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Good - charming bedroom furnished in very appropriate style with beautiful view of Dollar Burn, good breakfast, very friendly staff

Bad - some of the public areas could do with refurbishment, old fashioned bathroom, a bit expensive at £55 for a single room.

Rating out of 10 - 8

Castle Campbell Hotel, Dollar

I stayed at the Castle Campbell Hotel in Dollar in the county of Clackmannanshire in central Scotland for one night in August 2008. The best rate I found at the hotel using the HotelsCombined price comparison site was £55 for a single with LateRooms. I checked on the hotels own site booking service and the price was £67.50.

My initial impression upon entering the hotel was that the public areas could do with refurbishment in particular the stair carpet looked very worn.

The very friendly young receptionist showed me to Skythorne, my room for the night. It was a small double room. As soon as I entered the room I felt quite at home and very serene in the charming country style decor. But it was the view of Dollar Burn from the window, made even more lovely by the window box which really impressed me. My room was at the side of the hotel. If you had a room at the front of the hotel there would probably be some road noise.

View from Skythorne, Castle Campbell Hotel

My first move was to make a cup of tea and there were 2 pieces of delicious home made shortbread on the hospitality tray. However the bathroom was rather old fashioned with quite a fiddly shower over the bath. The carpet in the bathroom was past its sell by date.

Breakfast was very good with some local strawberries and raspberries available. There were also a couple of fish options on the menu.

I enjoyed my stay at the Castle Campbell but I did feel it was little expensive especially given that the bathroom and the public areas need some attention.

East Lothian, located east of Edinburgh will be hosting the 8th annual Food & Drink Festival from 26 - 28 September 2008. Various events are being held to showcase the quality.local produce.

Haddington, East Lothian

The weekend kicks off with a Ceilidh with supper a the Glenkinchie Distillery on the evening of 26 September. On the morning of the 27 September there are cookery demonstrations at the Farmers Market in Haddington. The Slow Food Summer Fair is in North Berwick on 28 September from 11.30 - 15.30.

North Berwick harbour

There a couple of events for kids. On 27 September it’s Kids Food Fun Day at North Berwick from 11.30 - 15.30 and the “Kids in the Kitchen” is part of the Royal Scots Family Day at Musselburgh racecourse on 28 September.

I stayed at the new Travelodge in Falkirk in central Scotland last week and was horrified at just how close to the motorway it’s located. Now I do accept that Travelodges will be close to major roads and I’m not expecting the peaceful rural idyll BUT there are limits to just how close is too close for comfort.

A lorry speeds past the Falkirk Travelodge

When I checked in I was allocated a room on the first floor at the back of the hotel facing the motorway. I knew I’d never be able to sleep with the constant whoosing sounds, I reckoned the bedroom window was 5 metres from the motorway. Now it is possible to insulate against exterior noise as when I stayed at citizenM hotel right next to Amsterdam airport, no noise entered the room but this is not the case at the Falkirk Travelodge.

I went back down to the front desk and the charming receptionist was able to give me a room at the front as the hotel was pretty empty. I asked her if other guests had complained about the road noise and she said there had been complaints which had been passed onto head office. I’d hate to be in her shoes when the hotel is more than half full and irate guests can’t be moved to the quieter side.

Falkirk Travelodge car park

What I can’t understand is why the building was constructed so close to the motorway when the car park stretches in the front, the car park could have next to the motorway and the hotel built at the far end of the car park, where I was standing when I took the photo. It seems to me that the cars can enjoy a more restful night that the human guests.

Now I’m a big fan of Travelodge, they’re my favourite UK hotel budget chain because of their low prices and generally good standards but I’ll be carefully checking the exact location of Travelodges when I stay at one for the first time from now on.

I came upon an article from the Guardian entitled, “Top 10 Edinburgh Days Out“, when I was browsing recent submissions on Travel off the Cuff, showcasing some ideas for a day trip distraction for weary cultured out festival goers. I’d written about 6 out of the 10 days trips, North Berwick, Incholm, Linlithgow, Gullane, Beecraigs and Musselburgh in this blog with more information and photos than in the Guardian.

North Berwick - The Guardian article only mentions that Seabird Centre, but you can also climb Berwick Law for great panoramic views, visit Tantallon Castle and have lunch at the Grange Restaurant.

Bass Rock from Tanatallon Castle

Incholm - an island in the Forth Estuary reached from South Queensferry.

Linlithgow - with it’s palace and the nearby Beeraigs Country Park

Grazing deer at Beecraigs Country Park

Gullane - a village on the East Lothian coast which you pass through on the way to North Berwick. I’d recommend a visit to the Aberlady Bay Local Nature Reserve.

Gullane Bay

Musselburgh - which lies just east of Edinburgh has a promenade, the historic Newhailes House and the beautiful gardens at Inveresk.

Musselburgh riverside

I’d like to add a couple of my own suggestions for days out from Edinburgh, the historic villages of Culross, Ceres and Falkland in Fife for which you’d need a car or a trip to Stirling, accessible by public transport.

