Posts tagged "destinations"

Scottish Vacations And Three Worthy Places To Visit Close To Dundee

As far back as the time of the Picts there has been a settlement on the site of Dundee. Dundee, the 4th largest city in the whole country, has long been associated with trade and commerce. The 3 main industries, in the city, were “jam, jute and journalism”.  Even though the city of Dundee could be described as a post-industrial city it has an economy which is mixed and it still has a large proportion of its population employed in the manufacturing industry (compared to the rest of Scotland), about thirteen and a half percent. Over recent years tourism has begun to become a rather important element of the local economy and there are an increasing number of guest houses and hotels providing Dundee bed and breakfast accommodation and in the following text I discuss the reader to three visitor attractions in Dundee; Verdant Works, Discover Point Visitor Centre and Sensation Science Centre:

The Discover Point Visitor Centre

Discovery Point is a highly interesting and award-winning Dundee tourist attraction which explains the tale of one of the most adventurous  voyages of exploration in history, the tale of the world famous Antarctic explorer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, and the famous ship used,  the RRS Discovery. On the 21st of March, 1901, the Discovery was launched from the Panmure Shipyard, Dundee. Captain Scott and his crew set sail for Antarctica on August the 6th 1901, reaching there in January nineteen hundred and two. The RRS Discovery is a major part of the centre having been fully renovated from the top to the bottom. Steep stairs and narrow passageways can create problems for some, fortunately, you will discover there is an audio visual presentation on the dockside.

The Sensation Science Centre

If you are searching for an attraction that will provide entertainment for all the family, then Dundee’s Sensation Science Centre is the perfect solution. Sensation Dundee is the only UK science centre that focuses on the body’s five senses. You can discover the miracles of sciences  through use of the body’s senses with the aid of over 80 interactive exhibits. Visitors will also discover live scientific experiments and on the spot demonstrations, which demonstrate how everyday household ingredients can be utilised to incredible effect. Budding surgeons are able to have an attempt at keyhole surgery. Sensation brings science to life in many of incredibly interesting ways.

The Verdant Works

Verdant Works  was, in the past, a working jute mill. At it’s height, in the 1860′s and 1870′s, the jute industry in Dundee employed around fifty thousand people in over 60 factories spread across Dundee. Today,  Verdant Works brings the industry to life, by utilising a range of displays including, interactive computers, film shows and original machinery. This remarkable museum once housed three incredibly large steam engines which powered 70 looms and nearly 3 thousand spindles.  There was also a workforce of five hundred workers, preparing and spinning jute for it to be weaved across the road in a different factory. Restoration of the building commenced in nineteen ninety two and it first opened to the public the 16th of September nineteen ninety six.

If you are thinking about a city vacation in Dundee you will find a large amount of online hotels and guest houses offering Dundee bed and breakfast. You will discover a massive selection of Dundee hotels and guest houses at http://dundee.hotelreservationhelper.com/

Posted by holiday_travel - June 7, 2009 at 9:05 am

Categories: Travel   Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

An Artistic Eye On The Scottish City Of Glasgow

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest, and most vibrant, city with wonderful opportunities for shopping and an incredible night scene. For the more bohemian tourist there are countless places to sit and relax in the West End which features boutiques, cafés, bars, tea rooms, clubs and restaurants as well as some excellent Glasgow bed and breakfast. In the following article I will give details of three Glasgow tourist attractions which will be of special interest to those folk who have an interest in all things artistic; the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Burrell Collection and the House For An Art Lover:

Burrell Collection

In 1944, The Burrel Collection was gifted to the city of Glasgow by Sir william and Lady Burrell and the collection can be found at Pollok Country Park which is found in the south of the city This beautiful collection of works of art consists of more than nine thousand items. The collection is incredibly diverse containing a selection of modern sculptures and even some Islamic art. Visitors can view works of art by the likes of Degas, Cezanne and other European artists. As well as sculptures and paintings one can enjoy the beautiful collections of English furniture, stained glass, tapestries and alabasters. On top of all this, the Burrell Collection also exhibits a most important collection of medieval art plus collections from ancient China and Egypt.

