Travel

Dan Brown's mystery thriller, the Da Vinci Code, was published 20 years ago and the novel has had an enormous impact to visitor numbers to atmospheric Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian.Ian Gardner, director, Rosslyn Chapel Trust, said the chapel continues to welcome visitors from all over the world throughout the year, seven days a week, but he stressed that the chapel is...

Scotrail is putting millions of half-price tickets up for sale between 26 January and 2 February for travel before the end of February.This is part of the Yours to Use campaign to encourage more people to use the train than the car this winter.The half-price tickets can be purchased in the following ways, quoting the promo code SALE23: Online at scotrail.co.uk/sale. Via...

Ryanair announced its new Edinburgh to Cornwall route for Summer 2023, operating twice per week from June to September. Edinburgh customers looking to bag a bargain on their summer staycation can now book Ryanair’s new Cornwall route on Ryanair.com.Ryanair’s Dara Brady said: “Ryanair is pleased to announce our new Edinburgh to Cornwall route for Summer ‘23, giving Ryanair’s Edinburgh customers even...

A year after a devastating storm, Cairngorm Bothies open six more self catering properties.An investment of three quarters of a million pounds will generate new jobs & new energy into the area as award winning green tourism business regenerates after major setback last winterGreen Royal Deeside tourism brand, Cairngorm Bothies, with a range of innovative eco bothies...

A property at Balloch on Loch Lomond – the former Woodbank Inn - was rebranded a year ago and became a modern, competitively priced 22 bedroom Hotel called The Loch Lomond Hotel.The hotel is celebrating its first successful year of operation, with a restaurant a recent addition.With 22 modern en-suite bedrooms on offer, including five family rooms sleeping up...

Jet2holidays has today announced the launch of new guided tours to Turkey, with the opportunity of exploring Anatolia and enjoying the benefits of a package holiday booked through the award-winning tour operator.Named the ‘Treasures of Turkey’, the seven-night escorted tours will feature as part ofJet2holidays’ new Discover More collection, which has been designed in response to increasing demand from customers who are looking for more...

From the end of August 2023 a new route will be introduced from Edinburgh Airport to Izmir on the west coast of Turkey.One flight each week will be operated by SunExpress until the end of October, making this a sunshine destination just after the schools return at the end of the summer holidays.The city is called the Pearl of...

A new visitor trail based upon the three bridges over the Forth at Noth and South Queensferry has been launched by VisitScotland.The Forth Bridges Trail is a five-mile circular route with 16 points of interest in North and South Queensferry and along the Forth Road Bridge. There is a historical element to it sprinkled with local tales and folklore,...

Scottish Thistle Awards Regional Final success.A year after it suffered severe storm damage, eco self-catering business, Cairngorm Bothies, situated in the Cairngorm National Park, is celebrating being chosen as a national finalist in the Scottish Thistle Tourism Awards.The business, which is fast becoming a byword for green tourism, won the “Working Together for Tourism” Award for the...

Hotel expands local connections for their guests visiting over the winter months.As it consolidates its ownership of the former Lake of Menteith Hotel, now known as Karma Lake of Menteith, owner Karma Group has continued to reach out to its Trossachs neighbours in a bid to improve its offer to guests.With the tagline, “We Create Experiences” Karma...

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will have hundreds of thousands of tickets for sale from Tuesday to cover the Christmas and New Year period.Tickets will apply to travel between 21 December and 6 January 2023.You can sign up today for alerts on the LNER website and App.David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “We are looking forward to...

Jet2.com has partnered with Yorkshire Tea to introduce the popular tea brand to its new in-flight menu and the hot drink will be available to buy on-board or offered as a hot drink option with pre-ordered adult meals.It will be served in Yorkshire Tea’s well-known, 12oz plant-based red cups and the airline's in-flight menu also has a number of other...

Ryanair will introduce a new route on its Edinburgh Winter 22 schedule to London Stansted, starting from 30 October.This route, which will operate up to 14 times per week, brings Ryanair’s total number of routes to/from Edinburgh for Winter 22 to 57, representing Ryanair’s biggest ever Edinburgh Winter schedule, connecting the capital with top European cities such as London, Madrid and Vienna.There...

Following its purchase by Karma Group, a collection of worldwide luxury resorts established by British entrepreneur John Spence, Karma Lake of Menteith is able to offer its guests the opportunity to taste a very special red wine created and blended by John Spence himself, together with his 90-year-old father, Mike.A 2019 Bordeaux, the wine, which John has named Père et...

There are times I long to be religious. Wouldn’t it be pleasant to truly believe a deity was looking out for you? My only belief is that the fortunate parts of my life are due in no small part to sheer luck and it would be arrogant to think otherwise.I’ll tell you who was blessed though, the Minister who...

