# Trip Report from Scotland



## davewasbaloo (Apr 20, 2010)

Me (30 something)
Wife Sarah (30 something)
Mikey (6)
Jessica (4)

We love being a Marriott Vacation Club Owner, but I wanted to surprise my wife with a trip to Scotland, so over Easter, we went on a lovely journey. I hope my trip report might give some of you planning a trip a few ideas. I hope this is of interest:

Sarah and I were married on the shores of Lake Tahoe in April 2000. Due to a number of things in life getting in the way, we could not make it back there for our 10th Wedding Anniversary. I therefore arranged a surprise for Sarah for us to go to Loch Ness and Scotland for Easter. We also took in the new Legoland Discovery Centre in Manchester and Alton Towers on the way home. This video is the journey from Bedfordshire to Loch Ness via Lancaster, Glasgow, Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, and Ben Nevis. This is the first part Other parts include Culloden, Clava Cairns, the Black Isle inc Cromarty and Beauly Abbey, Eilean Donan Castle, Isle of Skye, Fort George, Inverness, Urquhart Castle, Cairngorm, Pitlochry inc the Salmon Ladder, Edinburgh Castle, Greyfriars Bobby, St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh Zoo, Roslyn Chapel - does it hold the Holy Grail, was it the birthplace of the Free Masons or just a nice building, Trafford Centre, Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester, the Alton Towers Hotel, and Alton Towers. A great 2 week trip in April 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ6SYgBbHpU&feature=channel


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 20, 2010)

Day 1, we picked the kids up at school and made our way up North. Sadly, we witnessed the aftermath of 14 car fatal pile up that closed the road and had to try to disctract the kids. After grabbing sandwiches for a late dinner (there was a 40 minute wait for hot food at services), we headed north of Birmingham, and kept hitting traffic. So I came off the motorway (UK Freeway) and headed cross country, through the beautiful Roman town of Chester, full of Tudor buildings (no photos as it was after dark and we only drove around), then to Liverpool and finally got to Lancaster around midnight having taken 8 hours to do 233 miles (not a great start). We stayed in a cheap travel lodge (though we recieved a letter claiming we were parked illegally and want us to pay an £80 ($120) fine. I am currently fighting it.

We got up the next morning and made our way through the Lake District up to Glasgow, staying at the Crown Plaza. We had a lovely 14th floor view of the science museum (which was a blast, and the kids met Wallace and Gromit), the old dry docks, the police heli port (great amusement for us) and the tall ship that is similar to the one I used to sail as a teen.

We had a swim in a freezing pool, had a lovely dinner and bottle of wine, then off to bed.

Day 3 - Glasgow to Loch Ness. 

The next morning we had a hearty scottish breakfast overlooking the River Clyde. Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Black Pudding, Lorne Sausage, Potatoe Scones, Haggis etc.

Having covered 402 miles, the kids were getting a little car weary, until we got to Loch Lomand. We had to get out of the car at the same place where we stopped when I brought Sarah and Mikey up when I was working in Scotland when Michael was 5 months old. WE reshot the pics, but with bigger kids. 

WE enjoyed the snow on the mountains, the Lochs, Glen Coe, Ben Nevis (the tallest mountain in the UK), we stopped at McD's for Happy Meals.

An hour and a bit later we made it to the wonderful cottage overlooking Loch Ness (though we never saw the monster), plenty of birds though and a deer (though I did not have the camera at the time).

We all fell in love with it. 3 bedrooms, grand views of the Loch, a fireplace (a necessity, we did get a little cold) and a baby grand piano, which we all adored. As well as the kitchen and a well stocked library/games collection (Mikey loved learning to play Risk, jess preferred the GReen Eggs and Ham game and Guess Who).

WE nipped the 17 miles up to Loch Ness to get some provisions, enjoyed a cold cut supper with some local real ale (the kids tried Irn Bru - a local softdrink) in front of the fire, and I read to them, Scottish Fairy Stories.


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 20, 2010)

Day 4, Easter.

After covering 599 miles by this point, we decided to take Easter easy. I built a fire, and we had an Easter Egg hunt as the bunny found us, even though we were away.

We popped out to the Loch Ness Centre, and I bought a few little bottles of Whiskey for us to try. 

I then cooked up some Highland steaks (beautiful), pasta and veggies, followed by a blackberry and apple pie accompanied with a light Zinfandel. Lovely.

