The Island Of Lewis

The Isle of Lewis, with Harris, is the largest island in the Outer Hebrides/Western Isles.  The archipelago is found a fair distance off Scotland’s west coast a little further out from the Isle of Skye, needing a ferry journey or flight to get there. As a result of the extreme remoteness it was only since the middle to late 20th century that ordinary people have been able to access to the islands for a vacation, before then it was only those with enormous funds who could afford the enormous cost of the trip. The only other way to visit the  Outer Hebrides was to arrive on business.

Stornoway

A long time ago the town of stornoway was an immensely busy fishing port. Herring was the main quarry of the multitude of fishing boats and throughout the season Stornoway’s population increased from about 6,000 to over 30,000. An amazing  number of Stornoway Hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses were built to satisfy the needs for lodging the incredible influx of temporary workers created. Nowadays the population of the town stays at just over six thousand (excluding visitors).

Unfortunately the herring industry fell into a dramatic decline after the First World War with the utter collapse of the the markets in Russia and Germany. A tiny fishing fleet can still be found in Stornoway however few buildings from that time remain and Stornoway lost a great deal of its charm during the redevelopment of the 1970’s.

Recently the local council has sympathetically enhanced Stornoway installing several works of modern sculpture focusing on the association with the herring industry as well as also adding such things as fountains and flower beds. New buildings are also more aesthetically pleasing, for example An Lanntair, the local arts centre.

Although there are far fewer Stornoway hotels existing today, only the Royal Hotel dates back to the heyday of the Herring industry, you will still find a great many bed and breakfasts in Stornoway, plus hostels, inns and guest houses. You will even find a caravan park on the outskirts of the town centre.

If you are thinking about a vacation in the town of Stornoway please take a look at our comprehensive listings of Stornoway hotels.

Brodick Castle

Brodick Castle is an impressive red sandstone structure which at one time was the property of the dukes of Hamilton. Found outside the town of Brodick, encompassed by extremely pleasant gardens and parks the castle is built upon the site of an old Viking fortress. Visiting Brodick Castle is a superb day out for all of the family children will thoroughly enjoy the adventure playground while older family members will enjoy the castle’s impressive collection of silver, works of art and porcelain. Roughly two hours can be spent visiting the castle.

Arran Heritage Museum

Arran Heritage Museum is located, on the site of a small school, in Rosaburn, Brodick and opens from April to October from 10:30am to 4:30pm. Featuring a collection buildings; a smiddy (blacksmith), cottage, farmhouse and croft plus milk house, stable, laundry, coach house and harness room and more. Exhibits reflect the geology, archaeology and social history of the island.

Isle of Arran Distillery

Wherever you go in Scotland it seems as though are never any great distance away from something to do with the whisky industry such as a whisky distillery. The Isle of Arran Distillery uses traditional techniques in the newest working distillery in the country. The distillery is open to tourists from April to October and it has a restaurant and visitor centre.

Isle of Arran Brewery

The Isle of Arran Brewery is located next to entrance of Brodick Country Park.  Folk can view the process of brewing from viewing gallery and observation windows as well as getting a sample of the produce. The brewery utilises high-tech equipment to brew an ale using traditional ingredients without artificial additives.

Lochranza Castle

The final Arran visitor attraction I wish to talk about is Lochranza Castle situated on the North Coast. On first look it appears little more than a ruined 16th century tower-house but it is possible to get inside using keys from the Post Office (which is also the local shop). Once inside the L-plan tower you begin to see hints of a grand structure.

Accommodation On The Isle of Arran

Finding the best accommodation on the Isle of Arran shouldn’t be much of a problem as hotels on the Isle of Arran can be found in most of the main villages and towns (Brodick, Blackwaterfoot and Lamlash all have the minimum of 1 hotel as well as guesthouse accommodation). Places to look out for include the Glenisle Hotel and the Lamlash Bay Hotel (in Lamlash), the Auchrannie Spa Resort (in Brodrick,) and the Best Western Kinloch Hotel (in Blackwaterfoot) which all have an excellent reputation.

Lots of people assume that Liverpool does not have any castles, historical buildings, fortified houses and country houses and despite the fact that Liverpool Castle disappeared long ago the city of Liverpool is home to a few structures which are known all around the world.

