Scotland

The town of Swindon is to be found in the county of Wiltshire, England and can be easily reached by road or railway.  It is about forty miles from both Bristol and Reading. It is also around 80 miles from London. 

If you are looking to explore Wiltshire then Swindon makes an ideal base. There are plenty of good quality hotels in Swindon to stay in and also the surrounding area. It is close to Cotswold Wildlife Park and also the Cotswold Water Park.  Other places to visit include Bowood House and Lacock Abbey. 

But there are plenty of wonderful sights to see that are slightly closer to this large town and below we take a look at just a few of these. 

The first place of interest that is only around a thirty minute drive from Swindon is Avebury Stone Circle. This is larger than Stonehenge but less famous. But you still have the opportunity unlike at Stonehenge which is short drive away to wander around the stones and get up close and personal with them. 

Avebury Stone circle encompasses part of the village where it is located. Not to mention the ditches and external banks that form part of this ancient monument. The stones were re-erected by Alexander Keiller during the 1930’s. Today there is a museum on the site that houses a seventeenth Century thatched threshing barn and tells you about the sites history. The museum is quite hands on and interactive. 

To the north of Swindon is Cotswold Wildlife Park which houses a wide variety of animals from across the world. Along with rhinos, leopards and primates there is a pride of Asiatic lions. Plus when you come to the gardens there are small mammals such as meerkats, penguins and other tropical birds to be watched and enjoyed. All in all, the park makes for a great family day out.  For the children to help get rid of some of that energy they have they can try out the adventure playground. Plus during the summer months they have the chance to get close up and personal with some animals and watch some wonderful birds of prey.

Another place of interest is Lacock Abbey which was converted into a house in around 1540. Yet even so the sacristy ceiling, chapter house, monastic rooms and medieval cloisters have remained largely intact. As well as the abbey and the sixteenth Century stable courtyard there is also a Museum of Photography for you to explore. This museum was established to commemorate the life of the inventor William Fox Talbot who resided at the Abbey between 1800 and 1877. If you think you recognize this building then it has been used a number of times as location for TV and film productions including the Harry Potter films.

When you next stay in Swindon, choose your Swindon hotel here.

Eastbourne is a town in East Sussex, on the southern coast of England. The British have been taking vacations in Eastbourne for many years. However, it’s popularity really started to increase when the railway system first ran to the town in Edwardian times. 

When you visit the town you you’re not restricted to just the town’s many facilities. The towns of Brighton and Hastings are within easy reach. If you choose Eastbourne as a base, you’re well placed to explore Beachy Head Cliff or watch the wildlife on the South Downs. 

The town itself has numerous beaches and which are afforded some shelter as it lies beneath the cliffs to the East. Eastbourne boasts that it is one of England’s sunniest towns. 

You’ll find more than just beaches, there are 4 theatres in the town, as well as a number of parks, a band stand and some museums. Which means there’s plenty of things to do when you stay in Eastbourne. Actually getting round the town you can either walk, use local transport (buses) or taxis. 

Beachy Head is one of the most popular tourist attractions. It’s located towards the west of the town and and rises a commanding 530 feet from the sea. Upon reaching the top, you’ll find some great views in all directions and on a clear day, you will be able to see the Kent coastline at Dungeness. 

If you want to explore outside the town, Abbots Wood is well worth a look. This is one of the finest examples of historic woodlands you are likely to come across in the UK. The peaceful setting will allow you to unwind and enjoy being at one with nature. The woodlands are home to many different wildlife species and lots of different species of trees and other plants.

During the summer months, you may decide to take a boat trip from the harbor. Lasting around 60 minutes, these trips offer a leisurely view of Beachy Head and the nearby coastline. The round trips will start at Eastbourne’s port and then head out to the Beachy Head peninsular before returning to port again. 

When you visit Eastbourne, you can find somewhere to stay from this list of Eastbourne accommodation.

Hello & welcome to Tartan Gems’ blog about Scotland.  Nearly all of my posts (those by WickermanXXX) are about Scotland and while I try to be as informative as possible I can tend to be a little “political” in some of my news items. Please do not be offended, if you do not agree with me please feel free to say so in the comments

While I tend to write many articles about the Outer Hebrides (Isle of Harris, Isle of Lewis etc.) this is simply due to the fact that I live on Harris. However I will try my best to write about other places in Scotland - as and when I find the time!

Contibuting To The Blog

Although the main emphasis of this blog is Scotland (especially travel in Scotland), and all things Scottish, I have allowed many articles to be published about general world travel.  At the moment we have plenty of writers contributing articles about world travel but we are in desperate need of Scottish contributors and authors.

If you wish to contribute articles to Tartan Gems please post a comment below, using your current email address, and we will contact you at the earliest opportunity. If you wish to write about Scotland please state this clearly in your comment as you will, obviously, get preferential treatment All requests for inclusion in our list of writers, authors and contributors will be removed once we have replied.

