A perfect Lochside Location for your Winter Break

For those who enjoy the tranquility of a stunning waterfront location, Achray House is perfect.  Set in the peaceful village of St Fillans on the shores of Loch Earn, the hotel is the pefect base from which to enjoy walking, golfing, touring or just relaxing.

Spectacular scenery, good food and friendly service are all on hand in this small lochside hotel.

Special offers, 2nights DBB for £99 per person or 3 nights DBB for £134 per person.

Blazing Log Fires and Scottish Hospitality

If you like the kind of short break where you can enjoy the outdoor life with some hill walking or wildlife watching during the day and curl up in the evening warming your weary legs in front of a roaring log fire, then we recommend the Tomich Hotel.

About 45 minutes from Inverness by car, the area is steeped in history from this era. For example, the ‘Golden Retriever’ dog was first bred on the Guisachan estate in the 1860’s. There were also many famous visitors, George V and Queen Mary, Gladstone and Winston Churchill, who was reputed to have learned how to drive on the estate.

This dog friendly hotel has short breaks for £69.50 per person per night including Dinner & Breakfast (2 night minimum stay).

Highland Hospitality Package

The Royal Highland Hotel in Inverness is offering fantastic City Breaks for only £48 per person per night.  For this you will get one Dinner (to the value of £25 per perosn) one nights accommodation and a Full Scottish Breakfast the following morning.

To take advantage of this offer all you need to do is quote "Scotsman" when making your reservation.  There are also upgrade options available.  To find out more about the Royal Highland Hotel and other offers click here.

Great Value Short Breaks in Pitlochry

The wonderful Pine Trees Hotel in Pitlochry have got some fantastic winter deals in place right now.  If you are looking for a short break in Scotland and don't want to travel too far from either Glasgow or Edinburgh, this is the place.  2 night and 3 night breaks including dinner and full Scottish breakfast from only £68 per person per night.

Pitlochry is the ideal stop on a trip further north, there's plenty of beautiful walks and lots of nice restaurants and shops to idle the hours away in.  To find out more about Pine Trees Hotel click here.

Luxury Lodge Breaks in Arran

For a relaxing winter break with a difference, we would recommend the Auchrannie Luxury Lodges on the beautiful island of Arran.  These lodges offer luxury accommodation for groups of up to 6 people.  The lodges are part of the Auchrannie Spa & Resort so you don't have to worry about finding things to do or looking for somewhere nearby to eat.

With two top hotels, restaurants and leisure clubs right on your doorstep, it's a perfect location for a winter break.  Their special offer is for 3 nights in a lodge from only £250, to find out more, check out all that Auchrannie has to offer.

Japan Day for Scotland? Great Idea

Seems to be a week for great ideas. Just read on the BBC website about plans for a Japan Scotland day to help strengthen links between the two countries.

Sakura Scotland has approached the Japanese Consulate General in Edinburgh about the event which is planned for the autumn, the company hopes to invite fashion students to come up with and then display clothing designs on a Japanese theme.

Now I'm not sure how this is going to be lead and what angle it's going to take but a couple of years ago myself and a colleague found ourselves arriving at the train station in Dusseldorf (if truth be known en route to a Kiss consert in Nijmegen!).

Now with kilts on (no face paint) you may have thought that we would have been subject to some rather strange looks. Nope. It was Japan Day in Dusseldrof and the whole of the city's youth was in Manga Fancy Dress costimes and make up. Made us look entirely normal.

The point however was that Dusseldorf was celebrating the culture of the largest population of Japanese in Europe and it was one helluva party. The banks of the Rhine were given over to Japanese stalls with traditional food and drinks, stages with entertainment and recitals and all in all a tremendous atmosphere of history and cultural respect with an estimated 1.2 million visitors.
One of the highlights of the traditional Japan Day is a fantastic fireworks display after nightfall, conjured up in the sky over the river by Japanese pyrotechnicians.

With the strong air connections between Dusseldorf and Scotland such a cross cultural celebration could actually have tremendous impact on restimulating the Japanese market for Scottish tourism and indeed exports.

Good luck to Sakura Scotland - would love to help if we can.

Winter Golf in Fife?

If you fancy a bit of golf in Fife how about trying out The Winter Open at Burntisland Golf House Club. It's a 4 Ball Better Ball Open and takes place on Sunday 21 March 2010 with a wonderfully affordable £5 entry per person and a 9am shotgun start.
The event is Open to Men, Ladies and Juniors (Mixed Teams accepted) and the closing date for entries 7th March. Contact Graham Turzynski, the Match & Handicap Secretary via info@burntislandgolfhouseclub.co.uk
Find out a bit more about Burntisland Golf Club on First in Fife Golf's website or have a wee look at the Google earth fly through.