Literary Derbyshire Yorkshire Tour

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Stay in charming countryside hotels and boutique city stays
Visits to the stately Chatsworth House as well as Haddon Hall, most beautiful medieval manor houses in the whole of England
Private cheese and ale tasting inside a Peak District cave
First-class train ride from York to Edinburgh
Guided myth walk in Glencoe with a Highland storyteller
Visits to Kilchurn Castle, Finlarig Castle, and Dunnottar Castle
Artistic immersion with a watercolor workshop in Pittenweem
Free time to explore York and Edinburgh at your own pace
Gaelic song night in Edinburgh
Explore the villages of Bakewell, Baslow, Castleton, Dunkeld and Culross
Time to visit bookshops and antique shops
Free time throughout the tour

TOUR PRICE $4495.00

A Journey from Northern England to the Scottish Highlands

The Peak District and the Scottish Highlands are not backgrounds. They shape the experience. This journey begins in Derbyshire. The moors are open, unbounded. The air holds the weight of time. In Castleton, you descend beneath the earth, tasting ale and cheese in the cool dark. Even silence has texture here.

We walk through estates like Chatsworth and Haddon Hall. They are not relics. They are environments. Light moves across their walls in slow rhythm. You become aware of stillness, of space shaped by intention and history.

Then north. Through York and into Scotland. The Highlands are less a destination than a state of attention. In Glencoe, the land feels wounded and alive. You walk with a storyteller who draws the past into the present.

There is fire. There is music. There is sea against stone.

This is not a tour.
It is a way of moving through landscape.
It is a study in how place becomes feeling.
And how, in the presence of land that remembers, you begin to remember too.

12 SPOTS

reserve your spot

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TRIP OVERVIEW

TOUR PRICE: $4 Double Occupancy

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Beautiful, centrally located accommodations double occupancy; $995 Single supplement fee.
Most meals (8 Breakfast, 6 Dinners)
Sudden Journeys Tour Director
Small, friendly group of 12 people
Ground transportation (pickup in Sheffield/drop off in Edinburgh)
All sightseeing, events, and visits as noted in the itinerary
All entrance fees, service charges, and standard taxes
Coach Driver and Restaurant gratuities
Special dinner and welcome drinks
Custom designed literary inspired gifts for your travels and inspiration.
Fine print: You are responsible for the cost of your drinks and free-time sightseeing. See our Tour Conditions for important details regarding everything listed above.

Arrival Airports: You can fly into Manchester (MAN) or London (LHR) Both are fabulous cities but Manchester is smaller if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Departure Airports: You could depart London (LHR) or Edinburgh (EDI)

Note: The itinerary is descriptive, not definitive and is subject to change. There also may be modifications due to weather, restoration works taking place are historic sites and availability of local activities and guides.

“Kyle constructed a beautiful frame, gave it to us, and allowed us to paint the picture of our own journey. This wasn’t a cookie-cutter tour. This was an experience through Kyle’s lenses: masterful in thoughtfulness, care, and detail - but never heavy-handed. Maybe the thing I enjoyed most was Kyle trusting us with her vision, her hope, and her wonder and giving us the gift of rediscovering magic. That’s exactly what this felt like. I remember inhaling the air to smell it...try to determine what scents I could find. Touching things, listening; tasting...being fully present, and feeling more alive than I had in a long time.”
”

— TOUR PARTICIPANT

ACCOMMODATIONS

3 NIGHTS PEAK DISTRICT

This 19th-century coaching inn is situated between Matlock and Buxton in the heart of the Peak District. Set in a stone-built house dating from 1804 and an adjacent courtyard building, this historic Georgian hotel is reputedly where Jane Austen stayed, while writing ‘Pride and Prejudice'

3 NIGHTS SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Thoughtfully renovated; celebrating the past but with a nod to the future, Weavers offers a stylish and snug place to stay in the heart of Haworth.