I look forward to hearing from you, especially authors/contibutors :-)

Year Round Grand Canyon

The colors overwhelm you with their stunning beauty! It’s a respite that people the world over travel to see. For many it’s an escape from the snow and ice of wintertime, or the dreary rain of Europe. It is the Grand Canyon! You will wish you didn’t have to leave it so soon. What if you could examine it up close? You’d have a fantastic time exploring the vastness of the outdoors. You would have to look far and wide to locate a better spot on earth to see the splendor and exquisiteness of the desert. Even the Middle East with its vast desert, or the backcountry of Australia doesn’t quite measure up to the majesty of the Grand Canyon.

If you’re not familiar with that area, here are some helpful Internet addresses to aid you. www.recreation.gov. You could also telephone toll free at 1-877-444-6777. While you’re thinking about setting up camp in the Grand Canyon, remember it’s the desert. The Internet website will show you around a bit before you actually arrive.

his is one place on earth that once you’ve come to, you’ll never be the same again. The stunning beauty of the wilderness never really leaves you. Acquiring a camping site or the Grand Canyon Tour has numerous alternatives. The Mather Campground has proven one of the better choices. Operated by the National Park Service, The Mather Campground it is suitably situated in the Grand Canyon Village, and this area of the Grand Canyon affords campers, tents and RVS.

Reservations are highly recommended. Learn about the Grand Canyon and its camping vacations. Read the reliable information available such as the pages about the campsites. Maybe you will want to log onto www.nps.gov for further information about the parks. It is at this address that there are some very beautiful photos of the area as well.

Other Internet addresses with toll free numbers for further information are available. Websites extol the virtues of being good stewards of resources by taking care of public lands. It asks you to think about others who will come after you and how they might enjoy these places for years to come. Being a good ambassador for your hometown by not littering is a foregone conclusion of course.

Look at the Internet to see what kinds of lodging are permitted and where and look into your destination park, forest, or public land and see if you can do as you plan to do. The website contains contact numbers, addresses, rules and regulations, an overview of your chosen location, and lots of other interesting facts. If you’re curious about camping in the Grand Canyon or other campground vacations in other parts of the country, visit this address on the Internet and you’ll find a lot of informative and reliable information.

Inverness is one of Europe’s fastest growing cities and has the finest quality of life out of most of the cities in the UK (ranked fifth by the Telegraph). Although Inverness is a thoroughly modern city, like many others in Scotland, it has a long and, sometimes, turbulent history dating back to the time of St Columba and the Picts. One of the most terrible times for the city was during the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and especially around the time of the Battle of Culloden (1746) when many fleeing Jacobites sought refuge in there (Culloden Morr is not too far away).

Today Inverness is the main administrative center for the Highland region and is often quoted as being the Highland capital. This makes the city a perfect base for a vacation in the Scottish Highlands with many historic places to visit, spectacular scenery, superb sporting opportunities and plenty of visitor attractions to keep you entertained. Below I take a look at three popular tourist attractions that are well worth visiting if you can find the time, Beauly Priory, Inverness Castle and Inverness Museum and Art Gallery.

Inverness Castle

Inverness Castle, as it stands today, was built in 1836 by architect William Burn. The castle is a red sandstone structure, positioned on a cliff, overlooking the River Ness, and the cathedral on the opposite bank. A succession of castles have stood on this site since 1057. The first Inverness Castle was partially destroyed by King Robert I of Scotland. In 1427 King James I of Scotland held a parliament in the castle to which the northern chieftains were all summoned. Inverness Castle is featured on the reverse of the Royal Bank of Scotland £50 note, which was introduced into circulation in 2005.

Inverness Museum and Art Gallery

Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is located in the heart of Inverness. The museum recently underwent a full refurbishment of all it’s facilities and dispays. At the museum you can explore the past and learn about the people, environment and traditions of the Highlands. There are many things to do and see, with collections featuring geology, archaeology, and history. There is also a wildlife collection where you can get face to face with a pine marten, or scratch a badger’s belly. There are also many fine art and crafts collections to see. All the collections have a connection with the Highlands, and were either made, used or collected there.

Beauly Priory

Beauly Priory was one of three priories founded in Scotland by monks of the Valliscaulian order, probably around 1230. Beauly’s patron was Sir John Bisset, whose family’s lands were later joined by marriage to the predominant landowners of the area, the Frasers of Lovat. The French monks, along with Bisset, gave the location of the priory and the river the name ‘beau lieu’ (beautiful place), which was then translated into English as Beauly. After the Reformation the priory fell into disuse, and the lead was removed from the roof in 1582. Beauly Priory has been in the care of the state since 1913 and is now looked after by Historic Scotland.

