Posts Tagged ‘scotland’
Dumfries & Galloway Vacations And The Town Of Stranraer
April 5, 2010
The nation of Scotland is a superior destination in which to take a short vacation. The nation is suitable for plenty of different types of vacation, featuring extensive areas of attractive countryside with helpful amounts of sites of outstanding natural beauty (perfect for ramblers, hikers, hill-walkers, mountain climbers and the likes). Scotland also features some of the smartest attractions, including, some of the best museums and galleries in the whole of the United Kingdom, majestic sites, fortified houses, castles, country homes and historical buildings plus much, much more. In the article below I talk about Stranraer.
Stranraer is a town located in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, the town is widely known for being where it is possible to sail to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Unfortunately overwhelmingly tourists do not get to investigate some of the local attractions in the surrounding countryside and the town itself. This is a bit of an enigma, if you get to the port, and reserve yourself a room in a Stranraer bed and breakfast, a day earlier you can visit a few of the tourist attractions before embarking to the city of Belfast.
There are a number of things to see and do in Stranraer including the medieval tower house of the Castle of St John situated in the centre of Stranraer. The castle was erected at the very beginning of the 16th century as a home for Ninian Adair of Kilhurst (the Laird of Wigtownshire). The castle was renovated, in the years 1988/89, by Wigtown District Council who made it available for public viewing in nineteen ninety.
Another attraction near to the town is the gardens at Castle Kennedy. The castle is the centrepiece of the garden which are situated on a hill between two lochs (unfortunately access to the ruins is no longer allowed. The landscaped gardens consist of 75 acres. You can buy plants from a store which has reared them from seed gathered in the garden.
A further lovely tourist attraction worth seeing is Glenluce Abbey, less than 10 miles from Stranraer. Although it is in ruins (actually the most ruined of a trio of Cistercian monasteries situated in the south western region of Scotland) it also has a spectacular fifteenth century Chapter House. Other places worth visiting include, the Mull of Galloway, the Machars, Portpatrick and Port Logan.
If you are looking at taking a Stranraer vacation please take a look at our listings of Stranraer hotels and Stranraer bed and breakfast
The Historical Intrigue Of The Highlands Of Scotland
February 19, 2010
The Highlands of Scotland were well written about for their wars and betrayals and it is certainly accurate that from the reign of James IV in the 1490′s existence in the Highlands was somewhat tumultuous. In 1493, James went against the strong chiefs of the MacDonald Clan and forfeited the MacDonald Lord of the Isles in favour of himself and the Campbell Clan. Therefore the Campbell’s took over as powerhouse in that time at the expense of the MacDonalds.
Difficulties arose not simply with the MacDonalds but also with several other Scottish clans because of this unhealthy power divide that the Campbells held over all others. The Campbell were in such a position that they could actually buy up available property and charge a kind of lease upon everyone that wished to utilize the area for cows or sheep. The MacLeans were extremely aggrieved Clan. As a sidenote here, the word Clan originates from the Gaelic word “clann” which actually means “children”.
It would seem to be this could mean that any member inside a clan were closely associated however this was not necessarily the case. Only the higher echelons of a specific clan were linked to the chiefs. Everyone else merely considered the chief as the leader instead of as a relative as such.
The particular system of clans originated in a mixture of early Celtic idealism and feudal procedures, the main point being the possession of lands. The clan chief was the proprietor of the lands of the clan and he had the ability to grant the land out to his fellow clans men. The status of a clan nonetheless was not necessarily about how much land that the family held but more concerning the amount of males the clan may muster in order to fight in war. Due to the Highlands being very militaristic they would be looked to for fighting men during discord among the King and his opposition. For the highland clans this grew to become problematic because they frequently became embroiled in lowland politics.
When James VI came to be King however, civil war broke out. When he called on the clans to assist the Campbells decided otherwise. It was not just the Campbells who were to cause issues for James – he extirped (sent away) the clan MacGregor in 1603, and in 1609 he introduced new laws in to force which limited all clan chiefs from utilizing and abusing their earlier powers.
For more about Scottish history please go to beautiful Scotland.
Ideas For Short Breaks In Glasgow, Scotland
February 3, 2010
The city of Glasgow is situated in the Western Central Scottish lands and, with the added populations of the surrounding towns, is the country’s most populated city. The city is one of the most cosmopolitan and cultured in Western Europe and is an essential stop over on any trip up into the north of the UK. Here are some thoughts on short breaks in Glasgow, Scotland.
Once named as the European capital of culture, the city is full of interesting architecture and wonderful culture. All of this interest has only strengthened its image and brought in additional funding and as a result the city has gone from strength to strength.
The city of the retail capital of the UK outside of London in the South of England. There are a host of shopping centres and malls, a great variety of shopping districts and thousands of local boutiques that will offer unique clothing where you can grab a bargain. If, however, it is brand names you are after then you will also find these in abundance. In the centre of the city, there are areas where no traffic runs and totally pedestrianised zones exist, allowing you to shop at ease without distraction.
Being a wonderful hotspot of culture and history, the city also has a host of museums, historical landmarks, sporting stadiums, art galleries and national and local festivals for you to visit. With such a vibrant scene of culture you will be unlikely to wander for long through the city centre without encountering some sort of street performance that all adds to the energy of the city.
When the sun goes down the lights come up and that is when the fun side of the city truly shows its face. There are hundreds of bars and clubs and pubs all over the city for you to enjoy, along with theatres, cinemas, comedy clubs and restaurants. Outside of London it is without doubt the place to be in the UK.
With all of this, visiting Glasgow needs to make the top of your list for any trip to Britain.
Finding the best Glasgow Flights is easy if you know what to look for. Find the best holiday and flight deals with tips and advice from James Mason of travel web site Travel Bites
Bargain Flight Deals
January 31, 2010
Aberdeen in the north of Scotland has the busiest airports in the world for helicopter traffic. Mainly due to the huge number of oil platforms in the North Sea region there is a massive number of departures to and from Aberdeen taking crew out and back from the rigs. The oil industry in Aberdeen is big business and as such there is also a massive requirement for flights from within Britain and beyond for access to Aberdeen.
Partly because of the oil industry some great new British city break destinations have become available for people staying in Aberdeen and the adjacent regions. There are various airlines offering a great selection of British city break destinations including Birmingham, Southampton and Belfast. When couples have a weekend break they do not have much time so they are limited to destinations a short drive away. With direct flights you can go a greater distance and enjoy somewhere new.
If you want to get some cheap sun from Aberdeen you can also do this. There are direct flights to the most popular locations and holiday hotspots particularly in the summer calendar months and also when the schools are out.
With the arrival of the internet it is simpler than ever to check around for the best flight or vacation deal for your main vacation. It is also easy to reserve departures on their own from Aberdeen and then add-on the accommodation of your choice to make your own personal vacation. There are lots of companies providing vacation hotels and apartments including the ones you find in the holiday brochures so it is possible to save cash on your lodgings. If you get a bargain flight ticket as well you may save lots of cash off instead of booking a package offer.
There are departures from Aberdeen to Oslo and London, which can offer you with connections to almost any location in the world. Whether you want to travel to Hong Kong or Rio you can travel from Aberdeen.
Low cost airlines offer travellers some fantastic options on Aberdeen Flights and Hotel Breaks around the UK, Follow the tips from Craig Walker of www.travelbites.co.uk and save on your next trip.
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