Travel/holiday thread

[briantrumpet]

Somers Town has some interesting projects going on. You can even book a guided walk with local academics/historians.

https://aspaceforus.club/about-us/

Makes me think I ought to ask RJSterry if he's available for a guided architectural tour sometime...

 

[Pross]

Over the last 18 months I've been introduced to the joys of the trailer park holiday. I particularly like the luck of the draw when it comes to whether or not the caravan you're in feels like a deathtrap or somewhere you could comfortably live.

My favourite so far was in France, which had a strong horror film aesthetic:

View attachment 12377

Others have all been in the UK: Skegness, Ayr, Clacton and Helmsley.

If you're not fussy about when you want to go (ie unencumbered by dependents), and genuinely appreciate a vaguely scruffy seaside town (although Helmsley doesn't fall into that category, it was fancy) then you'll have nothing to complain about.

I had to spend two weeks in Skegness for work having previously had to do regular overnight stays there (luckily I escaped home in the middle weekend for my 40th birthday!). I really can't imagine spending a holiday there the vast majority of my holidays have been spent in the UK and in static caravans but I'm struggling to think of much worse than Skeggy would be. Obviously others will think it's a great place and I'm pleased for them but I'm genuinely stumped why it attracts so many people.

 

[Pross]

As mentioned earlier, I'm going to be doing a tour of Scotland this year (late September / early October). We will be doing 10 nights in total starting on a Tuesday and need to be in the Loch Ness area on the middle weekend. We'll probaly have the first night in the Lakes on the way up and possibly the final night in Northumberland. Other than Edinburgh we've only been up there once before, around 30 years ago, when we camped just outside Fort William and visited Oban, Mallaig and Skye / Kyle of Lochalsh so would be keen for suggestions of other areas to stay for a day or two. I'm thinking of Galloway, Skye or possibly one of the other Inner Hebrides before somewhere near Inverness for the marathon (runs up the military road on the eastern side of the loch to finish in Inverness) then over to somewhere in the Cairngorms but open to suggestions from people who know the area better.

 

[Ian H]

Back in the nineties, passing through Fort William on a bike*, guesthouses were advertising 'Coloured Television'.

*Daylight 600.

 

[Pblakeney]

As mentioned earlier, I'm going to be doing a tour of Scotland this year (late September / early October). We will be doing 10 nights in total starting on a Tuesday and need to be in the Loch Ness area on the middle weekend. We'll probaly have the first night in the Lakes on the way up and possibly the final night in Northumberland. Other than Edinburgh we've only been up there once before, around 30 years ago, when we camped just outside Fort William and visited Oban, Mallaig and Skye / Kyle of Lochalsh so would be keen for suggestions of other areas to stay for a day or two. I'm thinking of Galloway, Skye or possibly one of the other Inner Hebrides before somewhere near Inverness for the marathon (runs up the military road on the eastern side of the loch to finish in Inverness) then over to somewhere in the Cairngorms but open to suggestions from people who know the area better.

Based on experience, ferries can be unreliable and expensive. Don't use them on a whim. You have to really want to go where they are required.
Skye is choc-a-bloc with tourists and the roads are congested with all parking full. I have stopped going. Blame Insta.
Galloway is nice and quiet but a noticeable diversion off the M6/M74. Which is why it is quiet.
Ballater is really nice and quiet. Braemar and on through to Linn of Dee is a nice drive. Micro weather as they are protected by the Cairngorms too.

 

[Pross]

Back in the nineties, passing through Fort William on a bike*, guesthouses were advertising 'Coloured Television'.

*Daylight 600.

We used to do regular club weekend tours in the early 90s and it feels like it was a different age using B&Bs back then. We weren't exactly in the 5* market but most places we stayed were on bathroom per floor which wasn't fun when 20 wet and / or sweaty cyclists arrived together and wanted to get ready to go out for a meal and some drinks. It's an area that it feels like evolved hugely over the next decade possibly due to the big, budget hotel chains becoming prevalent and B&Bs having to up their game.

 

[laurentian]

As mentioned earlier, I'm going to be doing a tour of Scotland this year (late September / early October). We will be doing 10 nights in total starting on a Tuesday and need to be in the Loch Ness area on the middle weekend. We'll probaly have the first night in the Lakes on the way up and possibly the final night in Northumberland. Other than Edinburgh we've only been up there once before, around 30 years ago, when we camped just outside Fort William and visited Oban, Mallaig and Skye / Kyle of Lochalsh so would be keen for suggestions of other areas to stay for a day or two. I'm thinking of Galloway, Skye or possibly one of the other Inner Hebrides before somewhere near Inverness for the marathon (runs up the military road on the eastern side of the loch to finish in Inverness) then over to somewhere in the Cairngorms but open to suggestions from people who know the area better.

