Vacations Blog

Scotland, in the British Isles, is a fantastic destination to take a vacation with a copious list of attractions including some of the greatest museums and galleries in the UK,  ideal countryside for ramblers, hikers, mountain climbers, hill-walkers and others as well as a huge selection of castles, historical buildings, stately homes and fortified houses.  Below I talk about the island of Arran and explain why the island is such a fantastic destination for a vacation.

Arran is the 7th largest island in Scotland and even though Arran is commonly referred to as being in the Hebrides it is in fact located further south in the Firth of Clyde. Because tourism is the main industry on Arran you will not find it surprising that there is a huge number of Arran hotels. Even though the overall majority of folk visit the island in order to enjoy the awesome countryside the island also has a reasonable number of attractions including; Brodick Castle Gardens and Country Park, Kildonan Castle, Arran Transport Museum and Arran Heritage Museum.

There are several population centres, the biggest settlement is Brodick, the site of the ferry terminal with ferries running to Ardrossan on the North Ayrshire coast. Lamlash, four miles south of Brodick, is where you can sail to Holy Island.

Lochranza is main settlement in the northerly part of the island and will find the ferry terminal with sailings to Claonaig on the Scottish mainland. It is important to know that the ferry only sails in the summer. Lochranza is set in a wide, and extremely pretty, bay with the ruins of Lochranza Castle being the most popular tourist attraction.

Blackwaterfoot is the most populous village on the western coast of the Isle of Arran. The village features a pub (bar), a small harbour, a garage and petrol station. Other villages worth visiting include; Catacol (in the north), Kilmory (south coast), Whiting Bay (south of Brodick), Corrie (north of Brodick) and last but not least Pirnmill which has the best beach on Arran.

If you considering a vacation in Scotland and you are looking for Arran hotels please take a look at our listings of bed & breakfast on the Isle of Arran.

Scotland offers the most glorious countryside in Great Britain making it a popular vacation destination. Countless visitors decide upon Edinburgh as their main destination, while some choose something a bit different. The following article looks at Scottish vacations and a variety of things to do when in Scotland. The article also examines the Wickerman Festival.

With such an incredibly diverse countryside the list of activities is endless. Mountain climbing is highly popular, as are hill walking vacations. The most popular holidays are fishing or golf. With the country of Scotland being the birthplace of golfing it should not surprise you that that you are hardly ever too distant from at least one excellent golf course. With the Rivers Spey, Tweed and Tay you are guaranteed of a superb days fishing. But what if you want an altogether different vacation?

An increasing number of people are choosing music festivals their yearly holiday. Although nearly all music festivals are incredibly large with a focus upon making money, there are a small selection of music festivals suitable for the family, for example Tartan Heart and the Wickerman Festival.

The Wickerman Festival is an yearly music and arts festival is held on farm land close to Dundrennan in Dumfries and Galloway about 5 miles from Kirkcudbright in Scotland. The festival celebrates the classic cult British movie, “The Wicker Man which the stars Sir Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland and Ingrid Pitt.

The first festival took place in July two thousand and two and was put together by a local man called Sid Ambrose. With little experience of putting together a music festival it is surprising that it still exists today, especially when you consider the present economic climate. Wickerman has changed each year and, like the movie, has a cult following.

Wickerman is hugely family friendly it has a great many child orientated activities for example, numerous fairground rides, a mountain biking trail, various workshops and face painting. This fact can be verified easily by searching MSN, Yahoo or Google for Wickerman photos 2009 or simply pop along to the official Wickerman Festival Gallery.

Close to the festival site is Kirkudbright where you will discover many locations used in the film for example Harbour Cottage (the bakery) and High Street Gallery which was used for May Morrison’s post office and sweetshop. You will find that there are many places worth visiting in the area and it is really worth taking a short break here so that you may visit all of the visitor attractions. Popular destinations in which to stay include Castle Douglas and Dumfries. Bed and breakfast accommodation in Scotland is nearly always excellent and is also fairly priced and far less expensive than staying in a hotel.

