Make your way to the Kingshouse Hotel in Glencoe: by optional transfer from Glasgow, driving directly there yourself or taking the Caledonian Sleeper train to Fort William and continuing by optional transfer. Once there, you’ll be greeted by our Local Insider at 6pm who will accompany the group throughout the trip. Later, choose from a menu of locally sourced meat, seafood and vegan dishes as you join your fellow travellers for a welcome dinner – an ideal opportunity to get to know each other. Afterwards, feel free to grab a drink at the bar and settle down by the roaring fire.

Head to the Glencoe Mountain Resort (the oldest ski centre in Scotland) for a morning of snowshoeing – a form of hiking that uses specialist footwear for better weight distribution and grip on snow-covered trails. After, stop for a well-earned lunch and welcome respite from the cold at a mountain lodge. Up for another challenge? You’ll have an opportunity to go ice climbing at Ice Factor in nearby Kinlochleven – the largest indoor ice climbing centre in the world. Spend the evening at leisure back at the hotel; you can join an optional Scotch whisky-tasting session if you fancy.

Dog sledding isn’t limited to the Arctic – it’s popular during winter in Scotland, too. Hurtling through the countryside with Siberian huskies is an exhilarating experience, and today you’ll try it for yourself, guided by a world championship-winning team at Bowland Trails. In the afternoon, tour the award-winning Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier and indulge in signature handcrafted velvet truffles and spiced pralines. Come nightfall, enjoy a farewell group dinner at the hotel. If the weather is clear and the solar activity is strong enough, you might even be fortunate enough to spot the Northern Lights dancing across the sky.

After a leisurely final breakfast, it’s time to bid farewell to your new friends as your highland retreat comes to an end. Check out of the hotel by midday and begin your journey home – or choose to extend your stay and discover what else Scotland has to offer.