Culross Palace and gardens

During September 2008 there’s free entry to an array of interesting properties all over Scotland during Doors Open Days, the biggest free architectural event in Scotland. Each region will host the event on a different weekend. Some of the properties belonging to Historic Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland usually charge an admission fee to non members but will give free access during the event. Other buildings are not usually open to the public so it’s an opportunity to see behind closed doors. There are guided walks in some areas as well as activities for kids.

Last year I visited several properties in Edinburgh including the Nelson Monument which affords great views over Edinburgh.

View from the Nelson Monument over Edinburgh

This year I’m planning to spend the weekend 20 -21 September in Perthshire and Fife. It’s quite hard planning an itinerary to see as much as possible as the days as the opening hours vary between locations and I don’t want to have a mad rush trying to cram in too much.

I’m staying at the Glenfarg Hotel near Perth which looks pretty impressive. A single room is costing £35.40,, the best rate I could find using the HotelsCombined price comparison site booking through Skoosh. The price was £50 plus a £2 booking fee on the hotel’s own site.

Glenfarg Hotel

Gourmet Glasgow launches tomorrow Monday 4 August 2008 and runs until 31 August. During this period you can enjoy £15 per head dining deals at some of Glasgow’s best restaurants. If you book online you’ll also receive a free dram of Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch Whisky. There are also event nights such as the Buccleuch Beef Night, Shellfish Evening and Dine around France.

Deep fried Mars Bar

Glasgow is keen to ditch the image of fish suppers and deep fried Mars Bars washed down with Irn Bru to project a more sophisticated culinary image.

The Royal Mile awaits…. Copyright Andrew Hayes

Edinburgh is ramping up preparations for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Prices are slightly higher than last year, with a typical show now costing between £6 and £10. You don’t have to break the budget to have fun though; in this year’s programme plenty of FREE shows! The following are some of my recommendations:

- Caledonian Folk & Blues at the Guildford: a well known ‘folknfun’ pub music scene at a great city centre pub

- Best of New Irish Comedy: a nod to our neighbours on the island next door, this is a great venue and will be a hit

- Laughing Horse Comedy Festival: known for the side-splitting comedy, this year’s agenda includes a plethora of alternate genres – definitely a must-see

- Best in Stand Up – 99 Club Royal Mile: five fabulous performers every night for almost the entire fringe! Guaranteed to sell out so get tickets for this one while they last

- The Stand Comedy Club: locals know this is THE place for comedy year round; during the festival they are offering two free shows, Devlin’s Daily and Free & Easy

- Fringe Sunday: held on August 10^th this year, Fringe Sunday gives everyone an excuse to stroll the Meadows and to see some of the best fringe acts in action

Check the programme guides for details on other free events; although all the events listed above are free, you might need to obtain tickets for entry due to limited venue capacity.

Free Fringe… possibly a pot of gold? Copyright Andrew Hayes

I’ve eaten lunch many times over the last few years at The Grange Restaurant, 35 High St, North Berwick tel 01820 893344.   The three course lunch menu costs £9.95.  The dishes are freshly prepared using local produce. It’s a delicious lunch at a very reasonable price.

There’s always a good choice on the lunch menu with at least four dishes for each course. Last time I was there I had the broccoli and Stilton soup as a starter, monk fish as a main course and chocolate torte to finish.  The food is beautifully presented and the staff are charming.

North Berwick with the Bass Rock in the background

North Berwick makes a great day out from Edinburgh. It lies on the coast of East Lothian, around 25 miles east of Edinburgh. There is a frequent rail service from Edinburgh to North Berwick.

I finally got around to uploading a couple of videos I took last month in one of my favourite areas in Scotland, East Lothian, which lies to the east of Edinburgh.

The first video is taken from the promenade in Port Seton, a small coastal village, which has great views across the Forth estuary towards the county of Fife and the Lomond Hills. You can also see North Berwick Law to the east. You can catch a bus from the centre of Edinburgh out to Port Seton which only costs £2.20 return.

The second video was taken at sunset from the sea front at North Berwick. I really like North Berwick, there’s a beautiful beach, a golf course and selection of cafes and restaurants. It’s a good vantage point for views of the Bass Rock, a popular sea bird sanctuary and Berwick Law, the hill behind the town. You can reach North Berwick by rail from Edinburgh in around 40 minutes.

I’ve a long way to go to perfect my video technique. I think I move too quickly and shake too much. However I wanted to show you that Scotland isn’t always grey and wet.

If you’re looking for a pit stop in the Scottish Borders, then the Stables Tearoom at Paxton House is a characterful and charming choice. You don’t need to pay to visit the stately home to frequent the tearoom. The old stables have been beautifully converted with the horse stalls a perfect size to house a table and chairs. The cafe serves drinks, snacks and light meals.

The Stables Tearoom, Paxton House

We had a pot of tea and scones. The scones were not the best I’ve tasted but I really liked the design, layout and atmosphere of the tearoom.

Floral display in ladies toilets

An added bonus is that the toilet facilities are good and there was even an arrangement of flowers in the ladies toilet, a lovely touch.