Aberdeen Airport in Scotland, UK is situated around 7 miles from Aberdeen City and can be reached by a variety of transport methods.
Until recently Dyce Airport went by a different name. There is no train station based at Aberdeen Airport for passengers to travel onwards. The closest train station to the airport can be found in Dyce which is a little distance from the terminal at just over 2 miles away. Travellers can purchase train tickets from a ticket machine at the train station. Passengers can transport to Aberdeen City in around 10 mintues from Dyce Airport. A train can be boarded to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Elgin or Inverness if travellers want .
Passengers may prefer to catch a bus into Aberdeen city centre rather than a train. Outside the main terminal airport building the bus stance can be located . There are variety buses which can drop passengers off at loca areas including Blackburn area, Peterhead, Kirkhill Industrial Estate and the heliport. Bus networks which operate from the airport are stagecoach, mega bus, city link. The numbers for the buses operating from the airport are 737, 747, 10, 220, 224, 80 and 27. If you are driving by a car and are leaving a relative off at the airport then you can use the short stay car park. Due to scares at various airports over the past couple of years, members of the public can not park directly outside the terminal building. If you wish to hire a car at Aberdeen Airport or return you car rental to Aberdeen, please follow the car rental signs at the airport. Renters require to park their car hire in the ready and return area and also leave their car parking ticket inside the car . There are various firms offering their services at the airport which when you have completed your paperwork you can collect your rental car and be on your way to start your holiday journey.

{Dyce Aberdeen Airport Car Parking}

This article gives advice about places to visit, places to stay and places to eat in Scotland. Scotland is a superb country to visit and it is steeped in history. With famous cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland has plenty to offer for everyone.

Now before I continue I must stress that I do not work in any shape or form in the travel industry; I am in fact involved with offering DVD authoring, Asda Voucher Codes as well as providing training for foster carers.

Places to visit in Scotland

Edinburgh castle has been a focal point of the Edinburgh skyline for over eight hundred years.

It includes the Scottish National War Museum which lists all of Scotland’s war dead since 1914.

Adult admission to the castle is currently £8 and for children it is only £2.

Then there is the famous Loch Ness itself - will you be able to spot the Loch Ness monster? Remember to take your camera just in case. I am sure you have all heard of the loch ness monster, see if you can see him when you visit here. A number of people have confirmed that they could!

The Glasgow science centre is the most recent major museum opened in Glasgow. This is an establishment which caters for all age groups, young and old and for this reason it is extremely popular. I have only ever heard positive comments from people who have visited this museum.

The National Gallery of Scotland has a wide range of paintings including works from Rembrandt, Gainsborough and Ramsay. Entrance is free apart from for special exhibitions.

Places to stay in Scotland

Edinburgh

I personally think that the Balmoral is one of the most impressive hotels within Edinburgh and it is based on the famous Princes Street~I personally think that the Balmoral is one of the most impressive hotels within Edinburgh and it is based on the famous Princes Street}~I personally think that the Balmoral is one of the most impressive hotels within Edinburgh and it is based on the famous Princes Street}. It is also one of the most expensive hotels however.

Albany is a Georgian style hotel and is situated on Albany Street.

The Bonham is a contemporary style hotel with a European style restaurant and is situated in Drumsheugh Gardens.

Ingrams is more of a hotel/bed and breakfast. It is situated on Northumberland Street.

Glasgow

Glasgow Hilton is a hotel that is well known to be at the top end of the market and therefore one should expect to pay a premium when stopping here in comparison to lesser hotels in the same city. It is a newly updated and modern. It is situated on William Street.

St Jude’s is a small hotel situated on Bath Street.

There is must see Oshi spa at Langs; this is certainly something to be hold.

Where to dine in the beautiful country of Bonny Scotland

Inverlochy Castle has three dining rooms and has won many awards. If you can afford it, this is the one you want to visit.

Other places to eat:

Culloden House

Summer Isles Hotel

Eden Court

Seagreen

I hope this short guide is of use during your trip to Scotland. What I have already suggested is just a very small number of potential places to visit in Scotland; these just happen to be my favourites.

Now that Inverness is no longer a town (it’s a city) Fort William is the largest town in the Highlands of Scotland. The town is an incredibly popular tourist center with a great many folk appearing to go hill walking on Ben Nevis. In the article below I take a look at three different places well worth a visit if you are taking a vacation in Fort William.

