-renovated MS Symphonie as your comfortable home on the water.

All breakfasts; three lunches; four dinners with wine/beer (all on board)

Staff

Professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

Pass through the national park of Oosterschelde — a protected region of mud flats and meadows — as well as the picturesque estuary of Westerschelde. Both are a haven for birds.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Gardens & Architecture of Andalucía From majestic mountains to shimmering coastlines, and snowdusted peaks to hot Spanish sun, the contrasts of Andalucía make for an ever-entrancing getaway.

And it’s not just the landscape and plants that offer up their diversity to visitors. With its distinctive blend of Moorish and Christian influences, the region’s art and architecture is certain to hold your attention too. A jewel of Spanish culture and cultivation (with centuries-old orange trees and olive trees as far as the eye can see), a trip to Andalucía should be on every traveller’s wish-list.

Departures 10 April, 8 May & 18 September, 2018 (all by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 8 days from £1,550 Single room supplement £295

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Málaga

Hotels

Seven nights: three in Granada; three in Seville; one in Ronda

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Andalucía including the Alhambra, the Royal Palaces of the Alcázar, Alameda del Tajo Gardens and the Palace of the Moorish King of Ronda

Meals Prepare yourself for an eight-day itinerary brimming with wonders both natural and man-made.

The rose-coloured walls and honeycomb ceilings of the renowned Alhambra Palace — one of Spain’s most impressive attractions. The immaculate flower beds and fountains at Generalife gardens — a sanctuary for sultans in the 1300s. The lush, historic orange groves surrounding the Great Mosque — a splendid sight established in the 8th century. The atmospheric medieval district of the Albaicín, one of the oldest Muslim quarters in the country. The Royal Palaces of the Alcázar and their perfect geometric designs. And, of course, the endlessly stimulating streets of

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Seville. With such a wealth of divine destinations, it’s simply impossible to pick just one top spot from our favourites in Andalucía. Thankfully we don’t have to: our tour includes them all - and plenty more besides.

Join us on a journey to southern Spain, a mecca for everyone from artists and botanists to kings; where fearless Moors once commanded the lands and the prosperous people who lived off them.

All breakfasts; five lunches; six dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

Spend a full day touring the sights of Seville, such as Maria-Luisa Park, the Plaza de España, the Gardens of Murillo, the Orange Tree Courtyard, and the gardens of the Royal Palaces.

These days it’s nature that really rules over this region - and, as we ascend into the fertile heights of the mighty Sierra Nevada mountains to discover the native flora and fauna, you may well be right in thinking it was ever thus.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Villas & Gardens of the Italian Lakes Fancy exploring the private garden of the President of the Italian Camellia Society? Taking an exclusive tour around the Renaissance vision of Villa Cicogna Mozzoni with its owner as your personal guide? Or sailing across the still waters of Lake Como and stepping straight in to the glamorous world of the Villa del Balbianello?

Departures 21 March (special camellia-themed departure), 18 April, 2 May, 20 June & 26 September, 2018 (by air) | Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

If so, we are delighted to present you with an irresistible mix of villas, gardens, islands, and all manner of luxurious lakeside experiences. Benvenuto in Italia!

8 days from £1,995 Single room supplement £390

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Milan

Hotels

Seven nights: four at the 4* Grand Hotel Majestic; three at the 4* Hotel Barchetta Excelsior

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Compagnia Del Lago, the Borromean Islands, Villa Taranto, Villa Cicogna Mozzoni, Villa Carlotta and Villa Balbianello

Meals As you swoon over some of the pristine lawns and riotous flower beds surrounding the Italian lakes, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d entered a movie set. Not only is this area a popular destination for the stars — George Clooney famously owns a home on the shores of Lake Como — but there is something so classically elegant about the scenery it doesn’t quite seem real. The flowers look almost too vivid; the trees almost too luscious; the waters almost too green. A number of films have also, of course, been made here: that stunning estate at which James Bond recuperates in the course of Casino Royale? It’s no other than the Villa del Balbianello, our second destination of Day 7.

But while the Italian Lakes might sometimes seem like a kind of fairytale fantasy, the depth behind them is real — and a constant source of fascination throughout this trip. There’s our first hotel, the Grand Majestic, wooing visitors to Lake Maggiore since 1870.

At Villa Taranto we find a garden full of rarities, the personal project of a late Scottish captain. While on Isola Bella, we witness an island transformed from fishing village status, to the home of a new Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

All breakfasts; six lunches; seven dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

Camellia-lovers rejoice: our new March departure, when the Lakes’ mild climate means the blooms are at their best, is all about this floral favourite. See brightwaterholidays.com for more details.

On wheels, by boat, and on foot, discover the passion behind the immaculate surface. And with exclusive access to certain private gardens, you’ll even feel like a VIP along the way.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Gardens of Copenhagen & Zealand

What’s included Transfers

Return flights London to Copenhagen

Hotels

Four nights: two in Copenhagen; two in Zealand

Travel

Get the most out of your summer in a five-day tour of Denmark, where the flowers are blooming and the days are almost sixteen hours long.

Think of Scandinavia and you may well picture thick jumpers, tinned fish, and a ferries chock-full of brooding detectives. Well, we’re delighted to say that August in Copenhagen couldn’t be more different! Tour blossoming royal gardens, eccentric fairground plantations, historical glasshouses — and even an organic haven sprouting out of the top of a car auction house.

Away from the capital, the lush island of Zealand welcomes us with plush perennials, rare trees, and a garden inspired by the practice of Zen. A holiday for anyone who revels in the imaginative — and appreciates the exceptional.

Malta | The Arts Society

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across the region, including the King’s Garden, Fredensborg, Tivoli Gardens and Paradehuset

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Departures 7 August, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

5 days from £1,475 Single room supplement £220

Extra Extra...

Stop at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art for a chance to enjoy its leading collection of international artwork, enjoying lunch with panoramic views across to Sweden.

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Malta

Hotels Six nights at handpicked accommodation on Malta

Travel

A winning combination of glorious gardens, idyllic temples, noble palaces, and sensational cities — the golden Maltese islands beckon.

2018 is an excellent year to explore Malta with Brightwater.

Not only is it the 50th anniversary of our friends the Arts Society (formerly NADFAS), it’s also the year in which Valletta, the Maltese capital, takes on the illustrious title of European Capital of Culture.

From our base in St Paul’s Bay we celebrate this timely union through an itinerary that overflows with art, plants and history. Highlights include admiring Caravaggio’s legacy at St John’s Cathedral, taking a traditional boat ride around Vittoriosa, spending a full day among the gems of Gozo, and unwinding in the presidential gardens of San Anton Palace.

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Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across the islands include the Rotunda of Mosta, Palazzo Parisio, Fort Sant Angelo and Ħaġar Qim

Meals All breakfasts; two dinners; welcome drink at our hotel

Staff Expert local guides

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 22 May, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

7 days from £1,795 Single room supplement £510

Extra Extra...

Take a day to tour Valletta, visiting Caravaggio’s masterly painting The Beheading of Saint John, the Upper Barrakka Gardens, Casa Rocca Piccola, and Manoel Theatre.

Alpine Flowers of Wengen

What’s included Transfers

Return flights London to Zürich

Hotels

Seven nights at the 3* Hotel Bellevue

Travel

The hills are alive… with the sight of wildflowers!

Ascend the Swiss slopes and venture into the sunlit Alps for a floral adventure like no other.

Dig out your walking shoes, slap on the suncream, and follow our expert horticultural guide Julia Corden into the mountainous outdoors. The alpine fields are calling — how on earth could anyone resist?

Our action-packed itinerary features traditional chalet-style accommodation, cable car trips up to view the majestic peaks, a ride on the historic Schynige Platte Railway, and an extra special selection of walks designed to bring you to the best of the region’s wildflowers. We also spend a day in search of the rare and remarkable Lady Slipper Orchid. Plant hunters and hikers rejoice — this is the tour for you!

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits around Wengen including Kleine Scheidegg, Mürren, Wengernalp and Slipper Valley

Meals

Departures 26 June, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

8 days from £1,995 Single room supplement £150

All breakfasts; six lunches; seven dinners with wine

Extra Extra...

Travel by cable car to the glacier village of Grindelwald to discover fine views of the massif, featuring the Wetterhorn, Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains, and the start of many classic walks.

Staff Julia Corden as horticultural expert

What’s included

Arts & Gardens of Florence & Tuscany

Transfers Return flights London to Florence

Hotels Four nights at a 4* hotel in central Florence

Departures Travel

Are you craving la dolce vita? Tantalising Tuscany is sure to do the trick. Here, artistry abounds both indoors and out. But don’t just take our word for it…

The splendours of Florence and Tuscany have to be seen to be believed — there’s an atmosphere present that words and pictures alone cannot communicate: the warmth of the Tuscan spirit; the beguiling fragrance of a region in bloom.

