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Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Five essential things to know before you board a Majestic Line cruise ship
Named after a fictional cruise company in the Scottish TV series Para Handy, The Majestic Line was set up in 2004 by friends Ken Grant and Andy Thoms. It now operates four small ships around the Inner and Outer Hebrides – two 11-passenger converted fishing boats, Glen Massan and Glen Tarsan, and two purpose-built 12-passenger vessels, Glen Etive and Glen Shiel. The line came to national attention in 2017 when TV presenter Jane McDonald burst into song in Fingal's Cave on the island of Staffa while sailing on Glen Tarsan for her Channel 5 cruise series. As an epidemiologist, Dr Ken Grant worked as a public health consultant in more than 30 countries – a background that helped The Majestic Line become one of the first cruise companies to restart operations in August 2020 following the Covid pandemic. Over the years, he and Andy experimented briefly with smaller boats but returned to the four favourites, all styled like a 1930s gentleman's motor yacht with golden funnels like the ships in Para Handy. In 2024, the pair sold the company to Craig of Campbeltown Limited, which is refurbishing the fleet. As well as general cruises, the ships are also available for private charter. 1. Where does the Majestic Line cruise? The four-strong fleet based in Oban sails between April and October each year. Wood-hulled Glen Massan and Glen Tarsan offer three or six-night cruises within the waters of the Inner Hebrides, from Islay in the south to as far north as Skye. They also head inland via Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal to Inverness. The more modern steel-hulled ships, Glen Etive and Glen Shiel, are fitted with stabilisers so are able to operate three, six and 10-night cruises farther afield to the Outer Hebrides, St Kilda, the north-west mainland coast and even Orkney. Wherever it sails, The Majestic Line is unusual in not having set daily itineraries. Instead, captains assess the weather and sea conditions each morning and adjust their course accordingly. Guests' preferences for a certain port or are also taken into account and the captain will pull into a sheltered bay or harbour when it's time to eat. Highlights might include sailing past picturesque Eilean Donan Castle or visiting small islands such as Rum, Muck and Eigg. One of the closest and most popular destinations is Mull with its colourful capital Tobermory and Duart Castle on the coast. Life on board is laid-back, as are shore excursions. Passengers are dropped by tender boat at a landing or jetty, given a time to return and left to their own devices. Of course, there are plenty of walks, castles and distilleries to enjoy. Wildlife spotters may see dolphins, porpoises, seals, basking sharks, minke whales and orcas, as well as sea birds from puffins and petrels to gannets and guillemots. Passengers keen on fishing can dangle a line off the stern, help collect lobsters from creels or join the crew when they head ashore to collect mussels. 2. Who does Majestic Line appeal to? Passengers are mainly from the UK, followed by the US, Germany and Australia followed by the Canada, France and the Netherlands. This is slow travel at its best with ample time to admire the Scottish scenery. The four crew – a skipper, chef, engineer and steward – all pitch in, so it's not unusual to find the captain serving toast at breakfast. Foodies will enjoy the beautifully prepared meals, snacks and nibbles made from local produce in a small galley and served at a communal table (passenger preferences are noted beforehand). On such small boats, you're never far from your cabin or the sun deck, weather permitting, and the captain welcomes guest visits to the open bridge. With everyone eating together and sharing the small lounge and bar, there's plenty of chance to socialise and make new friends. The dress code is relaxed and there are no casinos, theatres, spas, pools or any entertainment. There's not even a TV in the snug en suite cabins. Children aged 12 and above are welcome on all cruises and youngsters of any age can sail on private charters. 3. The Majestic Line's fleet Glen Massan and Glen Tarsan (11 passengers) Glen Massan, a 1975-built trawler saved from the scrapyard, became the first Majestic Line ship in 2004 and was followed three years later by another converted fishing boat, Glen Tarsan. Both have two cabins with a small opening window on the main deck and four more rooms downstairs with fixed portholes, accommodating a maximum of 11 passengers, either as five doubles and a single or four doubles and two singles. There is a combined lounge/bar/dining room and outdoor areas include a sun deck and whale-watching spot. Books and games are available and a plasma screen in the saloon shows the ship's position or films about local wildlife. Sometimes the crew will put on an episode of Para Handy, the comedy that inspired the line. Though small, these two older wooden-hulled ships are preferred by some Majestic Line loyalists. Bookings still spike whenever Channel 5 repeats the Jane McDonald episode when she sailed on Glen Tarsan. Sails to: Inner Hebrides, Caledonian Canal Glen Etive and Glen Shiel (12 passengers) In 2016, The Majestic Line acquired its first purpose-built ship, Glen Etive, from a yard on the isle of Bute, followed three years later by Glen Shiel, another steel-hulled vessel. The sister ships have seven cabins, one on the main deck and six below, taking up to 12 passengers as five doubles and two singles, or six doubles and one empty cabin. In contrast to Glen Massan and Glen Tarsan, the dining room and lounge were separated and the ships were fitted with stabilisers for longer voyages in the open sea. Glen Etive's lower deck has more of a hotel feel, with cabins off a corridor running the length of the vessel, while Glen Shiel is more like a country house, with two stairways down to the lower cabins. The small bar offers a selection of gins, whiskies, beers and soft drinks. Both ships have outside seating, viewing areas and a sun deck. Sails to: Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides, St Kilda, the north-west mainland coast and Orkney scheme The Majestic Line is not currently operating a loyalty scheme. 