A Scotland Walk for Whisky Lovers, Part 2 - Sat, Jun 22 2019

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page. This is a paid event with payment managed by the trip leader(s) and NOT the AOC. Please read the event description carefully for payment details and instructions.



A Scotland Walk for Whisky Lovers, Part 2


The Basics:
STATUS: Cancelled - Hide from Calendar
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Craigellachie, Scotland
Date(s) & Time:Sat, Jun 22 2019  5:00 pm >> Sat, Jun 29 2019 10:00 am
Registration Opens: Thu, Jan 10 2019 8:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Thu, Jan 10 2019 8:00 pm
Event Duration:6 Days 17 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D5: Difficult (Exploratory)
Distance:57 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Richard A. Zalik
Email Trip Leader(s)
You must be logged in to get the Trip Leader contact information.
Member Cost:$820.00/Person (See Detailed Cost Info Below)

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:16
Minimum Group Size:6
Number Registered So Far: 2 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Note: This is an "EXPLORATORY" trip. This means that there are parts of this trip, or perhaps the whole trip, that is new to your Trip Leader(s). However, they are confident that this will not be an issue.
This note is here so that you can make an informed decision. When a Trip Leader isn't personally familiar with a trip, there is an increased chance of things not going as planned and you need to be prepared. The Trip Leader may have additional details in the itinerary.

Itinerary:

Notice: This web page is designed so that you can only put yourself on the waiting list. Once I verify that you satisfy the registration requirements I will move you to the list of participants. See registration requirements below.

This is a riverside walk along one of Scotland's longest rivers. The walking is easy and relaxed - except for the Tomintoul loop - and the path is well marked. Speyside is one of Scotland's quieter corners. Playing host to over half the whisky distilleries in Scotland, it has the greatest concentration of malt whisky producers compared to every other whisky producing region. Therefore, along the way we will be able to visit several world renowned distilleries. We will finish our walk in Aviemore, at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Since it is difficult to book tours for large groups, reservations to tour distilleries must be done by the individual participants. I will list my own favorites, but you may select your own using the information provided through the following website: http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/planning_your_visit/speyside_distilleries/filter/craigellachie,        which includes travel information and the following area map: http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/assets/0007/3781/SoSWF_Map_2018.pdf

Bear in mind that distillery tours must be booked well in advance, that the distance from our lodging acccomodations to the distilleries you select may involve a cab, bus or train ride, and that the visit to a distillery involves a fee, generally in the range of 10 to 20 pounds per person.

The following is a bare bones description of the hike. For details see https://www.mickledore.co.uk/walking-holiday/buckie-to-aviemore-with-both-spurs-in-7-days-walking/, with the caveat that the prices quoted there apply to the full hike from Buckie to Aviemore and do not account for the extra days we will spend visiting distilleries.

Day 1 (Saturday, June 22). Arrive in Craigellachie.

Day 2 (Sunday, June 23). Craigellachie to Ballindaloch (12 miles)

Day 3 (Monday, June 24). Transfer to Tomintoul then walk back to Ballindalloch (15 miles)

Day 4 (Tuesday, June 25). Visit other distilleries in the area, such as The Glenlivet near Ballindaloch or Aberlour near Craigellachie (https://www.maltwhiskydistilleries.com).

Day 5 (Wednesday, June 26). Ballindalloch to Grantown-On-Spey (13 miles)

Day 6 (Thursday, June 27). Grantown-On-Spey to Aviemore (17 miles).

Day 7 (Friday, June 28). Visit the Dalwhinnie Distillery https://www.malts.com/en-row/distilleries/dalwhinnie/tours/ and return to Aviemore. Although Dalwhinnie is not listed as part of the Speyside distilleries it is geographiclly very close. It has the distinction of being at a higher altitude than any other distillery in Scotland.

The best way to get from Aviemore to the Dalwhinnie distillery is by train from Aviemore Station to Dalwhinnie Station. This will take 30 minutes and will cost between 6 and 9 pounds per person.  There will then be a further 10 minute easy walk to the distillery.  Alternatively you can get a cab. This will also take 30 minutes, but will cost about 60 pounds (for four people). 

Day 8 (Saturday, June 29). Depart Aviemore after breakfast.


Required Items to Bring:

Good hiking shoes, rain gear.

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Insect repellent, hiking poles.


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

How to get to/from Craigellatchie:

The best way to travel between Craigellachie and  Edinburgh is to take the train, which takes about six hours and, at the current exchange rate, costs between 30 USD and 95 USD. Alternatively, you can take a bus, which costs between 45 USD and 70 USD and takes about 45 minutes longer.

Returning from Aviemore:

By Public Transport: Aviemore is on the main Inverness, Glasgow, and Edinburgh railway line.
By Road: Aviemore is 140 miles north of Glasgow, and 126 miles north of Edinburgh. Depending on your preferred direction for onward travel, either of these two locations will connect you with motorways.

To view train times please visit qjump where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit traveline


Notes:

After booking, the tour operator offers a 15% discount code for use at Cotswold Outdoors. This can be used in stores or online at www.cotswoldoutdoor.com.