Where else can one find such a captivating concentration of artwork, architecture and horticultural prowess? From the breath-taking Boboli Gardens — an inspiration for Versailles — to the fabled art-strewn halls of the Uffizi, we tour some of Europe’s best gardens, villas and galleries in what is set to be a sensational Italian encounter.

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Florence and Tuscany including Corsini Gardens, Boboli Gardens and the Uffizi Gallery

Meals

24 April, 2018 Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

7 days from £1,995 Single room supplement £395

All breakfasts; five lunches; six dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

On our explorations of Florence’s artistic heart, including the Uffizi and the Piazza del Duomo, we are privileged to be joined by a lecturer from the venerable British Institute.

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Gardens of Normandy

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from London; return ferry transfers Dover to Calais

Hotels

Four nights at the 4* Hotel Mercure Champs de Mars (or similar)

Travel

Hop across the channel to a region of transformed wildernesses, top-class topiary, rose-scented lawns and, the pièce de résistance, Monet’s Giverny.

If you’re looking for a trip full of character, charm and sophistication, look no further: the gardens of Normandy await. No tour of this area’s horticultural highlights would be complete without a morning exploring the ponds and plantings of Monet’s famed garden, Giverny — but there is so much more here to see...

Prepare for personal welcomes to the estates of Châteaux Miromesnil and Bosmelet, delve into the woodland realm of Princess Sturdza at Le Vasterival, and admire picturesque perennials at lavish locations including Le Jardin Plume. La vie est belle!

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Normandy including Le Bois des Moutiers, Giverny, Jardin Plume and Jardins Agapanthe

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Departures 17 May & 30 August, 2018 (by coach/ferry) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

5 days from £1,150 Single room supplement £230

Extra Extra...

Our second morning sees us led on a special guided tour of the privately-owned garden of Le Vasterival, the site of constant transformation at the greenfingered hands of the late Princess Greta Sturdza.

What’s included

The Genius of Monet

Transfers Return Eurostar transfers London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord

Hotels Three nights at the 4* Château de Montvillargenne

Departures Travel

Was ever a garden so admired as Monet’s own collection of ponds, water lilies and weeping willows? Step into the canvas at Giverny.

Sublime, inimitable Giverny: one glance at the lily pads and you know you couldn’t be anywhere else. But a tour of this world-famous garden is not all that this terrific, channelhopping trip has to offer.

Basing ourselves in the charming, leafy region of Chantilly, we explore the Medieval sights of Senlis, stroll the princely rooms of the nearby Château, view some of Monet’s best work at the Musée de l’Orangerie, and reflect on the life of the master at his final resting place. A delight for art and garden lovers everywhere.

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Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Coach tour of Paris; visits to Senlis, Château de Chantilly, Giverny and Musée de l’Orangerie

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

1 June & 13 July, 2018 (by Eurostar) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £995 Single room supplement £175

Extra Extra...

Spend a whole day following in the footsteps of Monet, first at his own house and gardens, which famously inspired many of his paintings, and then in the village of Giverny.

Palladian Villas of Veneto

What’s included Transfers

Return flights London to Venice

Hotels

Four nights at a 3/4* hotel in Bassano del Grappa

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Marvel at the picture-perfect creations of Palladio, one of the greatest architects of all time, and roam the romantic landscapes that inspired his work...

Veneto: an exquisite northern Italian corner packed with elegant gardens, resplendent villas, classical churches and a host of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Palladio may have designed his last masterpiece here in the 1500s, but his influence remains keenly felt to this day.

Step in to a Renaissance world of high art, colonnades, frescoes and flowers. Our trip includes the renowned Baroque gardens of Villa Barbarigo, dinner in the lavish rooms of a 17th-century villa, and even a personal tour with Count Valmarana. These visions of Veneto will surely last you a lifetime.

Visits

Walking tour of Vicenza; visits including Villa Rotonda, Villa Valmarana, gardens of Villa Barbaro and Orto Botanico di Padova

Meals

Departures 11 September, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

5 days from £1,495 Single room supplement £195

All breakfasts; four lunches; four dinners with wine

Extra Extra...

Dine as an invited guest of the Valmarana family — after a private tour with a member of the clan — at Villa Valmarana, in a room emblazoned with frescoes by Tiepolo.

Staff Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

What’s included

Rome, Ninfa & Castel Gandolfo

Transfers Return flights London Heathrow to Rome

Hotels Three nights at the 4* Hotel Michelangelo

Departures Travel

A rare invitation to visit the papal gardens at Castel Gandolfo, and the ancient gardens of Ninfa — open by special arrangement. A simply unmissable trip.

It isn’t often that one gets to wander around gardens fit for a pope. Castel Gandolfo has been a private papal residence since the 17th century, and was only recently opened to the public — trust us when we say that its gardens are well worth the wait. Nearby Ninfa will also win you over with its stunning floral displays, which spill abundantly and irrepressibly over the ruins of an ancient village. As if that wasn’t enticing enough, our trips to these romantic destinations will be accompanied by visits to the great Renaissance garden of Villa Lante, and Villa d’Esta, a 16thcentury spot famed for its use of water features — a spellbinding composition of cascades and fountains.

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Tour of Rome; visits to Viterbo, Villa Lante, Castel Gandolfo, Ninfa and Villa d’Este

Meals

8 May, 5 June & 4 September, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £1,395 Single room supplement £225

All breakfasts; three lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

Pending successful application — what further proof of prestige do you need? — we spend a morning at Castel Gandolfo, the traditional residence of the popes, just outside Rome.

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Gardens of Costa Rica We’d need a whole bookcase full of brochures to do Costa Rica justice — but as we’ve only got one page we’ll do our best to keep it succinct. If you like the sound of volcanic botanical gardens, steaming lakes, tree house restaurants, homegrown cacao, spice plantations, rainforest flowers, ocelots and sloths, make Costa Rica your number one choice for travel in 2018.

Departures 6 February, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

Our journey will take you up and down the land, for a series of incredible encounters with flora, fauna and everything in between.

13 days from £3,795 Single room supplement £845

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to San José

Hotels

Twelve nights: three in Santo Domingo; two in Sarapiqui; two in Arenal; two in Monteverde; two in Manuel Antonio; one in flight

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Costa Rica including the Else Kientzler Botanical Garden, Poás Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Gardens and La Tirimbina Reserve

Meals It’s as if Costa Rica was tailor-made for a holiday with Brightwater. The country is a hub of biodiversity. Take Monteverde Cloud Reserve, home to almost 400 species of bird, and our destination on Day 8. Meanwhile, growing wild, some 1,400 species of orchids have so far been identified in these lands, giving Costa Rica the richest collection of orchids in Central America.

From the day we arrive in the capital, San José, we waste no time immersing you in the wonders of the natural world. Our very first hotel, for instance, sits among ten acres of tropical gardens, within which sits a secluded outdoor pool — an early taster of what’s in store.

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From here, the treats keep coming: a day of private gardens, one of which contains an amazing 2,000 plants; a visit to La Paz, the world’s largest butterfly garden; a chance to make your own chocolate at La Tirimbina; an organic tour of a pineapple plantation (complete with tropical tasters at the end); marvellous medicinal plants in the shadow of Arenal Volcano; and a boat trip through the impossibly beautiful Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge.

All breakfasts; nine lunches; seven dinners

Staff

Julia Corden as horticultural expert, plus local guide

Extra Extra...

Pay a visit to the Else Kientzler Botanical Garden — in its scenic setting at the foot of the Poás Volcano, it is home to over 2,000 different species of plant from all over the world.

But don’t just read about it: join us!

Book your place today on a special tour taking in the very best of what one of the Earth’s most spectacular corners has to offer — wildlife, wonder, and once-in-alifetime adventure.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Seasonal Gardens of Japan A confetti of soft cherry blossom, blooming brilliantly from the branches, or fireworks of cascading autumn leaves, setting landscapes and gardens aflame?

It’s a tricky decision, we know, but what a lovely one to make!

Departures

Whether you decide to tour Japan in the spring or the autumn, it’s certain you’ll be richly rewarded.

Either way, handsome tapestries of texture and colour await, each one distinct in temperament and tone.

So follow your instincts, book your place, and let us take you to view Japan’s gardens in all their finery.