That afternoon was looking out over the Loch, playing games, teaching the kids how to play Fur Elise on the piano and of course stories in front of the fire. We needed to get our rest for mama's big day on the Monday.

Day 5 - Culloden, the Clava Cairns and Cawdor Castle.

One of the reasons we went to the Highlands was down to one of Sarah's obsessions. I always loved the Highlands and had the privilidge of working there for 5 years on and off. But Sarah had never been that far north.

However, a few years ago, I bought Sarah a book called Cross Stitch (it's called Outlander in the US) by Diana Gabledon, about a post WWII nurse who ends up travelling back to the 18th century through a stone circle. Sarah has now read the whole series of books and has been enfatuated with them. So this was a big surprise trip, I only told her about it a few weeks before we went, and she was overjoyed.

On Easter Monday, we set out to Culloden Battlefield, the last land based battle in Britain that changed the world forever. Not only did it change Scotland and add to international immigration, but it was also a training ground for the mascare of aboriginal peoples of the Americas, Africa and Oceania. Unbelievable. 

The place was haunting, with an amazing visitor centre that included a full run up to the battle with audio, video, weapons, pictures, flags, apparell etc. Then into the battle, a march through the dark, like the highland clans. We entered the wrap around (not quite 360 but square) cinema where we were in the middle of the battle. It lasted only a few minutes, but 1200 Jacobites were slaughtered and then the ways of the clans changed forever. It was really moving. It made Jessica cry and Mikey was perplexed about who were the good and bad guys, and how could the British Government be bad?! Lol, interesting discussion with a half Brit half american 6 year old.

Then into the main arsenal with many weapons, field guns, and dress up opportunities, with an amazing overhead computer view of the battle movements unfolding.

We then moved out to the windy moors, with the glens and bens, snow capped as we were given a tour by a local historian and visited not only the battlefield, but the mass graves. A very sad sight.

It was very moving, almost spiritual, in a way that is similar to Flanders Fields, Normandy Beaches, Gettysburg, Auswitch, Anne Frank's House and so many other places. 1200 dead of the highlanders, 50 British in less than 10 minutes. Then the masacre after. Wow

WE then headed off to Clava Cairns (3 miles from the battlefield), the 3000 year old burial ground, with a stone circle said to have inspired Diana Gabledon. WE had a lot of fun exploring.

Then a little side trip to Cawdor Castle (no pictures sadly, couldn't get the right angle from the road and the gates were closed by this point). It is said to be the home of MacBeth, of the Scottish Play fame.

It was a wonderful day. Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UzxwH52yAs&feature=channel


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 20, 2010)

Day 6 - The Black Isle, 17th century Cromarty, the Clootie Well, Beauly Abbey, and fish and chips in Inverness (but no dolphins)

Today we headed North of Inverness to the Black Isle. Throughout the trip we kept looking in the Moray Firth (Firth is gaelic for delta, rive mouth or bay) for dolphins, a creature I have seen everytime I have been near the water for years, but not with my family (so no dolphins or Nessy). But it was still pretty.

WE headed over to Cromarty, passing the North Sea oil rigs (think Maelstrom at WDW) and into Cromarty, a lovely town, largely unchanged since the 17th century, and a place Carnagie loved so much, after making his fortune in the US, he built a library and church.

We visited the court house museum, but when I locked mama up in shackles in the jail, Jessica freaked out. Mikey thought it was hillarious and wanted to be locked up too.

The courtroom itself is quite impressive, they had simple audio animatronics acting out a real case from the 17th. A really cool surprise.

Then from there, we passed the Clootie Well. In the old days, there was a font in a church, and the pagans had worshiped there before that. It was believed that when Children were ill, the Faerie folk would come down and steal the child, replacing them with a changeling, or shaddow child. It was believed that if you took the child there over night or at least tied their clothing or a Clootie (diaper/nappy) to the trees, it would ward off the faeries and the child would live. The church destroyed the font, but people still left offerings. The place is full of children's clothes from different times, which is quite spooky and sad, but also quite magical. we did not take pictures.

We then moved on the Beauly (French for pretty view). It was set up as an Abbey by a French monastic order 800 years ago, and was beloved by both Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Victoria. It was destroyed in the Reformation when protestantism and the Episcopal Church overthrew Highland life.

