Guest Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Anyone been to Preston? Any good? the first motorway in Britain was the Preston bypass. Having been there I can fully understand why! It's a shitehole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_R Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 haha cheers. All the train routes seem to change at Preston so I thought I'd try for somewhere with a direct line.Trains are stupid expensive for Durham (no idea why)So Belfast, Bristol or Madrid are the front runners at the mo. (all flights)It seems stupid I cant find reasonable train fares Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Say What Again Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Trains are stupid expensive for Durham (no idea why) It seems stupid I cant find reasonable train fares This dude flew from East Midlands airport to Berlin, then Berlin to Stansted, as it was ?8 cheaper than the train from Sheffield to Essex. http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/jan/27/blogger-claims-to-save-772-from-sheffield-to-essex-by-flying-via-berlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyjambo Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 haha cheers. All the train routes seem to change at Preston so I thought I'd try for somewhere with a direct line. Trains are stupid expensive for Durham (no idea why) So Belfast, Bristol or Madrid are the front runners at the mo. (all flights) It seems stupid I cant find reasonable train fares Not sure where your looking, I just had a quick look, I can get return Edin to Durham for 2 adults for ?58 https://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/combinedmatrix.aspx?Command=TimeTable#Journey/EDINBURGH%20WAVERLEY/DURHAM/15/04/16/09/15/Leave%20After/17/04/16/16/00/Leave%20After/2/0// Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Durham? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Nice? If you fancy abroad but not too far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 I've done this a few times. Walk down streets you haven't before, into bars, restaurants and cafes you normally wouldn't. Explore Moningside and Stockbridge, climb Arthur's Seat and visit the museum. Edinburgh has so much to offer, places you walk past everyday and never think about visiting. Regardless of how long you've lived there, or how often you've visited, there is always more to do and see. We did this last Spring. Both of us are from Edinburgh but were visiting there with two friends from California. Stayed in the Bruntsfield Hotel, visited the castle, the parliament, High Street, Museum, Scott Monument, General Register House (I worked there) and various other places. Ate in restaurants we don't normally when visiting Edinburgh and drank in boozers we don't usually. Cafe Royal (I worked there as well), Canny Mans, Hectors in Stockbridge. They loved it and so did we! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quartex Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Go to Birmingham, great city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_R Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 Not sure where your looking, I just had a quick look, I can get return Edin to Durham for 2 adults for ?58 https://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/combinedmatrix.aspx?Command=TimeTable#Journey/EDINBURGH%20WAVERLEY/DURHAM/15/04/16/09/15/Leave%20After/17/04/16/16/00/Leave%20After/2/0// I wonder if it's to do with the dates. I should've mention dates have to be specific as I've already taken our anniversary weekend off work. Mid march. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUTOL Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Macdonald hotels have a winter offer on at the moment. I think it runs up until the end of March. The Mrs and I were thinking of a couple of nights in either the Perthshire or Peebles hotel. Has anyone been to either or recommend one place over the other? Have you been yet? I know both reasonably well. Both have their attractions, it will depend on what you want to do. If golf, Cardrona. If remote country, Loch Rannoch. Both have pools and gyms, but Cardrona's are better facilities with spa/treatments etc (for the Mrs when you go golfing) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@VladMagic Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 If so, The Moulin Inn is a must! Gets my vote. Stayed in Pitlochry many times over the years and the Moulin is a fantastic wee pub. Has its own brewery. Pint of Brave Heart please!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDonald Jardine Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 I went to Preston once for a day trip. Quickly changed to an hour trip. Thought it was quite depressing and I think the football museum is now at Wembley rather than Deepdale (I may be wrong) Football museum is now in Manchester. You're right about Preston though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecjambo Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Have you been yet? I know both reasonably well. Both have their attractions, it will depend on what you want to do. If golf, Cardrona. If remote country, Loch Rannoch. Both have pools and gyms, but Cardrona's are better facilities with spa/treatments etc (for the Mrs when you go golfing) We've booked Loch Rannoch for two nights at the start of March. Looks like there are nice walks etc. Would you recommend anything else to do? We'll probably spend an afternoon in Pitlochry on the way there. Used to play golf a bit, but not played for a good few years now. I get too frustrated by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommiwastheboss Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 We've booked Loch Rannoch for two nights at the start of March. Looks like there are nice walks etc. Would you recommend anything else to do? We'll probably spend an afternoon in Pitlochry on the way there. Used to play golf a bit, but not played for a good few years now. I get too frustrated by it. Was at Loch Rannoch last Feb and there was nothing there apart from a small cafe/gallery. Literally nothing but the great outdoors am afraid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Reekin' Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Was at Loch Rannoch last Feb and there was nothing there apart from a small cafe/gallery. Literally nothing but the great outdoors am afraid Kenmore and Aberfeldy aren't too far away, where there will be a bit more going on and a choice of places to eat and drink. Stop off to see the ancient Fortingall Yew (and a few hundred Fortingall ewes! ) on the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecjambo Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Was at Loch Rannoch last Feb and there was nothing there apart from a small cafe/gallery. Literally nothing but the great