28 March & 23 October, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

13 days from £4,995 Single room supplement £1,390

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Osaka; Tokyo to London

Hotels

Twelve nights: six at the 4* Crowne Plaza ANA Hotel Kyoto; five at the 4* Grand Prince Hotel; one in flight

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Japan including Ginkaku-ji, Hiroshima, Kasuga Grand Shrine, Todaiji Temple, Nara Park, Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi

Meals There’s a lot you can do in 13 days — especially when you spend them on a Brightwater tour. Our extensive garden itinerary begins in Kyoto, Japan’s second city, a centre of culture that’s stuffed with World Heritage sites. Don’t miss Ginkaku-ji, the ‘Silver Pavilion’, where visitors can admire one of the world’s most famous ‘dry’ landscape gardens, and Kinkaku-ji temple, a three-tiered golden pavilion surrounded by a meditative ‘paradise’ garden. Your Kyotan exploits won’t be limited to the daytime either, and include an evening visit to the famed district of Gion, where an apprentice geisha, or maiko, tells all about life as a female entertainer. From Kyoto you’ll also see the very best bits of nearby Nara, an early Japanese capital, where

thousands of tame deer roam through the park, still making the most of their formerly sacred status.

Speed across country by bullet train and arrive at our base for the second part of our trip: the country’s modern capital, inimitable Tokyo. Stay in central five-star luxury and enjoy excursions to coastal Kamakura, resplendent Mount Fuji, scenic Lake Ashi — ours to explore by boat — and the only surviving flower garden from the Edo Period, MukōjimaHyakkaen. Add Tokyo’s own soothing Hamarikyu Garden, a sightseeing cruise along the Sumida River, and a tour of the Imperial Palace East Gardens, and you might well feel like staying at least one season more...

All breakfasts; three lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

Take your dinner in esteemed company on Day 6 as we dine with a maiko, an apprentice geiko, who will teach us about the long history of female entertainers in Japan.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Yunnan: Footsteps of the PlantHunters It’s 1904. George Forrest, a herbarium assistant from Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden, is about to begin a very special voyage to the other side of the world. His goal? To explore the mysterious south-western corner of China — Yunnan, to be precise — and track down as many new native plants as he can.

Departures 5 June, 2018 (by air)

Forrest’s pioneering trip proved to be the start of a love affair spanning 28 years and tens of thousands of specimens. Travellers to Yunnan today will soon share the plant-hunter’s passion.

Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

15 days from £4,250 Single room supplement £425

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Kunming

Hotels

Fourteen nights: two in flight; three in Kunming; two in Dali; four in Lijiang; three in Zhongdian

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across Yunnan Province including the Stone Forest, Three Pagodas, Cangshan Mountain, Lijiang Old Town, and Songzam Monastery

Meals Ideally situated between Tibet, Vietnam, Laos and Burma, biodiverse Yunnan has been a draw to botanists like George Forrest for well over a century — and no wonder: of the 530 species of rhododendron in China, 200 can be found here. A third of the country’s 300 species of primula also thrive in this fertile region, while gentiana, cremanthodium and corydalis can be seen growing in abundance. The scale and breadth of the area’s changing landscapes are equally beguiling: during our 15 days of exploration we travel to the striking limestone formations of the Stone Forest, the flowercovered mountain of Cangshan with its neighbouring hot springs and lake, and the deep river canyon of Tiger Leaping

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Gorge — taking in a myriad of rice fields and highland scenes as we go.

Away from our botanising expeditions, we also make sure to spend time discovering some of Yunnan’s cultural high points, including Yufeng Monastery, with its 500-year old camellia, and the site of the Three Pagodas, the monumental Buddhist icons towering over Dali city.

All breakfasts; eleven lunches; twelve dinners

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

Of all our exciting botanising exploits in Yunnan, perhaps the highlight is Day 11, when we ride the Shika Shan cable car up to Shika Snow Mountain.

Fortunately for us, travel through China has long since thrown off the danger and daring it possessed back in Forrest’s day. We make use of internal flights, convenient transfers, and a series of comfortable hotels to take out all the stress and maximise the pleasure.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Gardens of Barbados At 21 miles long and 14 miles wide, Barbados is a small and perfectly-formed vision of pure Caribbean paradise. This is a place of upbeat welcomes, radiant seas, sandy beaches, golden palms, and thick gleaming rainforest - the quintessential island idyll. It’s also a place where private gardens blossom, lilies and heliconias burst vibrantly out of the undergrowth, and species of orchid thrive in their thousands.

Departures 12 June, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

Escape the bustle of mainland life, and channel your inner castaway.

Your rum punch cocktail awaits...

8 days from £2,895 Single room supplement £490

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Barbados

Hotels

Seven nights: six nights at the 4* Accra Beach Hotel; one night in flight

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Full-day tour of Barbados; visits to Harrison’s Cave, Petreas Garden, St Ann’s Fort, George Washington House, Orchid World and Hunte’s Garden

Meals This laid-back tour really does have something for everyone. Picture gazing across the sweeping vistas of Cherry Tree Hill; running your fingers through the rugged golden sands of Bathsheba Beach; watching the lively resident monkeys of the Andromeda Botanical Garden; and touring the thought-provoking, wellpreserved rooms of Sunbury Plantation House — all that in just one day!

At Hunte’s Garden we are excited to be accompanied by the man himself, owner and creator Anthony Hunte, who introduces us to his multidimensional mix of dark native jungle and sunny open spaces, one of the island’s top destinations. While at Petrea we take a private look at a plethora of native plants, including delicate palms, ginger lilies, and striking bromeliads.

Away from the beaches, Barbados is brimming with stories, and we enjoy an array of engaging excursions to historical attractions, such as the 18th-century St Ann’s Fort, current home of the Barbados Defence Force Headquarters, and George Washington House, another important remnant of the island’s plantation past.

There’ll also be some optional excursions on offer, including a 4x4 island safari, and a sailing trip on a catamaran — plus plenty of free time to lounge on Barbados’s warm, palm-fringed beaches.

All breakfasts; three lunches; six dinners with wine/beer

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

Make the most of Barbados’ beautifully warm shallows with a full-day Catamaran cruise, including the chance for a dip in a quiet bay, and a sumptuous Barbadian lunch.

The only thing this tropical tour is missing? You, of course!

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Gardens & Wildflowers of South Africa’s Western Cape There just aren’t enough superlatives to describe South Africa’s Western Cape. In this astounding region, nature takes centre stage, while we happily find our places as part of its endlessly awe-struck audience. Indigenous plants in their thousands, bright salt water lagoons, whales and dolphins gliding through the seas, the rich amber pools of Betty’s Bay, some of the continent’s largest trees... It’s safe to say that this is truly one of the greatest shows on earth.

Departures 23 August, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

16 days from £3,995 Single room supplement £530

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Cape Town

Hotels

Fifteen nights: two in flight; three in Cape Town; two in Citrusdal; one in Buffelsfontein Nature Reserve; two in Worcester; two in Hermanus; three in Stellenbosch

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across South Africa including Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Table Mountain, West Coast National Park and Fernkloof Nature Reserve

Meals This unique tour wends through town and country, introducing us to a stellar selection of South Africa’s native plants, vineyards, gardens, and wildernesses.

Beginning and ending in the coastal city of Cape Town, we travel far and wide, charting a course between all the botanical jewels we can find. (An early teaser for you: there are far more than we can fit on this page!)

On the trails of Table Mountain we discover landscapes containing almost 1,500 indigenous plants. Nearby, in celebrated gardens of Kirstenbosch, we find many thousands more. At Clanwilliam we are guests at the annual flower show, viewing examples of rare species that grow nowhere else in the

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world. Bizarre rocks and wildflowers wow us in Cederberg; red-bellied tortoises slink through the region of Darling — keep your eyes firmly peeled — while, in Karoo, endangered succulents are easier to spot, thanks to the expert help of our guides. We go in search of southern right whales in Hermanus, stroll beneath the giant bay fig and pines of Arderne, and even pay a visit to the preserved Cape Dutch werf, or farm, of Babylonstoren, first founded in 1690.

All breakfasts; fourteen lunches; thirteen dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

We couldn’t have picked a better time to visit beautiful South Africa: not only are the wildflowers in full bloom, we also embark on a boat trip on which we hope to spot migrating Southern Right whales.

No tour of South Africa would be complete without wine tastings — it is the country’s best-loved export, after all — and we are thrilled to be punctuating our trip with some delicious local vintages.

Cheers to the Western Cape!

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Gardens of New Zealand Our New Zealand tour is a tale of two islands, two festivals, and almost infinite natural wonders.

The powerful volcanic geology of the North and South Islands, combined with the quaint, oldfashioned feel of their towns and cities, creates an atmosphere like no other: a land of magic and might; fairytales and phenomena.

Departures 29 October, 2018 (by air)

We know it’s a long way to go, but what we might lose in a few hours of sleep we gain back tenfold in unforgettable experiences. Long haul never looked so appealing.

Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

19 days from £6,995 Single room supplement £895

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Auckland

Hotels

Eighteen nights: three in flight; one in Auckland; one in Rotorua; three in Plymouth; two in Wellington; three in Blenheim; two in Christchurch; three in Queenstown

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits across New Zealand including Rotorua, Huka Falls, Lake Taupo, Wither Hills Vineyards, Taranaki Garden Festival and Marlborough Garden Festival

Meals Things are dramatically different in New Zealand — and we’re not talking just about its exotic native birds and lizards, the steaming “sulphur city” of Rotorua, or even the country’s mega mountain ranges. Take the seasons. In the northern hemisphere, October means autumn: mists and mellow fruitfulness. Far away on the other side of the world, however, October is the middle of spring - and the flora and fauna are already in full flow.

October is the perfect time to immerse yourself in natural New Zealand: a gentler climate, plus some welcome doses of sunshine, mean that everything’s out in force. Thawing glaciers power awesome waterfalls, rhododendrons reveal themselves in vivid displays of

colour, and a collection of the country’s best gardens throw open their doors.

As part of our active itinerary we take in two premier garden festivals — Taranaki on the North Island, and Marlborough on the South — for a rare glimpse at some prospering private gardens. Both make for exciting additions to the numerous venues we visit elsewhere, such as Zealandia Ecosanctuary, an innovative project regenerating native forest, and The Jury Garden, the stunning creation of world-renowned plant breeders. Let’s not forget our steamship crossing of Lake Wakatipu, wine tasting at Wither Hills, cruise along Milford Sound, and Māori evening at Tamaki Village. We can’t wait for you to join us.

All breakfasts; fourteen lunches; ten dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

Delve into two full days of floral festivities in Marlborough and Taranaki — two sensational festivals spread across the country’s two islands.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Honolulu Festival & Gardens of Hawaii Approaching Hawaii, its emerald peaks in stark contrast against the sky, their slopes dense with lush forest, it seems that the whole island chain could be one enormous, untamed garden. But at the same time, it’s so much more.

Departures

Visit the world-famous Waikiki, where beachfront buildings sit almost flush with the aquamarine sea; set your sights on the heavens at Imiloa Astronomy Center, and — the undoubted jewel in our tour’s crown — celebrate Polynesian culture at a fabulous festival.

12 March, 2019 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 8 days from £3,995 | Extension on application | Single room supp. £480

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Los Angeles; Los Angeles to Honolulu

Hotels

Seven nights: six nights at a 4* hotel in Honolulu; one night in flight

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Foster Botanical Gardens, Lyon Arboretum, Waimea Valley, Wahiawa Botanical Gardens, Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor, ‘Iolani Palace, Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden; two full days at Honolulu Festival

Meals All breakfasts; two lunches; five dinners with wine

There is a sense of timelessness about Hawaii, with its primeval forests of gigantic foliage, its murmuring volcanoes and almost-lunar lava deserts.

Nevertheless, the pull of a more recent history is still strong here.

Visit the USS Arizona Memorial to those killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor; take a guided tour of ‘Iolani Palace, home to the last reigning monarchs of Hawaii; and on our optional extension, look to the stars at Imiloa Astronomy Center, whose exhibits combine ancient navigation with cutting-edge scientific research.

Today, we are also privileged to bear witness to the annual Honolulu Festival, a celebration of peace and harmony

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between Pacific nations complete with traditional art and dance demonstrations, a spectacular parade, and a finale of dazzling fireworks.

But this is, of course, a garden tour first and foremost — and what gardens they are. The lush, forested valleys of the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden; the medicinal magic of Hi’iaaka’s Healing Herb Garden; the 150-acre arboretum at Waimea Valley; the sky-high Wahiawa Botanical Gardens, and more.

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

An all-singing, all-dancing celebration of peace between Polynesian cultures, the Honolulu Festival is the highlight of our tour, and we take two days to enjoy it to its fullest. *Optional three-day extension available — get in touch for details

Add to that the picture-postcard perfection of Waikiki beach, the volcanic power of Big Island, and the warmth of the locals, and you’ll find yourself never wanting to say ‘aloha’ to Hawaii.

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Florida: Epcot Garden Festival “The most magical place on Earth” is made all the more spectacular by the addition of an annual garden and flower festival at Epcot, Walt Disney World’s forward-thinking, future-focused, Planet Earththemed park.

Departures

Join us in the Sunshine State for a whole host of distinctly Floridian experiences — fresh-as-can-be juice among the orange groves, a trip through the Everglades by airboat, even an out-of-this-world trip to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.

9 April, 2019 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

7 days from £2,995 Single room supplement £480

What’s included Transfers Return flights London to Orlando

Hotels

Six nights at a 4* hotel in Orlando

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Bok Tower Gardens and Pinewood Estate, Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, Leu Gardens, a selection of private gardens, and Universal Studios OR Cape Canaveral Space Center; orange groves tour; Everglades airboat tour

Meals Of all the places you’d think you could go behind the scenes — or ‘behind the seeds’, as it were — you probably wouldn’t put Walt Disney World high on the list. But then, as previous travellers will know, that’s just the kind of surprise we delight in trading in here at Brightwater Holidays.

Our extra-special full-day excursion to the Epcot Flower and Garden festival begins with perfumed perfection as we explore the Guerlain Fragrance Garden and Twinings English Tea Garden, ably led by an on-site gardener. After that, it’s over to you to explore this fantastical, future-focused park at your leisure, on the most wonderful day of the year for plant-lovers.

But although it can feel like the whole world is contained in Epcot’s 121 hectares (you’ll see what we mean when you get there), there’s plenty to see and do outside its walls. Join us for visits to the spectacular singing tower whose music fills the lush Pinewood Estate twice a day; the 50-acre tropical grounds of the Harry P. Leu Gardens; the Old Florida charm of McKee Botanical Garden, and a whole host of private gardens.

All breakfasts; three lunches; five dinners with wine/beer

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

If you can’t get enough of that Floridian sunshine on our sevenday tour, why not extend your holiday with a cruise? Get in touch for full details.

These horticultural beauties are our focus, of course, but there are also some things you can’t leave Florida without doing: tasting a glass of fresh orange juice in the grove where it was grown and gliding beneath the live oaks of the Everglades by airboat, for starters...

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Secret Garden Tours According to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 classic The Secret Garden, “if you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden”, and we have to say, we think she was on to something. To put it another way: everything depends on perspective, and that’s a lesson we’ve put into practice with great gusto in our brand new programme of Secret Gardens across Britain and beyond.

These pages are your invitation to unearth some of Europe’s best-kept horticultural secrets; to luxuriate in plush hotels; to enjoy afternoon tea and sip Champagne with garden-owners after a personally guided tour — so without further ado, let’s read on...

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Secret Gardens of the North of Ireland

Departures 21 May, 2018 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

5 days from £1,495 Single room supplement £140

What’s included Transfers

Return flights London to Belfast

Northern Ireland’s hidden horticultural gems are all set to be revealed on this brand new tour, with by-invitation-only visits and sparkling drinks receptions (don’t mind if we do) in store — consider this your exclusive invitation to the secret gardens of the Emerald isle.

A Neoclassical villa with Italianate flourishes and Mediterranean gardens might not be exactly what you’d expect to find in the lush, green landscape of County Antrim — but as luck would have it, that’s precisely the point.

Northern Ireland and the northern counties of the Republic of Ireland are just full of surprises, and many of them are for our eyes only. See, for example, the private garden of Hampstead Hall, a hidden gem of Far East pergolas and European classicism in the unsuspecting suburbs of Derry. See, too, the formal 19th-century walled garden in the heart of an agricultural college campus, the great girdled expanse of Benvarden, and the scenic shore-side Rousemount.

But it’s not just what we see here that is intended to surprise, enchant, and inspire — it’s what we do. Private guided tours from passionate garden-owners and growers; special access behind the borders; drinks receptions and dinner as invited guests; even a delightful miniature train ride.

But of course, even the unsurprising can be utterly inspiring, even the expected, extraordinary. The basalt blocks of the Giant’s Causeway will never be anything short of jaw-dropping, stately castles will always inspire daydreams, and the urban bustle of Derry and Belfast will always feel welcoming. Wherever you look in the North of Ireland, you’re sure to find something spectacular.

Hotels

Four nights: two at the 4* Dunadry Hotel, Co. Antrim; two at the 4* White Horse Hotel, Derry

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to private gardens across Northern Ireland; visits to Antrim Castle Gardens, Mount Stewart, Oakfield Park, Glenarm Castle and Giant’s Causeway

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff

Trevor Edwards as tour manager

Extra Extra...