5. Access for guests with disabilities Due to the size and nature of the four ships, accessibility is limited, especially because of narrow corridors and the stairs between decks, as well as steps down to the tender boats which are used to go ashore. People who need to walk with a stick are advised to book a main-deck cabin. Some passengers have used fold-away wheelchairs on shore.
CTV News
7 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump's trip to Scotland highlights his complex relationship with his mother's homeland
TURNBERRY, Scotland — U.S. President Donald Trump's trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he's likely to get a mixed reception. Trump has had a long and at times rocky relationship with the country where his mother grew up in a humble house on a windswept isle. He will be met by both political leaders and protesters during the visit, which begins Friday and takes in his two Scottish golf resorts. It comes two months before King Charles III is due to welcome him on a formal state visit to the U.K. 'I'm not proud that he (has) Scottish heritage,' said Patricia Sloan, who lives near the Trump Turnberry course on Scotland's west coast. 'All countries have good and bad that come out of them, and if he's going to kind of wave the flag of having Scottish heritage, that's the bad part, I think.' A daughter of Scotland Trump's mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod in 1912 near the town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, one of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland's northwest coast. 'My mother was born in Scotland — Stornoway, which is serious Scotland,' Trump said in 2017. She was raised in a large Scots Gaelic-speaking family and left for New York in 1930, one of thousands of people from the islands to emigrate in the hardscrabble years after World War I. MacLeod married the president's father, Fred C. Trump, the son of German immigrants, in New York in 1936. She died in August 2000 at the age of 88. Trump still has relatives on Lewis, and visited in 2008, spending a few minutes in the plain gray house where his mother grew up. A long golf course battle Trump's ties and troubles in Scotland are intertwined with golf. He first proposed building a course on a wild and beautiful stretch of the North Sea coast north of Aberdeen in 2006. The Trump International Scotland development was backed by the Scottish government. But it was fiercely opposed by some local residents and conservationists, who said the stretch of coastal sand dunes was home to some of the country's rarest wildlife, including skylarks, kittiwakes, badgers and otters. Local fisherman Michael Forbes became an international cause celebre after he refused the Trump Organization's offer of 350,000 pounds (US$690,000 at the time) to sell his family's rundown farm in the center of the estate. Forbes still lives on his property, which Trump once called 'a slum and a pigsty.' 'If it weren't for my mother, would I have walked away from this site? I think probably I would have, yes,' Trump said in 2008 amid the planning battle over the course. 'Possibly, had my mother not been born in Scotland, I probably wouldn't have started it.' The golf course was eventually approved and opened in 2012. Some of the grander aspects of the planned development, including 500 houses and a 450-room hotel, have not been realized, and the course has never made a profit. A second 18-hole course at the resort is scheduled to open this summer. It's named the MacLeod Course in honor of Trump's mother. There has been less controversy about Trump's other Scottish golf site, the long-established Turnberry resort in southwest Scotland, which he bought in 2014. 'He did bring employment to the area,' said Louise Robertson, who lives near Turnberry. 'I know that in terms of the hotel and the lighthouse, he spent a lot of money restoring it, so again, that was welcomed by the local people. But other than that, I can't really say positive things about it.' Trump has pushed for the British Open to be held at the course for the first time since 2009. Turnberry is one of 10 courses on the rotation to host the Open. But organizers say there are logistical issues about 'road, rail and accommodation infrastructure' that must be resolved before it can return. Protests and politicians Trump has had a rollercoaster relationship with Scottish and U.K. politicians. More than a decade ago, the Scottish government enlisted Trump as an unpaid business adviser with the GlobalScot network, a group of business leaders, entrepreneurs and executives with a connection to Scotland. It dumped him in 2015 after he called for Muslims to be banned from the