Travel

Kendal. One of the go-to towns in The Lake District and an ideal location for touring, but where to stay, that was the question. There are many options and varying prices. We've stayed high-end but this time we through, let's try mid-range with a deal.Up popped the Riverside Hotel (pictured), a family-owned, converted, 18th-century tannery. It ticked a number of...

Lovers of all ages are being invited to check-in to what has been called Edinburgh’s most romantic hotel room – at a boutique city centre hotel which was newly refurbished  in 2018 after a devastating fire. Nira Caledonia reopened its doors to the public just in time for summer following a £1.4 million intensive project to restore half of the...

Scotland’s only direct flight to the Caribbean began this week as Virgin Atlantic set off for Barbados from Edinburgh Airport.A launch event for the new service was held on Wednesday as flight VS223 departed from the capital to the island on 8 December. The twice weekly service is being operated on an Airbus A330 with three classes available, The...

Have you tried out Flybe’s new London Heathrow service which launched at the end of March?  The service will operate four times daily year round and Flybe is the first domestic carrier to begin operating at Heathrow since 2013. The airline now offers daily flights from both Edinburgh and Aberdeen.It was a very early start for all of the journalists and tourism...

The sweet floral scent of lavender drifted across the extensive garden as we chilled after the two-hour Ryanair flight, Edinburgh to Marseille. There was not a cloud in the clear blue sky and very little wind.Indeed, the French flag flying from a flagpole in the neighbouring garden hardly moved. We took in the sun and rejoiced in the experience. However, the...

With so many big-name hotel companies saturating the market, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for chain hotels to stand out from the crowd.The problem for many of these companies is that they are trying to cater for the masses with demand from both corporate and leisure clientele fundamental to their success.  Their hotels have to appeal to a broad range...

Ryanair have announced more routes to be added to their Winter 2021/22 schedule from Edinburgh Airport.The total number of routes which the airline is flying from Edinburgh is now 50 with hopes for tourism recovery in Europe. The four new routes include Cork, Madrid, Palermo and Paris. Beauvais.Ryanair’s Director of Marketing, Dara Brady said:“Ryanair remains committed to re-building...

We woke to a sky rich in red over the undulating Lakeside countryside. It was stunning. It bode well for the day ahead. Two hours later the sun had broken through to warm the chill air.The thermometer rose to 8C as Bowness-on-Windermere (pictured, early morning) came alive. It was January 3, but the attraction of Lakeland continues.Cars poured in...

Air passengers planning their summer getaways this year will have almost 70,000 extra seats on 19 easyJet routes to and from Edinburgh Airport to choose from.Between 22 May and 21 July, the airline will offer 68,500 extra seats on routes including Paris Charles De Gaulle, Madrid, Nice, Amsterdam and Naples. This will mean that Scottish passengers now have more direct flights...

New direct flights to Turkey will begin next year.A new service between Edinburgh and Turkey will launch for summer 2022 as SunExpress will begin to fly to and from Edinburgh Airport.The new service to Antalya will begin in April 2022 operating on Tuesdays and Saturdays, then stepping up to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from May 24 2022. The service...

While I travelled in Taiwan during last week, the country was taking highly visible and proactive steps to stop the spread of what was called Novel Coronavirus and which the World Health Organisation (WHO) now calls COVID19.As at today's date there are 18 confirmed cases in Taiwan according to data collated by John Hopkins CSSE which you can...

As we are travelling out from the Hawes Pier skipper Duncan takes a little time to explain that the boat will call at Inchcolm Island, where there is not only an Abbey but also a visitor centre, and let some passengers off.He also explains that there are two people employed by Historic Environment Scotland who live on the island...

Three new hotels will open this spring in Edinburgh, two of them off the Royal Mile on New Market Street, part of the New Waverley development, at the end of March, and the third in York Place. All three will be Premier Inns and will mean 150 new jobs from reception staff to maintenance and 10 apprenticeships. Around half of the...

Norwegian has launched its Black Friday Weekend sale, offering travellers up to 30% off all short-haul flights and 15% off all long-haul routes in the UK and Ireland.You can access special Black Friday weekend deals right now on all flights when travelling from 3 December 2018 – 31 March 2019, excluding 17 December 2018 to 6 January 2019. Book by 23.59 GMT Monday...

