Blackpool is a seaside resort built on the English North West coast, which remains intensely popular with tourists coming from the close by towns and cities which include Liverpool, Warrington, Manchester and more. Blackpool is also fanatically popular with visitors from all over Scotland who often turn up in large numbers in a similar fashion to the groups of factory workers of the past on their factory day out. Occasionally it would seem as though the resort is smothered in hotels and entertainments and although there is a great deal of Blackpool bed & breakfasts it is advisable to book in advance to be sure. Accommodation varies from cheaper lodgings to classy five star. You will find many on the sea front but, if you would prefer book somewhere less

raucous

there are some further inland.

Blackpool began to see its first visitors in the eighteenth century who came to indulge in  the new craze of sea bathing. When the railway arrived, in 1846, the town experienced an increase in the number of tourists to “take the cure” as it was called. These days tourists can travel to Blackpool by railway, automobile or plane arriving there much faster than the Victorian workers who could take up to 48 hrs from as nearby as Manchester.

The Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The most busy attraction in the seaside resort of Blackpool, in Lancashire, which entices approximately seven million customers a year, is Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The Pleasure Beach is an incredibly large funfair with fear inducing big rides, for example Grand National, Ice Blast, Valhalla, the Big One, Zipper Dipper and Wild Mouse, and including many, many more sideshows, food booths, children’s rides, thrill rides, sidestalls and games. The most recent big thrill is Infusion, the first ride in the world to feature a suspended looping type of coaster entirely over water.

 Please remember: If you are planning to visit the Pleasure Beach as a group or family it is possible to make considerable savings by purchasing a wristband for unlimited rides especially if you will be staying until you have been on nearly every ride as individual prices soon amounts to a great deal.

How To Get There And B&B Accommodation 

As mentioned earlier in this article, Blackpool is very easy to get to nowadays as it is possible to travel to the town by automobile, railway or air. If you are arriving by train you will, most likely, be arriving at the main train station in Blackpool, Blackpool North found on Talbot Road. Just a short distance further down Talbot Road is where you will find Blackpool National Express Coach Station, Blackpool’s main bus station. The other rail station, Blackpool South, is at Waterloo Road, which is much closer to the Pleasure Beach. Blackpool’s airport is located approximately 2 miles south of the town centre and was previously known as, Blackpool Squires Gate Airport, one of the oldest British airports.

Blackpool bed & breakfast accommodation is priced fairly low. Accommodation is less expensive in the off season and more expensive on weekends. Hotels in Blackpool are at their most costly during the Blackpool Illuminations, which is really peak season in Blackpool.

A handy tip: Some hotels can be extremely busy and rather noisy especially those found between Central Pier and North Pier. If you rather stay in a quieter location try booking accommodation beyond the North Pier.

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest, and most lively, city with excellent shopping opportunities and an incredible nightlife. For the more bohemian visitor there are countless places to visit in the West End which features boutiques, bars, tea rooms, cafés, restaurants and clubs as well as some excellent Glasgow bed and breakfast accommodation. In the article below I will introduce three visitor attractions in Glasgow which should be of interest to those people who have an interest in the world of art; the Burrell Collection, the House For An Art Lover and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum:

Burrell Collection

Sir William and Lady Burrel gifted The Burrel Collection to the city of Glasgow, in 1944 and the collection can be found at Pollok Country Park which is found in the south of Glasgow This beautiful collection of art works is made up of over 9,000 items of art. The collection is incredibly diverse containing a selection of modern artistic sculptures plus a collection of Islamic art. You will find paintings by Degas and Cezanne. As well as paintings and sculptures one can enjoy the incredibly beautiful collections of stained glass, tapestries, English furniture and alabasters. As well as all this, the Burrell Collection also displays an immensely important collection of medieval art plus collections from ancient China and Egypt.

House For An Art Lover

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

Actually the design was created for a 1901 competition to make plans for a ‘House for an Art Lover’, however, the entry by Charles and his wife was disqualified on the grounds that it was submitted after the closing date. Luckily, more than one hundred years later the house is found in Bellahouston Park due to the efforts of the architect Professor Andy Macmillan and the engineer Graham Roxburgh. Construction started in 1989, halted for a short amount of time but restarted in nineteen ninety four thanks to a collaboration between the Glasgow School of Art and the Glasgow City Council.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery is one of Scotland’s finest museums and art galleries and where you will find one of the greatest civic art collections in Europe, but also it is one of the most popular free tourist attractions to be found in Scotland.