U.S. The remarks also prompted Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to revoke an honorary doctorate in business administration it had awarded Trump in 2010. This week Trump will meet left-leaning Scottish First Minister John Swinney, an erstwhile Trump critic who endorsed Kamala Harris before last year's election — a move branded an 'insult' by a spokesperson for Trump's Scottish businesses. Swinney said it's 'in Scotland's interest' for him to meet the president. Some Scots disagree, and a major police operation is being mounted during the visit in anticipation of protests. The Stop Trump Scotland group has encouraged demonstrators to come to Aberdeen and 'show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.' U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also expected to travel to Scotland for talks with Trump. The British leader has forged a warm relationship with Trump, who said this month 'I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he's a liberal.' They are likely to talk trade, as Starmer seeks to nail down an exemption for U.K. steel from Trump's tariffs. There is no word on whether Trump and Starmer — not a golfer — will play a round at one of the courses. ___ Jill Lawless And Kwiyeon Ha, The Associated Press Lawless reported from London
Al Arabiya
7 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Trump's trip to scotland highlights his complex relationship with his mother's homeland
US President Donald Trump's trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he's likely to get a mixed reception. Trump has had a long and at times rocky relationship with the country where his mother grew up in a humble house on a windswept isle. He will be met by both political leaders and protesters during the visit, which begins Friday and takes in his two Scottish golf resorts. It comes two months before King Charles III is due to welcome him on a formal state visit to the UK. A daughter of Scotland, Trump's mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod in 1912 near the town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, one of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland's northwest coast. 'My mother was born in Scotland—Stornoway which is serious Scotland,' Trump said in 2017. She was raised in a large Scots Gaelic-speaking family and left for New York in 1930, one of thousands of people from the islands to emigrate in the hardscrabble years after World War I. MacLeod married the president's father, Fred C. Trump, the son of German immigrants, in New York in 1936. She died in August 2000 at the age of 88. Trump still has relatives on Lewis and visited in 2008, spending a few minutes in the plain gray house where his mother grew up. Trump's ties and troubles in Scotland are intertwined with golf. He first proposed building a course on a wild and beautiful stretch of the North Sea coast north of Aberdeen in 2006. The Trump International Scotland development was backed by the Scottish government, but it was fiercely opposed by some local residents and conservationists who said the stretch of coastal sand dunes was home to some of the country's rarest wildlife, including skylarks, kittiwakes, badgers, and otters. Local fisherman Michael Forbes became an international cause célèbre after he refused the Trump Organization's offer of 350,000 pounds (690,000 at the time) to sell his family's rundown farm in the center of the estate. Forbes still lives on his property, which Trump once called 'a slum' and 'a pigsty.' 'If it weren't for my mother, would I have walked away from this site? I think probably I would have yes,' Trump said in 2008 amid the planning battle over the course. 'Possibly had my mother not been born in Scotland, I probably wouldn't have started it.' The golf course was eventually approved and opened in 2012. Some of the grander aspects of the planned development, including 500 houses and a 450-room hotel, have not been realized, and the course has never made a profit. A second 18-hole course at the resort is scheduled to open this summer. It's named the MacLeod Course in honor of Trump's mother. There has been less controversy about Trump's other Scottish golf site, the long-established Turnberry resort in southwest Scotland, which he bought in 2014. He has pushed for the British Open to be held at the course for the first time since 2009. Turnberry is one of 10 courses on the rotation to host the Open, but organizers say there are logistical issues about road, rail, and accommodation infrastructure that must be resolved before it can return. Trump has had a rollercoaster relationship with Scottish and UK politicians. More than a decade ago, the Scottish government enlisted Trump as an unpaid business adviser with the GlobalScot network, a group of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives with a connection to Scotland. It dumped him in 2015 after he called for Muslims to be banned from the US. The remarks also prompted Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to revoke an honorary doctorate in business administration it had awarded Trump in 2010. This week, Trump will meet left-leaning Scottish First Minister John Swinney, an erstwhile Trump critic who endorsed Kamala Harris before last year's election—a move branded 'an insult' by a spokesperson for Trump's Scottish businesses. Swinney said it's in Scotland's interest for him to meet the president. Some Scots disagree, and a major police operation is being mounted during the visit in anticipation of protests. The Stop Trump Scotland group has encouraged demonstrators to come to Aberdeen and 'show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.' UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also expected to travel to Scotland for talks with Trump. The British leader has forged a warm relationship with Trump, who said this month, 'I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he's a liberal.' They are likely to talk trade as Starmer seeks to nail down an exemption for UK steel from Trump's tariffs. There is no word on whether Trump and Starmer—not a golfer—will play a round at one of the courses.
