THE GATHERING 2009
July 25th & 26th - Edinburgh, Scotland
Welcome to Clan Henderson's page for our trip to The Gathering 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Gathering is slated to be the largest gathering of Scottish Clans and performers ever. We have arranged for a tent and ask that our kith and kin become involved to show off our Henderson pride. Below is an itinerary for the Clan Henderson tour. There are limited openings and time lines so check it out now! If you would like more information about The Gathering then just click through for the official site.
Passport Information
As of February 28, 2008 Clan Henderson has made a group purchase for the passports. You can still purchase a passport but you have to do it through The Gathering' website at www.clangathering.org. Please note that you do not need to have a passport to enter the games. There are also games tickets available through the same page. The passport is just an all-inclusive pass that will also allow the bearer to partcipate in the parade and a seat for the clan Pageant.
Hello from "Scottish Highland Trails." Your name[s] have been given to us by David Henderson as possible participants in the Clan Henderson tour to Scotland in July 2009. The Clan's Itinerary is in two parts. The first part relates to your stay in Edinburgh which, we assume, everyone will be involved with, and the second part is an optional extension into the Scottish Highlands following the group's stay in Edinburgh.
The agreed Itinerary is as follows :
Part 1 - Edinburgh
Thursday 23rd July 2009
Overnight transatlantic flights into the UK ( which are arranged by your Group Members individually, the cost NOT being included in our Package )
Friday 24th July 2009
You arrive at Edinburgh International Airport where you are met by our airport team. Your Package Costs will include a transfer to your Edinburgh accommodation. This may be by coach for a large group arrival, or by taxi, or one of our own vans. You will be advised of your transfer arrangements by our team on arrival. You stay for three nights at the Radisson SAS Hotel on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, in an excellent location for the events of the Clan Gathering. Breakfasts are included in the Package Costs for each morning of your stay at the Radisson.
Saturday 25th July 2009
A day in Edinburgh. This is the first day of the Highland Games within Holyrood Park at the bottom of the Royal Mile which will include, in addition to piping, dancing and all the other usual activities, the 2009 World Highland Heavy Athletics Championship with all events such as Tossing the Caber, Hammer Throw etc etc.
Sunday 26th July 2009
A day in Edinburgh. This is the second day of the Highland Games. In the evening there is the Clan Parade on the Royal Mile, and the Clan Pageant at Edinburgh Castle.
Monday 27th July 2009
You check out of the Radisson and transfer to Edinburgh International Airport for your flights home. This transfer is included in your package costs and, as on arrival, may be by coach, taxi, or one of our own vans.
Part 1 - Edinburgh Costs
The cost of the above package of hotel and transfer arrangements is
£ 290.oo (GB Pounds) per person for Guests sharing Double occupancy of a room
£ 440.oo (GB Pounds) per person for Guests requiring Single occupancy of a room.
Part 1 - Edinburgh Costs include
The services of the Scottish Highland Trails team at Edinburgh International Airport to meet you on arrival on Thursday 23rd July 2009, and your transfer from the airport to the Radisson SAS Hotel in Edinburgh's Royal Mile.
The cost includes all accommodation detailed above. It includes all meals detailed but, please note, while we would expect hot tea and coffee to be available at all meals, and fruit juice to be served at Breakfasts, the package costs do not include alcoholic drinks or sodas taken with those meals unless they are included as part of a set menu.
For those departing Scotland making their own flight arrangements, your transfer from the Radisson SAS Hotel to Edinburgh International Airport on the morning of Monday 27th July 2009.
The cost includes a folder of daily tour notes for your visit.
The cost includes the use of "Scottish Highland Trails" 24 Hour Help Line throughout your vacation in Scotland. This number will be given to you prior to departure from the USA in order that friends and family can use it should urgent contact be required with you during your trip.
The cost includes all UK Government taxes at 17.5%. Please note this is the only tax which will be charged on the various parts of your Package. In Scotland, and throughout the UK, there are NO local Sales Taxes or Hotel Room Taxes which exist in many other Countries.
Please Note : Participating in the Parade, and to join the audience at the Pageant, requires Group Members to register either as a group, or as individuals, and all participants have to buy a Clan Gathering Passport the details of which can be found by clicking on the following link : www.clangathering.org/content/the-gathering-2009-passport.html. The passport also includes admission to the Highland Games on both days, although entrance to the Games can be paid on the day for those not participating in the two other events. The cost of the Passports is NOT included in your package costs. Once a release date for these passports is published, group members will be able to purchase them online.
