The Hermitage Falls, River Braan, Perthshire, less than 90 minutes from Stirling. Photo copyright: Visit Scotland/Scottish Viewpoint
January: it’s the month of clean slates and fresh starts. It’s the month that most of make at least a few over-ambitious New Year’s resolutions, and the very same month that 92 percent* of us abandon them. So, what are we doing wrong every year? Seems to me that instead of promising ourselves good things that could have a positive impact on our lives, we seem determined to deny ourselves those (usually little) things that make us happy day to day, like new tastes, new experiences, and leisure. How about, for one year, we ditch all other New Year’s resolutions, and resolve instead to travel, making life a little bigger and brighter for a while?
Make it Scotland and make it 2014
Scotland has been voted the third best country in the UK to visit in 2014. Not only because it has a magnificent and historic landscape, but because there are just so many brilliant things going on in this year. The Commonwealth Games take place in Glasgow in July and August with some tickets still available. Whether you get tickets or not, simply being in Glasgow throughout that time will be unforgettable, just as London seemed alight with excitement throughout the 2012 Olympic Games, and even months later. The Ryder Cup follows swiftly after, bringing golfers and visitors from around the globe to the stunning Gleneagles estate in Perthshire. Alongside these, Scotland will be celebrating its ‘Year of Homecoming’, a packed, 12-month calendar of events with Stirling at its heart. More than 160 events will take place in Stirling alone, including the 700th anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn, the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival and the Spirit of Stirling Whisky Festival – to name just a few.
Make Stirling your base
The Firth of Forth from Inchcolm Island, 90 minutes from Stirling. Photo: Erica Linder
If you were to pick one place from which to explore the very best of Scotland throughout 2014, you’d be hard-pressed to better Stirling. Because of its central location, Stirling is less than one hour’s drive time from more than half of the population of Scotland**, and only 45 minutes’ drive from either Glasgow or Edinburgh airports. You can head north to Inverness in just 2 hours and 45 minutes, east to Aberdeen in 2 hours and five minutes, or west to Oban – gateway to the Western Isles – in 2 hours and 10. Five minutes’ walk from Stirling city centre, Stirling rail station offers direct routes to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, and Inverness too, not to mention the coach services. Suddenly, most of Scotland is accessible, and you can still be home for dinner.
The Courtyard, a Stirling Self Catering property with enclosed garden
Go self-catering
So where would home be? Hotels can be an expensive choice, especially if you want to get up early and hit the road sightseeing, possibly missing fixed breakfast and dinner times. For the freedom you need to explore Scotland at your own pace, then self-catering could be your best option. Families can spread out, eat when (and what) they want, pack picnics, and, if you’re staying with Stirling Self Catering, make use of cots, high chairs, and toys – for free. A safe, enclosed garden is a welcome space after a day’s sightseeing, and preferable to towering hotel balconies that leave you terrified for toddlers. With room to unpack instead of living out of a suitcase, self-catering gives you the chance to feel, and live, like a local: the very best way to immerse yourself in a new place. So what’s your New Year resolution for 2014 now? Eat more fruit? Or plan the holiday of a lifetime? Why not come to Stirling for an unforgettable self-catering break, and while you’re at it, try the Farmers Market for fresh, local fruit too. Who says you can’t have everything?
*Source: www.statisticbrain.com
**Source: www.visitstirling.org