Good because Eleanor's narration left us wanting more. Inside was out of bounds so we were left…read morewith a half hour outside tour and the mini museum of the witches. We were thirsty for much more history than was given but what was given was great. Eleanor was a born story teller and there is so much more to this history than was given. For 2 pound 50 it was a bargain. What stories this castle could tell.

You'd be silly to come all the way to Lancaster without seeing the castle!…read more The castle is still a working court and prison, but you can take tours there seven days a week if you head around back (near the requisite gift shop.) The keep dates to the 12th century and the history of the castle is very interesting. The guides are well informed and fun to listen to, and there are events here throughout the year. When you finish, it's worth heading out front, putting the castle at your back and taking a walk down the street towards town. On the right, you'll see a sign for the Nice Cafe, and inside that building is the tourism office, which always has more info on things to see locally. If you go a few feet further and look left, you will find the Merchant's Pub, one of the oldest and coolest pubs in town. Grab a burger and a pint and enjoy their patio!

Apparently Englands oldest tourist attraction with folk paying from the 1750s to visit the cave…read morewhere tje prophetess waa born and the petrifying cave where objects are turned to stone. Theres a lovely walk along the river. To be honest the entry fee is a bit steep.

Great outdoor walk. Very serine and a bit creepy. Not the witch but all the bunny stuff. Kind of…read moreBlair witch. Pictures attached. The bunnies and statues were out of a bad Alice in wonderland nightmare. The shiptons cave witch was your typical witch with the hunch back and mole on her nose... so passé. We went on a slightly rainy weekday. We were one of the only ones there. The waterfall with petrified articles from everyday life reminded me of a serial killers back yard. Highly recommend.

I already knew a lot about Roman history but Peter was able to add so many wonderful details and we…read morehad a great discussion of the meaning of the wall to historians and debated the reasons for its building. Not your average tour. A very sophisticated guide!

The day we spent with Peter Carney was the highlight of our UK trip. His knowledge of Roman…read morehistory and the area were invaluable as was his easygoing personality. We were picked up at our B&B in Haltwhistle and driven to some of the very best sections of Hadrian's wall and 2 museums (Roman Army Museum and Vindolanda). Without Peter's insight and knowledge, we would have missed some of the most important features, construction and history of the wall and the fort at Vindolanda. Because Peter knows the archeologists at Vindolanda, we were able to get the "inside scoop" of the artifacts discovered the day we visited. We even held some of the day's artifacts in our hands while one of the lead archeologist explained where they were digging and what they were finding. Peter made the the history Hadirian's Wall come alive, and we thoroughly enjoyed our day. Email: petercarney@hadrianswall-walk.com http://www.hadrianswall-walk.com

If you are remotely considering a trip to Scotland to visit distilleries (be it any regions,…read moreHighland, Lowland, Speyside or Islay), you must contact Willie and Craig at Celtic legend/Whisky Tours Scotland! After doing some research on-line, I found their site and immediately contacted them to organize a tour with 8 people in the Islay region. We price compared options and their prices were right in line what one could expect finding accommodations and travel. When you factor in their tour guide service and everything else they set up, their prices were quite excellent! And the key being that they are so pleasant to deal with! Willie helped organize the Tour, and Craig was our guide. They also gave us numerous names of folks that toured with them to discuss some of their experiences. They will answer e-mail promptly. For a little background, we planned a larger scale trip that had us fly from Los Angeles to London, then flew into Glasgow (where Craig picked us up), went to Islay, were dropped off in Edinburgh by Craig, then flew to Dublin, then went back to Los Angeles. From the moment Craig picked us up at the airport in Glasgow, the tour was amazing! We spent the first part of the day venturing the countryside on our way to Islay, took the ferry to Islay, stayed the night and began the real tour in the morning! We had the most amazing tour at Laphroaig, went to Ardbeg for an amazing lunch (where the brave of us tried haggis and lamb burgers that were delicious!) , then went to see ruins of the oldest church in Islay (which was uniquely beautiful) and we concluded our tour day with a fun tour at Lagavulin. We then had some delicious dinner at Bridgend. The next day had us go to Bruichladdich, then off to Finlaggin to see the amazing ruins by the sea, then to Kilchomen for some tasty food for lunch, and lastly to Bowmore for the grand finale! The last day was a travel day to Edinburgh, where Craig stopped at many spots along the way for all of us to soak in. Craig was the kindest and nicest guide one could ask for! He was very tolerant of all the odd personalities of our tour group, me especially! We planned out our trip for about 9 months before actually going. We went this past July 2011. Be prepared to pay some deposits to lock in an amazing stay. I simply cannot recommend Celtic legend/Whisky Tours Scotland enough to anyone considering such a trek! Please look Willie and Craig up! They will treat you well! All of us in our group cannot thank them enough for the most amazing experience! (...and a few of the people in the group don't even drink!)

