As we slide into winter it is a beautifully dramatic time in Scotland when white wintery mountains can wear snow like billowing wedding gowns. Why not take the chance to let an experienced Rabbie's driver/guide take the strain and reintroduce you to the wonders of the Highlands in winter. All our tours operate through the winter months with the exception of the 5 day tours which have now finished until we herald in 2009.

2009 will be terrific year to be in Scotland as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth on the 25th January 1759. Undoubtedly he is Scotland's best loved poet, and has left us with the greatest legacy of poems and songs written in the truly magical and descriptive Scots dialect. To celebrate his anniversary Scotland is showcasing a year of Homecoming, with clan tours, clan gatherings and a wealth of festivities to celebrate the Scots contributions to the world. For information on clan tours please click here, and remember if your clan isn't mentioned that we are able to customise any clan tour for you. Clanfinder

2009 will also see the launch of our new 5 day tour to the Outer Hebrides. Lewis and Harris lie at Europe's westernmost extreme and have the power to enchant and enthrall visitors to these remote islands. We are also launching a new specialist 4 day whisky tour to Islay, home to 8 of Scotland's finest single malt whisky distilleries. And for those of you with more time our programme is knitted together so that you can combine tours together whilst on route in the Highlands so there are many options for vacations of 7, 8, 9 and even 13 days duration.

Gift Vouchers - looking for that elusive dream Christmas present for you loved ones - why not buy them one of our newly launched gift vouchers redeemable against any of our tours. Click here

Fantastic news again.

In my last newsletter I mentioned that Rabbie's had been nominated again this year for another Thistle award - the tourism equivalent of an oscar. This time we were finalists for '"people development". It therefore gives me great pleasure to announce that as the winners we were thrilled to accept this highly esteemed award. The judges came to their view based on Rabbie's promise to deliver a "unique and memorable experience" to our customers. '"A promise consolidated through the company's passion for its staff and their development, firmly believing that great customer service can only be delivered by great members of staff who are developed to their full potential'". A wonderful night to remember, as Jeff, our Operations Manager, stepped forward to accept the honour from one of Britains' great comedians and local boy Ronnie Corbett. Our office now has a pair of thistles sitting proudly on the mantlepiece. For more info click here.

Jeff proudly receiving our award from Ronnie Corbett OBE	Jeff, Hazel and Robin with the coveted thistle.

Rabbie's in brief:

Sigrid, our finance manager, is now on maternity leave, with her bundle of joy due to arrive in mid December..

Donald and Brian - (driver/guides) have both left Rabbie's and we wish them both all the best with their future ambitions.

Robin, our managing director, was recently interviewed for 'The Herald' newspaper. Its a really wonderful piece on how Rabbie's started as an embryonic thought to her maturity today, allowing us a brief insight into the road Robin travelled to set up his company....to read the interview please click here.

Rabbie's end of season conference/party

Rabbie's team in tango coloured gloves ready for what comes next.	One of the many carvings in the woods.

In November we had our staff conference and end of season party. After having enjoyed a wonderful time last year, we headed back to Comrie croft in Perthshire.

This year, en route, we stopped at Kinnoull hill to help the Perth and Kinross ranger service. Kinnoull hill sits 700 feet above sea level and is home to a native oak, birch and Scots pine woodland. Our job was to assist in the uprooting of young beech saplings, which if left unchecked, would suffocate the forest. Although there are beautiful beech trees present, it is necessary to manage the forest for the benefit of the enviroment, its wildlife, flowers and fauna. As we walked through the forest , the weather enveloped us in a light drizzling mist which added to the great sense of atmosphere. Our tree ID walk also lead us to the fanciful folly at the summit of the hill built by Lord Gray in 1829 to resemble the castles he had seen whilst sailing down the Rhine in Germany. Personally, I was more impressed with the wooden carvings sculpted from various tree trunks by a chain saw. Finally after being treated to a lovely lunch in nearby Perth, we headed to Comrie for our conference and for some, more importantly, our party. Calum once again was masterchef with his Italian creations, and the celebrations went on into the wee small hours. Another fine day and night was had by all. It's hard to believe that a year has passed since the last one.

It's amazing what you can create with a lot of patience, some balloons & some glue and newspaper.....meet Dobbin the wonder horse.

Caroline, who works in the office, decided as she had been invited to two halloween fancy dress parties to make herself a horse. For days in the office we all listened to the steed's progress until at last the evening arrived when he was unveiled. Now, as it was Halloween and we headed to our first party together, myself, Laura and Hazel-(who was the horse's rear end- I'm guessing she drew the short straw.) and Caroline were driven there by our friend Gary, whilst Dobbin had to go in the horsebox. Now, as you know, Halloween is a time of witches, warlocks and things going bump in the night.....which made me recall Rabbie Burns' epic poem 'Tam O Shanter'....and as we are celebrating his special birthday next year..

In tribute therefore to Caroline's efforts with Dobbin, and in the memory and style of Burns, using Tam O Shanter as the template, this is what happened next......

