Ayshire: Ayr, Troon, Arran Island, Galloway Forest Park...

Ayrshire is a county in south-west Scotland. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it has a population of approximately 366,800.  

In here you have lots of great cities and activities to discover.

 

1. Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park

I advise you to go to the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park just for a walk or merely to do sailing, kayaking, canoeing and raft building on the shallow inland Castle Semple Loch. Also, other activities are offered  such as archery, mountain biking, hill walking, orienteering, navigation and first aid.

 

2. Ayr

You will find in this city a lot of shops and the beach ! As well, just near this city you cannot avoid Culzean Castle and its Country Park. Beautiful landscapes guaranteed. It offers as well attractions including an adventure play park, aviary, deer park, icehouse,orangery, ancient vinery, and so on.

 
Regular summer events, such as battle re-enactments, silver bands, jousting, classic car rallies, open-air concerts, craft fairs, pond dipping and nature walks with the rangers give a constant flow of interesting happenings.

Fares : Culzean Castle & Country Park £15.50. Culzean Country Park only £10.50



 3. Troon

Still in Ayrshire you have lots of golf courses, especially in Troon. This town, known as a golfing hotspot, has seven courses including Royal Troon, which regularly hosts the famous Open Championship.

In here, also, you have a nice beach with beautiful landscapes and the view on Arran Island. You can do kite surfing too !

4. Arran Island

Moreover, you definitely have to go to the Isle of Arran. It is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde and situated near Ayr. It is composed of a lot of hills. The highest of these hills is Goat Fell at 873.5 metres. The largest valley on the island is Glen Iorsa to the west.

By Train ;  there is a direct train service from Glasgow Central to Ardrossan Harbour.

5.50£ return with the railcard. More info: http://www.visitarran.com/

Then, you will take a ferry from Ardrossan Harbour to Brodick. The crossing takes 55 minutes, and it is advisable to book in advance if you are planning to bring a car to the island.

 

5. Other events

If you enjoy sport and adventure, like me, I advise you to take part of the muddy race in Kilmarnock, or in different places in Scotland, it is a great experience and a good fun.

6. Galloway Forest Park

Galloway Forest Park is the largest in Britain, and at night, it is one of the best spots in the UK to stargaze with the naked eye. Thousands of stars and even the Milky Way are all visible without the use of a telescope.

Read More

Unknown 12:50  1 comment

Trip in the Scottish Highlands : from Loch Lomond to Inverness

Today, I want to introduce you a trip I have done a month ago around the Highlands.
The Scottish Highlands are one of the main place to visit if you plan to travel in Scotland. In here, you will find lots of beautiful landscape you cannot avoid.

Firstly, how could you get to the Highlands ?

The easier way is to book a trip with a tour operator. In fact, a lot of companies in Scotland are specialized in tourists tours and offer good services. As far as I am concerned, I chose "Timberbush", but you have also "Scottishtours", "Discoverscotlandtours", Isuk Tours for the students and so on.

The organization will plan all the trip for you. You will be visiting in a bus and the driver which is also a tourist guide will give you many information about the different places you will visit. As well, you will make different stops in the key areas.

The price for this tour is around 35/45£ and lasts a day.

On the other hand, you can decide to travel on your own in renting a car. If you are feeling confident in driving on the left side it can be a good alternative. You can travel as long as you want and choose the places you want to discover. However, it can be more tiring and you will not have a guide to give you information about the places you are visiting and you need to have a good sense of direction.


Then, what can you visit ?

I will describe you the trip I have done with Timberbush.

To begin, we left from Glasgow in direction to Loch Lomond, we made some stops around this lack and in typical town nearby.
Loch Lomond is the biggest lack of Scotland in terms of surface, and honestly I think it is more impressive than Loch Ness. You have a beautiful view of the mountains in the background.

Then, you will make a stop at the Three sisters, in Glencoe mountains. It is a glen of volcanic origins. Its side is marked by a succession of distinct peaks: Buachaille Etive Mòr is followed to the west by Buachaille Etive Beag, then by the Three Sisters, shoulders of the Bidean nam Bian. Glen Coe was originally part of the lands of Clan Donald, though since the ending of the clan structure they have progressively sold off their estates. This place is also know for the famous and sad Donald clan's massacre.