The House For An Art Lover

House For An Art Lover is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Glasgow. The house is of an Art Nouveau design designed, originally, by Charles Rennie Mackintosh (with the help of his wife), Glasgow’s most famous architect.

Originally the design was made for a competition of 1901 to create plans for a ‘House for an Art Lover’, however, the entry by Charles and his wife was disqualified from the competition on the grounds that it was submitted too late. Luckily, more than 100 years later the house stands completed in Bellahouston Park thanks to the hard work of the architect Professor Andy Macmillan and the engineer Graham Roxburgh. Building began in 1989, halted for a short amount of time but resumed again in nineteen ninety four due to a collaboration between the Glasgow City Council and Glasgow School of Art.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is Glasgow and Scotland’s premier museum and art gallery, and it houses one of Europe’s great civic art collections, but also it has been voted one of the most popular free to enter visitor attractions in Scotland.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum can be found on the banks of the River Kelvin,  in the West End of Glasgow, on Argyle Street. The gallery was built in a Spanish Baroque style following the Glaswegian tradition of using red sandstone. It was designed by E.J. Milner Allen and Sir John W. Simpson and first opened to the public in the year nineteen hundred and one. The museum’s collections originally came from the old Kelvingrove House Museum and the McLellan Galleries.

If you are thinking about having a weekend break in Glasgow, Scotland you will find a large amount of online hotels and guest houses providing Glasgow bed and breakfast. You will discover a comprehensive listing of hotel accommodation in Glasgow at http://www.glasgowhotelscotland.com/

Posted by holiday_travel - May 31, 2009 at 2:34 am

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Where To Stay in Lanzarote

Lanzarote is the most easterly of the seven Canary Islands and has been welcoming tourists from across Europe for over forty years.  Consequently accommodation standards on the island are high – with options ranging from top end luxury villas through to small studio apartments.

Lanzarote holiday villas as with the rest of the Canary Islands can be found to suit all budgetary requirements which makes the Canaries a very popular destination.

Puerto del Carmen is the best spot for anyone searching for holiday apartments in Lanzarote.  As the resort boasts the highest concentration of complexes of any destination on the island.  With the bulk concentrated in the New Town area.  Which is clustered around the main beachfront thoroughfare – the Avdenida de las Playas.  Which runs for some 6km right through the heart of the resort and parallel with the main beach – Playa Grande.

The bulk of the best apartment accommodation can today be found in the New Town area – which essentially runs parallel with the main beachfront strip – the Avenida de las Playas.  Whilst the Old Town has become more of a residential zone.

Despite it´s popularity Puerto del Carmen is serviced by only two main Lanzarote hotels.  The San Antonio and the Los Fariones.  With the bulk of this type of accommodation located in the southern resort of Playa Blanca.  Which boasts a strip of new four and five star establishments along the seafront – all offering very reasonable room rates.

Here, new four and five star hotels line the seafront, from the beaches at Papagayo in the west through to the lighthouse at Faro de Pechiguera in the east.  All of these have been built in the last ten years – so tourists are able to enjoy modern facilities and amenities at very affordable prices.  With a nights stay starting at around €70 per room oper night in one of Lanzarte´s better four star hotels.

Playa Blanca also boasts the best selection of Lanzarote villas available for holiday rental.  With some of the most attractive properties located in and around the Rubicon Marina development.  Which is emerging as a serious rival to the islands other luxury marina at Puerto Calero back up the south east coastline towards Puerto del Carmen.

As well as good quality accommodation Lanzarote also boasts a host of
interesting tourist attractions.  Such as the Timanafaya Volcano Park, the green lagoon at El Golfo, The Valley of 1000 Palms and the Cactus Garden.  Fortunately the island is small, which makes sightseeing very manageable.  And car hire in Lanzarote is also relatively cheap – making touring the island affordable too.

For more detailed information about  Lanzarote villas visit the holiday villas in Lanzarote website

Posted by holiday_travel - May 26, 2009 at 1:05 pm

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