Discover, drink, and dine as an esteemed guest of the Montgomery family at Rosemount. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access at the already impressive garden, rounded off with an evening of hospitality, this is our Secret Gardens collection at its very finest.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Secret Gardens of Aberdeen

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels

Three nights at the 4* Thainstone House

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Heavenly roses and turreted towers, formal rock gardens and quiet, shady bowers: you can find more than a few of our favourite things in Aberdeenshire Drum Castle is everything you could want from a secret garden: a historic rose garden full of heady scent, a woodland full of wildlife, and the sense of being taken back in time.

Crathes Castle, meanwhile, is the fairytale image of a castle made flesh, with turrets, topiary, and painted ceilings. Add behind-the-scenes tours and lovingly created private spaces, and you’ll find that what Aberdeenshire’s secret gardens lack in publicity, they more than make up for in magic.

Visits to Drum Castle gardens, Crathes Castle, Burnhervie, Blairwood, Pitmedden Gardens, Leith Hall and The Gallery

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Departures 27 July, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

4 days from £1,295 Single room supplement £105

Extra Extra...

Take a very special guided tour of Crathes Castle’s impressive grounds alongside the man whose efforts keep them looking their best: Head Gardener Chris Wardle.

What’s included

Secret Gardens of Snowdonia

Transfers Return coach transfers from London, Luton, Northampton and Birmingham

Hotels Four nights at the 4* Black Boy Inn, Caernarfon

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Whether private pads or princely piles are more your speed, there’s something for every kind of garden-lover in spectacular Snowdonia. Croeso!

Just as remarkable, we think, as the gardens to be found in the outstandingly beautiful Snowdonia, are the characters who’ve made them happen. Join us as we meet the only plant collectors in England and Wales, with the notable exception of Kew Gardens, to hold a permanent collecting license; the man who described his restorative efforts at the incredible Hidden Gardens of Plas Cadnant as ‘a Famous Five adventure’; and the garden historian who joins us for a leisurely lunch in her very own historic grounds.

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Visits to Chirk Castle, Plas Cadnant, Nanhoron, Plas yn Rhiw, Crȗg Farm, Bodnant Gardens, Aber Artro and Caerau Uchaf

Meals All breakfasts; three lunches; four dinners with wine; two afternoon teas

Staff Tony Russell as tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 21 May, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangments

5 days from £1,495 Single room supplement £245

Extra Extra...

Spend an exquisite evening in the company of Aber Artro owner Paul Morgan as he shows us around the lovingly restored grounds, followed by dinner in the garden restaurant.

Secret Gardens of the Loire

Departures 13 May, 2018 (by coach/Eurostar) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangments

5 days from £1,645 Single room supplement £250

What’s included Transfers

Return Eurostar transfers London to Lille; return first-class TGV Lille to St-Pierre-des-Corps

A region nicknamed ‘the Garden of France’ was always going to get our attention — and once it has it, it’s unlikely to let go. The Loire Valley is the historic home of kings and queens, the seat of infamous empires, a lush landscape of valleys and vines, and a paradise for garden-lovers.

Hotels

Four nights at the 4* Hotel Anne d’Anjou

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Perhaps unsurprisingly, we here at Brightwater can wax lyrical on our favourite horticultural hotspots for hours on end. The only problem — if you can call it that — is that there are a lot of them, and this brand new tour to the lush Val de Loire provides no exceptions.

What to talk about first? The fairytale historic towns with their cobbled streets and timbered houses? The showstopping châteaux, all sky-tickling turrets and golden stone? The expertly-landscaped formal gardens or the best-kept secrets of the region’s passionate private growers?

Well, on our five-day excursion to the Garden of France, you don’t have to choose — there’s plenty of time to take it all in, and more besides.

There’s the private garden of Jardin du Plessis-Sasnières, inspired by the stately homes of Britain; the microcosm of a beloved region at ‘Petit-Bordeaux’; the designated Jardin Remarquable with almost 500 species of heady perfumed roses — trust us when we say that the list goes on (and on, and on...)

But this is, after all, a Secret Gardens tour, so there are a few things that don’t leave these pages — the hidden vineyard sprouting in secret atop Angers’ château walls, for example, or the subterranean cellars of Château de Valmer where we might be treated to a few sips of something special. But remember: you didn’t hear it from us...

Visits

Visits to Château de Valmer, Jardin du Plessis-Sasnières, PetitBordeaux, Château d’Angers, Château et Jardins du Rivau and Château de Petit Thouars

Meals All breakfasts; three lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager and horticultural expert

Extra Extra...

Relish in the rare opportunity to explore the private garden of a beautiful 15th-century château, brought into being by the Dukes of Thouars. As well as ambitious planting, there is a beautiful dovecote and a vineyard to be admired.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Historic Houses Tours Of all the differences between us here in the British Isles and our dear cousins across the pond, it’s been said that the biggest is this: while America has geography, England has history.

While we’re not sure that’s entirely true (or entirely fair), it does quite neatly sum up old Blighty’s appeal — a huge wealth of historical treasures, all within a day’s drive and a few hundred miles. The potential for discovery is practically limitless.

There are the stately home superstars, the likes of Brideshead and Downton Abbey; the homes of powerful players from the Queen to Churchill; the Civil War ruins and the Elizabethan manors. But don’t believe everything you read — with a host of pictureperfect villages, stunning cities and seaside vistas, we’re hardly short on geography either...

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Historic Houses & Gardens of the North of England

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from London

Hotels

Five nights: three at the 3* Ringwood Hall Hotel; two at the 3* Park Inn by Radisson

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

From cult classics to mystery architects, there’s much to be discovered inside the walls and behind the gates of northern England’s homes and gardens.

Beginning at Kedleston Hall, neoclassical seat of the Curzon family, we make our way through a list of the northern counties’ most remarkable domestic designs: Chatsworth House, with its bucolic borrowed landscape; Haddon Hall, one of the country’s best examples of a fortified medieval manor house; Renishaw Hall, home to wonderfully romantic Italianate gardens, and a whole host of others.

And through it all, we’re joined by two enthusiastic experts, poised to take you deep into the story of the stately home in Britain: our very own horticultural expert Trevor Edwards, and historian and ‘buildings detective’ Dr Emma Wells.

Visits

Visits to Kedleston Hall, Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall, Renishaw Hall, Hardwick Hall, Nostell Priory, Beningbrough Hall, Harewood House Castle Howard and Newby Hall

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; five dinners with wine

Departures 10 May, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 6 days from £1,895 Single room supplement £275 Running in conjunction with our sister company

Staff

HISTORICAL

TRIPS

Trevor Edwards as tour manager and Dr Emma Wells as Guide Lecturer

What’s included

Historic Houses of Devon & Somerset

Transfers Return coach transfers from London, Reading, Swindon and Bristol

Hotels Four nights at the 4* Hartnoll Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Devon and Somerset are home to an astonishing abundance of historic properties — and charming Tiverton makes the perfect base for exploring them.

There’s Knightshayes, the epitome of Gothic grandeur; the private Fursdon House, where our visit comes complete with personal guided tour; Castle Drogo, an Edwin Lutyens triumph; and spectacular Georgian mansion Tyntesfield.

But this holiday is by no means just about the places we visit: as with so many things, it’s just as much about how we get there. Experience Old World charm aboard a cheerfully painted barge, pulled leisurely by gentle giant Shire horses, board the scenic West Somerset Railway, and wend through the Exmoor National Park by coach, bidding good day to a couple of local ponies along the way!

Visits

Visits to Knightshayes Court, Fursdon House, Castle Drogo, Bishops Lydeard, Dunster Castle, Lynton, Lynmouth and Tyntesfield; trip on horse-drawn barge and West Somerset Railway

Meals

Departures 23 April, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £1,075 Single room supplement £175

All breakfasts; three lunches; four dinners with wine; morning tea/coffee on final day

Staff Professional tour manager

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

Extra Extra...

Enjoy a personal guided tour with the owner of Fursdon House, a member of the same family that has called it home for the past 750 years.

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Historic Houses of Dorset

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from London

Hotels

Four nights at the 3* Best Western Shrubbery Hotel, Ilminster (or similar)

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Civil war, ancient curses, club-wielding giants and Victorian realists — in Dorset and Somerset, prepare to find the unexpected around every corner.

The windswept ruins of Corfe Castle, one of the English Civil War’s most distinguished survivors; the chameleonic Sherborne Abbey, which has been a Saxon cathedral, a Benedictine abbey and a parish church; the towering Cerne Abbas giant presiding over the ancient hillside; the famous facade of Highclere Castle — these are the sights that linger long after returning home from a trip to this sublimely surprising corner of the country. From the palatial to the slightly more pedestrian — but no less beautiful with it — these are the houses that make up Dorset’s incredible history.

Come with us to this great coastal county and see the sites whose stories echo through the ages.

