Ardgowan (2–7 June 2011)

Ardgowan is the first of a new type of tour from leading cultural tour specialist Martin Randall Travel. More a country house weekend than normal tour, the key feature is that participants are not accommodated in a hotel but instead stay as guests in a grand 18th-century country house which remains a private home, not a hotel or museum.

Built in the 1790s by a follower of Robert Adam and situated in Renfrewshire in western Scotland, there may be some negatives, such as no television or minibar in the bedrooms. But the compensations include bedrooms the size of an average sitting room laden with antiques and books. There is ample time for participants to get to know Ardgowan and its surroundings, aided by the tour lecturer, Caroline Knight, who is an art historian specialising in the country houses of Britain and also sister of Lady Shaw Stewart, our hostess for the weekend.

Passing through stunning coastal and lowland landscapes, the small-group (maximum 18 participants) visits other country homes in the vicinity, some not generally open to the public, all with special arrangements or privileged access.

Price: £2,250 per person. This includes private coach for transfers and excursions; ferry to the Isle of Bute and the Cowal Peninsula; accommodation in Ardgowan; breakfasts, three lunches and five dinners with wine, water and coffee; admission charges to all the properties visited; all gratuities; all taxes; the services of the lecturer.