this museum is actually inside Carlisle Castle in Queen Mary's Tower and is well worth a visit…read morewhile you are there. It is free to get in once you have paid to get into the Castle and it has many displays of uniforms, weapons, equipment, musical instruments, and the most interesting part for me was seeing the personal items of soldiers and reading their stories. That really made it feel more real to me. In the museum there is also a mock up of what it would have been like in one of the trenches in WW1 my boys really enjoyed this part. There are two floors to this museum and it is amazing what they have packed into such a relatively small area. There is a small gift shop here too selling items relating to the regiment and the army in general and I believe they also hold a lot of archive records and will do research for you but they will ask for a donation towards the running of the museum.

Came here on the way down south. Only had limited time, but this castle was on our route. Has an…read moreinteresting part in history and was free for us EH members. For 500 years, until the English and Scottish crowns were united in 1603, Carlisle Castle was the principal fortress of England's north-western border with Scotland. Unlike most medieval castles, it has been continuously occupied since its foundation by William II in 1092. When Mary, Queen of Scots fled from her rebellious subjects to England in May 1567, she was housed for some weeks here. This was the last time the castle was used as a royal residence. These are just some of the countless interesting facts. There's a lot more to see, learn and read. Funnily enough just the day before we've visited Linlinthgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary. You can visit lots of rooms, can walk on the walls. You can see the prison cells and much more. Its' a highly interesting castle. There is also Cumbria's Museum of Military Life on site, if you got some time on your hands. A museum shop, toilets and a café/restaurant. Picnic tables outside as well. All in all a very interesting visit. We only had 2-3 hours time, but you could easily spend a day here.

From the outside a very nice building with a piece of well-kept lawn. For our group, however, the…read moreadmission fee was a touch expensive, so we left the charms of the interior to wealthier people. Zvenku velmi pěkná stavba s opečovávaným trávníkem. Pro naši skupinku ovšem poněkud dražší vstupné, takže kouzla interiéru jsme nechali movitějším :)

The place is okay, but the altitude ! Urrrgh! The lady from gift shop ORDERED me to throw my drink…read moreaway before entering the shop. She could have asked nicely and explained that. Instead, she forced me to throw it away and when I asked if I can leave it at the counter, so that I can continue my purchase, she said that the counter (which the cashier and some pamphlets are on) is too valuable and forced me to leave instantly. Does customers look like shit to her, or she is just being racist? Either way, I would definitely not recommend this place to anyone I know. Very bad experience.

Always worth a visit, especially with children on a rainy day! If you live in Carlisle, get a…read moreTullie Card, and you get in for free. There are regularly changing exhibitions in the Art Gallery, and interesting history and art displays in Old Tullie House and in the new wing. They are really good at putting on activities for children at half term and in the school holidays, and these are usually free. It's a gem - and the cafe's good too! Tullie House is also the only place you will be able to see arthouse films in Carlisle now.

Great museum for all ages. The exhibits are very well laid out and they include plenty of…read moreinteractive things for kids, like dress up clothes, coloring, hands on activities, and touch-screen games. Great views of Carlisle Castle from the Lookout, too.

This is a review of the Via Ferrata Xtreme climb which is based at Honister Slate Mine…read more(http://www.honister-slate-mine.co.uk/via_ferrata_at_honister.asp). After an induction in the equipment room, the climbing instructor provides everyone with a harness and helmet before the group (maximum of 12 people) walks up part of the miners' track to start the guided ascent. Via Ferrata means 'Iron Way' and you'll soon see why as there are iron rungs, supports and a continuous metal cable all the way along the route. It's certainly not for the faint-hearted as you are high up on a cliff face but it's extremely safe as you have two carabiners (strong metal clips) on your harness and you keep one locked to the cable at all times as you move carefully along. You climb independently and aren't attached to anyone else. The whole experience will take 2.5 to 3 hours and it's a combination of short walks through pitch-black mine shafts, cliff edge ladders, vertical climbs, a Burma Bridge (hanging wire bridge) and cargo net crossing. It's quite tough-going but you can take your time and the instructor was really encouraging of everyone, we had a great laugh with her the whole way. Our group had a big age and ability range. After all this, the summit of Fleetwith Pike awaits (it's over 2,000 feet high) and the views of the magnificent Lake District are breathtaking. Thankfully you don't have to go back the way you came (!!) and there's a walking track all the way down to the centre. You will feel fantastic (albeit knackered) after you complete this, so go for it! Tip: no cameras or phones are permitted on the climb for safety reasons, but the instructor will take photos of everyone with their camera at key stages on the route. You can buy the CD of the photos for £15.

What a great visitor attraction this is, perched on the crest of Honister Pass. There is no museum…read moreas such but you can take 1 of 3 different mine tours lasting about an hour. You get the chance to go deep inside Honister Crag. Make sure you have a coat/fleece as it tends to get rather chilly inside. Kids love it. The more adventurous can do a Farrata track accent with a guide. If you are in the north lakes give it a look, we enjoyed the experience.

What a truly magical place! Everyone was so cheerful and accommodating! There is a lot of space…read moreinside and out to move about, shop, and even enjoy a meal. The location is clean and open whether you are eatMing a meal, shopping for gifts or souvenirs, visiting the museum, or getting married! The quality and variety of the gift items as well as the service is 5 star! Everyone is incredibly kind and helpful! Ask for Vikki the Gretna Green Experience Manager! She is exceptional at making your experience meaningful! Leslie

The old adage says that if you've got nothing good to say, then say nothing. Therefore my review of…read morethe so-called famous old blacksmith's shop at Gretna Green is that it is obviously a great place for a sandwich and maybe a cup of coffee. That's pretty much all anybody there was doing - sitting around eating their bring-your-own sandwiches and drinking a takeaway coffee. And that's because eating a sandwich and having a coffee is pretty much all there is to see or do unless of course you want to buy any manner of English/Scottish memorabilia/food/junk that you could buy anywhere else in England/Scotland or online. For an incredulous experience, visit Gretna Green's infamous blacksmith's shop. You'll leave wondering why! Oh, apparently you can also marry or renew your wedding vows there but I think guests have to bring their own sandwiches.