2 NIGHTS EDINBURGH

Set in a Regency townhouse, this genteel hotel is a 5-minute walk to the heart of the city enter. Featuring antique furniture, record players and local art, the polished, airy rooms offer smart TVs and Wi-Fi, as well as tea and coffeemaking equipment, and minibars. Upgraded rooms add 4-poster beds, while suites have balconies, high ceilings and/or living rooms.

DAY ONE | ARRIVAL & EXPLORE THE PEAK DISTRICT

You arrive in Sheffield and begin your journey north into the quiet drama of the Peak District. The landscape unfolds in soft ridges and green valleys. After a short drive, you descend into the cool, ancient earth beneath Castleton, where an underground cave becomes your dining room. Here, local cheese and ale are served beneath hanging stone, a sensory introduction to the deep layers of place. In the late afternoon, a walk along Curbar Edge opens up views that stretch into the past. You arrive at the hotel, your home in Baslow. Welcome dinner in the evening.

Highlights:

Arrival in Sheffield, scenic drive to the Peak District
Cheese & Ale Tasting in a Peak Cavern or Treak Cliff Cave
Stop at Curbar Edge
Welcome drinks and dinner at hotel

Light walking: 2-4 miles throughout the afternoon, some hills and steps. Bus 1 hour. Sleep in Baslow.

DAY TWO | PEAK DISTRICT

The day begins quietly, allowing time to adjust to the rhythm of place. Walk along the River Derwent, or simply sit with cuppa and journal. After a formal afternoon tea at the hotel, your group ventures to the wild stone ridge of Stanage Edge and the magical hidden gorge where trees are twisted and moss covered, like something straight out of a fairytale. As night falls, the light shifts and the edge becomes threshold—between day and night, history and presence. The day ends with a special event designed just for you.

Highlights:

Leisurely morning to explore the village of Baslow
Afternoon Tea at the hotel
Scenic stops and drive
Special event

Light walking: 3-5 miles throughout the afternoon, hills and steps. Bus 60 mins. Sleep in Baslow

DAY THREE | CHATSWORTH HOUSE & HADDON HALL

Today you will visit two estates shaped by centuries: Chatsworth House, grand and adorned with fountains, art, and empire, and Haddon Hall, quieter, older, its medieval spirit intact. In between, the village of Bakewell offers time to wander stone bridges and narrow lanes for lunch and shopping. This is a day about presence and scale… how buildings hold time, how gardens guide movement, how a portrait might shift as you walk past it. Dinner at a mountain inn.

Highlights:

Guided visit to Chatsworth House & Gardens
Visit to Chatsworth Farm Shop
Free time in Bakewell
Tour of Haddon Hall

Light walking: 2-4 miles throughout the afternoon, some hills and steps. Bus 1 hour. Sleep in Baslow.

DAY FOUR | YORK TO SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

From the rolling hills of Derbyshire, you move into a new kind of landscape. In York, the past leans inward. Think winding medieval streets, the massive presence of York Minster, the curve of the old city walls. After time to explore and eat at your own pace, you board a first-class train to Edinburgh. Upon arrival, you are met and driven through the Trossachs, where lochs and forests open around you. You arrive at your a boutique hotel tucked between lochs and munros. The night ends with another special time curated just for you.

Highlights:

Transfer from Baslow to York
Independent exploration in York
First-class train to Edinburgh
Private transfer to your highlands hotel.

Light walking: 2-4 miles throughout the afternoon, some hills and steps. Bus 2 1/2 hour plus train. Sleep in scottish highlands.

DAY FIVE | SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

Today is shaped by Glencoe, a place where landscape and memory converge. You walk the glen with a folklorist, learning the layers of history beneath your feet… all about the massacre, the clans, the survival and a testament to resilience of people. These mountains feel close. Along the way, you pause at Kilchurn Castle, a ruin where loch and stone meet. A brief visit to Finlarig Castle, abandoned and eerie, adds another layer. The day ends with dinner at a unique and storied inn.

