Posts Tagged ‘city break’

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Fort William City Breaks And A Few Superb Visitor Attractions to Visit

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

Fort William is now the largest town in the Highlands of Scotland (Inverness is a city). The town is an immensely popular tourist destination with numerous folk arriving to view or climb Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. In the article that follows I discuss three alternative tourist attractions well worth visiting if you are staying in Fort William.

The Educational West Highland Museum

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

The Splendid Old Inverlochy Castle

In fort William there are two Inverlochy Castle’s, the Old Inverlochy Castle and the more recent Victorian, chateau-style Inverlochy Castle, erected in nearby Torlundy (which is now a luxury hotel). The Old castle was said to have 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 ruined, the layout has not changed much since it was first constructed. Lord Abinger made enhancements and alterations to the house, in preparation of a visit by Queen Victoria. Old Inverlochy Castle is still an important part of Scottish and English history, due to the part it played during the Civil Wars of the 1640’s.

The Awe Inspiring Jacobite Steam Train

An excursion on the Jacobite Steam Train, is an exhilarating way to explore the breathtaking scenery of the Highlands. The Fort William to the port of Mallaig trip takes you on a breathtaking ride through the glens. One of the most exciting elements of the trip is traveling across the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which the majority of travelers will know due to the fact that it has appeared in the films of the exploits of Harry Potter. The 84 mile trip takes you past Loch Morar, Loch Nevis and Ben Nevis, with a stop in Glenfinnan before reaching Mallaig. There is about an hour and half in which to discover Mallaig, before the return journey, back to Fort William. This journey has often been described as, one of the Great Railway Journeys of the World.

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/

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Some Important Facts about Spending Time In Blackpool

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Blackpool is an incredibly popular seaside resort situated on the North West coast of England, which is intensely popular with visitors arriving from the nearby cities and towns which include Manchester, Warrington, Liverpool, and more. The resort is also fantastically popular with folk from all over Scotland who often arrive in large numbers in a similar way to the hordes of factory workers of the past on their works vacation. Occasionally it would seem that the seaside resort is nothing but hotels and tourist attractions and although there is a large amount of Blackpool bed & breakfast accommodation it is better to book in advance to be certain. Guest houses varies from cheaper lodgings to five star. You will find many on the sea front alternatively, if you would rather book something less

raucous

 

there are some in the suburbs.

In the 18th century Blackpool began to see its first tourists who had traveled to indulge in  the new practice of sea bathing. When the railway arrived, in 1846, the town saw increasing numbers of tourists to”take the cure”. Today visitors can travel to Blackpool by train, air or road arriving there much faster than the Victorian tourists who would take up to two days from as close by as Manchester.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The busiest attraction in the seaside resort of Blackpool, in Lancashire in the north west of England, which entices approximately seven million customers a year, is Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The Pleasure Beach is a sprawling funfair with stomach churning big rides, just a few are Valhalla, Grand National, the Pepsi Max Big One, Ice Blast, Wild Mouse and Zipper Dipper, and including many, many more thrill rides, children’s rides, roller coasters, sideshows, games and sidestalls. The most recent addition is Infusion, the world’s first to have a suspended looping type of coaster all of it being over water.

 A handy tip: If you are planning to visit the Pleasure Beach as a group of folk you can save a substantial amount of cash by buying an unlimited ride ticket especially if you will be going on as many rides as possible because the cost of each ride soon amounts to serious cash.

How To Get To Blackpool And Accommodation 

Blackpool is, as mentioned earlier, very easy to get to nowadays as you can get there by rail, air or rail. If you are arriving by rail you will, most probably, be arriving at Blackpool’s main train station, which is called Blackpool North on Talbot Road. Not that fat away, just a little bit further down the road is where you will find the main bus and coach station, Blackpool National Express Coach Station. The other rail station, Blackpool South, is at Waterloo Road, which is closer to the Pleasure Beach. Blackpool Airport is situated some 2 miles from the town centre and was previously called, Blackpool Squires Gate Airport, one of the oldest airports in the United Kingdom.