Oh Caroline hadst thou bin sae wise, As ta'en thy ain close friends advise, They tauld they weel, thou was fu' o' skill, To mak a designer horse tae thrill. Unveiled at last afore oor een, Dobbin on form wis a sicht tae be seen, An' noo wi' a party tae canter bound, We left in haste tae cavort around. Then at yer pals hoose on that Friday, Thou drank wi' a' yer mates til Monday, Laura prophesised that late or soon, Thou wad be fand drooned deep in toon. The nicht drave on wi' bowsin' an' patter, Another drink, aye it didnae matter. And whilst ootside the storm might rustle Dobbin didnae mind the storm a whistle. So at last wi' Laura safe upon his back, Dobbin set off on the track, He trotted on thro' dub and mire, Enjoying the wind, an' rain an' fire. While thro' the darkness they softly crept, Tae Auld reekie in misty gloom kept, Kirk St Giles was drawing nigh, Whaur ghosts and houlets nightly cry. Then Dobbin stood richt sair astonished, Til Laura wi' her heels admonished, They ventured forward in the glare, And thro' the windaes they a' did stare. Warlocks an' witches in a dance, A touch o' thriller in their stance, An' in the corner there sat a beast, Enjoying all, an' a feast. The food prepared by chef Calum, A mooth watering, succulent, satisfying slalom, O' toads legs, an' dribblin' jiblits, That filed the wame wi' tasty tit bits. The beast played the decks, Real loud and furious, As Dobbin glowr'd deaf but curious. The deid in coffins a' aroond, Wir wakened fast tae the tunes, An oot their boxes wi' witches jived, Dobbin neighed an' whinny cried.

The music louder and louder grew, The mixing an' scratching faster flew, An' thro' it a', As warlocks danced, Dobbin stood mesmerised entranced. 'Til excitement from within forth burst, Ga'un yerselves he cried without yield an' cursed. Fir noo oor presence had bin spied, An' tae oor heels we had tae fly, Wi' warlocks an' witches at oor tail, Gi'en chase on sticks on fire they sailed. Closer an' closer to us nearin', As Dobbin galloped on careerin', Close enough they mad tae grab his wiz, Wi' twa haundit held in fist. The water o Leith it soon inspired, As tae its yonder side we fired, Fir warlocks an' witches at water spurn, They cannae cross a runnin' burn. Wi' pith an' po'wer Dobbin louped, He kicked his legs, a warlock cowped, Whilst still hauding fast his guid broon tail, It cam' off tae stump, he gi'ed a yell. But noo safe o'er the running Leith The warlocks kent they had bin beat, Wi' prize in haund o' Dobbins glory, They turned around an' headed homewards. Whilst Dobbin tae them a' did rally, Noo brave wi' words he did them parry, An' like the wind he blew his last, An' gi'ed them a' a final blast.. Afore he wiggled his stump sare, To them a', he did dare, Altho' his butt wis fair throbbin' Remember weel Carolines feisty Dobbin. An' when tae drink ye are inclined, Or lusty men rin in yer mind, Think o' ye on clean thoughts tae find Fir Dobbin still has a sare behind.

Next season Rabbie's are offering passengers the chance to combine 2 or 3 of our 5 day tours together - here is an example, in brief, of our 5 day tour to Orkney combined with our 5 day Outer Hebridean Adventure.

Day 1. Depart Edinburgh and head west through magnificent Glencoe to Loch Ness and into the Highland capital, Inverness for our overnight stay.

Day 2. Depart Inverness and head north east hugging the coast line before boarding our ferry to Orkney. An afternoon arrival allows us plenty time to acquaint ourselves with some of the archeological treasures that abound here. We overnight in Kirkwall, Orkney

Day 3. A day spent exploring this jewel in the Pentland firth, with plenty time to visit its wondrous ancient sites such as 5000 year old Skara brae, Maes howe, Ring of Brodgar, before returning to Kirkwall for the night.

Day 4- Depart Orkney by ferry and head around the coast before entering one of the most remote, tragic and yet stunningly beautiful areas of Scotland, Sutherland. Here is is easy to imagine the wide swept clearing of our people during the controversial' Highland clearances', before arriving in Ullapool, nestling on the shores of Loch Broom for our overnight stay.

Day 5. Is a free day in Ullapool. There are opportunities to take a local boat to the summer isles, or relax in this white washed fishing town. Explore its streets and enjoy retail therapy at a very gentle pace. Overnight in Ullapool

Day 6. You will meet your new group as we catch the ferry along Loch Broom and out across the Minch to the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The afternoon is spent exploring the north west coast, including its historic black house at Arnol, and to the Butt of Lewis at the very norhern tip of the island. We will overnight in the island's capital, Stornoway.

Day 7. Is a day exploring the islands famous beaches & her windswept and dramatic cliffs. We will also visit Carloway broch and the standing stones of Callanish. We will overnight in Stornoway.

Day 8. Today we travel to magnificent and mountaneous Harris, famed for its locally produced Harris tweed, and the truly breath taking beach at Luskentyre. After lunch in the Port of Tarbet, we catch the ferry to the island of Skye, arriving in the north of the island before heading south to spend the night in the island's capital town Portree.

Day 9- Depart Portree and head south over the Skye bridge to Eilean Donan castle, the most romantic of castles, before we continue through Glen Sheil and south to Fort William, Glencoe and the Falls of Dochart at Killin, before we cross the Highland line and head back into the lowlands of the country and our return to Edinburgh.

An island hoppers dream trip combined with the stunning Highlands of Scotland. Not to be missed.

Tour Highlights Glencoe, Loch Ness, Italian chapel, The tomb of Eagles, Skara Brae, The Ring of Brodgar, Maes Howe, Kirkwall Cathedral, Churchill Barriers, Sutherland, Ullapool, Black House at Arnol, Butt of Lewis, The Standing Stones of Callanish, The Carloway Broch, Luskentyre Beach, Portree, Eilean Donan Castle and The falls of Dochart.

And that's it for another quarter. Wishing you all a peaceful and joyous festive season

Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath Ur

(Happy Christmas and a good new year)

Hope to see you on tour again soon.
(Chi mi sibh a dh'aithghearr)

Suu and all at Rabbie's.