I’ll never forget staring into the deep, black waters of Loch Ness. The darkness of the lake beautifully highlighted the fat, white snowflakes falling from puffy, gray skies above. This, I remember thinking, was the untouched natural beauty of Scotland that so many of my travel writer friends had raved about. It was one of the most breathtaking winter scenes I’d experienced in my life—and I would never have found myself there if it weren’t for an organized day tour.
This past winter, in lieu of exchanging Christmas gifts, my partner and I decided to venture over to Scotland for a four-day weekend. The whisky-soaked mecca of Islay has long been a bucket-list destination for me, a writer focusing on wine and spirits—but venturing all the way to the remote island would have taken up too much of our long January weekend. To get our fill of belly-warming whisky in a string of cozy pubs and hotel bars, stopping in Edinburgh was a no-brainer. While I was also charmed by the idea of Glasgow’s edginess and its abundance of accessible distilleries, I still yearned for a way to see the more rural parts of Scotland in our short time there.
The Scottish capital artfully balances the very old with the new and exciting.
Beyond the main monuments and city-based distilleries suggested, my internet searches left us with dozens of day tour recommendations through the Scottish Highlands. In my mind, organized day tours were bound to be filled with the kind of tourist traps I’d avoided most of my adult life, not to mention plenty of the selfie-stick wielding travelers I dreaded. I almost turned the other way, but the idea of dramatic, mountainous terrain only surpassed by rolling green hills studded with medieval castles and plenty of long-haired cows made me willing to take the chance.
“What do you think of an 11-hour tour through the Scottish Highlands?” I asked my partner in the living room of my Manhattan apartment. “Sounds incredible,” he responded. I began to mentally weigh the cons: potentially corny stops, a voluble guide—or worse still, strange travel companions. But there were also solid pros: Fitting in the natural beauty we would otherwise miss, without having to organize, plan, or think about anything along the way.
As a Type A traveler, I was already overplanning Edinburgh, exhausting myself over how many of the 19 industry-approved cocktail bars we’d be able to fit into 48 hours. The idea of enjoying a stress-free day of sightseeing without having to plan a thing? Very appealing. The cherry on the top was the £57 per person pirice tag. With a click of a button and for the price of a few drinks, we were booked to hit Glencoe, Loch Ness, and the Highlands—all in a single day.
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Memorial Day is a chance to honor U.S. military personnel and to celebrate the distinct history and landscapes that make this country so unique. The three-day weekend has become the unofficial kick-off to summer and one of the year's busiest travel weekends. More than 42 million Americans traveled over the weekend last year, and airlines and experts expect a similar number this year.
Discovering I could drive without the use of my legs was nothing short of a revelation. Before a car crash left me paralyzed from the chest down, I had no knowledge of the adaptations available to Disabled drivers until the moment the occupational therapist in spinal rehabilitation told me that it was, in fact, still possible for me to get behind the wheel.
The legendary Loch Ness Monster resurfaces today at Busch Gardens Williamsburg as the park’s signature roller coaster reopens following a full restoration. In addition to 900 feet of “Nessie’s” signature steel track being replaced, riders will encounter new sights, sounds and surprises during their journey through the Scottish terrain.
More than 20 universities from around the world will present research at the Tenerife Global Summit 2024, which will be held from 19 to 21 June 2024. The conference will bring together national and international experts from different fields related to the tourism sector to discuss the state of the art of the industry and the challenges it faces.
Self-guided adventure travel is having its moment right now and there are many reasons for its rise in popularity. No one knows this better than Neil Lapping, founder of Macs Adventure, which offers more than 500 self-guided hiking and biking adventures in more than 40 destinations worldwide.
The United Kingdom (UK) continues to be a top destination for American travelers, but if you’re planning on soaking in some of the country’s incredible dramatic coastlines and picturesque beaches while you’re there on holiday, a word of warning—you may find yourself swimming in sewage if you aren’t careful.
Walk down the high street of Edinburgh’s Stockbridge borough and you’ll pass a parade of charity shops bursting with vintage treasures. The road is one of the most popular places for second-hand shopping in the Scottish capital and the country.
JetBlue just announced a few new onboard perks available to passengers starting this summer. Specifically, travelers have ample access to personalizable in-flight entertainment and more complimentary snack options. These perks benefit solo travelers, families with children, or friends who enjoy the brand-new watch party feature for award-winning films and binge worthy shows.
Emirates is famed for its extravagant service onboard its current fleet of Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s. It’s therefore little surprise that expectations are high for its incoming A350s – an aircraft that has been years in the making.
Art in hotels, both to admire and to purchase, has become a strong focus in recent years. The Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands has an impressive art collection including a giant Louise Bourgeois spider in the courtyard, 45 Park Lane in London has regularly changing exhibitions and art tours, Claridges has its own gallery with regularly changing shows, while La Residencia in Mallorca, Spain has 33 original pieces on display by Joan Miró. The luxurious Hotel Savoy, in Florence, is another hotel that takes art seriously by creating suites for artists to stay in and through hosting regular exhibitions in its public spaces.