Visits

Visits to Highclere Castle, Sherborne Castle and Abbey, Mapperton House, Kingston Lacy, Corfe Castle, Max Gate, Forde Abbey, Barrington Court and Montacute House

Meals All breakfasts; five lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Departures 16 May, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £995 Single room supplement £195

Extra Extra...

Be whisked away to the banks of the Nile on an immersive tour of Highclere Castle’s Egyptian Exhibition, followed by a picnic lunch and special lecture on Literature in the Landscape.

What’s included

Historic Houses of Kent

Transfers Return coach transfers from London

Hotels Four nights at the 3* Hever Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Despite the horticultural connotations of its name, the real stars of England’s Garden are, without a doubt, its marvellous manors and colossal castles.

On seeing Bateman’s, his home from 1902 until his death in 1936, Rudyard Kipling exclaimed “That’s She! The Only She! Make an honest woman of her — quick!” And we have to say we don’t much blame him. The historic houses of Kent and Sussex can have that effect on a person.

Plus, when Kipling and Churchill — who made his home at Chartwell — both agree on a county as the place to live, chances are it has a lot to offer its inhabitants. As we’re sure to find on this tour, one of sublime country houses and paradisal gardens, its inhabitants have a lot to offer us, too.

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Departures 19 August, 2018 (by coach)

Visits

Visits to Knole House, Chartwell House, Penshurst Place, Sissinghurst, Leeds Castle, Bodiam Castle, Bateman’s and Ightham Mote

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; four dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £995 Single room supplement £195

Extra Extra...

Discover what is widely considered to be one of the grandest rooms in the world at the historic Penshurst Place, birthplace of Sir Philip Sidney.

Historic Houses of Oxfordshire It might be most famous for the university city it calls its capital, but the county of Oxfordshire is every inch as historic outside the cobbled streets and dreaming spires of the city — this tour lets beauties such as Blenheim Palace and Waddesdon Manor speak for themselves.

Departures 7 October, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 5 days from £995 Single room supplement £175

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from London

Hotels

Four nights at the 4* Oxford Witney Hotel

Travel Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Windsor Castle, Blenheim Palace, Bladon Church, Sulgrave Manor, Canon’s Ashby, Waddesdon Manor, Claydon, and a range of Oxford colleges

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; four dinners with wine; refreshments at Windsor

Staff

Professional tour manager

Our adventures in the English countryside don’t actually begin in Oxfordshire at all, but at Windsor Castle in the royal county of Berkshire. Still, it sets the tone for what is set to be a stately sojourn in some of the most beautiful countryside England has to offer.

Afterwards, a hop across the border gets us started properly, at the utterly spectacular Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill and a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. There must be something in the water in this part of the world, as tales of Oxfordshire’s political pedigree continue at Sulgrave Manor, the ancestral home of George Washington, first President of the United States.

On our final day, we discover an altogether different collection of

dwellings, those which serve as a home from home to tens of thousands of students from all around the world, as we explore a selection of the University of Oxford’s ancient and esteemed colleges.

It’s not difficult to see the attraction: from the brightly-coloured shopfronts of Broad Street to those tell-tale dreaming spires and honey-hued walls, it’s truly a magical place. Join us and discover it — not to mention some splendid 18th-century interiors, Elizabethan manors, and a clutch of royal rooms usually kept behind closed doors — for yourself.

Extra Extra...

Windsor Castle might be one of the best-known royal residences in the country, but few know it like this: be taken behind the scenes with a guided tour of the Great Kitchen, State Apartments, and Winchester Tower.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Historic Houses of Norfolk

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from London

Hotels

Four nights at the 4* Dunston Hall Hotel (or similar)

Travel

Why go abroad when you could go to the Broads?

The eastern county of Norfolk has much to offer travellers, including historic houses aplenty.

We all know that East Anglia is practically bursting with beauty, but its man-made masterpieces deserve more than an honourable mention, too. In fact, they deserve to be the star of their very own show — and we think our wonderful new Norfolk tour is just the ticket.

See why stately Sandringham was the place loved “better than anywhere in the world” by King George V, picnic in the lush grounds of Jacobean Felbrigg Hall, see the chambers which have played host to kings, queens and nobility of all ranks at Holkham Hall, and — last but not least — take to the mirror-like Broads for a leisurely morning cruise.

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Peckover House, Felbrigg Hall, Sheringham Park, East Ruston Old Vicarage, Blickling Hall, Holkham Hall, Thursford and Sandringham

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; four dinners

Staff Professional tour manager

Departures 2 July, 2018 (by coach)

5 days from £995 Single room supplement £195

Extra Extra...

Discover Norfolk from a different vantage point — take a ride on a vintage steam train along the North Norfolk Railway, and a serene morning cruise on the beautiful Broads.

What’s included

Historic Houses of Scotland

Transfers Return coach transfers from pick-up points across Scotland

Hotels Three nights at the 4* Dunkeld House Hotel

Travel

Comfortable coaching throughout

Go on the trail of monarchs both factual and fictional on our tour of Scotland’s historic houses, from the world-famous to the lesser-known.

What do the Queen of England and one of Shakespeare’s most accomplished tragic creations have in common? Oh, go on then, we’ll tell you — both have found themselves at home in the elegant environs of Scotland’s historic houses.

From Glamis, both the real childhood home of the Queen Mother and fictional dwelling of Macbeth, to Balmoral, the current monarch’s favourite bolthole (or so they say), we embark on a fascinating exploration of Scotland’s historic houses, with a few little surprises along the way — quick tipple at Edradour Whisky Distillery, anyone?

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Visits

Visits to Lochleven, Blair, Braemar, Balmoral, Menzies and Glamis Castles, Crathie Kirk, and Edradour Whisky Distillery

Meals All breakfasts; three lunches; three dinners with wine

Staff Professional tour manager

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Departures 3 June, 2018 (by coach)

4 days from £745 Single room supplement £150

Extra Extra...

Be taken on a private tour of Balmoral Castle, rumoured to be the Queen’s favourite residence — no doubt we’ll soon see why for ourselves!

Downton Abbey & England’s Stately Homes If you’ve ever fancied yourself a Lady Mary, an Elizabeth Bennet, a Fitzwilliam Darcy, or an Earl of Grantham, this is the tour for you.

Plush stately homes, devastatingly beautiful architecture, world-class art collections, sumptuous saloons — but of course...

Departures 16 July, 2018 (by coach) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements 6 days from £1,395 Single room supplement £320

What’s included Transfers

Return coach transfers from London

Hotels

Five nights at the 3* Oxford Witney Hotel

Travel Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits

Visits to Bampton, Basildon House, Highclere Castle, Lacock Abbey, Iford Manor, Bath, Bourton House Gardens, Sezincote, Chavenage House, Tetbury, Blenheim Palace, and Waddesdon Manor

Meals All breakfasts; six lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff

Professional tour manager

Lovers of period drama, rejoice — this tour of England’s scene-stealing stately homes is all about the drama. Our sites have a strong televisual pedigree, having held starring roles in classics such as Pride and Prejudice, Cranford, Lark Rise to Candleford, Downton Abbey, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and even the Harry Potter films.

Beginning in the picture-perfect village of Bampton, we wend our way — from our base in Witney, just west of Oxford — through the lush counties of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

Walk the halls of the monumental World Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and birthplace of Winston Churchill; be transported to the Middle East in the surreal and spectacular Sezincote, a Neo-Mughal-

styled residence in the heart of Gloucestershire complete with minarets and peacock-tail windows; the grand, the glorious, and the delightfully odd are represented in full force in this corner of England.

Whatever you’re looking for, whatever you’re expecting, you’re sure to be amazed and delighted.

But it’s Downton Abbey fans in particular who are in for a treat here. Join us for a tour of Highclere Castle, the real-life incarnation of the titular Abbey which has set the scene for so many of the Granthams’ highs and lows, as played out in the phenomenally popular series.

Extra Extra...

Fans of Downton Abbey have the perfect chance to get to grips with the house itself on this unique tour — walk the halls, take a turn around the gardens, and pick up a little something special in the gift shop.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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Tour Calendar 2018 So, now that you’ve read your way through our tantalising tour pages, what’s next? Picturing yourself on a windswept isle in the North Sea or a tranquil beach in the Caribbean sea? Perhaps. Stocking up on suncream, a lovely new luggage set, or a set of language dictionaries? C’est possible.

Well, that can all wait, because we have something far more pressing in mind: the dates for your diary. Across these next few pages, we’ve broken every date and every departure in this brochure down into chronological order, handily colour-coded by theme.

So even if you haven’t quite decided on your next destination, you’re in luck. Looking for a Special Interest tour in October or a Secret Gardens holiday in May? Right this way...

