A beautiful old country house with historic charm. This gigantic mansion is home to one of the…read moreworlds finest art collections. The whole place can be rented for events and is truly worth it. Think Wayne Manor just for your group. We had a bbq reception there and it was just breathtaking to stand on the terrace and watch the sunset, and then going inside to listen to the jazz band playing their tunes.

This is a 15th century castle which was built from stones from the priory. It was converted into a…read morecastle that could be lived in at the start of the 20th century so the rooms are full of edwardian furniture It is quite a walk up to the castle so I would try and get the bus that goes there and back. My fav part is the room to the left when you go in kind of a scullery really dark A really interesting castle with quite a few rooms to look at a walled garden and great views from the roof Check the tide times before you go though as you dont want to get stuck on the island

Beautiful setting and views I love castles. This one was so…read moresweetly remade as a home and is now being cared for so well by the National Trust it was a very pleasant tour. Take the time when you go to savor the layers of history and to see the other areas like the lime kilns , labyrinth and gardens. Do not let yourself be rushed by not leaving enough time. There is also little need to recommend it; if you are on Lindisfarne there is a limited number of sites!

My wife and I visited Alnwick Castle on a cold blustery day in September 2024. It was one stop of…read moremany in a tour around Roman, Saxon, Viking and Norman historical sites across the country. I'm a sucker for castles me. What boy isn't. Alnwick is so well preserved its a real treat. In fact its a living working home to the Earl of Northumberland.  The history encapsulated in this venue is vast. Built by the Normans, owned by the Percy family and the site of battles and sieges during the Wars Of The Roses, captured by Yorkists, recaptured by Lancaster. The walls have many tales to tell. There are lots of activities outside of historical studies. DragonQuesting, Harry Potter themed events (having been filmed here), knights quest, archery. It's great for kids. But thats not why we were there. We were here for the history. And there are lots of small museum displays around the site. There was a great tour around the State House that went into some good detail of the lives of the Percy family through the years. Its a magnificent building. Stately and opulent. Whereas the outside has the battlements and the armouries. And the grounds are beautiful, alongside the River Aln. We parked on The Peth, luckily found a spot right next to the castle, avoiding the walk from paid parking lots. Spent an hour or two at the end of a long day here, but wish we had more time to leisurely enjoy all Alnwick Castle has to offer.

I especially wanted to visit Alnwick castle as some of the scenes from Harry Potter had been filmed…read morethere. Me and my friend travelled from Edinburgh for the day and it took us 90 minutes each way, but it was so worth it. When we arrived it cost £3 for parking. The car parks are a good 15 minute walk from the castle, so if anyone has walking issues then be prepared. The first bit you reach is the gardens which are beautiful. You pay for the gardens separately to the castle. You could spend a day in both as there is so much to do. You can get your castle tickets validated for a year, meaning you can visit as often as you want for the next year. This is brilliant as your ticket is only £14 per adult. We had been warned that broomstick training tickets sell out quickly so we headed straight there. The tickets are free but are very popular. We arrived at 12pm and the next tickets we could get were for 3pm. To be honest we went to do it, but it was more for kids. So we gave our tickets away and headed for the movie tour, I'll come back to this. We headed to the gardens to have lunch. We got some fish and chips which were reasonably priced and went and sat on the lawn to eat them. We were lucky as we had a lovely sunny day. We then investigated the gardens which included a fairy trail, where you had to find the clues to save the princess, a maze, a beautiful water feature, a maze made from bamboo and a Poisen garden. We never managed the Poisen garden but heard good things. Back to the castle, it is a beautiful castle with stunning views. we wandered about, there was lots of entertainment for all ages. As I said earlier we left the broomstick training to join the movie tour. This was fascinating and we were shown the different places that things had been filmed. I knew about Harry Potter but not about Robin Hood prince of thieves, Black Adder and more recently Downton Abbey. As they say, time passes when you're having fun and the day flew past. We'd didn't even manage to go into the castle or visit the tree house. I will defo be taking advantage of my years free entry. Definitely worth a visit whatever age you are. Oh and all the staff members where lovely and friendly. All me and my friend kept saying was this has just been a perfect day, and it really was..

Definitely recommend! The tour guide Lesley is very friendly and helpful. The rooms are beautiful…read moreinside, and you can take photos and videos. Super interesting to hear the history of the castle! Can take an uber from Edinburgh, but will have to call a private car for a ride to the closest train station.

I chose a lovely day to visit Thirlestane Castle in Lauder in the Borders in Scotland.Its easily…read moreaccessible from Edinburgh or even Newcastle. From Edinburgh, it takes you about an hour to get there, down the A68. The castle is located on the Lauderdale estate and nowadays is part of a trust. It's a fairy tale castle and has been in the possession of the Maitland family for over 500 years. One part of the castle is still lived in by the current family, the Duke of Lauderdale. The family tree I'd displayed in one of their rooms and you will notice family connections with other famous aristocratic families like the Dysart's, Home, Lauder, Ogilvie etc The castle is definitely worth a visit. There are many rooms to explore, one grander than the previous. Must confess that my most favourite piece in the castle was an amazingly well preserved toy, a children's play mansion. I have never seen such a grandiose master piece. Every room in this miniature mansion was filled with dolls, furnishings and any possible accessories you can imagine! The staff in the castle are very kind, knowledgeable and very proud of its historic value. There is a small gift shop and a lovely tea room. The tea shop interior is very colourful and warm. They offer plenty of food choices. Sometimes, the service felt a bit chaotic, but they made it up with their very kind attitude. The estate is vast, but I did not get the impression that there is much to explore in the gardens (in the back) However, there is a playground for the children, a large picnic area and a woodland walk that also leads you to the lower car park. Check out their website. There might be some events on that you might like. When I was there they had lots of Rovers (mostly old timers) displayed in the front garden and people were really proud of their cars. This place had lots of character and it's pride in heritage! It's worth a visit - don't miss out! I will be back!