Bed and breakfast accommodation in Blackpool is generally priced fairly low. Rooms are frequently cheaper off season but not very cheap at the weekend. Blackpool hotels are most expensive during the Illuminations, which is really the town#s peak season.

Please note: Some guest houses can be very busy and rather noisy especially those found close to Central and North Pier. If you prefer at a place which is not so noisy try booking a place past the North Pier.

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Stirling Weekend Breaks And A Few Exquisite Places to Visit

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Stirling has appeared throughout the history of Scotland, especially during vitally important events. The city and surrounding area has a fantastic number of excellent tourist attractions and a multitude of places and monuments to photograph. In the article below I describe three places to visit in Stirling; Stirling Old Town Jail, Stirling Castle and Argyll’s Lodging:

Stirling Castle

Sat two hundred and fifty feet above the city of Stirling, and surrounded on 3 sides by shear cliffs is Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle is immensely important in the history of Scotland, there have been several coronations within the castle, including that of Mary Queen of Scots in 1543. Stirling Castle was also witness to a shocking murder in 1452. The eighth Earl of Douglas was victim to James II in 1452. Stirling Castle is the home of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, although they are, unfortunately no longer garrisoned at the castle. However, the regimental museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, is located in the castle.

Stirling Old Town Jail

The Stirling Old Town Jail we see today is not the first jail in Stirling, for four hundred years, Stirling’s prisoners were incarcerated in the Old Tollbooth Jail. This jail was dreadfully overcrowded, and smelt vile, with twenty four prisoners to each cell, and no sanitary facilities. The Tollbooth jail was condemned, due to the fearful living conditions there, and in 1847 the current jail opened. Although the jail was classed as a custodial prison, from 1888 to 1935, it was also the only military prison in Scotland. Today the Stirling Old Town Jail is a tourist attraction, and was only renovated in the 1990’s. As well as guided tours, there is a glass paneled elevator that transports one to a viewing platform at the very top of the jail. From this superb spot one is able to gaze out across the Forth Valley, and gaze upon the Highland mountains.

Argyll’s Lodging

Argyll’s Lodging is on Castle Wynd, located in the middle of Stirling and is Scotland’s finest existing renaissance mansion. The mansion was built around 1630, by Sir William Alexander, originator of Nova Scotia and Viscount Canada. Sir William Alexander who was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland, and was then appointed the 1st Earl of Stirling. Argyll’s Lodging became the property of the Argyll family on his death and was further extended by the 9th Earl in 1666. The rooms which include the laigh hall, dining room, drawing room and bed chamber, have all been expertly restored and furnished, as they would have looked when the 9th Earl lived there, around 1680.

If you are thinking about a short vacation in Stirling you will discover plenty of online Stirling hotels and guest houses and you will find a huge range at http://stirling.hotelreservationhelper.com/

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Vacations In Cardiff, Wales and Some Important Facts

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

Cardiff is not just the capital city of Wales, bit also it is the most popular visitor destination in the United Kingdom of Great Britain outside London. Cardiff is also the biggest of the cities in Wales, but the city was only only a pretty small town until the time of the start of the 19th century. It was in the early eighteen hundreds when the town developed into a considerably busy port involved in the transportation of Welsh coal, and also other local industry. The town of Cardiff received city status on the twenty eighth of October nineteen hundred and five from King Edward VII of England, however, weirdly, the city of Cardiff only became the capital city of Wales on the twentieth of December 1955. Following this Cardiff soon became the place of choice for most national institutions, including the National Museum of Wales, the Welsh National War Memorial and the University of Wales Registry Building. For a sustained period of time now the Cardiff businesses involved in Information and Technology have witnessed incredible growth rates along with, although to a lesser degree other areas of business, most noticeably in service industries. The industry of tourism has also grown considerably and these days there are surprising numbers of establishments supplying Cardiff bed & breakfast accommodation.