The Beatles

The Beatles, Paul, Ringo. John & George, are one of the most commercially successful acts in popular music the world has ever seen. The Fab Four were a Liverpool band and you are able to take a look at their old homes by going on one of the tours. Of course there are much more Beatles associated places to visit such as; Mathew Street Gallery, The Beatles Shop, The Beatles Story and The Cavern Club, as well as a handful of pubs (The Grapes in Mathew Street, Ye Cracke in Rice Street and The Jacaranda in Slater Street) and an incredible number of places associated with Beatles songs such as Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane.

Every Beatles fan will be thrilled to know that it is possible to enjoy Liverpool bed & breakfast in a Beatles themed hotel.

Other Liverpool Attraction

To be one hundred percent truthful the list of tourist attractions in the city of Liverpool is simply so enormous that there is not enough room here to list them all. Some of the most popular include Speke Hall, The Merseyside Maritime Museum and The Albert Dock plus Liverpool’s two Cathedrals, Knowsley Safari Park and The Tate Liverpool as well as a great many more.

As well as all of the tourist attractions described above Liverpool has a long association with comedy.  The list of comedians hailing from Liverpool is enormous but a few worth mentioning include Craig Charles, Alexei Sayle and Kenny Everett, readers who are older may remember Faith Brown, Arthur Askey and Stan Boardman or Jimmy Tarbuck, Ken Dodd and Les Dennis. So when you next visit Liverpool ensure that your bed & breakfast in Liverpool is in a Beatles themed hotel and that you visit a comedy club.

If this does not appeal to you maybe you should go to a soccer match? The city of Liverpool has two superb football clubs (Everton FC and Liverpool FC both of which having has astounding success. Their grounds are found at Anfield and Goodison.

Lanzrote forms part of the Canary Island group.  Which is part of Spain and the EU but which is located close to the coast of West Africa.  During the 1980´s these islands briefly became a byword for package holidays – but today there are just as many upmarket luxury accommodation options as there are good value choices.  With Lanzarote for example boasting no less than six 5 star hotels.

Lanzarote, the fourth largest of the islands and one of the most unspoiled, boasts no less than six 5 star hotels.  Including the sumptuous Gran Melia Volcan, which is located right at the southern tip of the island in the fast growing resort of Playa Blanca.  The Volcan forms part of the stylish Rubicon Marina development which is home to loads of luxury yachts.  And along with sister establishment the Gran Melia Salinas in Costa Teguise is regarded as one of the best Lanzarote hotels.

Arguably the best known hotel on the island though is the Arrecife Gran.  As this occupies a building which was a notorious landmark on Lanzarote during the 1990´s.  As it was originally built by flouting local planning laws – which prohibited high rise constructions taller than a Canarian palm tree.  So for many years this building lay burnt out and derelict right on the seafront.  Eventually though the island government took the pragmatic approach and granted permission for creation of a luxury hotel.  Which spans 17 floors and is the tallest edifice on the island.

The Gran Melia hotel is owned by Spain´s Sol hotel chain, who also have another 5 star establishment in the southern resort of Playa Blanca.  The Gran Melia Volcan is situated right next to the upmarket Rubicon Marina development, which provides an atmospheric environment for dining out or strolling around the shops.  The Volcan also has a unique entrance hall atrium which is designed to echo the islands most famous landmark – the volcanoes of the Timanfaya National Park which are located just a short drive away from the resort.

Around half of all visitors to Lanzarote prefer self-catering accommodation to hotels and there’s a wide selection of Lanzarote villas for them to choose from across the island.  Apartments in Lanzarote also provide a good value alternative for these seeking to book a break in the sun on a budget.

You can find details of Lanzarote 4 star hotels and further Lanzarote villas here.

The rather small burgh of Pitlochry is situated on the banks of the River Tummel in the council area of Perth and Kinross in Scotland. Known throughout the world as the “Gateway To The Highlands” the small town is supremely popular with ramblers, mountain climbers, hill-walkers, hikers and other tourists who enjoy vacations of this type. Obviously many of many more activities of this kind can be enjoyed throughout the area and you will also discover a fantastic  number of tourist attractions to visit. Because of this comprehensive appeal there is an excellent amount of Pitlochry guesthouses and hotels, with the vast majority of them being found on the high street.

