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Dumbarton in General
by tangoman84
Dumbarton is a fantastic old town which I have now had the pleasure of living in for over 2 years.
The town is the ancient capital of Scotland and has Dumbarton Castle proudly adorning the famous Dumbarton Rock and overlooking the River Clyde as well as the town itself.
The town centre has one central street which all of the ... shops are able to be accessed from with the likes of Gamestation, New Look, Peacocks, Greggs, Poundland, Specsavers, Boots and Superdrug to name but a few of the shops on offer in the town centre with all of the stors well looked after and clean.
The town has a bridge just beside the end of this street over which you can walk and head to the fantastic Levengrove Park which is simply huge and has great playing areas aswell as a picnic area. The park is well maintained and looks very nice with many flowers on show (when in season) with offers of views over the River Clyde on offer.
If you are looking for your grocery needs to be met then just a few minutes from the town centre there is a Morrisons superstore aswell as an Asda superstore right across the road from this. The Asda is well located in St James retail park which also offers a Marks and Spencer Food, Argos, Halfords, McDonalds, KFC, Greggs, Subway and Domino's Pizza on offer along with a couple of carpet stores.
So how easy is Dumbarton to reach? Well the answer to that is very thanks to 3 train stations that allow you to access the town (Dalreoch, Dumbarton Central and Dumbarton East) and numerous bus stops throughout the town centre.
The town also has a number of good pubs on offer which are mainly well maintained, clean and offer cheap drinks and good food.
Positives:
- Clean and well maintained stores with variety on offer
- Great transport links
- Dumbarton Castle
- Glasgow, Balloch and Helensburgh easy to reach offering more day out options
- Good variety of pubs on offer
Negatives:
- As with anywhere some negative people
- Large amount of seagulls
- Underpass which goes under dual carriageway always unclean and smelly
Dumbarton is nice little town with plenty to offer and everything on offer easy to reach and simple to find.
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Edinburgh in General
by tangoman84
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and the second biggest city within Scotland. The city itself is hugely popular with tourists from far and wide and it is not unusual to see huge groups of American or Asian tourists with their huge cameras strapped around their neck.
The city offers a huge amount for visitors to see ... including the famous Edinburgh Castle, Mary King's Close, Edinburgh Dungeons, Edinburgh Zoo and a huge variety of theatres and museums. My wife and I had the joy of visiting Mary King's Close which is an old close (or street) that was built over in excess of a hundred years ago but the buildings themselves were used as foundations for the new structures being placed on the top of them and it is a simply amazing experience and offers fantastic tours which are very interesting but also entertaining.
The city also has a large variety of shops on offer with variety never being something you need to worry about thanks to the sheer volume of shops on offer all along the one central street in the centre.
There are also a large amount of restaurants, pubs and transport options available with a new tram line currently in the process of being installed, excellent train links and bus links on offer. The city centre is a no go for cars (other than taxis) which means that there is less congestion and polution in the area causing less polution and a much nicer experience for people keep on a day out.
In terms of sports the main offerings come from Hearts of Midlothian Football Club, Hibernian Football club (both of which are Scottish Premier league teams and well followed with nicely maintained all seater stadiums) and the Scottish national rugby stadium (Murrayfield) also having many rugby matches as well as other offerings.
Positives:
- Excellent variety of stores, restaurants and pubs
- Great variety of tourist attractions
- Clean streets and well maintained surroundings
- Great transport links
- No cars in the city centre meaning reduced pollution, noise and making a nicer experience for pedestrians
- A large variety of entertainment events on regularly including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Negatives:
- None
Edinburgh offers tourists and locals alike a great variety whilst also having well maintained streets and surroundings aswell as excellent transport links.
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Invergordon (Scotland)
by Siamese
Invergordon
Ross Shire
Scotland
Invergordon is a small Scottish town in the Highlands (around an hour North of Inverness) with a population of approx 4500. It has a vivid history going back through both world wars. I grew up there so hopefully that qualifies me to write a little about it! ...
Invergordon received its name from Sir William Gordon, a local landowner of the early eighteenth century and is located on the Cromarty Firth which has been recognised as an ideal anchorage for ships since the early 1700s. In fact, this still makes up a large part of the local economy with cruise ships berthing (and the tourists they bring) and oil rigs docking for maintenance. The Firth is also area of great natural beauty and the many habitats support a variety of marine life and wild birds, including bottle-nosed dolphins. There are boat trips available to see these and if you visit, I recommend that you take one as there is something magical about seeing them swimming alongside smiling up at you.
To get there, simply follow the A9, it is one long road!
The people are lovely, warm, friendly and welcoming and there are lots of local hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and pubs to choose from.
It has its own distillery producing Whyte and MacKay and is just 13 miles from Tain, where the Glenmorangie distillery and hotel are located (if you get the chance, have dinner or even stay in this hotel, it is lovely - look out for the coral in reception, it has been growing there for over 50 years!) and 5 miles from Alness where you will find the Dalmore distillery. So for whiskey fans, this is a definite place to visit.
Less than an hour's drive from Invergordon lies Culloden battlefield where Bonnie Prince Charlie's troops suffered a cruel defeat and the Jacobite Rising of 1745 came to an end.
Invergordon also boasts one of Scotland's most scenic 18 hole golf courses with friendly members and gorgeous views across the Firth.
Though I don't live there anymore, I still have family there so get to visit quite a lot. If you are planning on visiting Scotland, put Invergordon on your itinerary, it is definitely worth it. Have a look at the below website for photo's and further information and most importantly, have a lovely time in Bonnie Scotland!
http://www.invergordon.info
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