Though a beautiful ruin, it is still the ancestoral burial ground for the Clan Fraser (key in Sarah's books).

Then off for a nice fish and chip supper of haddock, chips and peas, then a few drams in front of the fire before bed. Lovely. 138 miles covered over the 2 days.

Below is the video with a little sneak peak of Eilean Donan Castle, used in Highlander.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub2_rWzbJ2o&feature=channel


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 20, 2010)

Day 7 - Eilean Donan Castle and the Isle of Skye.

Well, today was the day I was really looking forward to. I was a huge fan of the movie Highlander during the 80's, and was overjoyed to find out we were less than an hour away from the castle where they filmed the Highland battle scenes for it. Moreover, it was enroute to the Isle of Skye, a beautiful and quaint island with the Black Cullen Mountains, Submarine bases, distilleries, Highland Coos (or cows), volcanic formations and Atlantic Ocean vistas (not many places in Britain do because Ireland gets in the way).

We got up early to try to fit it all in and managed to do 272 miles in the one day. Lol.

Eilean Donan castle is actually a reconstruction. There has been a castle on it to defend the 3 Lochs from Viking raiders and is very old. But during the Jacobite uprisings, it was ripped down and left for ruin.

The castle was restored just after World War I, using as much historical material as possible to try to make it as authentic as possible. And it is so picturesque, it has been used in many films - Highlander, Loch Ness (the film makers were not happy that Urquhart Castle is a ruin, so they used this one as a substitute), James Bond - The World Is Not Enough, Elizabeth the Golden Age, and Made of Honour.

It was a lovely visit with a tour inside (sadly no pictures allowed). The kids got a real kick out of using the spy holes into the Great Hall.

We then had a lovely little soup and sandwich lunch (I am not a big soup guy, but it tastes so good in Scotland). and drove to the Kyle of Lochalsh, crossed the bridge onto the Isle of Skye and toured the Island including a stop at the Talisker Distillery. Now call me sad, but I had to do something on this visit.

We were on our tenth wedding anniversary trip, and they were selling 10 year old Scotch, that was made roughly the time we were saying our vows. So I bought 3 bottles. One to enjoy, but the other two to be stashed away. They will then be presents to our children when they get married. I know, sad huh?

As the evening was drawing in, we stopped at an Inn in the Cullen Mountains for a bite of dinner. There was a local brewery attached (by the way, despite this trip report, Sarah and I are not normally big drinkers), but we tried the local cullen ale (I recommend the dark one - Black Cullen, though Cullen Beast is good too - they are sometimes sold in the US, so keep your eyes peeled). Sarah enjoyed a highland cow pie, I had scampi caught on the Isle that morning and the kids enjoyed macaroni and cheese made from the locally produced cheese. It was a lovely stop, great friendly service, filling and relatively inexpensive at £32 (for a family of four including 4 drinks and ice cream - locally made - for the kids). We then headed back to the cottage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQOZwwlLSY0&feature=channel


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 20, 2010)

Day 8 - Tired from the day before, we decided to stay close to the area, and visited Fort George, about 29 miles away. It was a behemoth of a fort costructed to quell any further uprisings after Culloden. So modern for it's time, it was used in the American War of Independence, the Boer Wars, World War I and II and is still an active Army base. It is a great day out with a thorough tour that shows you what military life has been like for the British Army for 200+ years. They include excellent hand set commentary as a part of the tour, and typically, instead of the 2 - 4 hours recommended, we were there for nearly 8! Lol. Then a little trip to the seaside town of Nairn, Charlie Chaplin's favorite retreat, though it was in it's heyday during the victorian period. 

On our way back to the cottage, we called ahead to Fiddler's in Drumnadrochit to make reservations. This is a very special place, a fave with back packers, international tourists and food and whiskey experts. They have won international awards for their food and they boast that they serve every Whiskey made in Scotland (and many from Europe, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Japan too).

It was fantastic food, great drinks, family friendly, fab service, and definately recommended.

The decore is a mix of Whiskey bottles, Nessie Art, Shinty and Curling sports equipment and books on food, drink and scottish folk lore. And the prices are reasonable, and cheaper than Disney!

Sarah has a rusty nail to start (Drambuie and the malt of the day as a cocktail) and I had a pint of the local stout. The kids had roast chicken (they gave them 2 drumsticks each), Sarah had the delicious Venison Steak, and I had a fillet of Highland Coo - yummy. We finished off with sharing a piece of Whiskey cake (I am not a fan of alcohol in my food, especially in sweets, but this was delicious) with ice cream, whipcream, butterscotch and outcakes. Lovely.