Arab News
7 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Trump's trip to Scotland highlights his complex relationship with his mother's homeland
LONDON: US President Donald Trump 's trip to Scotland this week will be a homecoming of sorts, but he's likely to get a mixed reception. Trump has had a long and at times rocky relationship with the country where his mother grew up in a humble house on a windswept isle. He will be met by both political leaders and protesters during the visit, which begins Friday and takes in his two Scottish golf resorts. It comes two months before King Charles III is due to welcome him on a formal state visit to the UK A daughter of Scotland Trump's mother was born Mary Anne MacLeod in 1912 near the town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, one of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland's northwest coast. 'My mother was born in Scotland — Stornoway, which is serious Scotland,' Trump said in 2017. She was raised in a large Scots Gaelic-speaking family and left for New York in 1930, one of thousands of people from the islands to emigrate in the hardscrabble years after World War I. MacLeod married the president's father, Fred C. Trump, the son of German immigrants, in New York in 1936. She died in August 2000 at the age of 88. Trump still has relatives on Lewis, and visited in 2008, spending a few minutes in the plain gray house where his mother grew up. A long golf course battle Trump's ties and troubles in Scotland are intertwined with golf. He first proposed building a course on a wild and beautiful stretch of the North Sea coast north of Aberdeen in 2006. The Trump International Scotland development was backed by the Scottish government. But it was fiercely opposed by some local residents and conservationists, who said the stretch of coastal sand dunes was home to some of the country's rarest wildlife, including skylarks, kittiwakes, badgers and otters. Local fisherman Michael Forbes became an international cause célèbre after he refused the Trump Organization's offer of 350,000 pounds ($690,000 at the time) to sell his family's rundown farm in the center of the estate. Forbes still lives on his property, which Trump once called 'a slum and a pigsty.' 'If it weren't for my mother, would I have walked away from this site? I think probably I would have, yes,' Trump said in 2008 amid the planning battle over the course. 'Possibly, had my mother not been born in Scotland, I probably wouldn't have started it.' The golf course was eventually approved and opened in 2012. Some of the grander aspects of the planned development, including 500 houses and a 450-room hotel, have not been realized, and the course has never made a profit. A second 18-hole course at the resort is scheduled to open this summer. It's named the MacLeod Course in honor of Trump's mother. There has been less controversy about Trump's other Scottish golf site, the long-established Turnberry resort in southwest Scotland, which he bought in 2014. He has pushed for the British Open to be held at the course for the first time since 2009. Turnberry is one of 10 courses on the rotation to host the Open. But organizers say there are logistical issues about 'road, rail and accommodation infrastructure' that must be resolved before it can return. Protests and politicians Trump has had a rollercoaster relationship with Scottish and UK politicians. More than a decade ago, the Scottish government enlisted Trump as an unpaid business adviser with the GlobalScot network, a group of business leaders, entrepreneurs and executives with a connection to Scotland. It dumped him in 2015 after he called for Muslims to be banned from the US The remarks also prompted Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to revoke an honorary doctorate in business administration it had awarded Trump in 2010. This week Trump will meet left-leaning Scottish First Minister John Swinney, an erstwhile Trump critic who endorsed Kamala Harris before last year's election — a move branded an 'insult' by a spokesperson for Trump's Scottish businesses. Swinney said it's 'in Scotland's interest' for him to meet the president. Some Scots disagree, and a major police operation is being mounted during the visit in anticipation of protests. The Stop Trump Scotland group has encouraged demonstrators to come to Aberdeen and 'show Trump exactly what we think of him in Scotland.' UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also expected to travel to Scotland for talks with Trump. The British leader has forged a warm relationship with Trump, who said this month 'I really like the prime minister a lot, even though he's a liberal.' They are likely to talk trade, as Starmer seeks to nail down an exemption for UK steel from Trump's tariffs. There is no word on whether Trump and Starmer — not a golfer — will play a round at one of the courses.
