Welcome Back It’s being a few months since our last newsletter, but we have the perfect reason. We have been so busy welcoming so many guests back to Scotland, we have barely had time to draw breath. A huge Thank You to those who have taken the plunge and travelled as soon as we re-opened. You have given us back the spring in our steps and shared so much joy at being here. Your enthusiasm just spills over and makes us so happy and thankful that you choose to share your special time with us. If you have joined us over the past few months we would really appreciate if you could take a few moments to leave a review on Trip Advisor.  Some of you will have met Dave, our Man in a Kilt, who has finally been able to fully join the team. He is loving every minute of his time on tour, and you are loving being out with him.   From postponed tours to big group tours and special ancestry moments, through to our hugely popular 5 day immersive tours and of course our Classic Outlander tours, here are just a few highlights of the past couple of months     What is it like on our 5 day tour? This review from May will give you a good feel for the community we create, over and above visiting fantastic locations. An Outlander Fan’s Dream Tour Emma and Anne of Mary’s Meanders treated our group like family as we spent five days together in Scotland visiting Outlander sites. By day we toured around in a private bus to see the the city of Edinburgh, castles, palaces, gardens, Culloden Moor, and other locations that were used to either film the Outlander show or were mentioned in the book series. At night we returned to pastoral country cottages (complete with sheep out the back door) outside of Linlithgow where we each had a private bedroom and shared a common living space. This was the perfect venue for family-style meals, sharing an intimate Gaelic concert, and forming new friendships, while at the same time getting a good night’s rest. Lunch and evening meals were at various restaurants (including a high tea), and gave us a chance to try delicious local foods. Along the way I learned some Scottish history, saw some beautiful scenery, and we shared a lot of laughter and fun. For an Outlander fan, the tour with Mary’s Meanders is a dream. Here are some photos from the May 5 day tours.     Ancestry Tours and Research Discovering a connection to The Battle of Waterloo and finding the old mill the family had operated for many generations, is just the kind of thing that makes a generic family “name” tour unique. Are you interested in finding out more about your Scottish Ancestry? We can help – email anne@marymeanders.co.uk to start the conversation.  Reopening has not been without its challenges. A number of Historic Scotland castles remain closed for safety reasons, including Linlithgow Palace, but we were delighted last month to get back to Doune Castle. For most of May Midhope Castle has been closed for filming, but in between we were able to get a glimpse of the S7 film set- exciting. Some locations have restricted opening, so a fair bit of juggling has taken place and patience has become our new watchword. Staffing issues have led to unexpected closures and restricted offerings at eating establishments, so we have introduced more picnics on our tours, introducing some of you to the British icons, Marks and Spencer and Greggs for sandwiches, salads, and sausage rolls.  Midhope Castle will be closed again from the 16th-21st Aug and 23rd -26th Aug and we are hearing probably for most of Sep too, though no dates have been confirmed as yet. We will always rise to a challenge to give you the best possible experience while you are here, and like the proverbial swan, we will be paddling away under the water to make things run as smoothly as possible. But be prepared to be a little more patient. It is worth bearing in mind that, while things are settling down a little, there are still some delays at big transfer airports like Heathrow and Schipol (Amsterdam), and your luggage may go astray. So, make sure you have a change of clothes in your carry-on bag. Or look forward to sporting a snazzy “Scotland” sweatshirt for a few days. And most importantly carry any medication with you. Also, Covid has not gone away, so please ensure you have appropriate travel insurance, to cover any eventuality, should you have to prolong your stay. Upcoming Tours Our hugely popular Outlander 5 day immersion tours are back for 2022 and 2023, and we have added extra dates to accommodate new bookings, as well as those who have deferred from previous years. This is a real trip of a lifetime, sharing all things Outlander with fellow fans and enjoying local life. You can find out more about the tour here. Due to a cancellation a couple of spaces have opened up in Sep 2022 and there is still good availability for most dates in 2023. A £350 deposit secures your booking. These tours are ideal for solo travellers. You will meet new (lifelong) friends and we do not charge a single supplement. We have availability on the following dates: Sep 5th & 19th 2022 – limited 1st May 2023 22nd May 2023 – limited 10th July 2023- one space left 4th Sep 2023 18th Sep 2023 Our Outlander group day tours and 3 day tours are now on the website, but if you are planning to come and have specific dates in mind, please do get in touch and we may add a new group tour for your dates, if it fits our schedule. Since we have re-opened, we have had a lot more Private Tour bookings. Please contact us directly if you want to discuss this and we can plan a tour around your specific wishes. Fan groups and friends groups. Tour when you want and where you want. Why not get together a group of friends or fellow fans and form your own “tour bubble”. Choose from our range of tours or adapt any to suit your requirements. We can have a Zoom call to help you decide. Email emma@marysmeanders.co.uk Are you Scots-Irish? Anne has just spent a few days in Northern Ireland researching for some forthcoming ancestry tours. Watch out for her blog on the Scots who settled in Ulster and then emigrated to America. A fascinating period of history that still has major repercussions today. Travel Agents We are working with a number of new agents in the USA and Canada and on larger group tours. If this is something you would like to discuss, please contact emma@marysmeanders.co.uk and we can set up a chat. Keep watching our Social Media for new items and further details. www.facebook.com/MarysMeanders www.instagram.com/marysmeanders twitter.com/MarysMeanders Keep safe and well and we will see you soon. Emma & Anne www.marysmeanders.co.uk https://www.paypal.me/marysmeanders  Copyright © |2021* *Mary’s Meanders *, All rights reserved. Our Email mailing address is: *tours@marysmeanders.co.uk* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list |
December 2021 Newsletter
