Good entertainment for the whole family! (Xscape (Braehead))

Member Name: alimacb

Product:	Xscape (Braehead)
Date:	05/08/09 (176 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Indoor facilities, good selection of activities and eateries

Disadvantages: Family trips can prove to be expensive

If you're looking for activities to do on the west coast of Scotland on a rainy day, it can be a bit of a struggle sometimes, there are several museums etc that can be visited but once you have exhausted the usual places, Xscape is a good alternative especially if you have somewhat hyperactive children in tow.

***Location and Facilities***

It is located next to the Braehead Shopping centre just a few mins drive from Glasgow International Airport, junction 26 (Eastbound) and junction 25a (Westbound) off the M8 and it's not too far from Glasgow City Centre.

Parking facilities are quite good as they have a very large car park available but occasionally even this can become quite full quite quickly, although there are usually spaces at the extremes of the car park and it's set out in such a way that it isn't too far a walk to reach the entrance, also it's worth noting that it's FREE to park.

***Like to Snowboard/Ski?***

One of the main attractions is the indoor ski/snowboard slope complete with real snow! They have kit available to hire as well as instructors that you can book to help you learn to ski or snowboard. For those of you with younger children they have tobogganing available also as well as safety gear such as crash helmets available and as this particular Xscape is quite new, the kit is still in fairly good condition.

Lockers are available but you will need a £1.00 coin and this is non refundable (another way of making extra money). They are quite decent in size and me and my partner can get both our kit in one locker comfortably.

Activities on the slopes can be booked and paid for in advance online which is quite convenient as you can't always get through on the phone and sometimes it's a bit far to travel and risk the activities being all booked, especially in the summer holidays. However like everything that is convenient there is a £1.50 fee to be paid when you book online which I don't particularly agree with but like I said before, having youngsters in tow, sometimes it's worth paying a little extra to save yourself hassle on arrival.

***Costs***

The boots and snowboards/skis come as part of the package when booking and you don't pay any extra, you do however pay extra for hiring ski/board trousers and jackets at £5.00 a set and as they don't hire gloves, you have to buy these from the hire shop also.

To be honest I've always found that it's worth picking up a cheap pair of board trousers from the likes of TK Max or Tresspass and using a normal long sleeved waterproof jacket as the temperatures inside are cool but not freezing, remember you won't get any wind chill inside so when partaking in physical activity you can actually find yourself getting quite warm. If you're a beginner, don't skimp on the trousers though as you'll find yourself spending quite a lot of time on your bum and it can get quite chilly!!

Prices aren't cheap but I suppose you get the luxury of real snow and I'm sure it costs a packet for the upkeep of the place.

Sledging costs £11 for adults and £9 for children for a half hours session.

Adult single lessons start at £27.00 and fast track lessons which comprise of the first three lessons in one cost around £75.00. You can also do the learn to ski/board in a day course which costs £155.00 and takes around 7 hours plus breaks if you're the impatient type.

Junior lessons cost from £75.00 for a block of 4 lessons and can be booked for age ranges 3-6 and 7-10 yrs.

For those who want to test their skills there is advanced coaching, race training and one to one coaching available but make sure you have plenty of money as these can be very expensive!!

***Other Facilities***

After you have exerted yourself on the slopes they have the sno! Bar on the top floor overlooking the slope where you can get a drink, a coffee or a snack and watch people on the slopes below, they even have an outdoor balcony, ideal for taking pictures from if you've booked a birthday treat for someone.

If you are there for more of a relaxing time they have a variety of restaurants available such as TGI's, Nando's, Bella Italia and Pizza Express as well as a couple of coffee bars and various shops selling top of the range outdoor and sports equipment from mountain bikes and snowboards to serious walking boots and climbing gear.

This also makes for a great choice of places to take the family after working up an appetite on the slopes and there should be something for everyone.

They also have an Odeon cinema on the upper floor of the complex which has a Ben and Jerry's ice cream stand inside...yum, and has premier seats available to those who are willing to pay a little extra. If you're watching a long film these can prove a bit more comfortable but the normal seats are also quite roomy and give a decent amount of legroom (my fella is 6 foot 2 and is comfortable enough sitting through a regular length film).

As well as the slope and the cinema they also have what's known as a sky park, this is mainly for children and is where they can negotiate obstacles suspended from the roof (looks great fun), a mini golf park, a ten pin bowling alley and a climbing wall area.

***Recommended?***

As you can imagine a visit here can prove to be expensive but you can have a great day out with the kids and keep dry at the same time. I would definitely recommend this as a fun way to spend the day with the whole family and with many activities to choose from and some of the restaurants accepting offer vouchers (Pizza express 2 for 1 offers, Tony Roma's free starter vouchers and Orange Wednesday vouchers accepted in the Odeon Cinema), you can even manage to visit here on a budget if you plan in advance.

Summary: A fun way to spend the day