Covid-19 impact means city institution will remain closed as more than 200 staff face redundancyBy Phyllis Stephen and Stephen RaffertyOne of Edinburgh’s most prestigious hotels will remain shuttered until early 2021 as the damaging impact of the Covid-19 epidemic rifles through Scotland’s tourism industry.The four star The George is in consultation with more than 200 staff over redundancies but...

The Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh Haymarket has used its landmark first anniversary to reveal fascinating behind the scenes facts which have helped to ensure its guests enjoyed staying there in the last year. Dedicated staff at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh Haymarket work round the clock to ensure the highest standards of service - which has resulted in some staggering...

WINTER OFFER TO WOO CITY GUESTS AT THE TOWNHOUSE! The Townhouse Aberfeldy, a small boutique B&B for couples with its own 'Upstairs Restaurant', is currently running a winter accommodation offer which takes the price of a three night stay, in a double room, (with full Scottish Breakfast), from £237 to £177.75.  This works out at only £59.25 per night. The two...

Swap the city for the highlands with Highland Safaris Autumn WatchLooking to get out into the fresh air this autumn? Discover the sights and sounds which makes this season so special, with a short journey of around an hour and a half from Edinburgh to get to Highland Safaris at Aberfeldy.Their Autumn Watch Land Rover Safaris – taking place...

Award-winning travel-writer Nick Thorpe and national newspaper journalist Jean West are hosting an online workshop in travel writing during the Covid-19 lockdown.Newhaven-based Nick Thorpe has been a travel writer for more than 20 years and in his first book Eight Men and a Duck he voyaged to Easter Island by experimental reed raft.His Scottish boat-hitching odyssey Adrift in Caledonia,...

Of course it is still orange and white, but the new livery which easyJet have launched will appear on all of their new planes from April this year.This is the first change to their look since 1998 and is designed to celebrate the airline's twentieth year of flying. There have only been two styles in the past. In 1995...

Six new, electric powered vans have been delivered to BEAR Scotland, bringing the total number of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles, in its South East Scotland fleet, to thirteen.This means that 10% of all BEAR Scotland’s vehicles in the South East are now fully electric powered.BEAR Scotland took over responsibility for operation and maintenance of trunk roads in South East...

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...

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...

As lockdown eases all over the UK, a Lake District Holiday Park is keen to showcase its new range of quality holiday homes, priced from just £29,999, to its traditional heartland of Scottish buyers.The park has recently opened for holiday home sales only, with plans to fully open for short breaks when Government guidelines allow.Prospective buyers can...

When travelling with Norwegian recently we mentioned more than once the lovely tail fins on the distinctive planes, and also the late Sir Freddie Laker who first offered low price fares across the Atlantic.Now the low cost airline Norwegian flew to the US from Edinburgh Airport using the brand-new Boeing 737 MAX this weekend featuring the British aviation maverick.The...

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...

Captain Richard Allison is in charge of the Edinburgh base for Norwegian Airlines.An Edinburgh native he is now happy to be back home, even though he leaves the capital behind him en route to the States several times a month! Norwegian Airlines have recently begun flying to three destinations on the East Coast, with some flights costing as little...

PEMBERTON RIVINGTON IS LODGE OF THE MONTH AT THE MEADOWS FORFARA stunning Pemberton Rivington residential lodge at £65,000 is the current Lodge of the Month at The Meadows in Forfar, a superb new gated development from Stewarts Leisure Parks.Complete with two bedrooms, including master bedroom en-suite with bath, and a fully integrated luxury kitchen, the Pemberton Rivington is a...

Viking Cruises' brand new cruise ship dropped anchor in the Firth of Forth last week on its maiden voyage from Norway, where Viking Jupiter was officially named by star Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebo. The ship is the sixth ocean-going ship to join Viking's fleet. Jupiter is a 'small ship' by cruise line standards (that means she has space for 930...

Thinking of a spring getaway? You may have to as one B&B on Skye, currently in the midst of a significant £250,000 upgrade, is already being booked for next year.Following its purchase of the former MacKinnon Country House Hotel on the Isle of Skye, which will be rebranded as the Isle of Skye Guest House, The Fusion Group of...