Och Aye the noo (Scotland in general)

Member Name: eiley123

Product:	Scotland in general
Date:	06/04/08 (110 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Breathtaking scenery, lovely people, many historical places to visit, great architecture.

Disadvantages: None for

Being born and brought up in England, Scotland had always been one of the places that I intended to visit, but never quite got around to doing so. That is until a couple of years ago. As an extended weekend break for my Husband's birthday we booked a short break with a local coach travel company which included a stay at The Spittal of Glenshee which is close to Deeside. The coach journey from our home in East Yorkshire was rather long and drawn out. Primarily we travelled on the motorway and so the scenery was sparse to say the least. It was late October and the weather during the journey saw everything from sun, to rain, to hail and to snow. As we stopped at the services at Carlisle we came across our first Scottish shopping. There is some debate as to whether Carlisle is in England or Scotland but the shopping here was definitely Scottish. From here on in each stop included shops with tartan displays, whiskey and more. The final lap through the Scottish countryside was beautiful but tiring and we eventually arrived at our accommodation twelve hours after leaving our home town.

GLENSHEE

Our aparthotel was set in a glen with breathtaking scenery wherever your eye rested. The Glens and Royal Deeside have a backdrop of the Cairngorm Mountains. Glenshee is somewhat of the beaten track but there is motorway access. It is a good place to use as a base for exploring the east of Scotland. Glenshee offers ski-ing in Winter, good walking, hiking, hill climbing, shooting, country walks, fishing and more. There is good golfing within a mile. Glamis Castle which has much history and was home to the Queen Mother at one time is within easy reach.

THE SPITTAL OF GLENSHEE
We visited as part of a 80 odd strong coach party. Everyone seemed to love the place. As we visited in late October so it would be off season. As soon as we hit Scotland the weather improved and on the whole stayed good. The hotel was homely and t would be a great base for touring round the wilds of Scotland. The countryside around there is outstanding and we saw wildlife such as deer and pheasants whilst we were out and about.

This hotel will not suit everyone, however. It really depends what you are looking for. As a relaxing getaway it is perfect as it is so peaceful. For me it's main attraction was the beautiful location.

ROOM
We stayed in a double room with twin beds and on suite facilities. The room size was adequate and in reasonable condition, and the beds were comfortable which is always a bonus. The bathroom was fairly new and in excellent condition. We had good views from our room of the River which is very close by and the mountains. The windows only opened slightly. The room was nice and warm and homely. It was not 4 star but it was quite good really.

GENERAL HOTEL AMENITIES
The hotel is spread out over a fair area. It is a low rise building and only has 4 or 5 steps from time to time or at least it did where our room was located. The restaurant offered great views out to the mountains. The bar served snacks and drinks and locals visited also. One of the specialities was a Spittal Burger but I could not get over the name enough to try one. There is a fair amount of tartan decorating the hotel and there was evening entertainment when we visited. However when we visited it was with a coach party and perhaps the entertainment was for parties such as us. For example there was bingo, Scottish music and quizzes. The prizes were quite good but many of them were given back to raffle again for local charities. Staff at this hotel are funny and very friendly and many of them wear kilts. There are three lovely Springer spaniels that will accompany you on walks for a small fee, which is a donation to charity. The large area where the evening entertainment took place has a large fireplace with dramatic Scottish paintings surrounding it and large, roaring fire.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Our visit included breakfast and evening meal. The breakfast had a good variety and was very good quality. It was an eat as much as you like buffet breakfast. It included: porridge, bacon, eggs, sausage, hash browns, toast and jam or marmalade. cereals, muesli, coffee, tea, fruit juice and much more. It was cooked to perfection and there was always fresh supplies on offer.

Our evening meal was just as good and was a eat as much as you like carvery with a good choice but always including homemade haggis. The restaurant is a nice, large area and the views are spectacular

LOCATION AND SURROUNDINGS
I guess in winter this hotel is primarily a ski-ing location. However when we were staying there, there was a hiking party staying also. They set of each morning and hiked miles up hill and down dale. The area is really in the middle of nowhere but it is near a main road and there are Scottish attractions fairly near to the hotel. Pitlochry is within easy reach. Night life is non-existent apart from the hotel bar and any hotel entertainment. There is walking with the dogs which is fun if like us you love dogs. As a quiet location it really hits the spot.

EDINBURGH

We visited Edinburgh for a day and were overwhelmed by the history and architecture. It is a beautiful city with many attractions such as Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Mile, shopping on Princess Street, parks, galleries and more.

LEITH

We travelled a little outside of Edinburgh to visit the old Royal Yacht Britannia which is moored at Leith docks. This is a pay to enter museum now but was WELL worth the seven pounds entrance fee. You can have a good trek around the yacht and there is a small museum, shop and restaurant also.

PITLOCHRY

We visited Pitlochry which was only a short journey from Glenshee. It is. I suppose nothing special but here lies it's charm. It was a very pretty village with good restaurants, bars and shops but in a very traditional village. Pitlochry has a full calendar of events which include it's own Highland games, a Autumn festival and a pipe band contest.

ERADOUR

Not far from Pitlochry we visited the smallest distillery in Scotland, Eradour. Set in the hills above Pitlochry the setting is perfect. You can visit the distillery, learn a little of it's history, sample the distilleries own whiskey and purchase some to take home if desired.

GRETNA GREEN

Our driver arranged an extra stop off, on the journey home, at Gretna Green. Each passenger was highly excited at the prospect and very disappointed. It was basically a shopping centre with overpriced tourist shops and cafes. There was the blacksmith's was ok but nothing more.

THE LOCALS

All the Scottish people that we met were warm and friendly. The accent in some parts is a little broad and may be difficult for some nationalities to understand.

THE CURRENCY

The currency is the same as England's except that the Scottish five pound note is a little different and not widely accepted in England. If you have one you will probably have to swap it in a bank in England.

FOOD AND DRINK

The Scottish speciality of Haggis is surprisingly good, especially if it has been freshly made. The traditional porridge was certainly warming, as was the Whiskey.

SCOTLAND IN GENERAL

For a relatively small country Scotland is very diverse. There are the highlands, lowlands, Lochs, Cities and everywhere you look beautiful scenery. Near to where we stayed the scenery was all hills and mountains and fresh, fresh air.

ACTIVITIES

Scotland had good golfing and fishing available almost everywhere. There are great walking areas, some for the more experienced. In recent years Cities such as Glasgow have undergone many changes and are now modern and very stylish. Glasgow has great evening entertainment, museums and galleries also.

RECOMMENDATION

I absolutely adored Scotland and cannot wait to visit again. Of course the weather may be a bit unpredictable so pack accordingly. However we had beautifully sunny days in late October so you never know. Shopping is competitive but obviously if you buy in the tourist areas it will be more pricey. If you do visit give the local made haggis a try. I would not have dreamed that I would have liked such food but I did. It was scrummy.

I think overall that Scotland has something for everyone no matter what time of year. In winter there is skiing, in Autumn the scenery is more beautiful than ever and of course Spring and Summer goes without saying.

Thanks for reading
(C) Eiley 2008

Summary: Something for everyone