by ssc | Mar 25, 2015 | Blog
Easter is often one of the brightest and happiest breaks in the holiday calendar, with new blooms, lambs in the fields, and the first coat-free walks of the year. Scotland is at its fresh and sparkling best around this time. To help you get the most of your Easter break, we’ve collected some brilliant family friendly events in Stirling, Perthshire and Edinburgh for you to scribble in your diaries. Happy Easter!
Cadbury Easter Egg Trail: Cadbury and The National Trust for Scotland have again joined forces to offer some of the biggest organised Easter egg hunts in the nation. To find an Easter egg hunt at a participating National Trust Property near you, just type your postcode into the trailfinder here: https://www.eastereggtrail.com/
Scone Palace has a packed Easter weekend
Easter Weekend at Scone Palace: There is a packed schedule for Sunday at majestic Scone Palace in Perthshire, with various egg hunts and trails, and a pirate theme! Join notorious pirates ‘Slim Jim McConquendale’ and ‘Cut-Throat Pete’ who have an old treasure map and a vague idea of where they buried a treasure chest of gold. However it’s been 300 long years since they were last at Scone Palace and they are looking to recruit some new pirates to help them find this treasure chest – ‘be you able’ they ask… For full details, see: http://scone-palace.co.uk/whats-on
Learn how to be a court jester at Stirling Castle
April Tomfoolery at Stirling Castle: For a new twist on an ancient Easter tradition, head to Stirling castle for merriment, mirth and tomfoolery with the court jesters on 4 and 5 April. Children can learn the tricks of the jester’s trade as well as dancing, magic, and Games in the Gardens. This event is included in the normal Castle admission price. For full details see: http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/
Easter Egg Steam Trains: Everyone loves the romance of steam trains, and it gets even better when the trip includes chocolate. Boness and Kinneil’s annual Easter trains are becoming ever more popular – enjoy a ride on a steam train and a visit from the conductor bearing Easter eggs. Children wearing Easter bonnets have the chance to win a prize, and there are Easter egg hunts in the museum too. For tickets and schedule, see: http://www.bkrailway.co.uk/your-visit/events/
Hunt for golden Easter bunnies in the Botanics, Edinburgh
Golden Bunny Hunt Edinburgh: If you fancy going further afield for a day, then you could celebrate Easter by hunting Lindt chocolate bunnies in the stunning surroundings of Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens. There’s no need to book – just pick up a trail map when you arrive, and enjoy the scenery with the promise of chocolate thrown in. For full details, see: http://www.rbge.org.uk/
Photo credits:
by ssc | Mar 12, 2015 | Blog
Looking picturesque in recent snow flurries, The Old Bridge Inn, Bridge of Allan
Tucked between Bridge of Allan’s Railway Station and the tumbling Allan Water is a 300-year-old building that has been around since the town’s earliest days. Now under the management of three good friends, the historic Old Bridge Inn is currently enjoying a new lease of life with an inspired menu and a bar that boasts both cask ales and a range of hand-picked whiskies.
Simon and Laura Kerr are front of house, and Christopher Peck is Head Chef. Their paths crossed at Gleneagles, where each of them had management roles, and where friendship soon fuelled ambitions for a place of their own. In early 2014, the team took on the Old Bridge Inn, which had been run as a restaurant for some ten years.
Laura explains what it was like to take on such an iconic building: ‘To us, it looks and feels fantastic and we were hard pushed to change any part of it when we took over. It is one of these buildings where you can feel the history. We even have a massive bell – a fair few tonnes of iron – screwed into our ceiling. It was rescued from a church in Glasgow and makes some noise! In hindsight we should really have called the business “The Bell.”’
The bar: comfortable, warm, and welcoming
And their first year is going well? ‘Business is growing nicely. We now have many regulars, especially for dining – Christopher does a fantastic job in the kitchen, and all we hear is his praise. Sometimes, after he has chatted to a customer, he will create something off-menu and come up with a dish or a set menu for them – that brings people back. Our bar business is growing more and more too: we are still looking to expand bar trade during the week, but it’s definitely getting there. We’re seeing a lots of new faces as well as our regulars. Some come for a chat, which we always are happy to supply. Others come because they’re happy to be able to bring their dogs. Some come to play board games and spend the evening in the bar.’ And what’s the bar like? ‘Comfortable, warm, and welcoming!’
Has all your hard work been rewarding so far? ‘We envisioned an old pub feel, with great food and great service. I think we feel that it is what we thought it would be, with an emphasis on dining now, as we try to build our bar trade further. The most rewarding thing is having a real quality product: all of our ingredients are fresh and homemade and from local suppliers only – Christopher decided they were best! Simon and I also run a cask ale pub in Tillicoultry, The Woolpack Inn, so we brought real ales with us, and they have gone down a treat. Simon’s whisky expansion has also proved popular and he’s in the process of sourcing an exclusive and unique malt for The Old Bridge Inn!’