Of course I finished off with a Dram of their Whiskey of the day, and 18 year old smokey malt where the water dispenser even had a glass blown Nessie.

And the kids were made to feel like stars. And elderly gentleman who looked a lot like Richard Attinborough came and retrieved the children's colouring and put them on the wall. He promised they would stay up the whole summer. The kids were thrilled.

It was a lovely end to a lovely day. We returned to the cottage, lit the fire and tried a few other drams as I read more lore to the children. Bliss.

Slides:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQtGVQTZ490&feature=channel


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 20, 2010)

Day 9 - the 176 mile journey from the cottage to Edinburgh.

The trip was fun, ensuring we took a leisurely drive to Inverness, through the Cairngorms (we considered going up the mountains to play and sled, but we knew that would be the day gone on just that, so we took a rain or snow check) and over to Pitlochry, a lovely picturesque town. Our best value meal was here at the old mill (the kids meals were huge), the kids then played in the playground, and we did some major damage in the sales buying cashmere goods and some lovely outfits for the kids (will have in a latter slide pack). 

We enjoyed visiting the dam with the fish ladder to ensure the salmon could still migrate for breeding purposes. But with the late winter, there have only been 4 salmon so far this year (usually there are 100's by now). I took Mikey and Sarah here 6 years ago, but it is so lovely, and there was another reason for coming back. Yep, this spot is also featured in the latest Gabledon book (a little surprise for Sarah).

We enjoyed taking time to look at the Firth of the Forth Bridges and headed to the Holiday Inn near Edinburgh. We enjoyed watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix while picnicing with room service, in preparation for a rather full few days ahead exploring Edinburgh. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nqhc5d0QB8


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 21, 2010)

Day 10 - Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile

We had an awesome day in Edinburgh, taking the bus from the Holiday Inn into Princess Street. We then walked up the hill/volcanic mound to the Castle where we had a wonderful time exploring the fortifications (12th - 18th century constructions), seeing the crown jewels of Scotland and Mikey was made an honourary knight for the day by a living history reinactor. 

We then enjoyed a lovely lunch and a few drams at the Whiskey Heritage Centre, followed by a very interesting visit to Gladstone's Land 17th century tenement. This building shows how life changed between the early 1600's to about 1790 in Edinburgh. It was facinating.

We walked part the Elephant Cafe where Harry Potter was written by J K Rowling, which was kind of neat.But next was the highpoint for the kids who love Greyfriars Bobby, so we had to visit his statue and grave. 

Bobby was a Skye Terrier who was owned by a policeman in the early 19th century. He used to help catch criminals and was also used to enertain lost children when trying to find their parents. Sadly, Bobby's master died of TB. And come the day of the funeral at Greyfriars Kirk, Bobby followed the procession and refused to leave his masters' grave. He chased out grave diggers and cats, and befriended people. And rearkably, he lived in the graveyard for over a decade. People would travel just to see him (inc. Queen Victoria on one of her state visits). One restaurant owner, in an attempt to boost business claimed Bobby was his, until asked to pay for the dog licence. When he refuse, the Lord Provost (Mayor) offered to pay for Bobby so long as he lived.

When he died, there was a huge outcry to say he should be buried with his master. But under local and church law, only christian citizens could be buried in a church yard. He was therefore buried in a large flower pot and brought into the yard. There was a huge outcry, and he was post humanously made a citizen and was burried properly in the church yard, and a statue on the main road out front was made of him to remember his loyalty and friendship. It really is a proud story of Scotland (though I sometimes wonder why) and his grave is full of sticks, toys, and treats that people leave as they pay their respects. Interesting, and the kids insisted on picking wild flowers to leave for him. 

WE enjoyed touring around St Giles Cathedral and then a walk down to the oldest house in Edinburgh, John Knox's place. Then it was off to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and a few cocktails and back to the hotel by bus to bed. A great day, but the kids were shattered.