Part 2 - Three Day Highland Tour
Monday 27th July 2009
A coach will meet you at the Radisson SAS Hotel at 9.00am. You head north out of Edinburgh across the Forth Road Bridge into the County of Fife where you visit the Fordell Castle area. As the Castle is in private ownership, we cannot guarantee entry to the grounds of the Castle but we will contact the owners on your behalf to try and sort something out for you. From Fordell you head northwards into Perthshire to the Pitlochry area where you tour the Edradour Single Malt Whisky Distillery. There will be a one hour stop in Pitlochry where Guests can enjoy the main street of town looking at the many shops and stores, or possibly visit the Heather Gems Factory and Store. North again drive through the Drumochter Pass into the Cairngorms National Park heading for the capital of the Highlands, Inverness. Just outside town you visit the Culloden Battlefield, Memorial and Visitor Centre where you will see the new Clan Henderson stone laid as part of the recent refurbishment of the visitor facilities. From Culloden you head into Inverness where you stay for one night at the Palace Hotel where Breakfasts and Evening Meals are included in the Package Costs. This hotel is on the bank of the River Ness in a very picturesque setting, yet only a short walk from the centre of town.
Tuesday 28th July 2009
You depart from the Palace Hotel at 10.00am heading south from Inverness along the shore of Loch Ness. At the village of Drumnadrochit, you visit Urquhart Castle and the Loch Ness Exhibition where the story of life in the area is told in a series of Audio Visual Presentations. It also tries to explain the Monster Legend in scientific terms leaving Guests to decide for themselves whether there is, or was, "something" in the Loch. You continue driving south along the shore of the Loch with a stop at Aonach Mor to ride the Cable Car up towards the summit giving excellent views over the Great Glen. From there its a short drive through Fort William to the Glencoe area where you stay for one night at the Ballachulish Hotel. Breakfasts and Evening Meals are included in the Package Costs.
Wednesday 29th July 2009
You have as much time as required in the Glencoe area during which its our understanding that you'll make your own arrangements for Clan Henderson related visits. Your Package Costs include a stop at the Glencoe Visitor Centre where the story of the area and the notorious Massacre of the Clan MacDonald in 1692 are told in an Award Winning Exhibit. Whether that is today, or maybe even last thing on 27th prior to checking in to the Ballachulish Hotel, time will be made for your visit to this excellent exhibit. By mid-afternoon latest you leave Glencoe driving through the full length of the Glen through Tyndrum to Crianlarich, then down through Callander to Stirling. From there its a short drive to Edinburgh International Airport. You stay for one night at the Hilton Edinburgh Airport Hotel where Breakfasts and Buffet Evening Meal are included in the Package Costs.
Thursday 30th July 2009
You use the hotel's own shuttle to transfer to the terminal for your flights home. Transfer time - 1 minute !
Package Costs
The cost of the above package of hotel and transfer arrangements is
£ 493.oo (GB Pounds) per person for Guests sharing Double occupancy of a room
£ 620.oo (GB Pounds) per person for Guests requiring Single occupancy of a room.
Please Note : If numbers for this extension tour are below 15, we have to add a further £ 63.oo (GB Pounds) per person to the above costs to allow for alternative transport arrangements
The Package Costs include
The use of an appropriate type of Coach or Van transport depending on your numbers, for your travel from the Radisson SAS Hotel on the morning of Monday 27th July 2009 through to your arrival at the Hilton Edinburgh Airport Hotel on the late afternoon/early evening of Wednesday 29th July 2009. You will be accompanied on the Tour by a Scottish Highland Trails team member who, if your numbers are small and you are using a van, may well also be the driver.
The cost includes all accommodation detailed above. It includes all meals highlighted in blue in the above Itinerary but, please note, while we would expect hot tea and coffee to be available at all meals, and fruit juice to be served at Breakfasts, the package costs do not include alcoholic drinks or sodas taken with those meals unless they are included as part of a set menu.
The cost includes your entrance fees to :
- Blair Castle
- The Culloden Battlefield, Memorial & Visitor Centre
- Loch Ness Exhibition Centre
- Urquhart Castle
- The Glencoe Visitor Centre
The cost includes a folder of daily tour notes for each family, couple or solo traveller.
The cost includes the use of "Scottish Highland Trails" 24 Hour Help Line throughout your vacation in Scotland. This number will be given to you prior to departure from the USA in order that friends and family can use it should urgent contact be required with you during your trip.
The cost includes all UK Government taxes at 17.5%. Please note this is the only tax which will be charged on the various parts of your Package. In Scotland, and throughout the UK, there are NO local Sales Taxes or Hotel Room Taxes which exist in many other Countries.