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

If you are thinking about a short break in Glasgow you will find a large selection of online hotels and guest houses offering Glasgow bed and breakfast accommodation. You will find a comprehensive range of Glasgow hotels at http://www.glasgowhotelscotland.com/

Dundee has been the site of a settlement for as far back as the time of the Picts. Dundee, the fourth largest city to be found in the nation of Scotland, has had a long association with trade and commerce. The 3 primary industries, in Dundee, were “journalism, jute and jam”.  Though the city can be described as city which is post-industrial it has an economy which is mixed and a large proportion of its inhabitants are employed in the manufacturing sector (compared to the rest of the country), about thirteen and a half percent. Recently the tourist industry has started to become a vital part in the economy of the city and there are a fair number of guest houses providing bed and breakfast in Dundee and in the text below I introduce readers to 3 attractions in Dundee; Verdant Works, Sensation Science Centre and Discover Point Visitor Centre:

Discover Point Visitor Centre

Discovery Point is a immensely interesting and award-winning visitor attraction in Dundee which introduces the tale of the most heroic  voyages of exploration ever done, the story of the famous Antarctic explorer, Captain Robert Falcon Scott, and the ship he used on his first voyage,  the RRS Discovery. the Discovery was launched on March the twenty first, nineteen hundred and one from the town’s Panmure Shipyard. Captain Scott and his crew set sail for Antarctica on August the 6th nineteen hundred and one, reaching there in January 1902. The RRS Discovery is the major element of the visitor centre having been fully restored from top to bottom. Steep stairs and narrow passageways can create problems in getting about for some, luckily, visitors will find there is an audio visual presentation on the dockside.

Sensation Science Centre

If you are in search of a tourist attraction which the whole family can enjoy, then Sensation Science Centre in Dundee is the ideal solution. Sensation Dundee is the only UK science centre which focuses upon the five senses of the human body. You can discover the miracles of sciences  through the use of the senses of the body with the aid of over 80 hands-on interactive exhibits. You will also find live scientific experiments and on the spot demonstrations, which demonstrate how common ingredients found in the home can be used to create amazing effects. Visitors interested in surgery are able to try their hand at keyhole surgery. Sensation brings science to life in lots of 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 industry in Dundee employed around 50 thousand people in over sixty factories spread across Dundee. Nowadays,  Verdant Works brings this industry to life, by using a wide range of displays including, interactive computers, original machinery and film shows. This incredible museum was once home to 3 enormous steam engines which powered seventy looms and nearly 3,000 spindles.  There was also 500 people working there, spinning and preparing jute for it to be weaved across the road in a different factory. Restoration of the mill commenced in nineteen ninety two and it opened its doors to the public for the very first time on the sixteenth of September nineteen ninety six.

If you are planning a short break in Dundee you will discover a large amount of online hotels and guest houses offering bed and breakfast in Dundee. You will discover a comprehensive range of Dundee accommodation at http://dundee.hotelreservationhelper.com/

During these difficult times many people are currently seriously examining the way they run their affairs and attempting to save money. One way in which many are reducing expenditure is to take a vacation in Britain the reason being that the British pound is so weak against other currencies leading to the situation that vacations abroad for those living in the U.K. are expensive than in years gone by and much cheaper for visitors coming from Europe and the US. In the article below I introduce the seaside resort of Southport, England.

Southport is a delectable seaside resort found on the English North West coast. Visitor attractions include, Southport Pier, Hesketh Park, Lord Street, Churchtown village, the Botanic Gardens at Churchtown, Botanic Gardens Museum, Wayfarers’ Arcade and more. Lord Street is the main street in Southport. All the way along one side of Lord Street the broad pavement are covered by superb Victorian iron work plus a fine row of deciduous trees lining the road. On the facing side of the road you will discover  gorgeous flower beds and small gardens with pools and fountains plus a Victorian bandstand. Right at the very centre of Lord Street is most probably the most incredible war monuments in the land with an obelisk in the middle and 2 other memorials on each side which have large columns. Lord Street features some of the finest architecture to be found in Southport and it is where you will discover the enchanting Wayfarers’ Arcade.

The incredibly beautiful Hesketh Park is found at the end of Lord Street. Hesketh Park gets its name from the Hesketh family just like Lord Street the park has plenty of trees. There are beautiful hidden areas to be discovered, a play park, glass house, bandstand and more to be found within Hesketh Park however the most prominent feature is the gorgeous lake.

You will find another wonderful park, the Botanic Gardens in Chruchtown which features a lake laid out like a river which has plenty of wildlife, swans and ducks plus an ornate bridge and boating plus if you like animals and birds the Botanic Gardens also has a very small zoo, just in front of the cafe and museum. Churchtown village itself is a gorgeous collection of old cottages, fishermen’s cottages and houses the majority of which are white and some of them have a roof of thatch. It is vital that you take a walk around and that you are not afraid to look down alleys because there are a small number of hidden areas well worth the trouble to discover.