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Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Calendar 2017/2018 December 2017

April 2018

Christmas in Perthshire 24 December Christmas in the Cotswolds 24 December Christmas in the Scottish Borders 24 December New Year in Perthshire 30 December

January 2018 In the Footsteps of Robert Burns 24 January

25

Up Helly Aa — 6-day tour 29 January

12

February 2018

Dutch Bulbfields Cruise — Overnight Ferry Package 2 April

59

Islay and Jura 2 April

17

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 2 April

36

Dutch Bulbfields Cruise — Air Package 3 April

59

Dutch Bulbfields Cruise — Coach Package 3 April

59

Dutch Bulbfields Cruise — Eurostar Package 3 April

59

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 9 April

36

Gardens and Architecture of Andalucía 10 April

60

Portuguese Archaeology 10 April

39

Northern Lights in Iceland 4 February

27

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 16 April

43

Gardens of Costa Rica 6 February

66

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 16 April

36

Gardens of the French Riviera with Menton Lemon Festival 22 February

61

57

Villas & Gardens of the Italian Lakes 18 April Albania: Land of the Eagles 19 April

41

Lord of the Glens Cruises: Highlands & Islands 20 April

33

Highgrove & the Cotswolds 20 April

48

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 20 April

43

Walking and Painting in Orkney and Shetland 21 April

24

Historic Houses of Devon and Somerset 23 April

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Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 23 April

43

March 2018 Galicia’s Camellia Route 14 March

58

Ancient Wonders of Sicily 20 March

40

Gardens and Villas of Sicily 20 March

58

Villas and Gardens of the Italian Lakes — Camellia Package 21 March

61

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 23 March

43

63

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 25 March

Arts and Gardens of Florence and Tuscany 24 April

13

38

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 26 March

Crete Archaeology 24 April

43

33

Seasonal Gardens of Japan 28 March

Lord of the Glens Cruise: Highlands and Islands 25 April

67

Walking in Cornwall: The Saints’ Way 29 April

31

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 30 April

36

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 30 April

43

Lord of the Glens Cruises: Highlands & Islands 30 April

33

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

85

Calendar 2018 May 2018 Villas and Gardens of the Italian Lakes 2 May

61

Gardens of the French Riviera with Grasse Rose Festival 3 May

57

Highgrove and the Cotswolds 4 May

48

Highlights of Orkney and Shetland 5 May

20

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 6 May

13

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 7 May

36

Lord of the Glens Cruise: Heart of the Highlands 7 May

33

Gardens and Architecture of Andalucía 8 May

60

Rome, Ninfa and Castel Gandolfo 8 May

65

St Kilda: A Voyage to the End of the World 9 May

18

Private Gardens of Herefordshire 9 May

49

Historic Houses and Gardens of the North of England 10 May

79

Walking in the Outer Hebrides 10 May

24

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 11 May

43

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 13 May

13

64

Secret Gardens of the Loire 13 May

The Genius of Monet 1 June

77

20

Relaxed Provence 14 May

Highlights of Orkney and Shetland 2 June

41

13

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 14 May

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 3 June

36

82

Lord of the Glens Cruise: Heart of the Highlands 14 May

Historic Houses of Scotland 3 June

33

17

Historic Houses of Dorset 16 May

Islay and Jura 4 June

80

65

Gardens of Normandy 17 May

Rome, Ninfa and Castel Gandolfo 5 June

64

Skye and the Summer Isles 17 May

44

23

RHS Chatsworth Show and Gardens of Derbyshire 5 June

Arts and Gardens in Cornwall 18 May

45

Yunnan: Footsteps of the Plant Hunters 5 June

68

A Grand Tour of Scotland 6 June

11

86

Mull, Staffa and Iona 18 May

16

An Archaeologist’s View of Orkney and Shetland 19 May

32

The Legacy of Gertrude Jekyll 20 May

53

Arran: Scotland in Miniature 21 May

14

Secret Gardens of the North of Ireland 21 May

75

Secret Gardens of Snowdonia 21 May

76

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 21 May

36

Lord of the Glens Cruise: Heart of the Highlands 21 May

33

Malta: The Arts Society 22 May

62

RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Classic English Gardens 24 May

45

Gardens of Kent and Sussex 27 May

47

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 27 May

13

Private Gardens of Guernsey and Sark 31 May

54

June 2018

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Calendar 2018 June 2018

July 2018

St Kilda: A Voyage to the Edge of the World 6 June

18

Historic Houses of Norfolk 2 July

82

Gardens of North Wales 8 June

47

Private Gardens of North Yorkshire 3 July

49

Lundy and Scenic Journeys of the West Country 8 June

34

Scenic Scottish Railways 6 July

21

Scenic Scottish Railways 8 June

21

Highlights of Orkney and Shetland 7 July

20

An Archaeologist’s View of Orkney and Shetland 9 June

32

Chatsworth and Buxton Opera Festival 9 July

27

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 10 June

13

Archaeology of Denmark & Sweden 9 July

38

Gardens of Dorset & Somerset 11 June

51

The Genius of Monet 13 July

64

Hidden Highgrove and the Cotswolds 11 June

48

Gardens of the Far North 15 July

44

Gardens of Barbados 12 June

69

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 15 July

13

A Classic Scottish Steam Break 14 June

21

Downton Abbey and England’s Stately Homes 16 July

83

Gardens of Dumfries and Galloway 15 June

46

Shetland & its Outer Isles 16 July

18

Mull, Staffa and Iona 15 June

16

Cheshire and RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 18 July

46

Whiskies of Islay and Jura 18 June

30

A Classic Scottish Steam Break 19 July

21

Villas and Gardens of the Italian Lakes 20 June

61

Grand Tour of the Inner Hebrides 22 July

19

Gardens of Devon and Cornwall 21 June

52

Secret Gardens of Aberdeenshire 27 July

76

Highgrove and the Cotswolds 22 June

48

Steam over Snowdonia 29 July

28

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 24 June

13

Steam Trains in the Tyrol 31 July

28

Arran: Scotland in Miniature 25 June

14

Gardens of Kent and Sussex 25 June

47

Walking Hadrian’s Wall 25 June

30

Alpine Flowers of Wengen 26 June

63

Undiscovered Orkney 30 June

22

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

87

Calendar 2018 August 2018

September 2018

Copenhagen and Zealand 7 August

62

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 9 September

13

Highgrove & the Cotswolds 10 August

48

Islay and Jura 10 September

17

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 12 August

13

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 10 September

36

Gardens of the North of Ireland 13 August

50

Ancient Wonders of Sicily 11 September

40

Gardens of Waterford and Cork 16 August

55

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 11 September

36

Gardens of Dumfries and Galloway 17 August

46

Palladian Villas of Veneto 11 September

65

Mull, Staffa and Iona 17 August

16

Private Gardens of Guernsey and Sark 13 September

54

Highlights of Orkney and Shetland 18 August

20

Mull, Staffa and Iona 14 September

16

A Grand Tour of the Inner Hebrides 19 August

19

Walking in the Peak District 14 September

31

Historic Houses of Kent 19 August

80

Highlights of Orkney and Shetland 15 September

20

A Classic Scottish Steam Break 23 August

21

A Grand Tour of the Inner Hebrides 16 September

19

Gardens and Wildflowers of South Africa’s Western Cape 23 August

70

Relaxed Provence 17 September

41

A Grand Tour of the Outer Hebrides 26 August

36

13

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 17 September

Arran: Scotland in Miniature 27 August

43

14

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 17 September

Gardens of Normandy 30 August

60

64

Gardens and Architecture of Andalucía 18 September Crafts of India 18 September

35

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 21 September

43

September 2018 An Archaeologist’s View of Orkney and Shetland 1 September

32

A Whisky Tour of Dornoch and Speyside 21 September

29

Rome, Ninfa and Castel Gandolfo 4 September

65

Scotland’s Finest Castles and Gardens 22 September

55

Gardens of Devon and Cornwall 7 September

52

Knitting in Shetland 23 September

34

Highgrove and the Cotswolds 7 September

48

Lord of the Glens Cruise: Heart of the Highlands 24 September

33

Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Gardens of the Firth of Clyde 9 September

36

51

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 24 September

61

Gardens of Norfolk and Suffolk 9 September

Villas and Gardens of the Italian Lakes 26 September

52

88

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Calendar 2018/2019 March / April 2019

October 2018 Lord of the Glens Cruise: Highlands and Islands 1 October

33

Hawaii with Honolulu Festival 8 March

72

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 1 October

43

Florida: Epcot Garden Festival 17 April

73

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 1 October

36

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 2 October

36

Gardens of Historic West Sussex 4 October

50

Tresco’s Abbey Gardens 5 October

43

Lord of the Glens Cruise: Highlands and Islands 6 October

33

Historic Gardens of Oxfordshire 7 October

81

Albania: Land of the Eagles 7 October

41

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 8 October

36

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 9 October

36

A Classic Scottish Steam Break 11 October

21

Lord of the Glens Cruises: Highlands & Islands 11 October

33

Pompeii, Herculaneum & Classical Campania 15 October

36

Lord of the Glens Cruises: Highlands & Islands 16 October

33

Autumn Tints of Arran 18 October

15

A Whisky Tour of the Highlands and Islands 21 October

29

Seasonal Gardens of Japan 23 October

67

Gardens of New Zealand 29 October

71

November 2018 Malta’s Archaeological Heritage 6 November

39

Northern Lights in Iceland 18 November

27

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

89

Oberammergau & the Austrian Tyrol

Special 2020 Departure What’s included Transfers

The hills — not to mention the picture-postcard Salzburg streets — are certainly alive with the sound of music on this tour. Join us as we take in the setting for classic musical the Sound of Music, and the home of one of the world’s foremost musical geniuses, in the sublime setting of the picturesque Austrian Tyrol.

