Ultimate Inland Cruise Across Scotland

The idea of a luxury cruise in a boat passing through mountains might sound like a contradiction in terms. Cruises happen in places where there’s plenty of water - normally boats in mountains translate to white-knuckle rides in canoes or rafts. But a luxury cruise through some of Britain’s most beautiful mountains is exactly what I enjoyed aboard a large and well-appointed ship one summer week.

The Spirit of Scotland belongs to European Waterways, the holiday company that specialises in luxury barge holidays which really do what the promise says on the tin. In other words, their voyages take place in what could be described as floating five star hotels - hotels that move slowly and elegantly through beautiful landscapes. 

Spirit of Scotland

And landscapes don’t get much more beautiful than the Great Glen - the massive 70-mile long rift-valley which cleaves Scotland in two, stretching from the east coast at Inverness to the west coast near Fort William. 

It is, of course, the Caledonian Canal that allows the Spirit of Scotland - with its luxurious cabins (for 12 passengers), comfortable lounges and fine dining - to cruise through mountains. 

This remarkable waterway was constructed in the early nineteenth century by Scottish engineer Thomas Telford, and runs through more than 60 miles of the glen. 

Thanks to the geological fault that formed this valley, it was an obvious route for a canal. Only one third of its length had to be man-made - the rest was created by nature in the form of Loch Dochfour, Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy. 

This meant that only 29 locks had to be constructed along the canal to take sizeable boats from coast to coast.

Anyway, back to my holiday a few weeks ago aboard the Spirit of Scotland. She was purpose-built in 2001 and her style evokes that of the traditional steamers that plied the lochs of Scotland in times gone by. But she has spent most of her short life cruising the inland waterways in Europe in recent years. 

However, this summer the Spirit of Scotland was brought to Scotland. Not surprising really, as the Caledonian Canal offers something of a gift-horse to a company that makes a living by operating these kind of holidays.

For a start, the route is spectacularly beautiful. So even if the weather misbehaves, which it can do in Scotland, you can sit aboard and simply enjoy the tremendous views that pass slowly by. 

This part of the world is also hugely rich in history - so the cruise director and one of the crew will convey you to all manner of fabulously interesting places aboard the two European Waterways minibuses which follow the boat wherever she goes. 

That, in essence, is the basic recipe of a European Waterways holiday. You spend part of each day travelling aboard the hotel barge - and you also get to enjoy some kind of organised excursion. Then boat will moor somewhere quiet and pleasant each night and so that you and your fellow passengers can relax and enjoy a multi-course dinner made by the highly talented on-board chef. 

He will also make you breakfast the next morning and cook a delicious lunch, which you enjoy either before or after you’ve been out on an excursion. 

The trip from Inverness to Fort William offers a six-night holiday (as does the reverse trip back to Inverness) and it was, I have to say, the most enjoyable and relaxing thing I have done in a long time. Okay, so we were lucky with the weather - we had long periods of sunshine almost everyday, although we did experience the odd heavy rainstorm which was actually enjoyable to witness aboard the warm and comfy boat. 

The food was outstandingly good and we had great fun each mealtime in the company of the other guests. The cruise director and crew were amazingly efficient and everything - and I mean everything - went without a single hiccup. 

Each day we went off on an excursion and visited places like the Glen Ord whisky distillery for a private tasting, Cawdor Castle (home of Shakespeare’s Scottish Play), wild and scenic Glencoe, and romantic Eilean Donan and Urquhart castles.

If I had one tiny criticism of my holiday it would be that these last two places were very overcrowded. But what did that matter to me? Instead of joining the bus-loads of tourists returning to overbooked hotels, I was propelled back to what felt like my own private yacht aboard a chauffeur-driven minibus. And once I entered its luxurious lounges I was offered a choice of top quality drinks and refreshments before going down to my well appointed cabin for a quick snooze in readiness for a large and jolly dinner. 

European Waterways even arranged for visiting entertainment in the form of one of the best accordion and guitar duets I have ever seen and a remarkable bagpipe player, who marched up and down a lonely part of the glen where we’d moored, to put us into an entirely authentic Highland mood. 

I would go as far as to say that a week aboard the Spirit of Scotland in the Great Glen is one of the most relaxing but stupendously scenic holidays that one could ever enjoy without leaving the UK. 

And my wife and I added to this satisfying sensation of holidaying at home by catching the train all the way from Taunton to Inverness (Cross Country trains to Edinburgh www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk). It somehow added a delightfully old-fashioned feel to a remarkable holiday - more Miss Marple than a cheap flight to Malaga - more John Buchan’s 39-Steps than Ryan Air. 

And that is it in a nutshell - a holiday of old-fashioned elegance, but with a panoramic hint of scenic adventure thrown in. 

FACT FILE

The 6 night cruise aboard hotel barge Spirit of Scotland includes all meals, wines, an open bar, excursions and local transfers. Full barge charters are also available for families and groups. European Waterways: Tel 01753 598555               Website: europeanwaterways.com