Profil von ja9

Unfortunately I'm not one of the fortunate people of edinburgh to belong to this gym, but I am fortunate to know people who belong (and ofcourse provide the guest passes). If only I lived closer the dream could become a reality. Large fitness area...definitely no shortage of ellipicals, treadmills and step machines, which ultimately equals zero waiting time. There appears to be a good weight section, but I don't lift weights so I can't comment. There is both and indoor and outdoor pool. Just regular pools, but well maintained. The highlight is the spa area complete with a cold water bucket (just pull the string and the bucket will tip the water over you....warning...only for the brave hearted!). There is a large sauna and steam room and nice quiet relaxation area with wooden lounge chairs. The changing rooms are very clean....barefeet permitted! There are definitely added features that I haven't perused....tennis courts, pilates classes etc. To top up the great feel of a good work out there is a nice cafe that does a healthy baked potatoe.

This five star hotel gets five stars from me. Set on lake Windermere it already gets bonus points for the lovely location and views. Immaculate service! Upon arrival we were handed a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and given a proper tour of the hotel grounds. Our room was very spacious, and if you are a big pillow fan there were about ten plush pillows on the bed. One of the highlights of the hotel is most definitely the pool area. A large unconventional shaped pool with a small jacuzzi in this amazing room with massive glass windows everywhere providing a stunning view of the lake. Equipped with a sauna and steam room plus wooden lounge chairs...this area was absolute heaven to relax in. For an added cost you could also take advantage of spa treatments.
There are two types of restaurants, a formal one and a not as formal one. We ate at the not so formal one....the food was delicious! In addition they did a wonderful semi-buffet styled breakfast.
I would describe the decor as old-world english and this hotel definitely gets the thumbs up for attention to detail. Ofcourse you stay here at quite a nice price as well....but it is definitely worth the extra cash for a nice little break to the countryside.

A good indian take away. Appears to be a family run business. Prompt service. This is definitely one of my favourite "can't be bothered to cook" options. Good value. A curry ranges between 5-6 pounds and (for the avereage person) is more than plenty for one. I highly recommend the Kashi Pasanda! This place definitely hits the spot!

This trendy restaurant/bar offers good two for ones on wine and coronas on both a wednesday and a friday night before 8pm. I haven’t eaten at the restaurant so I can’t comment on that, but as far as bars goes this is a nice classy one. Good older crowd. Nothing super special about the decor just your typical modern styled bar. There is a large screen on one of the walls, so perhaps it might be a nice place to watch a game. A small place, but offers a good atmosphere. People seemed to be quite friendly when I was there and the service was good. I would describe this bar as a good first stop after work on a friday kind of place.

Great sales person behind the desk, he did a great job selling us the tour. This company offers day tours and multiple day tours around scotland. I did a day tour to glencoe and lochness. We were sold on the fact that this company offers small group tours that uses mini vans instead of the massive toursit buses. The itinerary of the tour took us from edinburgh up through glencoe to lochness and down through perthshire. This was a massive area to cover in one day and therefore we spent most of the day in the van and only hopped out for "photo opportunities". The tour guide was friendly and had good stories and music for the journey, however was in quite a rush. We actually ended up getting back to Edinburgh an hour earlier than planned. If you are prone to motion sickness I would strongly suggest an anti-emetic before the journey. This tour served as a great sneak peak into what scotland had to offer. However if you have time to explore or want time to explore this isn't the ideal option.

Now if you are a massive Hibernean Fan...which presumbably you would be to be dining at this sunday carvery, then this restaurant is probably spectacular because of the stunning view of the pitch. The restaurant is located on the third floor of th Hibernean Football club and is only opened for a sunday carvery (reservations essential). Apart from the view of the pitch there is nothing special to rave about. The food was passable, the service terribly unorganized and the restaurant itself seriously lacking in ambiance. The servers were immaculately dressed but unable to remember drink orders. This so-called restaurant was merely an undecorated room filled with tables. If you are not a Hibs fan I would strongly recommend steering clear of this place, but if you are a Hibs fan you'll probably just need to close an eye to lack of atmosphere and mediocre food and simply enjoy the view.

Quaint little bar with lovely cornice on the ceiling. Unfortunately I was there during big scotland versus italy game so it was a bit manic....but a comfortable place to watch the game as a big screen loomed overhead viewable by everyone. A polite olderish quite stylish kind of crowd. A small bar area and generally speaking a small place.

For the faux wildnerness seekers this is the perfect camping experience. It is located in Nethy Bridge just past Avie More. An older couple run the hostel and there is a small patch of grass which is allocated for the campsite. The added bonus for campers is that you have access to a clean indoor toilet. The couple are very friendly and welcoming and are happy to chat about the area and their animals. They have a great mix of ducks that hang about a pond and a horse. In addition to the animals, there is a path that takes you beyond this couples' home into a spectacular view of the cairn gorms. The best part of this path is that because it is only accessible through the lazy ducks site you may be the only person there to enjoy this beautiful scene. If you are camping for a prolonged period of time there is the option of a bush shower. Unfortunately it was too cold for us to test out, but it is a bag that is filled with warm water and hung up in the outdoor shower.....it looks like good fun!
The campsite/small open field can accomodate up to four small tents and there is an area for a communal fire (and the opportunity to make new friends!). On a cold wet night there is the option (at an added cost) to use the sauna.
This is a well organized facitilty. For campers looking to camp with the comforts of home this is the perfect place!

I don't have any kids and although this store is geared towards kids, it's still a great place for non-kids. There are some neat art and crafty bits and bobs for sale. If you are looking for a special something to add to a project this would be a worthwhile visit. There is also a selection of animal statues, boxes, picture frames, bags, t-shirts etc that can be bought and decorated in the store. If I had a child I would definitely make use of this workshop, but since I don't I spend my time browsing!

This is definitely a kid-friendly place as there is a soft play area attached. This is great if you have kids, however, I don't so it was a little irritating as the kids seem to run loose in the shop. Having said that, a good place. Very friendly and helpful service. A good selection of ceramics to choose from. The paint selection is not as good as it could be, a few added colours would do the trick. In its quiet moments....a very relaxing experience.