Head Chef Christopher Peck combines countryside cooking with a French twist
Where does the Old Bridge Inn’s food inspiration come from? ‘Traditional British countryside cooking, with a French twist. We have a quite a few game items on our menu like venison and we always do another Game of the Day (today it’s pheasant). It has been well received, and Christopher likes doing traditional items as well as dishes a bit out of the ordinary!’
What makes you most proud about what you’ve achieved so far? ‘We’re proud that most of our business has come from word of mouth – it’s not only the best advertising, but a massive compliment – and that we now have a good set of regulars that are happy and keep returning! This is a place where we would definitely be regulars if we weren’t running it.’
For more information on The Old Bridge Inn, see: http://www.theoldbridgeinn.net/
by ssc | Feb 19, 2015 | Blog
The busy counter of Dollar’s Deli, Clackmannanshire
If you base your ideas about Scottish food and drink on comedians and clichéd journalism, you might just think that we Scots live on a diet of haggis, deep-fried Mars Bars, and the occasional fish supper. Don’t be taken in: Scotland is full to bursting with a fabulous home-grown cuisine that uses traditional produce like venison, beef and salmon as well as exciting new tastes created by the independent breweries, chocolatiers and bakers springing up across Scotland. In 2015, Scotland’s Year of Food and drink, there’s never been a better time for a food tour.
The River Tay at Dunkeld, bringing salmon to menus throughout the region
Perthshire: Offering unrivalled fishing, it’s no surprise that Perthshire’s rivers and lochs have influenced the restaurants in this area. Since the River Tay is widely regarded to be one of the best places in Europe to catch Atlantic salmon, you’ll see this fish offered on menus throughout the region, amongst other freshwater catches. Those who enjoy seafood will not be disappointed either; the neighbouring Kingdom of Fife has a long seafaring tradition, and provides high quality crab, lobster and prawns to Perthshire. If craft beer is more your thing, then be sure to taste some of the ales at the acclaimed Inveralmond Brewery in Perth, and the Moulin Inn Microbrewery in Pitlochry. Those with a sweet tooth can create their own chocolates or learn the craft of cake decorating at Taystful in Blairgowrie, Perthshire. For the best whistle-stop tour of Perthshire’s produce, including beef, venison, cheeses, preserves, oils, artisan breads, sweets, chocolates and much more, head to the city’s award-winning Farmers Market. This takes place every 1st Saturday of the month in King Edward Street and St John’s Place, Perth, from 9am to 2pm. There is no market in January but there are two in December, on the first and third Saturdays.
Deanston Distillery, Doune, just a few miles from Stirling
Stirlingshire: If you want to explore brewing and distilling and don’t want to travel too far, Stirling is your base. Breweries who provide (or can arrange) tours for visitors include the Allanwater Brewhouse in Bridge of Allan and the Fallen Brewery in Kippen. Is it whisky you’re after? You can both tour and sample in Deanston Distillery, in Doune, just eight miles from Stirling. Expect the same warm welcome at Tullibardine Distillery, just 14 miles from Stirling, though do phone ahead on 01764 661809. Glengoyne Distillery lies just 26 miles from Stirling city centre in Dumgoyne, near Killearn and has been described ‘best whisky tour’ by The Sunday Times. For Stirling’s largest selection of Scotch Whiskies, gins, vodka, liqueurs and beers all in one place, as well as daily whisky tastings, head to Stirling Whisky Shop. Great British Bake-off fans should head to the beautiful town of Callander, just a short drive from Stirling, for bakeries and cafés galore, or relax in the historic surroundings of John Cowane’s Coffee House in the heart of Stirling’s Old Town. For great deli goods from small, spoecialist suppliers, don’t miss Dollar’s Deli in Clackmannanshire And if you want to get an idea of the finest produce the region has to offer all in one place, head to Stirling Farmers Market, Port Street, Stirling, on the second Saturday of every month (except January).
2015 is Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink. To find out more, find traditional recipes and to create your very own food tours, visit: http://www.visitscotland.com/about/food-drink/
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by ssc | Feb 5, 2015 | Blog
Sunrise is about 8am now
January is over, there is a little more light, and the birds are just beginning to sing again. But sometimes we need reminding that spring is just around the corner. Here are five tell-tale signs that we are on our way!