Glencoe is also a skiing resort, I have been in February and is was a good experience. However if you do not know how to do skiing, I do not advice you Scotland for a first experience because the weather changes quickly and the skiing pistes are not really groomed. You can find more information about this resort in clicking this link : http://www.glencoemountain.com/

After having enjoyed these amazing landscapes, you will go to the Loch Ness which is a well known loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Inverness. This lack is best known for alleged sightings of Loch Ness Monster, also called "Nessie". Loch Ness is the second largest Scottish loch by surface area  after Loch Lomond, but due to its great depth, it is the largest by volume.
You have the possibility to be part of a cruise at the departure of Urquhart castle (what a though name!) to enjoy the most your experience.

To continue your trip, you will go to Fort Williams. It is the second largest settlement in the Highlands of Scotland with around 10,000 inhabitants.
It is a centre for hillwalking and climbing due to its proximity to Ben Nevis and many other Munro mountains.
At this place, you will not be far from The Ben Nevis. This one is the highest mountain in the British Isles (standing at 1,344 metres or 4,409 ft above sea level).

Finally, you will arrive in Inverness, it is the capital of the Highlands of Scotland. It is situated at the edge of the North Sea. You will have lots of museums, castles and churches to visit over here.



My next blog will be about Ireland, give me your feedback ! xx

Read More

Unknown 16:36  4 comments

Edinburgh Part 2 :Going out for night out and other tips

Where could you go for your night out in Edinburgh ?

Edinburgh, being the capital of Scotland, is overflowing with nigthclubs and bars. I've made you a little selection of the best places to go in here, as far as I know.

Well, let's start with the bars.

- The Southern : handmade gourmet burgers (under £10) and good local beers such as Williams and Harviestoun, as well as a different worldwide beers. Moreover, there is at your disposal a solid wine selection and different cocktails.

 Really welcoming place. Address : 22-26 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh.

- Brewdog : it is the more established of Edinburgh’s two main anti-mainstream beer outlets.

You'll find there a convivial environment, with average prices.
If you want craft without pretension though, there’s no better bar in town.

 

Concerning the nightclubs, here is my selction:

- The Cabaret Voltaire : located in the ever-bustling Cowgate, it hosts house residents and regular free-entry indie night.  
Adress: 36-38 Blair Street.
Open for live music 7pm-11pm, club nights 11pm-3am.

 

 

- Electric Cicrus : actually, it's a part club, part gig venue, part karaoke bar. Really well located, near Waverley train station. Great capacity inside. And there often are lots of people in here.

Address: 35 Market Street.
Open Tues-Thurs 6pm-1am, Fri 5pm-3am, Sat 6pm-3am, also open Sun, call for hours

- The Caves : once a stable for the French cavalry, The Caves has become another cherished nook of the Cowgate in the last decade. With nights such as Departure Lounge and electronic specialists Kapital in residence, it's a popular playground for clubbers seeking an open-door music policy.

Address: 8-12 Niddry Street

 

-Mansion opal lounge : good nightclub in the Newt Town. Offers good cocktails as well. It's open until 3am, seven days a week. Music: Hip Hop, Techno, and charts.
Address: 51 George Street, New Town

- Whynot club : definetelly one of the clubs in Ediburgh which host lots of students, playing Commercial, Dance, Eclectic, Electro House, Funky House, Hip-Hop, House, R & B. The club offere cocktail, wine and beer as well.
Open on Monday 10pm-3am and from Friday to Saturday 10pm-3am
Prices: Mon £5; Fri-Sat £6-£8, may have discount with guestlist

Other tips to know about Edinburgh

- For all the foreigners students, if you need to take the TOEFL test for your exams back home, you can pass it it in EDinburgh, at York Place. It is at about 15 minutes from Waverley train station, and you' will find plenty of accomodations around the centre. You can accomodate yourself by booking hostels, or using Air B nb, you can find fine houses for reasonables prices. The best is to share your room with someone else in order to cut the prices.
To my mind, Edinburgh test centre is quiet better than the one in Glasgow. Firstly, he is a little bigger, so the spaces availibility are longer and it is much better soundproof (it really helps for the speaking section).


- Again for foreigners people, for your way back, you will find sometimes more destinations served than in Glasgow airports. It depends on the season and the airline companies.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me!

 

Read More

Unknown 18:36  No comment