Once a year, generally in the first week of September, Bird'n'Nature week participants will be invited in small groups to help catch Abbott’s Boobies high in the rainforest canopy, assist to colour-band Brown Boobies and monitor their colonies on the remote and secluded rocky coasts. Participants will work with our internationally renowned guides to study the nesting biology and foraging ecology of Christmas Island Frigatebirds and Red-tailed Tropicbirds. Depending on interest and demand, there will also be opportunities to assist in the colour-banding of Christmas Island Goshawks, a Christmas Island Hawk-Owl survey, seabird identification workshops, territory mapping of Island Thrushes and closer looks at the island’s other wildlife. And of course there will be the chance to search for a few of those rarities for which Christmas Island is so famous. Nightly seminars will showcase the results of all the seabird research (revealing the wanderings of the majestic Abbott’s Booby, CI Frigatebirds and more), the status of the endemic landbirds, the rarities of Christmas Island, and the marine and terrestrial ecology of the island.

The magnificent wooden church of Åre Parish, consecrated in 1894, is designed in Neo-Gothic style. It harks back to a time when economic growth in the area, thanks to emerging tourism, copper mining, and forestry, led to a significant increase in both residents and visitors, making the old church too small.

For motor sport fans, the Glasgow Tigers Speedway is a must with weekly competitions, excellent viewing points (including from the in-house bar) and even a children's "Growlers Club" where the young ones get to meet the Tiger's mascot.

This train journey from Glasgow to Mallaig — and through another branch to Oban — transports you into the breathtaking wilderness of western Scotland not many eyes get to see. Admire the highlands, lakes, national parks and some of the smallest stations in the network, and keep your eyes peeled for the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous in Harry Potter movies.