Here's the slideshow


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYj-FWw8W-8


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 21, 2010)

Day 11 - Edinburgh Zoo

Our last full day in Edinburgh, we visited the zoo, especially as it is next to the Holiday Inn and has the only Koalas (and other species) in the UK. We did not have big expectations as the footprint on the road is very narrow. But it goes up a mountain, and is quite impressive. We had a great day, the highlight being the penguin parade where the penguins come out for a walk amongst the guests, amazing. Also, during one of the animal demos, the lorikeets came to Mikey which was pretty exciting too. We had a lovely day and even cuaght the sun! 

That evening, the children put on their newly aquired highland dress from Pitlochry and we went for a very enjoyable chinese in the hotel to cap off our trip to Scotland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAgnR8jnpic


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## JudyH (Apr 21, 2010)

This was great.  How lucky you and your family are to have such memories.


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## wauhob3 (Apr 21, 2010)

Very impressive trip report! It sounds and looks wonderful.


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## Timeshare Von (Apr 21, 2010)

What a wonderful trip!  Sounds heavenly.


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## bigrick (Apr 22, 2010)

I've saved off your logs.  What a great trip!  Also, HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY!


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## scotlass (Apr 22, 2010)

Thanks for sharing this wonderful trip.  We will be there in July and this makes me long for the day....


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## tlwmkw (Apr 22, 2010)

Wow, you packed a lot in!  I'm going to have to save this for future reference for when/if we do a Scottish trip.  Thanks for posting all of this.

tlwmkw


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 23, 2010)

Thanks folks, I am glad these were of interest. 

Day 12, we got up and enjoyed a full breakfast for our last morning in Scotland. We went for a lovely swim and had the jacuzzi and pool to ourselves, bliss.

The bell hop helped us with our luggage and we were off, southbound. We went to Roslyn Abbey which was a fantastic experience. The Chapel is beautful and was originally intended to be a a cathedral, but the creator who commissioned the chapel died during it's construction and his son finished off the first phase only.

The chapel tells the story of the bible in stone. But in addition to the christian carvings, there are pagan and celtic ones too. As well as masonic symbols and sweetcorn potentially carved in stone about 80 years before Columbus "discovered America".

It is also rumoured to have been the hiding place of the Holy Grail, as well as staring in the Da Vinci code.

We really enjoyed ourselves, and the real treat was walking around the roof as we watched them refurbing the chapel. Sadly, we could not hake any photos inside.

From there, I was abled to use my Holiday Inn reward points for a free night in the Burnley Holiday Inn Express in anticipation of our day at Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afyPj46K0KU


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 23, 2010)

Day 13 - Legoland Discovery Centre, the Trafford Centre, and the Alton Towers Hotel

We have always been huge Lego fans, and especially of the parks in Windsor, San Diego and the original in Billund. When I heard Manchester was getting an indoor park way back in early 2009 - the Discovery Centre, I knew I had to try it out. We kept it secret from the kids, they did not know it existed. AS a part of our road trip home from Scotland, we decided to use our Merlin Annual Passes that give free entry and try it out. We were there 3 weeks after it opened.

Overall it was a fun experience, but with some teething issues, much smaller than we expected and overall left us feeling a little short. At the Legoland parks, you can go and have fun as adults without kids. Here, Miniland and maybe the Dragon laser ride Kingdom Quest (though this was largely broken down and mostly screens, disappointing, but teething problems of coming on line). But the rest are aimed at kids - the 3D theatre is Bob the Builder (very good though) currently playing rather than the more mature Lego Racers or Wizard films. There is a soft play area, lots of building environments, and an acedemy for people to learn how to build more complex models (turtles and tigers on our day). 

Miniland, as always with Legoland experiences is the high point for me. This one concentrates on the Midlands and North West landmarks. There are some great features of Manchester, Blackpool, Alton Towers (including a working Oblivion coaster), Birmingham, Chester and Liverpool. And because it is indoors, they have then in night and day settings every five minutes or so.

In Liverpool, I really loved the Cavern club with the Fab Four. It was lovely, but again, not as much or as detailed as the parks. This miniland was probably 10% or less of the size of the outdoor parks, and were lacking the cars, boats, trains etc. that make Miniland so cool. But it was fun.

Overall, we had a fun time, and our kids loved it (age 4 or 6). If you are local and have kids under 10, it is worth while. However, if you want to make a special trip, then go to the real parks.

We enjoyed the rest of the lovely highly themed Trafford Centre, and picking where to go to lunch was a hard call, but I always recommend Barburrito for one of the cheaper authentic tex mex places in the UK (thankfully growing in scale).