Highlights:

🥾 Guided Myth Walk in Glencoe
Visits to Three Sisters, Wee White House, Kilchurn Castle
Explore Finlarig Castle ruins

Light walking: 3-4 miles throughout the day, some hills and steps. 3 HOURS bus. Sleep in THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS.

DAY SIX | CAIRNGORMS TO THE SEA

You begin with a quiet walk through the Birks of Aberfeldy. Then you’ll make a stop at the charming village of Dunkeld for lunch. From there, you travel east toward the North Sea and the headland ruins of Dunnottar Castle. It’s a place of resistance, isolation, and cinematic beauty. In the evening, we have another special event planned just for you.

Highlights:

Morning walk at Birks of Aberfeldy
Dunkeld for lunch and shopping
Visit Dunnottar Castle
Dinner in the Cairngorms
Special event

Light walking: 3-4 miles throughout the day, some hills and steps. 3 HOURS bus. Sleep in THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS.

DAY SEVEN | FIFE COAST TO EDINBURGH

The Fife coast is quiet, painterly. You stop in Pittenweem, a village of working harbors and artist studios. Here you join a local painter for a watercolor workshop, using the sea and stone as your model. You then drive through Culross, a preserved 17th-century village, and continue to Edinburgh, arriving in time to settle in and explore on your own.

Highlights:

Scenic drive along Fife Coastal Route
Watercolor Studio Visit in Pittenweem
Visit Culross (optional: Midhope Castle)
Dinner on your own

Light walking: 3-4 miles throughout the day, some hills and steps. 3 HOURS bus. Sleep in edinburgh.

DAY EIGHT | EDINBURGH

You are free to explore Edinburgh as you like—walk the Royal Mile, find a café in Dean Village, visit the National Museum, or simply follow your feet. In the evening, your group gathers one last time for a special farewell feast. It is a celebration, not just of the journey, but of what it opens in you.

Highlights:

Free day in Edinburgh
Gaelic Song Night
Farewell Feast

Light walking: 3-4 miles throughout the day, some hills and steps. NO bus. Sleep in EDINBURGH.

DAY NINE | DEPARTURE

After breakfast, you are free to leave at your own leisure. The tour ends, but the places and stories remain, held in memory and in the body—walked, tasted, seen.

TOUR FAQS

Sudden Journeys hotels are often lux-boutique, independently owned. A lot of time in placed on finding beautiful, comfortable and safe hotels. This is a high priority! We make every effort to find centrally located hotels when in cities or towns. Being that often the hotels are in century old building, some accommodations don't have elevators, no (or weak) air conditioning, and spotty Wi-Fi at times. Private bathrooms are always ensuite.
While on tour you'll eat like a local. Cuisine is typical of the region and can vary widely from country to country. Local beer and wine are optional at group meals, and at your own expense unless noted it is included on tour.
We cannot take responsibility for guests with special dietary needs or allergies. Guests with dietary restrictions usually manage fine with a little flexibility and willingness to supplement meals as needed at their own expense. Please let SJ know of any particular restrictions prior to the tour so the restaurants can be notified ahead of time. With that said, Europe/UK are all very considerate when it comes to being flexible and assisting any food issues.
Our tours are physically active but never very strenuous.! Expect to be on your feet, walking and standing, for up to several hours, indoors and outdoors, and in all weather conditions. The itinerary notes each day the level of activity.
You'll also need to carry your own luggage, often up several flights of stairs if staying at a small hotel.
Depending on your tour, some hotels have accessibility to laundry services once or twice during the tour, and your guide will give you tips on when and where you can do laundry. This is at your own cost.
No: You're not allowed to smoke or vape on the bus, in the hotel, or where other tour members are present. Nonsmokers, be aware that we can't isolate you from Europeans who smoke in public areas or hotels.
Your tour includes tips for local guides, coach driver, group meals, and housekeeping.
Your tour leader tip is not included.
When you're out on your own it's customary to round up, or add a pound/euro or two, rather than tip a percentage.