Birmingham showcased its industrial past and rich cultural diversity during the colourful closing ceremony for the Commonwealth Games.Walking around Britain's second city only underlines those elements in the city's history. Now, the city council, who invested millions in the multi-sports event, hope that there is a lasting legacy.Their vision is to put Birmingham fully on the international map for major sports, and the Olympics has been...

City dwellers seeking a Cumbria bolthole should head to Camelot Holiday Park at Longtown near Carlisle where the latest luxury development, The Paddocks, offering fourteen holiday homes, is a good place for a staycation.The current Holiday Home of the Week is a stunning Willerby Manor at £69,995, a spacious design with a traditional layout which adds chic & modern...

CITY STAYCATIONERS HEADING FOR THE PADDOCKSLatest development from Camelot Holiday Park offers luxury holiday homes with a real attention to detail.Cumbria is a popular destination for Scots, and this well established, family run holiday park at Longtown near Carlisle is setting out its stall with a new development of fourteen industry leading holiday homes. The Paddocks is the latest...

Ascot House is a small hotel and, the website claims, a big welcome. Yes, it is small but we didn't receive a big welcome. Adequate certainly, but not gushing.Notwithstanding that, it has free parking, wi-fi and it is a two-minute walk from the vast convention centre and only ten minutes from the bustling town centre.Ideal, it is also quite easy...

Camelot Holiday Park in Cumbria offers fourteen new luxury holiday homes at The Paddocks.In the midst of another vibrant staycation year, Camelot Holiday Park at Longtown in Cumbria has announced the launch of The Paddocks, an exciting new phase showcasing fourteen luxury holiday homes.Priced from £29,995, the properties at The Paddocks, which are available to buy now,...

The former Castle Campbell Hotel in Dollar – built as a Coaching Inn in 1822 - has been turned into luxury serviced apartments.Trading as West Burnside Apartments, the redevelopment offers seven luxury apartments and two townhouses.Aiming at both business and leisure clients, the building has been brought to life by property developers, Neil and Marie Munday. Features in the...

Forget the over-rated North Coast 500 – Visit East Lothian has reminded day trippers of three routes that start right on Edinburgh's doorstep.The tourism body initially suggests using a car, although there will be some cyclists out there able to take on the challenge by bike or e-bike.Taking inspiration from over 40 miles of stunning coastline, an expanse...

Following a buyout by the worldwide Karma Group, Karma Lake of Menteith is launched with exciting plans to collaborate with local visitor attractions and further develop its impressive whisky vault.A beautiful country hotel in a truly idyllic Scottish location which has become the latest addition to a worldwide collection of outstanding resorts and estates. It was this tempting proposition...

Virgin Atlantic, which launched its direct Edinburgh-Barbados service in December, has announced it will not carry on flying the route this winter.The airline says passengers who have already booked flights to Barbados for winter 2022-23 will be contacted by the airline or their travel agent and will be re-booked via Manchester, or they can choose a voucher or...

Perthshire’s nine hole golf course celebrates its 30th anniversary.The golf course's pearl anniversary coincides with the Menzies family owning the Mains of Taymouth Country Estate for 100 years. “Perthshire’s finest nine holes”.In what was a major feat of engineering completed over a two year period - to turn farmland into a challenging 3,026 yard course - Estate owner Robin...

A new Ryanair flight from Edinburgh will travel to Nîmes in southern France three times a week until the end of October 2022.The route adds to the eight French destinations from Edinburgh and will take travellers to the city in Occitanie between Provence, the Cevennes mountains, the Camargue and the Mediterranean.The city stages large-scale events throughout the...

Great British Rail will offer one million rail tickets cut by up to 50% as the UK Government and the rail industry launch the first ever Great British Rail Sale.Savings on offer for off-peak tickets include: York to Leeds: was £5.60, NOW £2.80London to Edinburgh: was £44, NOW £22 London to Cardiff: was £47, NOW £25Wolverhampton to Liverpool: was £10.50, NOW...

The Isle of Skye Guest House has just opened with forward bookings of more than £200,000 for what looks like a busy season ahead.The Fusion Group of Companies owns and operates a portfolio of hospitality businesses across Scotland and has invested more than £250,000 in its first property on the island, The Isle of Skye Guest House.And just last...

In our series of suggestions for an away day this Easter holiday and into the summer, try Sweeney Rooms and Apartments as a base for visiting the two country parks which are nearby - Strathclyde Country Park for outdoor enthusiasts and Clyde Valley Family Park with its many attractions.Property developers Stephen & Martin Sweeney say they have a healthy...

Next weekend on 2 and 3 April children between five and fifteen will travel for free.The scheme is funded by The Scottish Government to mark the historic change for ScotRail which will now be owned and run by the government.The ‘Yours to Use’ Kids Go Free weekend will allow families to discover train travel, giving them a chance to...