A fun day overall. Coming out of Manchester, the traffic was abysmal. I asked Sarah to call the Alton Towers hotel and see if they had any rooms and if so, what would the costs be. Given we had our Merlin Annual Passes, the price we were given was the price of a Holiday Inn, we decided to do it and surprise the kids who were asleep in the back of the car.

They could not believe it when they awoke. I have always wanted to try this place out, but was worried about being disappointed. In some ways the hotels were on par with Disney, but here in the UK. We will definately be back. Cute decore, the most awesome lift/elevator we have been in, free live family friendly entertainment, and little things to discover everywhere. 

food and drink prices were reasonable considering where we were as well. But beware, if you want to eat in the evening, book a table. We finally got out dinner by 9:30pm, far too late for little ones. But a learning experience.

The indoor water park is almost on part with Typhoon Lagoon at WDW, just a bit smaller. We were very impressed and we will definately be back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNEbaNZNx_I


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## lmpw (Apr 24, 2010)

*Your Scotland Trip*

Wow, what a wonderful report.  I'm going to Scotland for two weeks and this report will be a guide for me.  My daughter is studying at the University of Edinburgh for the semester and I'm going over in mid-May for two weeks.  I"m not going to drive but have decided (I think) to take a five day escorted tour while I"m there to the highlands, Isle of skype, lowlands, etc.  we'll also take day trips to Glasgow and other places.  I've never been to Scotland and I keep hearing that I will LOVE it.  Sorry I couldn't get the Edinburgh Residence that I tried to get as an exchange through RCI.  Thanks again.


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## davewasbaloo (Apr 25, 2010)

I am so glad you found it useful, I hope it serves you well and you have  fantastic trip. I have always loved Scotland and I hope you do too.

I will get the last two slideshows up by next weekend hopefully. Off to Oxford with some friends from the States today.


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## lprstn (Apr 25, 2010)

I would love to do something like this for my kids. Do you mind me asking around how much a trip like this would cost a family of 6?

Thanks!


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## Keitht (Apr 25, 2010)

lmpw said:


> five day escorted tour while I"m there to ...... Isle of skype,



Is that where cheap internet phone calls were invented??  :hysterical:


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## shagnut (Apr 26, 2010)

What an incredible journey!! These moments are what memories that last a lifetime are made from.  I loved reading your stories and am looking forward to looking at the videos.  shaggy


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## Carol C (Apr 26, 2010)

Keitht said:


> Is that where cheap internet phone calls were invented??  :hysterical:



Now that is funny, Keith! :rofl:


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## davewasbaloo (May 2, 2010)

Day 13 Continuued - On the way home from Manchester, the traffic was aweful and we decided on a last minute check to see if the Alton Towers hotel had any rooms left. We got a fab discount thanks to having Merlin Annual Passes and it being last minute, and really enjoyed both hotels, took advantage of the power cuts in the park the next day by playing mini golf and were given front of line access to attractions for the inconvenience of the power checks (brill). The whole experience was excellent, and I was not expecting much, but it rivalled DLP.

We did not know what to expect because the Alton Towers offerings have been so variable in the past. But the hotel is like a cross between a Disney moderate and deluxe (with the coolest lift/elevator in the world - lighting and music synchronised perfectly, a magic mirror in the restroom that compliments you, high quality sheets and toiletries - Disney no longer do, and an indoor water park, that while is a little smaller, certainly rivals the quality of Disney's water parks in WDW Florida without having to travel, and cheaper). The miniture golf course is also on par with Fantasia Gardens and Blizzard Beach in WDW too. Overall I do recommend it, but be sure to book dinner, this is the one complaint, we had to wait 2 hours for a table because it was a last minute trip and the kids were falling asleep into their dinner. Not a prob if you book in advance. The entertainment is ok, but the kids adored it. Overall, a very good experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObLU6RNRz8s


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## davewasbaloo (May 2, 2010)

lprstn said:


> I would love to do something like this for my kids. Do you mind me asking around how much a trip like this would cost a family of 6?
> 
> Thanks!



Hmmmm, there are a lot of different parameters to consider, and I am not sure if you are coming from the US or Europe. But I am happy to share some of the costs we incurred with you to help.

The Premier Lodge at Lancaster was a cheap deal booked way in advance. The room had a double bed and a sofa bed, sleeping 2 adults and 2 kids. We paid £20 ($30). You could go for 2 rooms.