Below is a selection of web sites offering accommodation in Inverness;

Inverness Hotel Scotland - http://www.invernesshotelscotland.com/

Inverness Hotel Guide - http://www.virtualscotland.co.uk/accommodation/invernesshotels.htm

Inverness Hotels & Accommodation - http://inverness.hotelreservationhelper.com/

April this year saw the astonishing revelation from the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) that Scotland’s Higher Music exam is failing pupils. You may have read my other blogs, about this very serious issue, on this site already but I have just discovered that you can NOT sing Scottish songs in the vocal element of the said exam - how disgraceful is that?

It would seem that the whole Scottish Higher education system is falling apart. Scotland has a long and highly respected history in the field of education. When England had only 2 universities Scotland had 4 and Scotland had a nation wide education system that was the envy of the world. Today nothing could be further from the truth and I would like to know EXACTLY what the SNP is doing about it?

The SNP should be pushing hard to support ALL things Scottish, they should be investing in what the country is good at while also investing in areas of need. While it is great that pupils in Scotland are in a far better position, financially, than pupils elsewhere in the United Kingdom it is pretty useless if the education system is not at the same level.

Why on earth BAN Scottish songs from the Scottish Higher music exam?

As well as warnings about the Higher music exam there have been warnings about the English exam too. The quality of music in the curriculum is deeply shocking and rather than have any songs associated with Scotland they have the following in their list of “acceptable” songs;

Ironic
Torn
Son of a Preacher Man
I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman
I Say A Little Prayer

Oh, it would seem that some Scots songs are accepted, such as Burns’ stuff, but utter a word in Gaelic and you will swiftly be escorted to the door while the examiner clears out his ears!

Gaelic is an important language in Scotland and there are other languages other than Scots, Doric for example, so why are Scottish songs in a Scottish language BANNED from the Scottish Higher music exam?

Imagine if, in England, pupils were told they could not sing songs in English anymore? I am sure if they would be complaining like crazy and questions would be asked in the House. While most of Scotland enjoys The Flower of Scotland and many treat is as the unofficial National Anthem of Scotland I am sure most would be annoyed to here that it is one of the BANNED Scottish songs. I can see that they might have certain reasons for banning this song in particular but we are in Scotland and we are talking about a Scottish qualification.

What excuse can there be for the banning of songs from Scotland? I can not think of one single reason other than the fact that there are no examiners who speak or understand the language???

Pitlochry was one of the first places in Scotland to be of interest to tourists. This was due mainly to the fact that Queen Victoria travelled to Balmoral via the newly opened railway station there. Over the years Pitlochry has lost some of it’s importance but, due to the fact that there are so many places worth visiting close to the town, Pitlochry is still an incredibly popular vacation destination. In the article below we take a quick look at three popular visitor attractions, Blair Castle (which is about 7 miles away), the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre (which is about 4 miles away) and the Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre which is only about one mile away from Pitlochry.

Blair Castle

Blair Castle is the ancient seat of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl. The castle was also the first private homes in Scotland, to open to the public. The building of Blair Castle was started by John I Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, in 1269. He was a neighbor of the Earl of Atholl, and started building on his land while he was away on crusade. When the Earl returned, he won back his land, and incorporated the tower that had been built into his own Castle. The castle was extended over the years, and in 1740, the 2nd Duke had the Castle remodeled as a Georgian mansion, though his work was interrupted by the 1745 Jacobite rebellion.

Killiecrankie Visitor Centre

The Killiecrankie Visitor Centre is located in a wooded gorge, which was once much admired by Queen Victoria. The centre tells the story of the famous battle that took place in Killiecrankie in 1689. On 27 July 1689, the Pass of Killiecrankie echoed with the sound of battle cries, when a Jacobite army defeated the government forces. The area around the centre is very tranquil, and has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of it’s fine oak and deciduous woodland. Visitors to the centre can now watch birds nesting, via a remote camera in the woodlands.

Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Centre, Dam and Fish Pass

The Scottish Hydro Electric Visitor Center is situated within picturesque Pitlochry Power Station. The Visitor Centre contains interactive exhibits tracing the history of hydro generation in Scotland, from it’s origins in the 1940’s to it’s current £250m refurbishment programme. The Pitlochry Dam is home to the famous Salmon Ladder, where the salmon can be seen via a viewing chamber as they ascend past the damn. In the Visitor Center, all is explained, as to why the salamon make the journey from their birthplace in the Highland rivers, out to sea, and back again. From the Visitor Center one can also view the turbine hall of Pitlochry Hydro-Electric Power Station.

Below is a selection of web sites offering accommodation in Pitlochry;

Pitlochry Hotel Scotland - http://www.pitlochryhotelscotland.com/

Pitlochry Hotel Guide - http://www.virtualscotland.co.uk/accommodation/pitlochryhotels.htm

Pitlochry Hotels & Accommodation - http://pitlochry.hotelreservationhelper.com/