This was focused on identifying Scotland's rare plants. It meant exquisite Alpine flowers and rare grasses and sedges. Although the weather was variable, it never prevented the leaders from enabling all you were interested to see the plants. Moreover, a couple of the group themselves were very knowledgeable and helped out with identification. Naturetrek is my 'go to' tour operator for wildlife holidays and rarely do they disappoint. Leaders are always excellent and the choice of places to visit mean that you will, where possible, see all that you hoped to.
K.A. Northumberland, Jul 21
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The Wild Flowers of Ben Lawers & Perthshire
Tour Code: GBR26A 7-day botanical break in search of the very special alpine flora of Ben Lawers and other botanical specialities found in this area of Perthshire.
£1,795 (land only)
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Summary
This week-long Highland break is based around Ben Lawers (1,214m), long regarded by botanists as one of the foremost sites for alpine plants in Britain. We’ll visit the three principal locations of botanical interest in the area, with some quite strenuous mountain walking. We’ll explore areas of boggy glacial drift and the eastern side of the mountain for a number of Britain’s rarer sedges and ferns, as well as exploring the rocks around Creag an Lochan and towards the beautiful Glen Lyon. In addition we will visit the famous Birks of Aberfeldy, Rannoch Moor and Ben y Vrackie in search of rare plants and regional specialities. This is an ideal holiday for those wishing to combine botany with walking and outstanding scenery.
- Acid-based flora including Cotton Grass & Bog Asphodel
- Scottish Asphodel, Hair Sedge & Alpine Saw-wort
- Sought-after gems such as Snow Gentian, Net-leaved Willow & Drooping Saxifrage
- Rock Speedwell & Alpine Forget-me-not in flower, Yellow Mountain Saxifrage & Moonwort
- Comfortable rural Scottish hotel serving excellent food
- Stunning mountain scenery
- Visit the famous Birks of Aberfeldy, Rannoch Moor and Ben y Vrackie
Grading
Grade B. There will be a reasonable amount of quite strenuous walking on this holiday, covering between two and ten miles each day, but this will be at a slow ‘botanising pace’. A reasonable degree of physical fitness is required and an enjoyment of hill/mountain walking.
There is no detailed information at present.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Accommodation:
We stay in a comfort, rural hotel
- Food:
Meals are included on a half board basis,, lunch is at additional cost.
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Dates & Prices
2026
Array ( [167] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 167 [parent_id] => 165 [level] => 2 [path] => tour-focus/botanical-holidays [title] => Botany [alias] => botanical-holidays [description] =>Botanical Tours – See Wild Flowers with our Expert Botanical Guides
There are few more pleasing sights in the natural world than a meadow filled with wildflowers. Seeing plants in their native habitat is always exciting and our flower tours offer you an incredible choice, from dazzling tropical blooms and the thrill of finding elusive orchids or delicate alpines, to seeing island endemics or British flora. Our tours range from week-long holidays focusing on the ‘Alpine flowers of the Swiss Alps’, the ‘Italian Dolomites’ and the ‘Alpine Flowers of Slovenia’s Julian Alps’, to orchid-hunting on Italy’s Gargano Peninsula and searching for the Autumn Plants of Greece’s Peloponnese. We also visit more remote areas of the world in search of plant-life, from the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan where we look for wild tulips, to the rainforests and spiny deserts of Madagascar where over 80% of the flora is endemic.
Many of us want to know more about the plants we see around us. Whether inspired by an appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of flowers, or a more focused desire to identify individual species, everyone with an interest in botany will derive pleasure from joining one of Naturetrek’s flower tours.
Why choose Naturetrek’s botanical holidays?
- All our botanical holidays are led by expert botanist guides
- All levels of interest and expertise are catered for, from hobby gardeners and complete beginners to keen botanists who wish to explore a new area with the help of a knowledgeable leader
- We keep the overall focus on flora, though expert guidance is also given on other wildlife
What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek botanical holiday?
- Travel with a group of like-minded people
- Stay at a comfortable hotel or lodge, close to an area of outstanding botanical interest
- Enjoy a series of leisurely day excursions with ample time to appreciate the local flora
In addition to our dedicated flower tours, we also offer holidays with a wider theme to encompass birds, butterflies and other aspects of natural history as well as the flora. Our spring tours to 'Crete' and ‘The Island of Cyprus’ are both timed to allow us to enjoy the botanical highlights as well as the spring bird migration, whilst ‘Croatia and Slovenia – Spring in Istria’ also allows time to enjoy a little of the local culture. ‘Romania – the Wildlife of Transylvania’ combines an appreciation of the flora of the Carpathian Mountains with birding, butterflying and a trip to look for Brown Bears from a purpose built hide, and our holidays in both the ‘French Pyrenees’ and the ‘Spanish Pyrenees’ combine birds, butterflies and botany throughout the week.
Our specialist recommends...
David Tattersfield - Tour Leader
Flight-free Wildlife Holidays
At Naturetrek we make full use of the Eurostar rail service through the channel tunnel, and of the ferry routes between England’s south coast and France and Spain, to offer a range of ‘flightless’ wildlife holidays in Belgium, Holland, France and Spain. In addition, we also offer the widest selection of wildlife holidays within the UK, none of which require a flight to participate in. Therefore, if you prefer not to fly, for whatever reason, we have a range of varied and exciting wildlife holidays for you to choose from, and we are committed to regularly adding more.
It is also the case that many of our other holidays within Europe are also accessible by rail. Generally, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and we’d be pleased to offer advice to anybody who wishes to join any of our tours within Europe by a means other than flying!
Our specialist recommends...
Kerrie Porteous - Operations Manager
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
EnquireWhy Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!