Pitlochry Places To Visit

Blair Castle: Blair Castle dates back to the thirteenth century, and is the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl. The construction of Blair Castle started in 1269, under the instruction of the Lord of Badenoch (John I Comyn), a northerly acquaintance of the Earl of Atholl. The Earl was absent, fighting in the Crusade’s, when his neighbor began the construction of Blair Castle on his land. Upon his return, the Earl complained bitterly to the Scottish King, King Alexander III about the interloper, and his lands were returned. Rather than demolishing the tower than John I Comyn had erected, the Earl decided to merge the tower into his own castle. A Great Hall and a number of vaulted chambers were added to the castle over the centuries, by  various Earls. It was the second Duke of Atholl who, in 1740, decided to renovate the castle as a Georgian Mansion.

Killiecrankie Visitor Centre: During the era of the Jacobites Killiecrankie, not a great distance from Pitlochry, found itself full of the noise of battle. The government soldiers were destroyed by the rebel army of the Jacobites, under the command of Bonnie Dundee. During the bloody battle a soldier evaded capture by jumping over the River Garry, which subsequently became known as, Soldier’s Leap. The area of the gorge and pass were a popular place of Queen Victoria. To learn about the infamous battle you can pay a visit to the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre. The Killiecrankie Visitor Centre has a number of otherexhibitions and services, which include; ranger service’s, a natural history of the area and guided walks and much more.

Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre: A power station is a pretty strange place for a visitor center, however this is precisely where you can discover the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Center. The hydro center can be found within the striking Pitlochry Power Station, and includes interactive displays which trace the history of hydro power in Scotland, dating from the nineteen forties right up to the present day. The Pitlochry Dam(constructed between 1947 & 1951) gives visitors the interesting ability to observe the incredible salmon ladder via three viewing areas. Inside the visitor center, you will find audio-visual presentations and interactive which explains in detail this naturally occurring phenomenon. The turbine hall of Pitlochry Power Station can also be viewed from within the Visitor Center.

If you are thinking about taking a vacation in Scotland based in Pitlochry then you can discover Pitlochry bed and breakfast online by using the search “Pitlochry hotel accommodation” or “Pitlochry bed and breakfast” into your favorite search engine (the quotation marks/inverted commas can help a great deal).

Though London may be home to some of the most highly interesting museums and galleries in the whole of Great Britain  together with some of the most widely known tourist attractions  the capital city will not appeal to all types of visitor.

Some tourists have a preference for vacations which are more relaxing and other folk would rather have more exciting vacations such as sports vacations. Interestingly the island of Harris, in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, appeals both types of visitor.

Like a great many other people sun bathing on the beach for the whole of my summer vacation is not my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I often spend time relaxing on a sunny beach, and Harris certainly is home to some of the most astounding beaches in Scotland (and Britain), but, I also like to visit other places on my vacation. I like to soak in the atmosphere, I also like to experience the local culture and especially enjoy sampling the food. If the truth be known each year I like to experience something new and I go to great lengths attempting to discover something or somewhere wholly unique and different. This is the most likely reason why I enjoy visiting the Hebrides island named the Isle of Harris and why I regularly choose to hire self catering houses on Harris.

One of the most common factors in attracting visitors to the Isle of Harris is to enjoy the islands landscape and culture. The Harris culture has, throughout history been incredibly influenced by the Celtic, Norse, English and Scottish races. Nowadays in general most folk speak in the Gaelic language and though many speak English, it is commonly their second language. The Harris folk are amongst the friendliest on our planet and the hospitality is known across the globe. The Isle of Harris folk are very proud of the breathtaking beauty of the island and go to great lengths to keep the island tidy and clean so it is immensely important clean up after yourself.

It is vitally important that you remember that rubbish doesn’t just make the place appear a mess it is also incredibly dangerous to wild creatures.

A further important point to learn is that the roads on the Isle of Harris are not the same as elsewhere in Scotland or the UK in some areas you will need to traverse single track roads and you will need to know how to use passing places to safely let oncoming traffic past and also let traffic from behind to pass too. Just keep it in mind that you come to a halt on the left hand side of the road. If you are faced with an extremely large vehicle wishing to get past and the passing place is on the right hand side of the road you may carefully pull over into to it to let the said vehicle pass more easily but be careful not to drive off the edge of the road too much.

I hope that artcile above sufficiently interests you in taking a short break on Harris. Many visitors the Scotland’s Western Isles decide to stay in two places. There are a small number of other islands to visit including North Uist, South Uist and Lewis. Why not consider staying in a self catering house on Harris for a week and then stay in a room in a North Uist hotel or a hotel on South Uist for the rest of your holiday?

When you spend 9 hours sitting in an airplane, without moving, your body can experience discomfort. You will enjoy the walk after many hours of sitting on one spot. On the plane, take of off your shoes, and exercise your feet a little.