The days are lengthening: Since the shortest day on 21 December, the days have been getting just a little bit longer. School runs are no longer done in the dark, and with sunrise now at around 8am, all but the earliest risers will be breakfasting in the light. If you want to be exact, in the month of January, we gain between 1.5 to 2 minutes of daylight with each new morning. That picks up in February, with about 2.5 precious minutes of daylight gained every day! For an engaging little website to track the daylight hours across the globe, right down to your postcode, see this: suncalc.net/
The farmers markets have reopened: After a hectic Christmastime, the stallholders of Scotland’s many farmers markets hang up their thermals for a well-earned rest in the quiet month of January. But February sees them setting out fresh wares across the country. Stirling Farmers market takes place every second Saturday from February on. For details see here: http://www.stirlingfarmersmarket.co.uk/ In Perth, stall holders are out on the first Saturday of the month in King Edward Street and St John’s Place. For details, see here: http://www.perthfarmersmarket.co.uk/
Snowdrops: one of the first floral signs of spring
It’s time for the snowdrop festival: Scotland’s annual snowdrop festival is in full swing, celebrating one of our nation’s most cherished flowers. It seems the snowdrop sums up everything we love about spring: it’s a hopeful, beautiful and determined little bloom that reappears undaunted every year despite late snows and biting cold. To witness this inspiring annual spectacle for yourself, find a participating garden near you here: http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/events/scottish-snowdrop-festival
Love is in the air: Resist it if you can, but love is in the air. Want a traditional Valentine’s Day? Why not see Romeo and Juliet at the Macrobert Stirling, or enjoy a special Valentine’s menu in the historic surroundings of the Old Bridge inn, Bridge of Allan. For those who want to spend this significant date in a way that they’ll (literally) never forget, how about a Valentine’s ‘Feast and Forage’ in Stirling? You and your loved one will spend the day foraging with Mark Williams of Galloway Wild Foods followed by a wild food cook-in. You can even camp out! For details and booking, see http://www.whatsonstirling.co.uk/event/015445-st-valentines-day-feast-&-forage-event/
The garden of Redcarr Lodge, Stirling Self Catering
We are all planning holidays: It seems that as soon as the last of the Christmas Quality Street have been devoured, it’s time to start thinking about summer holidays. Most of us turn our thoughts to our summer break in January and February in order both to get good deals and to give us something to look forward to after winter’s festivities. If you’re planning to spend your holiday in Scotland, why not make Stirling or Perthshire your base? Both provide great access to Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Highlands, as well as being stunning destinations in their own right. Have a look at our properties and check availability here: https://stirlingselfcatering.co.uk/ We’ll be happy to see you!
by ssc | Jan 28, 2015 | Blog
All smiles on the Heartland Travel Tour Bus
The road to success is rarely a smooth one, but Nory and Louise Hope of Heartland Travel in Stirling are living proof that running your own business really is worth the effort. We spoke to Nory about the couple’s thriving minibus tour business and learned more about what has earned them their incredible run of reviews from happy clients. Nory explains: ‘I’d been working with Coca-Cola as a Sales Executive for 20 years and was getting fed up of the corporate world. Then five years ago, my wife Louise took maternity leave from her management career with Standard Life in Edinburgh to have our first son, Harris. We were all set to put him into childcare and go back to work full time before realising we just didn’t want that. So I quit Coca-Cola to be at home until Harris started nursery. From that point we were trying to figure out what it was we wanted to do. On a visit to Doune Castle near Stirling we watched a ‘Rabbies’ tourbus pull in to the car park. Louise turned to me and said “That would be a great wee business for us” and that was it. We spoke to the driver, we did our research, and soon found that no one in Stirling was offering bus tours. We applied for an operator’s licence, having been told it would take just three months, and it took 11. We were in limbo – Louise had taken redundancy from Standard Life and I wasn’t working either. It was a tough time. By the time we secured our operator’s licence, Louise had had our second son Andrew, money was tight and the launch of Heartland Travel became a smaller event than we’d planned.’
The Old Man of Storr on Skye: spot the tour group!
Nory and Louise started Heartland Travel with Hamish, their (cherished) 16-seater bus originally owned by Rabbies, and began with tours of Stirling. But it soon became apparent that this offered only limited opportunities, so they created a stunning three-day tour of the Highlands, Skye and Loch Ness departing from Glasgow, Stirling, Dundee and St Andrews, with incredible results. In a short space of time, they’ve earned themselves 91 five-star reviews on Trip Advisor with glowing feedback from clients the world over. The couple also provide private tours for clients and minibus hire too, with Nory driving and Louise delivering the administration of the business. ‘She’s amazing with detail’ explains Nory, who confesses it’s not his strong point – he’d rather be out there, revealing Scotland bit by bit to his passengers. ‘Every 30 minutes, Scotland changes completely. Visitors have an idea of what Scotland will be like but it invariably delivers more. When we are still in the central belt, our passengers remark on how beautiful Scotland is. I say “you ain’t seen nothing yet!” then we get to the Trossachs and they are amazed. Again I say “you ain’t seen nothing yet” and so on through Glencoe, Kintail and finally into Skye.’