Registration Requirements.
TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT:
1. You must  an AOC trip leader or an active AOC member recommended by an AOC trip leader. This requirement is in place to verify that you have the necessary level of fitness and, most important, that you are a sociable person that will get along with the rest of the group and will not engage in disruptive behavior. This event is intended for bona fide AOC members and not for persons that join the club just to participate in this event. It is your responsibility to find a trip leader that will send me a recommendation on your behalf.  Please put yourself on the waiting list. As soon as registration opens I will check whether you qualify, and, if you do, will move you to the list of participants, provided the maximum number of participants has not been reached.  (I will go through the list of participants in the order they are listed on the waiting list). If you do not qualify you will remain on the waiting list until you do, or the maximum number of participants has been reached.

2. After I move you to the list of participants please send me your deposit by PayPal to zalikri@gmail.com. If I don't receive your deposit by February 10 I will move you back to the waiting list.

3. I wil give some preference to those who wish to register for both Part 1 and Part 2.

WEATHER: We may be lucky enough to encounter warm, dry weather over the whole route and enjoy dry paths and tremendous views, but we must be prepared because the weather can change quickly. Remember we may be spending time on higher ground, where it will be colder than in the valleys. Good clothing and waterproofs are essential!

COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORTATION: Cell phone service in this area may be spotty. Although I will carry a satellite phone, satellite signal is not guaranteed either. If for any reason you cannot walk on a given day transportation may be available to transport you to your next destination at additional cost, but this service is not guaranteed.

DISCLAIMER: The Trip Leader for this event has elected either to personally collect the funds that event participants are required to pay, or to require participants to pay funds directly to a third party. No funds will be paid to the Atlanta Outdoor Club for this event, except for the $25.00 user fee. Therefore, by registering for this event, you acknowledge and agree to the following: (1) the monies paid by registrants will not be monitored, managed, or otherwise accounted for by the Atlanta Outdoor Club; (2) that the Atlanta Outdoor Club bears no financial responsibility for this event; and (3) you waive any and all claims against the Atlanta Outdoor Club, and hold the Atlanta Outdoor Club harmless for the loss of any monies you paid for this event.


Notwithstanding the foregoing, any paying registrant may request directly from the Trip Leader, prior to the event, a breakdown of funds collected, estimated expenses, and deposits made in anticipation of the event. Following the event, the Trip Leader must complete his or her financial accounting for the event, with supporting documentation, within 30 days of the completion of the event, and a paid registrant may request a breakdown of funds collected, money spent and supporting documentation after that time. If you are unable to obtain requested documentation, please contact the Director of Paid Events.

 

 

 

 


* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Member Cost:$820.00/Person
Cost Includes:

Accomodations for seven nights in a shared room, English or Continental breakfast included, in either hotels, farmhouses, village inns, guest houses or family B&B's.

Luggage transfer between overnight stops. We leave our luggage at our lodging in the morning and we pick it up at our next lodging upon arrival. We only carry a small pack with the day's necessities.This service is limited to one bag per person, with a weight limit of 20 kg or 44 lbs.

Packed lunches will be provided for each day's walking, since there will not always be a handy shop or cafe on the route. No packed lunches will be provided on the days where we will be visiting distilleries.

A nonrefundable $25.00 AOC user fee.

Cost does NOT include anything not explicitly mentioned above, in particular:

Meals, except for seven breakfasts and three packed lunches. In particular, our evening meals are not included in the package, but we will have full details and recommendations for each evening meal in our itinerary. We will normally be within walking distance of a pub and/or restaurant; or, where there is good food available at the accommodation, the service provider will book that for us. Allow about 20 pounds per night (without drinks).

Airfare to and from the United Kingdom and local transportation in the United Kingdom, including transportation to/from Craigellachie  and/or Aviemore, and transportation to/from the distilleries.

Tour fees charged by the distilleries.

Schedule and method of Payment:  The trip leader must receive a deposit of $165.00 by 2/10/19. The balance must be received by the Trip Leader no later than 5/15/19. Please send your payments by PayPal to zalikri@gmail.com.  Your registration is not complete, and your participation in the event is not ensured, until your deposit is received.

Important: The exchange rate right now is approximately 1.27 USD to 1 GBP. As a buffer against exchange rate fluctuations and to account for credit card fees, the cost of this event has been estimated based on a rate of exchange of $1.40 USD to 1 GBP. Any surplus of at least 10 USD per person will be returned to the participants, otherwise it will be transferred to AOC.

The cost of this event has been estimated using the worst possible case scenario, which would be when there are seven participants and two single rooms would be necessary (which could happen if two persons of opposite sex are unwilling to share a room), thus incurring aditional expenses.

 

 

Make a Payment:Although there is a cost for this event, you do not pay through the AOC. Please review the event details carefully for information about how/where to make your payment.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.
*Note:

In the event of cancellation, any money that has not been sent to the service provider will be refunded in full (except for the AOC user fee) but once it has been transferred no refund is possible. However if there is another person on the waiting list that is qualified to participate in the event, and the person you were supposed to share a room with does not object, you may switch with her or him. The Trip Leader will not be involved in your private financial arrangements. Your registration for the event is not complete until your deposit is received.