outdoors am afraid It did look a fairly remote area! Our plan was to stop off at Pitlochry and spend the afternoon there/get some food. Presuming/hoping there is a nice walk round the Loch or something. Will have the car so can always go for a drive to somewhere with a bit more to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUTOL Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 We've booked Loch Rannoch for two nights at the start of March. Looks like there are nice walks etc. Would you recommend anything else to do? We'll probably spend an afternoon in Pitlochry on the way there. Used to play golf a bit, but not played for a good few years now. I get too frustrated by it. The loch is about 10 miles long, so a walk round it would take a while! Probably still a bit cold for water sports at the hotel, and I'm not sure that there's much left of the artificial ski slope...so swimming pool and gym and maybe a pool table in the bar are about your lot at the hotel. It's a nice drive round the loch, out to Rannoch Station (you could always get a train to Ft William for the day) there used to be a nice wee cafe at the station and a hotel. Also as others have said, nice drives to Killin, Kenmore, Aberfeldy etc. Plenty of forest walks on the south side of the loch. Also interesting (to some!) hydro electric works on the Tummel on the way from Pitlochry, Sitting by the log fire in the lounge drinking a few whiskys sounds good to me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gasman Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 It did look a fairly remote area! Our plan was to stop off at Pitlochry and spend the afternoon there/get some food. Presuming/hoping there is a nice walk round the Loch or something. Will have the car so can always go for a drive to somewhere with a bit more to do. There's a nice wee walk round Loch Faskally near Pitlochry (it's the Enchanted Forrest each October) and it's sheltered, with a reasonable surface, so okay in most weathers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecjambo Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Cheers for all the suggestions folks. Just looking forward to a couple of days off work to be honest. And a few drinks thrown in will round it off quite nicely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott herbertson Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Another vote for Dunkeld here, cracking town that I spent numerous wee family holidays in. The scenery is amazing, and you can get a lovely walk along the Tay as well. A few good wee caf?'s/restaurants and always a really friendly vibe. It is a wee place though, so maybe an overnighter rather than a long weekend. With Pitlochry just up the road too, you can get a train from one to t'other I think. Two great wee places in touching distance of each other. There's a good chalet complex about half a mile from the station on the river side of the road (Birnam rather than Dunkeld). The complex has a decent swimmign pool and bar and there's a nice walk from the chalets along the river to the bridge where there are a couple of good pubs. My wife wants to buy a castle that's on sale there! The train does go to Pitlochry. Pitlochry station has a nice little second hand bookshop on the platform which is pretty weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertracoon Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 We've booked Loch Rannoch for two nights at the start of March. Looks like there are nice walks etc. Would you recommend anything else to do? We'll probably spend an afternoon in Pitlochry on the way there. Used to play golf a bit, but not played for a good few years now. I get too frustrated by it. Start of March could be snowy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
japanjambo Posted February 1, 2016 Share Posted February 1, 2016 Anyone know when is best to book train fares? (few weeks before do prices drop?) I'm looking at a return to Durham (etc) on our dates and getting crazy prices. (a flight to madrid id cheaper!) Have you tried Superbreak? I always use them for wee breaks away. They usually have some great deals. http://www.superbreak.com/?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=superbreak&utm_campaign=(S)%20-%20Brand%20-%20Exact Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
269miles Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Preston is a dump. I wouldn't go if you paid me. Only Stoke beats it in my experience! Utter shithole. Preston is paradise in comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_R Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 No difference to original plan but turns out we are going to a Spa hotel in Stirling for the weekend.Cheers for all the imput Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Fredrickson Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 No difference to original plan but turns out we are going to a Spa hotel in Stirling for the weekend. Cheers for all the imput I like Stirling. We were there a week or so ago, visit to the Castle (my favourite Scottish castle and quickly becoming my sons favourite too), wife enjoyed the shops and I spent some time in the record shop. Nice wee town and there seemed to be lots of places to eat and drink - though I cant recommend any Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Reekin' Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 I like Stirling. We were there a week or so ago, visit to the Castle (my favourite Scottish castle and quickly becoming my sons favourite too), wife enjoyed the shops and I spent some time in the record shop. Nice wee town and there seemed to be lots of places to eat and drink - though I cant recommend any Cracking views to the south, including the town and loops of the Forth, from the Wallace Monument too. Haven't actually been inside the monument itself (there's a charge y'know!), but the climb up to it is made well worthwhile by the views from the crags. There is also a network of paths going through the woodlands below the monument if you fancy a bit more of a walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Fredrickson Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Cracking views to the south, including the town and loops of the Forth, from the Wallace Monument too. Haven't actually been inside the monument itself (there's a charge y'know!), but the climb up to it is made well worthwhile by the views from the crags. There is also a network of paths going through the woodlands below the monument if you fancy a bit more of a walk. I last visited the Wallace Monument about 10 years ago and the walk up to it had me blowing out my erse. The charge and the thought of another hike to the top of the monument itself put me off going into it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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