The Crowne Plaza was two queen size beds. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast for the 4 of us was £120 (or $180).

I can't remember how much each visitor attraction was, but in many the children were free. On average it ranged between £12 and £30 ($18 to $45) per attraction for the 4 of us. The most expensive was Edinburgh Zoo at £50 ($75), but this included some donations we made to conservation projects.

Legoland Discovery Centre and Alton Towers were free to us as we are Merlin Annual Pass holders, and some of the historic sights became free as we joined Scottish Heritage for £49 for 18 months ($75), this gives us access to international heritage sites around the globe too.

The Cottage sleeps 6 (though the barn can be added on to sleep more). We paid £593 for 7 nights or a little less than $900. It was fantastic.
 We spent about £120 on groceries ($180) and £60 on scotch ($90).

Meals were variable, for the 4 of us, they averaged about £30 ($45). Fiddlers was quite special and that was £64 ($96) but was a few courses, and a fair amount of alcohol.

The most expensive meal was at the Chinese at the hotel in Edinburgh, that was £90 ($135) for the 4 of us. The kids could have eaten chicken fingers and the like for free, but we all love chinese and I was not prepared to do that to them.

The Holiday Inn Edinburgh was a queen size bed and two children single beds. It was £79 a night for bed and breakfast ($120). But you could rent an appartment somewhere for 6 people.

The Holiday Inn express was free as I used my points. It was two double beds.

The Alton Towers hotel we recieved a 30% discount as we are annual pass holders. That was £110 ($165) for the night, but we also got a 20% discount and kids play free on the mini golf (£12 or $18 for our family of 4). 

This was a special occassion, so we didn't really watch the budget much. But when I got home, I calculated that all our accommodation, food, drink, admissions, fuel costs, and souvenirs came to about £1800 ($2700) for the 4 of us. Great value we thought. Hope this helps.


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## davewasbaloo (May 2, 2010)

Day 14 - On our very last day, we were able to visit Alton Towers. The power was having problems for a few days, so we were given head of line passes that allowed us to skip queues! We missed early entry due to the power problems, but we at least managed to play mini golf.

we eventually were able to take the monorail to the park. When we got there, I was pleased to see a tribute to the old COrkscrew, my first inversion on a coaster ever. I miss it.

It was freezing, and power was out in half the park. So we headed to Hex. I was impressed my little ones did not get too scared. I was a proud dad of my emerging gothic kids! Then onto Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I did not know what to expect as Merlin dark rides vary so dramatically. But this one was awesome, and followed the book nicely - a boat ride through the factory and a very cool glass elevator ride. Superb.

The kids enjoyed the driving school, and then off to the Cookoo Land show - aimed at little kids really, not bad, but not great. The kids enjoyed it though.

We hopped the cable car and enjoyed a spot of BBQ food and Chilli in the Smuggler's Inn. Then off to the Sea life Aquarium of Mutiny Bay. Very similar to all their other outlets, in other words, very good. WE enjoyed being touched by the shrimp, looking at the monster spider crabs, sharks and octopus. Very cool. Mikey was worried that one of the Spider Crabs was trying to get out.

Then we headed to Katanga Canyon. It was sooooo cold, the idiots on the water rides were standing up! Unbelievable. Skipping the hour wait for the mine train, we had a blast. The kids wanted to ride again, but our passes were good for one turn only. Lol. They pretended to still be on the ride as we walked through the park.

Next off was the old Haunted House, now called Duel, where you shoot the zombies and ghosts with lazer guns. I felt they ruined this ride, just like they ruined Terror Tomb at Chessington (damn l;azer guns seem to ruin every park). Mikey loved it, Jess was a little scared, but took comfort that she could shoot the dead guys.

Next it was to Forbidden Canyon. I met my goal of being able to ride Nemisis after losing 70 lbs. It has been 9 years since I have been able to ride this one, one of my favorites in the world. Pure class! Sadly I could not yet fit on Air, so that is the next goal.

The park was closed at this point, so we took the cable car back to the entrance, the monorail back, and chilled out with some entertainment and a drink at the Alton Towers hotel before returning home. So much for getting home early, it was nearl midnight by the time we got back.

We had been skipping Alton Towers as it is not great for little ones, but ours had a great time. So did their parents. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpH7bPtkPAQ


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