Mountain Goat Tours- 10 Lakes Spectacular…read more We spent a terrific day in the Lakes District with an outstanding guide. Lisa was competent, fun, knowledgeable, funny, patient, entertaining and genuinely cared that everyone in her charge had a great experience. It was not the ideal day with rains and winds that caused Lisa to change from Plan A to Plan B to Plan C on the fly. Still, we had a great day and got a nice taste of the Lake District natural sites and stunning vistas. This tour is an absolute must for any visitor the the Lakes District

From the owner: Established in 1972, Mountain Goat offer exceptional tours across Northern England. Our tours take…read moreguests away from the crowds to view spectacular views. Alongside the dramatic landscapes and picturesque scenery, you'll be treated to on-board commentary from Mountain Goat’s highly experienced local driver guides, all of who have a passion for the area and will share with you fascinating histories and stories of the region.

Not a bad place, I. Enjoyed the walk and seeing the mysterious and ominous rock formations.(except…read morefor the very natural helmets below the bridge) It is quite a long walk so I wouldn't advise visiting if you have heart or mobility problems (for your safety) but aside from that I had a blast 100% would come back!

I've given this a five star rating because it really is a beautiful and fascinating place. It's out…read morein the middle of nowhere and they only take a set number of people round on each tour, so you can find that you have to wait in the gift shop and cafe area for a bit until the next tour is ready. The cave itself is stunning. There is running water everywhere, and lights to show the various features, so it's really very atmospheric. The tour guide explains things along the way, like how the cave was discovered - they still have a dummy there to illustrate the man who crawled along a tiny little shaft to find the cave, for example. Also the various oddly shaped stalagmites and stalactites. It's very educational and really interesting. The only negative thing I would say was that, on the day we went, we were rushed round the cave so fast I really didn't enjoy it. I think maybe it was just busy that day, but we were hurried along the route too fast to really be allowed to appreciate the beauty, and also, I found a lot of it very hard going and I was quite out of breath. There are a lot of steps to climb, and also quite a lot of the route you have to walk bent over because there isn't enough head room. All of which you could probably cope with if you took your time, but as I say the guide really hurried us along and I was out of breath and uncomfortable and felt cheated that I didn't get more of a chance to admire the beauty of the place.

Set aside a whole day for this visit. It's location is stunning & spectacular scenes. It's a huge…read morepark with ample good foot paths, well manicured lawns & abundant wild life. If you are a member of NT or EH it's free entry. Free guided tours of the abbey & water gardens included for all visitors. This saves you walking about with your head in a book. 2 cafes are located at either end of the park with toilets available. I have walked 6 miles today & barely seen the whole park so look forward to another visit. Exhibitions and follies doted around the Estate.

We visited this historic park well after the posted tourist hours. WHY? Because it's not off…read morelimits. We were the only ones, and even at 9:30 at night, it was still beautiful out and the light was bright enough to see by. We parked in the car park and made our way up to the section of wall, read the markers and began to walk around in the small cattle enclosure there. We weren't there for long, just enough to walk about a half a mile taking in a bit of the history, watching the animals and birds in the area. It was peaceful and tranquil, not at all like the past that remains in these stones.

Looking at tour bus options the history of the ancient Roman wall looked interesting. We started…read morefrom Edinburgh and crossed into England to see the wall. It was built by Romans in 40 AD and with some restoration it is still standing. It spans 70 miles from coast to coast. This wall is a marvel. Be sure to wear hiking boots if you go. We climbed stone steps and walked a small part of the wall with our tour group. The air was cool and windy so jacket with hood is suggested. We saw a herd of sheep at the top. We also saw a few people with daypacks and backpacks walking long sections of the wall. We really enjoyed this trip. My husband said seeing Hadrian's Wall was worth every dollar/pound.

Down the alleyway by the side of the Tufton Arms Hotel is the Tufton Mews Cafe and Wine Shop…read more Although it is separate from the hotel it is part of their business. I would guess as the hotel in the past was a coaching inn this is where the horses stopped. The cafe has a continental slant serving paninis and crepes, tapas, Belgian waffles and, with a nod to GB, Scottish pancakes and drop scones. It was the crepes that drew us in and they were delicious, and served by cheery staff. I would say if you wanted a quick lunch this is not the place because although there were not a lot of people in either the outside seating or inside it took an age for our meal to arrive (although the drinks arrived very promptly). While you are waiting you could take a browse around the extensive wall of wines for sale in the attached shop.