The Package Costs do not include
The Package Costs do NOT include entry fees to any event , site or building.
Booking/Payment Policy
Unfortunately, the demand for accommodation in Edinburgh during the 2009 Clan Gathering is such that we are unable to operate our normal booking policy. All Guests wishing to participate in the above Package of Arrangements for the Clan Henderson, must secure their places with a 10% deposit on or before Thursday 28th February 2008. This deadline has been forced upon us by the Hotel who are under significant pressure to release the rooms to other Groups.
Administration
Payments can be made by Visa/MasterCard or by direct bank transfer in GB Pounds. If paying by Credit Card we will send individual Group Members a Vacation Order Form by E-mail which encompasses a secure credit card transmission facility. This is NOT an automated payment. It sends us your credit card details in a secure manner after which we process your payment manually. DO NOT send Credit Card details to us through normal E-mail systems.
Once the Group Size is finalised and deposit payments received, we will send Group Organisers a set of Vacation Agreement Papers by E-mail. We ask that you check their content and print two copies. Sign each copy and mail them back to "Scottish Highland Trails" indicating agreement with the content. We will then countersign one set of papers and mail it back to you.
Combined Cost
Guests can choose whether they wish to participate in the Edinburgh visit only, or take part in the short Highland Tour after the Edinburgh Visit. Adding the two costs together, the price for those Guests participating in both parts of the Itinerary is :
£ 783.oo (GB Pounds) per person for Guests sharing Double occupancy of a room
£ 1,060.oo (GB Pounds) per person for Guests requiring Single occupancy of a room.
Booking/Payment Policy
Unfortunately, the demand for accommodation in Edinburgh during the 2009 Clan Gathering is such that we are unable to operate our normal booking policy. All Guests wishing to participate in the above Package of Arrangements for the Clan Henderson, must secure their places by making contact with Scottish Highland Trails using one of the Links to Order Forms below on or before Thursday 28th February 2008. At that time a 10% deposit will be due. This early deadline has been forced upon us by your Edinburgh Hotel who are under significant pressure to release the rooms to other Groups. Final Payment for your Vacation Package is due on or before Thursday 11th June 2009.
For two Guests sharing a Room in Edinburgh only ( Part 1 ) only, please click on
https://webdealings.net/~highlandtrails.com/order.cgi?ordernum=2126800229
For two Guests sharing a room on the Combined Tour ( Parts 1 & 2 ), please click on
https://webdealings.net/~highlandtrails.com/order.cgi?ordernum=8388286374
For one Guest requiring Single Occupancy of a Room in Edinburgh only ( Part 1 ) only, please click on
https://webdealings.net/~highlandtrails.com/order.cgi?ordernum=0369463868
For one Guest requiring Single Occupancy of a Room on the Combined Tour ( Parts 1 & 2 ), please click on
https://webdealings.net/~highlandtrails.com/order.cgi?ordernum=9502852621
Please Note : For families requiring more than one room, a separate form should be submitted for each room.
Extensions to the above Vacation Packages
If any Guests wish to customise their stay in Scotland to include travel before and/or after the main Clan Henderson Tour, please contact us by email and we can discuss options with you and build your own personalised Itinerary.
Administration
Payments can be made by Visa/MasterCard or by direct bank transfer in GB Pounds. If paying by Credit Card we will send individual Group Members a Vacation Order Form by E-mail which encompasses a secure credit card transmission facility. This is NOT an automated payment. It sends us your credit card details in a secure manner after which we process your payment manually. DO NOT send Credit Card details to us through normal E-mail systems.
Once the Group Size is finalised and deposit payments received, we will send Group Organisers a set of Vacation Agreement Papers by E-mail. We ask that you check their content and print two copies. Sign each copy and mail them back to "Scottish Highland Trails" indicating agreement with the content. We will then countersign one set of papers and mail it back to you.
Travel Insurance
Both deposits and final balance Payments made for our Vacation Packages are non-refundable. We therefore strongly recommend when booking a vacation, whether it be with "Scottish Highland Trails" or with any other Tour Operator, that you take out Travel Insurance at that time covering against cancellation for any and all reasons. We further recommend that the content of your Package is explained to Insurers in order that all risks during your trip are covered by your Policy. We particularly recommend that anyone intending to take part in Sporting Activities during a "Scottish Highland Trails" vacation ensures they are covered for injury and loss during such participation.
Yours aye
Alex J Hood
Scottish Highland Trails
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