Did the Etape Loch Ness a couple of years ago. Stayed in an Air BnB in Inverness and have to say I though Inverness city was a great place. Also Cycled the Hebridean Way - the Outer Hebrides are spectacular but a 5 hour crossing from Oban so probably too much of a chunk of travelling time for you there and back if you're only planning a short visit to the islands. On the way up we stayed in the Scottish borders which is a very nice place to be (we stayed in St Johns Town of Dalry) - don't know if that's in any way helpful but my 2p

 

[Pross]

Did the Etape Loch Ness a couple of years ago. Stayed in an Air BnB in Inverness and have to say I though Inverness city was a great place. Also Cycled the Hebridean Way - the Outer Hebrides are spectacular but a 5 hour crossing from Oban so probably too much of a chunk of travelling time for you there and back if you're only planning a short visit to the islands. On the way up we stayed in the Scottish borders which is a very nice place to be (we stayed in St Johns Town of Dalry) - don't know if that's in any way helpful but my 2p

Thanks, it would be one of the Inner Hebrides if we do an island (possibly Mull if not Skye). I'm hoping in late September they'll be a bit quieter.

 

[Bazzer]

Thanks, it would be one of the Inner Hebrides if we do an island (possibly Mull if not Skye). I'm hoping in late September they'll be a bit quieter.

Mrs B and I found Mull delightful and personally I preferred it to Skye. We spotted a couple of eagles while we were there and brought back for our granddaughter an eagle feather we found whilst walking a remoteish path.
We did though go out of season. I would imagine some of the roads we travelled on could be awful, particularly if heading the line of traffic was a caravan or campervan.
IIRC there is someone on the mothership who lives on Mull.

 

[First Aspect]

As mentioned earlier, I'm going to be doing a tour of Scotland this year (late September / early October). We will be doing 10 nights in total starting on a Tuesday and need to be in the Loch Ness area on the middle weekend. We'll probaly have the first night in the Lakes on the way up and possibly the final night in Northumberland. Other than Edinburgh we've only been up there once before, around 30 years ago, when we camped just outside Fort William and visited Oban, Mallaig and Skye / Kyle of Lochalsh so would be keen for suggestions of other areas to stay for a day or two. I'm thinking of Galloway, Skye or possibly one of the other Inner Hebrides before somewhere near Inverness for the marathon (runs up the military road on the eastern side of the loch to finish in Inverness) then over to somewhere in the Cairngorms but open to suggestions from people who know the area better.

If you feel like you have done the West coast already, Killin on Loch Tay is nice. You can go over a pass from part way down the loch and visit the Fortinghall Yew. It is also where Dull is, if I am not mistaken. Ben Lawyers is a good Munro also.

If you do feel like west is best, you can head towards Plockton. The scenery around to Shieldaig (careful, there are two of them) is about the best in Scotland.

For a mix of the two, the Loch Maree region is great. The drive down that way towards Gairloch is fabulous.

 

[Pross]

If you feel like you have done the West coast already, Killin on Loch Tay is nice. You can go over a pass from part way down the loch and visit the Fortinghall Yew. It is also where Dull is, if I am not mistaken. Ben Lawyers is a good Munro also.

If you do feel like west is best, you can head towards Plockton. The scenery around to Shieldaig (careful, there are two of them) is about the best in Scotland.

For a mix of the two, the Loch Maree region is great. The drive down that way towards Gairloch is fabulous.

We did Plockton last time we went, it was one of the main reasons we went up as we liked Hamish McBeth

 

[Mr Celine]

On the way up we stayed in the Scottish borders which is a very nice place to be (we stayed in St Johns Town of Dalry)

That's Galloway not the Borders.

 

[laurentian]

That's Galloway not the Borders.

I stand corrected!

 

[First Aspect]

The Borders is nice in parts, particularly for cycling, but there are a lot of very large wind farms in others. Yarrow Valley (the one down from the Tweed Valley) is pleasant and links well to the string of reservoirs, ending in Talla to the north, which is great for cycling. It is the route of the Tour of the Borders basically.

The abbey towns are also nice. Melrose and Jedburgh in particular. Outside of the big 7s event it feels quite odd the beaten track, but enough vitiors from the central belt to sustain some nice shops and eateries.

 

[PurplePenguin]

My flights were brought forward by 4.5 hours. This was annoying but meant I had an option to get a full refund. I then discovered that new flights were available, so booked those and saved £900. The process was still a hassle, my outbound flight is still at a bad time and I don't have selected seats, but I am now richer.