The Incredibly Interesting West Highland Museum

Founded in 1922 was the West Highland Museum in Fort William. A group of people from Lochaber wanted to create a museum, about life in the Highlands, for the people of the Highlands. The present building was purchased in 1926 from the British Linen Bank, and is located in Cameron Square, just off the Hight Street. Fascinating and small is how many people describe the museum. The exhibits in the museum present a fascinating insight into the way of life in the West Highlands throughout the years. Folk from all walks of life are represented, through the superb collections of artefact’s, picture’s and photograph’s

The Bold Old Inverlochy Castle

In fort William there are two Inverlochy Castle’s, the Old Inverlochy Castle and the new Victorian, chateau-style Inverlochy Castle, built in nearby Torlundy (which is now a luxurious hotel). The Old castle was rumoured to of been erected between 1270-1280, by John “the Black” Comyn, Lord of Badenoch and Lochaber, and chief of the Clan Comyn. Although the castle is in ruins, the layout hasn’t changed very much since it was first built. Lord Abinger carried out alterations and enhancements to the house, in preparation of a visit by Queen Victoria. Old Inverlochy Castle is still an important part of English and Scottish history, due to the part it played during the Civil Wars of the 1640’s.

The Exquisite Jacobite Steam Train

A trip on the Jacobite Steam Train, is an exhilarating way to explore the breathtaking scenery of the Highlands. The Fort William to the Mallaig journey takes one on a magical ride through the glens. One of the most sensational parts of the journey is going over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which most folk|people will recognize due to the fact that it was used in the Harry Potter films. The 84 mile trip takes you past Loch Morar, Loch Nevis and Ben Nevis, with a break in Glenfinnan before arriving in Mallaig. There is about an hour and half in which to explore Mallaig, before the return journey, back to Fort William. This journey has often been declared, one of the Great Railway Journeys of the planet.

There is plenty of accommodation in Fort William available to book online but you will find a comprehensive list of hotels in Fort William at http://www.fortwilliamhotelscotland.com/

Glasgow is the largest, and most lively, city in Scotland with excellent opportunities for shopping plus an amazing night scene. For the more artistic tourist there are many places to go especially in the West End which features tea rooms, boutiques, bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs as well as some upmarket Glasgow bed and breakfast accommodation. In the article which follows I will discuss 3 attractions in Glasgow which should be of special interest to those who enjoy all things artistic; the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Burrell Collection and the House For An Art Lover:

The Burrell Collection

Sir william Burrell and his wife gifted the Burrel Collection to the city of Glasgow in 1944 and the collection can be viewed at Pollok Country Park which is located in the south of the city This magnificent collection of works of art consists of more than 9,000 items. The collection is very diverse containing a selection of modern sculptures as well as an Islamic art collection. Visitors can view works of art by a variety of artists including Degas and Cezanne. As well as paintings and sculptures you is able to enjoy the spectacular collection of English furniture, tapestries, alabasters and stained glass. As well as all this, the Burrell Collection also contains a most important collection of art from medieval times plus collections from ancient Egypt & China.

The House For An Art Lover

House For An Art Lover is one of Glasgow’s most popular tourist attractions. The house is of an Art Nouveau design originally designed by Glasgow’s most famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh who was aided by his talented wife.

In actual fact the design was an entry for a competition of 1901 to create a design for a ‘House for an Art Lover’, but, the entry from the Mackintosh couple was disqualified because of late submission. Fortunately, more than 100 years later the house is located in Bellahouston Park due to the efforts and hard work of the architect Professor Andy Macmillan and the engineer Graham Roxburgh. Construction commenced in 1989, ceased for a short amount of time but restarted in nineteen ninety four due to a collaboration between the Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow City Council.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is Glasgow and Scotland’s premier museum and art gallery, and it houses one of Europe’s great civic art collections, but also it has been voted one of the most popular free to enter attractions to be found in Scotland.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is located on the banks of the River Kelvin,  in the West End of Glasgow, on Argyle Street. The gallery was constructed using the traditional red sandstone in a Spanish Baroque style. The gallery was designed by E.J. Milner Allen and Sir John W. Simpson and first opened its doors in 1901. The collections in the museum were originally from the old Kelvingrove House Museum in Kelvingrove Park and the McLellan Galleries.

If you are considering a city vacation in Glasgow you will discover plenty of online hotels and guest houses providing Glasgow bed and breakfast accommodation. You will find a broad selection of Glasgow hotel accommodation at http://www.glasgowhotelscotland.com/