News.com.au
18-07-2025
- News.com.au
Australian beach crowned world's best in prestigious list
#14 – Temae Beach, French Polynesia: Surrounded by coral and hundreds of species of fish, this is exactly what you think when of the South Pacific region. Photo: istock #13 – Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, Spain: The stunning Canary Islands beach has over 3 million people per year visit it. The perfect little bay is known for its warm waters and brilliant golden sands. Photo: istock #12 – Luskentyre Beach, Scotland: Again, not really the place you'd think you'd find one of the best beaches in the world but the Outer Hebrides location is clearly brilliant. It hardly looks like it's from Scotland but the location means it's not often it's fit enough for swimming. Photo: istock #11 – Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands: While it's not quite seven miles long (it's actually 6.3 miles or 10kms long) it's a jawdroppingly beautiful beach. Photo: istock #10 – White Beach, Philippines: While Boracay Island has incredible beaches, White Beach is a step above. The white powdery sand is simply lovely, particularly with the backdrop of palm trees and jungle right on its doorstep. Photo: istock #9 – Sandy Lane Beach, Barbados: Again, if you haven't been convinced by the Caribbean's beauty, here is yet another perfect example. It's no surprise so many hotels and wealthy locals live right nearby. Photo: istock #8 – White Sand Beach, Thailand: Found on the western coast of the island of Koh Chang, the beach is far quieter than the big tourist beaches in Koh Samui and Phuket but the titular white sand is pretty amazing. Photo: TripAdvisor #7 – Le Morne Beach, Mauritius: The African nation of Mauritius is largely known because of its beaches. Le Morne Beach shows exactly why. Photo: istock #6 – Starfish (Sao) Beach, Vietnam: Officially called Sao Beach, it's better known for the starfish that live in the waters surrounding the bay. Crystal clear waters, and coral reefs make this a snorkeller's delight. Photo: istock #5 – Plage de Notre Dame, Porquerolles, France: On the island of Porquerolles, Plage de Notre Dame is a rare gem. It's secluded, separate from more popular islands and about as relaxing as it gets. Photo: istock #4 – Reethi Beach, Maldives: I mean just look at it. The Reethi resort in the northeast region of Baa Atoll is accessible through seaplane or speedboat but is undeniably stunning. Photo: Supplied #3 – Ksamil Beach, Albania: The bronze medal is going to a bit of a left field but breathtakingly stunning Ksamil Beach. While Albania may not be the top of your travel list, the southwestern gem of Ksamil is known as the "Maldives of Europe" and you can see why. Photo: istock #2 – Anse Source D'Argent, Seychelles: For the silver, it's a bit more traditional with Anse Source D'Argent in the Seychelles lining up on the second step of the podium. Famous for its striking granite boulders and clear, shallow waters, the beach attracts photographers and beachgoers alike, yet its spacious layout ensures a peaceful, serene atmosphere. Picture: iStock #1 – Whitehaven Beach, Queensland, Australia: But seriously, who are we kidding? It had to be an Aussie beach to top the list – it's almost unfair to the rest of the world! As part of the Whitsundays, Whitehaven Beach regularly tops lists like this and with its glistening white 98 per cent silica sands, it's just indescribably beautiful. Photo: istock