Scallop fishing on Neil’s boat
Because it’s a small, family-run business, Nory and Louise are able to offer some unforgettable experiences hard to find elsewhere, including scallop-fishing with local fisherman Neil Macrae on the Strome Slipway, and accommodation in what they describe as ‘the most beautiful hostel in Scotland’, Stationmaster’s House in Strome Ferry. They are also happy to go off-itinerary in pursuit of a magic moment, as they did recently for a Brazilian family who had never seen snow. Thanks to Nory making an unscheduled (but very deliberate) stop in the Cairngorm mountains, that family were able to enjoy their first ever snowball fight, returning to the bus 40 minutes later covered in snow, delighted, and with the memory of a lifetime.
But what are Nory and Louise most proud of? ‘Three years on we are still here. Sixty percent of new businesses fold in their first year, forty percent in their second. But we are still here. And still with an unbroken run of five-star reviews!’
For more information on Heartland Travel, or to book your own tour, see: http://www.heartlandtravel.co.uk/ All photos courtesy of Heartland Travel.
by ssc | Jan 21, 2015 | Blog
Robert Burns by Alexander Naysmith
There’s no denying that Robert Burns is a complex historical figure. His poems are recited the world over and his famous ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is sung (albeit badly) on every continent – at New Year, and at the untidy end of weddings, reunions and other celebrations. Yet the man was vilified by the British nation’s press during his lifetime, and he died dispirited and largely alone. What’s the real truth about Robert Burns?
A womaniser? Burns undeniably liked the ladies. His marriage to wife Jean Armour, with whom he had three children, was a troubled one at best, and blighted by the poet’s wandering eye. In total, Burns fathered at least 12 (known) children with four different women during his short 37-year lifetime. His youngest child, Maxwell, was born on the day of his funeral. Contemporary critics blamed Burns’s death on ‘intemperance’ and even gleefully alleged syphilis as the cause, but there’s no real evidence of this. What records do exist claim that Burns’s death was caused by complications arising from his existing rheumatic heart disease. Ahead of his time, it seems that Burns was even one of the early victims of what we now call ‘trolls’ – those people who seem bent on publicly criticising others and muddying their names.
Statue to Jean Armour, long-suffering wife of Burns
The first celebrity activist? In past decades we’ve become familiar with images of people like Bob Geldof, Sting, Sigourney Weaver and countless other A-listers harnessing their celebrity status to highlight a political issue. But this is no new concept, and it could be said that Robert Burns was an early pioneer of the phenomenon. Burns publicly sympathised with the French Revolution; a dangerous stance to take at that time, and the revolution’s themes permeate his poetry. Burns was also outspoken against the barbarism of slavery, even writing ‘The Slave’s Lament’ in 1792, though, admittedly, not amongst his best works. American president Abraham Lincoln had a lifelong admiration for the poet’s work, and many claim that the poet’s verse helped inspire Lincoln to win the American civil war and abolish slavery.
An international star? While Burns embodies the very essence of Scottishness, and all the complexities which that brings, Burns has also captured the global imagination: he is celebrated everywhere. The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to honour Burns with a commemorative stamp, marking the 160th anniversary of his death in 1956, and (excepting Queen Victoria and Christopher Columbus) Burns has more statues dedicated to him around the world than any other secular figure. He was the first ever person to appear on a commemorative bottle of Coca-Cola, and his ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as being one of the top three most popular songs in the English language.
Haggis neeps and tatties, traditional fare on Burns Night
He brought us Burns Night: By the happy event of a winter birthday, Burns has given us an excuse to lift our spirits in January, Scotland’s coldest month, in convivial celebration of his life. Haggis, speeches, whisky, dancing and a healthy smattering of bawdy jokes will drive away even the most persistent of January blues on the evening of the 25th – so whether you’re an admirer of Burns or not, we can thank him for that! Happy Burns Night!
Picture Credits:
- Alexander Nasmyth [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
- Jean Armour Statue, Dumfries: By Rosser1954 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
- Haggis, neeps, tatties and tartan © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons
Easter is often one of the brightest and happiest breaks in the holiday calendar, with new blooms, lambs in the fields, and the first coat-free walks of the year. Scotland is at its fresh and sparkling best around this time. To help you get the most of your Easter break, we’ve collected some brilliant family friendly events in Stirling, Perthshire and Edinburgh for you to scribble in your diaries. Happy Easter!