Visitor Attractions To Visit In Cardiff

Though Cardiff has been a city for only one hundred years, surprisingly a castle has been at the site for an estimated two thousand years. The currently standing Cardiff Castle is, most likely, the city’s most popular visitor attraction and can be discovered right in the very middle of the city centre. It is possible for people to partake in a guided tour through the castle interior, and, take a stimulating stroll around the amazingly picturesque gardens of the castle. There is also a recently opened Interpretation Centre at the castle which shows the various development stages, of the castle,  across time from Roman times to the present day.

Cardiff also has a fair few modern visitor attractions including the incredibly interesting Techniquest, one of the United Kingdom’s most popular centres for Science Discovery. At the Science Discovery centre folk will find more than 100 hands on exhibits, designed to both fascinate and entertain groups of all ages. Within the centre there is a laboratory, a Discovery Room, a planetarium and a hi-tech Science Theatre.

There are many many more tourist attractions to see in the Welsh capital, Cardiff, so, if you are currently considering spending a few weeks there it is immensely important that you book your  rooms as early as possible as, sadly hotels in Cardiff tend to be surprisingly busy and are often fully booked for weeks or even months in advance. If you are travelling in a large group you might find that Cardiff apartment accommodation proves to be a cheaper alternative by comparison with bed and breakfast accommodation.

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Weekend Breaks In Inverness And Three Fascinating Tourist Attractions Worth Visiting

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

The Scottish Highland city of Inverness  is found in some of the most awe inspiring countryside in the United Kingdom. The city and surrounding are countless sites associated with important events in the history of Scotland, frequently these sites saw an immeasurable amount of violence and suffering. Of course the city of Inverness has a amazing collection of visitor attractions (and the number is always on the increase). In the paragraphs below I introduce readers to three places to visit in Inverness Inverness Castle, Beauly Priory and Inverness Museum & Art Gallery:

Beauly Priory

It was in the Thirteenth century that Monks, from the Valliscaulian order, first set up a community at Beauly Priory. Sadly no-one has the evidence to say the accurate date of foundation but it is commonly agreed that is was about the year 1230. The landowner, and patron, of Beauly was Sir John Bisset, whose lands were almagamated with the Fraser’s of Lovat. Bisset, together with the French monks, are those who named the place Beauly, derived from ‘beau lieu’ which means beautiful place in French. Unfortunately, the priory was abandoned after the 1582 Reformation and the stone was used in the building of other local structures. Today the ruins of Beauly Priory are in the hands of Historic Scotland as they were handed to the State in the year 1913.

Inverness Castle

Over time there have been various structures where Inverness Castle is today, some dating as far back as 1057. King Robert I (of Scotland) almost destroyed the first Inverness Castle. The castle you see today was designed and constructed by William Burn in 1836. The bold structure, of red sandstone, hold a prominent position at the top of a cliff looking down across the River Ness and the cathedral on the opposite side. King James I, of Scotland, held parliament in Inverness Castle in 1427, and called all the Northern Chieftains to attend. Alarmingly 3 of these chieftains were later condemed to death for asserting an independent sovereignty.

Inverness Museum (& Art Gallery)

Found in Inverness’s town center is the newly renovated Inverness Museum and Art Gallery which is really worth visiting especially if it is wet outside. Inside the museum visitors can investigate Scottish History and learn about how the Highlands are linked with the rest of the world. It is also possible to learn about the folk of the Highlands, their culture and traditions. There are several different collections featuring, archaeology, wildlife, fine arts, crafts, costumes and textiles.

If you are taking a vacation in the United Kingdom of Great Britain this year and you wish to spend some time in Scotland, you may wish to consider spending a few days staying in Inverness. Finding Inverness hotel accommodation online is relatively easy as the vast majority of establishments have their own web site.  Hotels in Inverness, small hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts are always excellent and Scotland is renowned for first class hospitality, so you can be sure of have a most incredible time.

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