The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
EXPLORING OUR HOME COUNTRY
From St Andrews to Fort William there is plenty to see during the summer, now restrictions are lifted, with a lot available right on your doorstep,
With the Scottish tourism industry slowly returning to life after enforced lockdown, we take a look at some of the good deals on offer, the changes being made and some of the exciting experiences you can look forward to trying.
GRACE THE SPACE AT THE FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS
The iconic Fairmont St Andrews Hotel reopened its doors this week to offer a secluded staycation for those wanting to enjoy a post-lockdown escape.
New for this year is a programme entitled Grace the Space, events and activities celebrating the freedom of natural landscapes.
Guests can enjoy a selection of bespoke experiences including:
• Luxury afternoon tea in the hotel’s own specially erected yurt.
• Guided coastal path walks with Neil Dobson, the local harbour master/marine archaeologist, when they’ll learn about the coastline, flora and fauna.
• A new Champagne bar with a newly decked section with a sandy beach area, striped deck chairs, two-hole putting area and bar.
• Secluded alfresco dining spots dotted around the grounds serving locally sourced, simple delicacies.
There’s also activities such as one-to-one golf, solo greenhouse planting and coastal cycling.
Room rates at Fairmont St Andrews start from £186 per night for B&B, based on two adults sharing a king-size room.
• Contact: www.fairmont.com or call 0871 6630624.
HOME ON THE RANGE
It’s been an exciting few days at The Nevis Range resort near Fort William, as it is now open five days a week.
Staff at the resort – which is around seven miles north of Fort William and south of
Spean Bridge – worked hard to put new safety measures in place, including thermal screening and increased cleaning procedures.
Changes made include both foot passengers and cyclists using the Mountain Gondola being asked to wear face coverings.
The plan is for the range to operate from Wednesday to Sunday, for the rest of the summer, while making exceptions around bank-holiday dates.
While some projects had to be cancelled, work has continued with the Blue Bike Track, an exciting new blue-graded, uplift-accessible trail, which is hoped will open by May next year.
It will be a super addition to the resort’s extensive network of mountain bike trails, many of which offer superb, far-reaching countryside views. • www.nevisrange.co.uk
DISCOUNT DEALS
OYO is offering discounts of up to 20% at its independently owned hotels.
Bookings must be made during July 2020 through www.oyorooms.com and the offer applies to stays until the end of this year.
Hotels taking part in this special offer include the OYO Eastbank Hotel in Rothes, the Braeriach Hotel in Newtonmore, Kinloch Arms in Carnoustie, Loch Ness Drumnadrochit and Glenpark Hotel in Ayr.
All the hotels are now open apart from the Glenpark Hotel, which has availability from August 1 onwards.
WELCOMING RAIN, AND SUN...
Two European forest reindeer calves born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park in May have been named Regnar and Solen, which means rain and sun in Swedish.
The park, near Kincraig, recently re-opened, so visitors can now meet the youngsters in person, so long as they book in advance.
A wide range of safety measures has been put in place at the family-friendly park to protect both visitors and staff.
These include limiting visitor numbers, which is why advance, online booking is required.
One-way routes will be in place in some areas and all keeper talks are currently postponed, to avoid creating a crowd.
The cafes will be open for takeaways and it’s card-only payments. • www.highlandwildlifepark.org.uk
BOOKING INCENTIVE FROM APEX HOTELS
Apex Hotels is offering customers a £25 welcome-back gift as it gears up for the summer season.
As it reopens its doors in Dundee, Edinburgh, London and Bath from July 20, the hotel chain wants to say thank you to its loyal customers. So it is sending a £25 gift voucher direct to the inbox of anyone who has previously booked a stay in an Apex hotel.
The gift can be used towards an overnight experience for two nights or more before September 30. So look out for this dropping into your inbox soon from gift-voucher provider SK Chase – your voucher link will be inside.
To redeem your voucher, book direct at apexhotels.co.uk and simply take the voucher along with you when you arrive for your city break. A member of the hotel team will then deduct your £25 voucher from your bill upon departure.
So will you spend your voucher in the City of Discovery and enjoy walking along its beautiful new waterfront area, or do the sights and sounds of Auld Reekie take your fancy?
The choice is yours.