This trip to the UK has been an awakening. A beautiful one…read more First a whole day at the magnificent Kew Gardens( separate Yelp review) and now this glorious 5 hour drive from London up to St Abbs Head in eastern Scotland to catch this breathtaking sunrise( Yelp photo)- probably the best sunrise and dawn I have witnessed in Europe and specifically here at the North Sea which is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. We got there just before daylight and the goose bumps started with the really scenic and easy 3.7 mile trek to the water. En route to the lighthouse is the gorgeous National Natural Reserve. Fishing boats were setting out with happy faces and coffee and tea flasks. This is the spot where "Avengers End Game" and also the "Avengers Infinity Wars "movies were filmed. This is an absolute must do. Away from the city - just 5 hours from London with green around, that intoxicating air, one of the biggest seabird colonies consisting of puffins, razorbills, kittiwakes, ravens flycatchers and herring gulls. The big bonus -we get to try and understand and speak with that lovely Scottish accent with the locals who are just amazing and dynamite. I also was itching to do that 52 feet cliff dive which I did. The water temp was about 45 degrees F and it felt sooooo good. The lighthouse is closed to the public but every other adjacent area is open year round. Beautiful St Abbs Head!!

Oh gosh... what can I say about St. Abb's Head? We set out to find a lighthouse but really what we…read morefound was a lot more. There is a path of sorts that takes you either from near Saint Abb's (the town), just further down the main road from the Nature Reserve car park, or you can head out from the car park itself. The longer path that we took, takes you past fields of cows, up a steepish incline over to the coast, with volcanic rocks covered in seabirds. Turns out this area is a National Nature Reserve, with the majority of east coast seabirds nesting here before scattering out across the sea. The sea looks beautiful and clear here. It isn't quiet, as you constantly have birds milling around and when we went, warm but with a cool wind that we took shelter from in order to picnic on the cliff edge. The lighthouse itself was built in the 19th century, but hasn't been manned since the early nineties. The buildings themselves are offlimits to walkers, but you can continue along the walker-beaten paths (if heading towards Saint Abbs) or along the road if you are heading back to the car park. You can drive up to the top for the cost of a couple of quid (honesty box) but please drive slowly as there are walkers every where - some were definitely defying the concept of 'slow'. There are some easier paths than others, but this is on a rocky coastal outlook so get ready for some uphill climbs. Again, for bird spotters, or for those who love the outdoors, it's a treasure. Note to self in future, if a 7th centure monk like St Abb made this place her home, you know you are going to be in for something special.

Wow...just wow...Carberry Tower is absolutely stunning and I was lucky enough to attend a wedding…read morereception here last night. When you turn into Carberry you are met by a long, tree lined drive with cute wee bunnies hopping around the grounds, I couldn't help but let out a huge "awwwwwwe" at the beauty in front of me. Round the side is no less beautiful with well groomed gardens and knee-height maze-like plants (yip I had a wee run round!). Then there's the hotel; full of olde-worldy grandeur (you know, the kind with knights armoury and shields dotted about the place), you can't fail to be impressed by its appearance, and inside is no different. It's a rabbit warren of snugs, stairwells, nooks and crannies and so much fun to explore. The library is utterly charming while the drawing room has a piano tucked away in one corner (cue chopsticks by a slightly inebriated me!). There is a very small bar, which for a wedding wasn't ideal due to the large number of guests (probably fine for regular stays however), and a word of warning, it isn't cheap...2 (single) Hendricks and tonic waters...£14! And sadly not even served with cucumber! Bar prices aside it was a really lovely venue for a wedding, I'm told there is even a Chapel in the grounds - you can't get more romantic really. As an evening guest I haven't tried the food so don't feel I can award the full 5 stars but it's definitely now on my radar to go back for a meal.

I feel that my experience of this gorgeous hotel was tainted slightly by the fact that I was…read morestaying here prior to having Major surgery the next day. The hotel is set in stunning grounds and we found it quite easy to find. We had booked through booking.com and experienced no issues with the booking process. We were allocated room 315 which was right at the top of the hotel with a window that unfortunately was painted shut. It was an unbelievably hot night when we stayed and the room was stiffling hot. It would have been nice to be able to open the window for fresh air. Although our room was compact there was a great use if space and we were very grateful if the free water! Due to my appt we didnt sample breakfast the next morning but I did manage to make great use of the amazing white company toiletries on offer and the shower was brilliant! I would really like to return here and stay when i dont have the stress of such a major life event looming where i can truely relax.