Travel

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...

Advance tickets are now available on 196 journey combinations using London North Eastern Railway (LNER) for the first time.The rail company want to offer the savings on advance tickets while also making ticketing simpler and smarter, even on shorter journeys within Scotland.David Horne, LNER Managing Director, said: “LNER is on a mission to make rail travel even...

Jet2 is to fly to Fuerteventura and Turin for the first time and will have over 135,000 seats available for booking this winter from Edinburgh Airport. The schedule for winter between 30 October 2016 and 25 March 2017 is the biggest yet, with more than double the number of seats offered last year. Existing routes have proved popular for those...

A group of residents from Edinburgh and Lothians recently joined the city’s award winning storytellers, Mercat Tours International, on a unique commemorative battlefields trip marking the end of the WW1 Centenary year, when the guns fell silent on the Western Front, ending the Great War.During World War I a powerful and successful recruitment campaign meant many volunteers flocked to join the...

Scotland's first direct flight to the Caribbean takes off on 5 December 2021, when Virgin Atlantic starts flying from Edinburgh to Barbados.Here's our guide to a Caribbean isle that packs a lot into a small package:Just over 20 miles from north to south and 14 miles across at its widest – roughly the size of Arran - and...

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...

The Rough Guide to Belgium and Luxembourg £14.99There is more to Belgium than politics said the blurb, and we set off with The Rough Guide in hand to test that.Around two hours on the smooth Eurostar from London was the start point and we enjoyed the experience. It also allowed time to skim the guide.A short taxi ride and...

Nordic Aviation have announced that they are to start flying between Edinburgh Airport and Tallinn three times a week from 28 May until 3 October. The summertime flights will be operated along with Adria Airways on CRJ-900 jets.Edinburgh Airport’s Chief Executive Gordon Dewar said: “We are delighted that Edinburgh Airport has a direct new flight into Tallinn and the three times weekly...

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...

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today marked the launch of the new Caledonian Sleeper train franchise, which will transform the cross-border overnight service into a world-class rail hospitality experience.Incoming operator Serco unveiled the new look of the service in Inverness, the home of the new Caledonian Sleeper franchise, at the city’s new Guest Service Centre.Ms Sturgeon met with the award-winning Scottish...

Mark Beaumont, who went round the world in a record breaking 79 days on two wheels, was confirmed last month as the face of the capital’s Your Bike scheme.The ultra-endurance cyclist and Edinburgh resident is the scheme’s ambassador after receiving his own cobalt blue Pashley hire bike, named Joy. He will be testing the app, geo-docking technology and bike...

Edinburgh is now really on the map as the go to destination for Christmas holidays in the UK. According to holiday lettings.co.uk the city is the most popular with only Aviemore the other Scottish destination in the top ten. The holiday website is owned by TripAdvisor and it shows that some people want to get away to the coast even in...

...but only briefly.Following our – myself and Adrian Henry (Rugby People) - coverage of the rugby match in Villeneuve d'Ascq on Saturday, we arranged to meet up with the three Scots players on the Sunday to do a short photo shoot with them at the stadium. After we crossed swords with the, key wielding, security presence – 'Non! Impossible!' -...

HIGHLAND SAFARIS CELEBRATES “LEAD, MOTIVATE & SUCCEED” ACCREDITATION AS IT PREPARES TO ONCE AGAIN LOOK AFTER CUSTOMERS ON LAND & WATERWith just a week to go until the biggest, fastest boat on Loch Tay returns to the water, under its Loch Tay Safaris banner, two of Highland Safaris Customer Experience Supervisors, Nancy McKay and Megan Moore, together with Denise McNaughton, Retail...

Private House Stays, one of Scotland’s most popular staycation booking sites, is to focus on holidaymakers’ wellbeing in its bid to breathe new life into the tourism sector.The company lists hotels, B&Bs, glamping sites and private and self-catering houses with rooms to let all over Scotland.Owner Cassie Bouverie is expanding her selection of properties as the lockdown restrictions ease and the...

The Chester Residence launches exclusive Harvey Nichols Pamper Package Five-star hotel, The Chester Residence, has teamed up with Edinburgh’s luxury fashion retailer, Harvey Nichols, to offer its guests an exclusive pamper package after being named as ‘The UK’s No1 Luxury Hotel’ in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2015. The Indulgence Pamper Package includes a three course lunch or dinner, prepared by...

Heathrow recently announced a raft of new measures which would be deliverable with the expansion of the airport, and which the airport owner believe would boost Scotland’s links to the world, and help Scottish businesses connect to global growth. For anyone who travels to Heathrow it is a well known frustration that time spent in a holding pattern above the south east of...

FESTIVE BREAKS STILL AVAILABLE AT MAINS OF TAYMOUTHMains of Taymouth luxury 5 star Country Estate and Golf Course at Kenmore has announced limited availability for the Christmas period, with a minimum three night stay priced from £558 in one of the estate’s superb 5 star luxury properties. The New Year period is also available from 28th December from £900...

VisitScotland has announced the closure of some of its tourism information outlets such as the one at Edinburgh Airport, but it is taking a new approach to ways to keep in touch with visitors. Instead of high street outlets they are embarking on a two year project to significantly increase the number of ways that information is made available. This...

Not many people readily associate New York with good wine. California has done a good job of self-promotion for their wines alongside tourism, and shown how you can combine the two. Napa Valley and small towns like Healdsburg are lovely places to visit.But on the eastern side of the American continent and even during the winter months, there...

The four star Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry has always had the wow factor when it comes to its external appearance – a magnificent Baronial Mansion House set in beautiful grounds. Its sheer scale and grandeur comes into view as you drive up the sweeping driveway.It also has the wow factor when it comes to an impressive...

CARSE OF GOWRIE RESORT ANNOUNCES EXPANSIONSilverwood Estate at Errol adds Rustic Bistro & Wedding Barn to its growing portfolio-New leisure and wedding resort, Silverwood at Errol, has announced that it is to open a custom built Rustic Bistro & Wedding Barn, to capitalise on burgeoning foodie and wedding markets throughout the Carse of Gowrie area.The 150 cover Bistro, currently under...

The westbound carriageway of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass will be closed for resurfacing between Baberton and Calder Junctions from 20:30 until 06:00 on the night of 27 March.A diversion route for westbound traffic will be signposted from Baberton Junction via the B701 and A71 before rejoining the A720 at Calder Junction. This diversion will add an estimated 8...

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...