Return flights London to Munich

Hotels Five nights: four at a 4* hotel in the Tyrol; one at a hotel in Oberammergau

Travel

Our focus might be on Oberammergau on this tour, but there’s more to Bavaria than just passion plays and historic pacts — this is the land of storybook castles and dramatic landscapes straight out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale. And just a short hop over the border in Austria, even more beauty awaits — even better, we think we might have found the best way to see it all…

Join us as we hop aboard the Zillertal Steam Railway, clink our complimentary glasses of schnapps (prost!) and sit back to admire the scenery in comfort and luxury. Taking us from the market town of Jenbach to the chic ski resort of Mayrhofen, which sits in the shadow of the great ‘Hintertux Glacier’, this is one picturesque journey that’s hard to beat.

Even Austria’s urban spaces are devastatingly beautiful, and our day trips to two of its finest cities take in castles, cathedrals, oldtown streets and even gilded architecture. Choose from a Mozartor The Sound of Music-themed excursion on your Salzburg sojourn — whatever you choose, the considerable musical pedigree of this region is abundantly clear.

And then there’s the big night itself — rounding off with a transcendent evening watching the Oberammergau Passion Play takes this trip firmly into ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ territory.

Preparing for a holiday years in advance might seem overly organised, but for some rare opportunities, it’s certainly worth it. One such treat is the Oberammergau Passion Play, a once-a-decade retelling of humanity’s most famous story.

In a time when the Black Death cast its shadow over Europe, the inhabitants of the small Bavarian town of Oberammergau made a bargain: if their town was spared, they would perform the Passion of Christ once every ten years. Today, people come from all over the world to bear witness to this unusual and exquisite tradition in action — in 2020, we’re in that number, so why don’t you join us?”

90

Comfortable coaching throughout

Visits Zillertal Steam Railway ride, cable car ride, visits to Tratzberg Castle and Oberammergau Museum, full-day tours of Salzburg and Innsbruck; Passion Play performance

Meals All breakfasts; four lunches; five dinners with wine

Staff Services of a professional tour manager

Extra Extra...

See a transcendent performance of the Passion Play in atmospheric Oberammergau, only performed once a decade — a truly rare treat.

Departures 12 May & 8 September, 2020 (by air) Please get in touch if you would like to make alternative travel arrangements

6 days from £2,095 Single room supplement £280

Call today on 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com

Booking Conditions Please note that bookings with Brightwater Holidays are accepted only in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in our full booking conditions, which can be found on our website or are available on request.

How to book

Deposits

Your completed booking must be made with the appropriate deposit and the premiums for any insurance if required. If you choose to take our insurance we would ask that you read all sections of the policy document fully. There is a 14 day cooling off period in which you can return the policy for a full refund if it does not meet with your requirements. The person making the booking warrants that he/she has the authority of all other persons included in the holiday to make the booking on their behalf and confirms that everyone is fit enough to participate in the tour.

For coach and rail tours in the UK, £100 per person

Upon receipt of your booking we will reserve your holiday, if available, and send a confirmation/ invoice which will advise you of the balance due.

Up to 70 days: Deposit* 69 - 41 days: 35% of tour cost 40 - 29 days: 55% of tour cost 28 - 8 days: 75% of tour cost 7 days to date of departure: 100% of tour cost.

You must pay the balance in full ten weeks prior to departure unless otherwise stipulated.

Visa/Mastercard/Barclaycard/Switch/Delta/ Maestro/Visa Debit are accepted for deposits with no surcharge. Balance paid by credit card will be subject to a 2.5% administration charge. Balances may be paid by debit card, cheque or bank transfer without surcharge.

Once the group travel arrangements have been confirmed we will be in touch. We will provide you with details on the tour guide/horticultural expert, hotel details, flights and general country information.

You will also receive your luggage labels and final itinerary detailing the sites you will visit on tour.

Joining instructions and a list of the guests who will be travelling with you will be sent out 4 weeks before departure.

If we change your holiday For the vast majority of our tours, the programme will be exactly as described in the brochure.

Occasionally we do make changes to the order or number of visits. This is usually due to opening hours, or in order to include a reopened garden, house or museum. We always try to tell guests in advance of any change. Please note pick-up points are subject to minimum numbers and will be confirmed when we send out joining instructions.

If you change your holiday If, after we have accepted your booking, you wish to change details of that booking, we will make every effort to satisfy your requirements, although this cannot be guaranteed. When a request has been met, an amendment fee of £50 per person will be charged and a revised invoice will then be issued.

Insurance We strongly recommend that travellers are covered by comprehensive travel insurance and do not travel against medical advice. You should organise your insurance when you book, to ensure you have cover against possible cancellation charges, medical treatment and repatriation. We will need to know the details of your policy 4 weeks before departure at the latest.

Brightwater Holidays are authorised to provide travel insurance and we are happy to discuss this when you book.

For tours with flights in UK/Europe, £200 per person For long-haul tours 10% of basic tour cost is required.

Cancellation by you Cancellation charges payable to Brightwater Holidays are calculated on time prior to departure as follows:

If you are on a cruise, cancellation terms are: Up to 85 days: Deposit* 83 - 56 days: 75% of tour cost 55 - 41 days: 90% of tour cost 40 days or less to date of departure: 100% of tour cost. *plus any invoiced flight costs.

Cancellation by us

1, 2 and 3 provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled. 1 and 3 provides for repatriation.

Please note that bookings made outside the UK are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Brightwater Holidays.

AITO quality charter Brightwater Holidays is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. The Association represents Britain’s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. Brightwater Holidays abides by the Association’s Code of Conduct and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter which can be viewed on www. aito.com. Visit the website to find out more about the Association or call 020 8744 9280.

What’s included •

Tour Guide/Horticultural Expert and/or a Tour Manager

• • •

Scheduled flights unless otherwise stated Accommodation Dinners with wine where stated; meals are not provided on travelling days

If we have to cancel your holiday before the date of departure, you will have the choice of taking an alternative holiday (and paying or receiving a refund/credit in respect of any price difference) or accepting a full refund of all monies paid. A minimum of 20 passengers is required to operate a tour with a Brightwater Holidays representative.

Financial protection Flight inclusive tours: we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence issued by the CAA (ATOL No. 4498) which the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) we pay to the CAA. This charge is included in our advertised prices. When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong.

Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL scheme as explained below.

Tours without flights arranged by us: The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 for Brightwater Holidays and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided for the following:

•

Tips, entrance to all sites in the programme

Passports A full passport is essential for travel to all destinations outside of the UK. All passports should have at least three months left to run from the date of return to the UK, although some countries require you to have up to eight months validity on your passport. It is the responsibility of travellers with non-EU passports to obtain the necessary visas, documentation etc. for all overseas holidays.

Complaints In the unlikely event that you have a complaint please inform your tour guide immediately so that action can be taken on the spot. If the matter cannot be resolved complaints should be submitted in writing to us within 20 days of your return from holiday. We cannot accept liability for claims reaching our office more than 20 days after the conclusion of the holiday concerned.

The prices in this brochure are valid for all bookings taken from 1st Oct 2017.

Last revised 1st September 2017.

We are Brightwater Holidays Ltd, registered limited company no. SC137295. Registered offices: Eden Park House, Cupar, Fife KY15 4HS.

1. non-flight packages commencing in and returning to the UK; 2. non-flight packages commencing and returning to a country other than the UK; and 3. flight inclusive packages that commence outside of the UK, which are sold to customers outside of the UK.

A full set of Brightwater Holidays booking conditions is available on request or on our website.

For full tour details visit www.brightwaterholidays.com

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www.brightwaterholidays.com | Brightwater Holidays Ltd, Eden Park House, Cupar, Fife KY15 4HS

5020

Sept 18 Iss 1

Tel: 01334 657155 | Email: info@brightwaterholidays.com