With the millions of bags that pass through check-in counters, airports, and planes daily, the probability of getting your bags misplaced is always present. The worst case scenario, of course, is the possibility of losing your luggage. There is no way you will appear in your first business meeting in the wrinkled suit you used while traveling. Anticipate this possible problem by packing one set of business suit, underwear, business shoes and essential toiletries in your carry-on luggage. Obviously, the amount of toiletries and the size and weight of carry-on luggage should be as prescribed by airline regulations.

Yet another valuable travel tip is to assign a responsible adult to be the document handler Travel document keeper will make sure that passports, visas, tickets, and all other items are safe and sound. Distribute the documents to their respective owners (except children) only when needed such as immigration counters, check points and the like. Take them back again as soon as the documents are no longer needed. Also, keep scanned copies of documents on a flash card / CD or USB drive.Keep digital copy of documents somewhere else than the hard copies, so in case you lose the hard copies, you will have the digital ones.

Double confirm weather before leaving for your vacation or business trip. Although if you’re going on a beach vacation, you kind of take weather for granted. This way, you will be guided on what to pack and what you can leave behind. It is better to come prepared.

Travelling is fun. I know that I want to try and to taste everything. This is a good thing and something that you should encourage your children to do. Be careful though when drinking water. Governments put in various chemicals into water (usually under the cloaking of benefiting people, but in reality rarely so), so you might have a bad reaction if you’re not used to it. You’re better off getting off on bottled water instead of tap water.

The city of Nottingham is found in the county of Nottinghamshire, in the East Midlands, England, UK. As well as the legend of Sir Robin Hood, Nottingham is also strongly associated with the  industry especially during the period known as the Industrial Revolution when it gained a superb worldwide reputation.

The Lace Market, Nottingham

Once the center of the world’s lace industry, at the peak of the British Empire, the Lace Market is, now, a protected heritage area. The area  is home to a great many fantastic examples of 19th Century industrial architecture. The market wasn’t like a normal market area, rather than featuring stalls and salesmen, it featured a number of warehouses and salesrooms selling and displaying lace. After the decline in the lace industry the area suffered terribly however, nowadays, the majority of the fine warehouses have been restored for other purposes for instance photographic studios and similar. The Lace Market in Nottingham is a popular visitor attraction.

Galleries of Justice & Shire Hall

Near to the Lace Market you will discover the Galleries of Justice situated in Shire Hall. Shire Hall is a Georgian building which features Neoclassical columns, pilasters and dome. The facade has, if you look at it closely, a spelling mistake Goal rather than Gaol. The Hall has 2 superbly preserved Victorian courtrooms plus a women’s prison, bath house, old cells, an Edwardian police station and a prisoner’s exercise yard.

Nottingham is a fantastic place to have a vacation. You will find plenty to see and do around the city and a massive selection of visitor attractions nearby. Nearby places to visit include; Newstead Abbey, Hardwick Hall and Wollaton Hall.

As is common in all England B&B, Nottingham accommodation is commonly of superb quality at a reasonable cost and many visitors choose to stay in Nottingham for only part of their vacation and then elsewhere for the remaining nights.

The Native Americans Columbus met wore golden ornaments and the farther he sailed along the coast, the more gold the people seemed to have. The land was named ‘Costa Rica’, meaning ‘rich coast’ in Spanish, but the Europeans dream of a coast rich in gold was short lived.  Most of the gold they had seen came from other parts of Central America. There was no gold near the coast.

Although the lack of minerals was a setback, the Spaniards discovered the land was good for farming. Until the second half of the nineteenth century, when coffee and bananas were first grown in Costa Rica, the people were extremely poor. However, they worked together to survive-and more than that, their closeness to the land built up over the centuries. This unity, combined with their isolation from other countries, gave the Costa Ricans a stability and tranquility not shared by their neighbors. While other countries in the region squabbled over minerals, boundaries and power, the people of Costa Rica developed a strong, well structured society.

Almost all Costa Ricans are descended from European settlers, mainly Spaniards. Over the last 500 years Costa Ricans have built a cultural heritage that they treasure. As early as 1869, their constitution stated that education was compulsory and free for all children. Today, Costa Rica has the highest literacy rate in Central America, with more than 90% of its people able to read and write.

In addition, the Costa Rican presidential election of 1890 is considered to be the first truly democratic election in Central America. Dictatorships and military coups are rarely mentioned in Costa Rica’s history.

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