Finding bed & breakfast in Southport is relatively easy with a large choice of guest houses and hotels in Southport available online. There are hotels and guest houses suitable for all budgets and tastes from cheap and cheerful to luxurious in Southport’s town centre or just outside.

Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands, was granted city status in two thousand and one and at this moment in time is the only Highland city. Strangely Inverness has no statutory boundaries which causes problems with people estimating population. The situation is exaggerated because of the fact that the population of the city is sharply increasing, Inverness has the highest growth rate in Great Britain. One thing we can say for certain is that Inverness has a very content population, Inverness was ranked 5th in a survey taken, by the Telegraph (2008), of 189 UK cities for quality of life. Following on we can say that Inverness is a pretty cool place in which to spend time and this is most probably one of the facts which make the city amazingly popular with tourists. Crucially there is a great deal of Inverness bed & breakfasts with the majority of it being able to be booked online.

Inverness is also often called the gateway to the Highlands of Scotland for the obvious fact that it is best placed to make the most of the Highland public transport system and a large amount of visitor attractions are relatively easy to get to. Probably the best way to reach them is by going on a tour or day trip. A few tour companies visiting places such as, Urquart Castle, Loch Ness or Culloden or for the more adventurous visitor it is possible to visit Orkney and John O’Groats in a single day. It is also possible to go on a small selection of city tours, such as those run by City Sightseeing.

A small amount of visitors stay in two different cities or towns in the Highlands of Scotland as an example Inverness and, later, Fort William. Fort William is more popular with sports people especially ramblers, mountaineers and hill walkers who take their chances getting to the top of Ben Nevis which is only a short distance from the town’s center. In a similar way to Inverness bed & breakfast in Fort William and rather like all bed & breakfast accommodation in Scotland it is commonly cheap, excellent value for money and incredibly tidy, clean and comfortable with the best hospitality.

An important thing to remember is that the airport for Inverness is, roughly, 7 miles away at Dalcross. You can catch a bus or hail a cab to the small and busy airport which is not too expensive. If you will be needing a map of the area then you should get one of the free ones at the tourist office, on Castle Wynd. While you are in Inverness you should make a point to visit Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness Castle, the ’stone of tubs’ and Mercat Cross especially the Castle Garrison Encounter, a fun interactive experience.

London, the capital city of England, is as famous for its unique shopping opportunities as it is for its interesting culture and prestigious history Travelers from all ’round the globe travel to London to indulge in the immense number of department stores, boutique stores and specialist markets. With the strong $ and weak £ those from the USA will discover goods are cheaper as it has been in the past, it is the same situation for those people traveling from Europe as the UK Pound is also weak against the Euro.

Well Known Department Stores In London

Probably the most well known department store in London is Harrods department store in Knightsbridge the planet’s largest standing on 18,000 m2 of floor space.  The motto of Harrods department store is “all things for all people, everywhere” or ‘Omnia Omnibus Ubique’. Most folk associate Harrods with exclusivity and luxury and most famous are the toy department and food hall

Selfridges is another store that is worthy of a mention.  Found on Oxford Street, Selfridges opened for business in 1909. Built and named after the American businessman Gordon Selfridge the department store was carefully designed so that all of the goods could be readily accessible to the prospective buyer which was a new idea at the time.

The Best Places To Go Shopping In London

Covent Garden has become very well known for its specialist and unusual shops and is considered a hip place to hang out. Besides the fascinating shops you will also discover a small number of restaurants and eating places in and around Covent Garden.

Camden Market is another popular London market place. Even though there have been a variety of markets in Camden at different times the present market began business in 1974. The market at Camden is actually a number of adjoining markets of various types together providing a huge selection of wares.

Streets In London Famous For Shopping

Chelsea’s main high street is the Kings Road which is one of London’s most chic and stylish streets in which to go shopping. The Kings Road had, during the nineteen seventies, a close association with Punk, the Sex Pistols and their manager Malcolm Maclaren, in more recent times the Kings Road is much quieter but still well worth a visit.

Sloane Street is another road in London associated with shopping which is named after Sir Hans Sloane who purchased much of the surrounding area in 1712.

Staying In London

Getting to London is amazingly easy, being England’s capital transport links are amazing and London’s underground makes everywhere incredibly easy to get to.

London accommodation appears everywhere and is easy to find but sadly it can prove to be slightly over priced. It is usually wisest to book your London hotels online and you will discover a huge selection of London hotels, guest houses and apartments at http://www.londonhotel4u.co.uk/.