Christmas and New Year Availability

Summer is hardly over, but you may be thinking about your Christmas or New Year holidays already.  If so, why not go self-catering in Scotland?

Whether you want to curl up in front of a blazing log fire with your loved one, bring the family together from across the world, or spend Hogmanay in the country that invented it - Scotland is the place.

Our EmbraceScotland website has just launched its special listing of Christmas and New Year Availability.  This gives direct links to holiday cottages, flats, lodges and apartments all over Scotland which have confirmed availability for the festive period. 

Have you been self-catering in Scotland?

We'd love to hear your views, comments and feedback on your experience...

Flavours of Scotland

Are you a Foodie? When on holiday, do you love to try the local flavours?

Whether you eat out in a restaurant or prepare a gourmet meal in the fully equipped kitchen of your self-catering cottage, high-quality food is the key ingredient of any trip, and can make the difference between a good holiday and a great one.

Scotland ’s mountains and lochs provide an extraordinary spectrum of produce and its temperate climate is responsible for its wealth of indigenous fruit and vegetables, making Scotland’s larder one of the biggest and best in the world. The exquisite range and distinctive flavour of Scotland’s home-produced food guarantees unbeatable tasting experiences, whether it’s succulent salmon from the crystal clear rivers, gamey grouse or venison from the wild moors or a hot toddy of warming whisky to chase away the winter chills.

EatScotland is a quality assurance “where to eat” scheme from VisitScotland and a website promoting all positive aspects of food and drink in Scotland. EatScotland helps the residents and visitors to Scotland find great places to eat, not just the well-established places but also the many unsung and sometimes relatively undiscovered places within Scotland that are providing good food, but who may not have managed to get into the glossy printed guides.

Another good resource in the quest for quality food is Taste-of-Scotland.com. Their team has assembled a selection of Scottish Food Products and Food Producers which they believe reflect some of the uniqueness and range of flavours to be found in Scottish Food and Drink.

So after a long day of tantalizing your taste buds, make sure you stay in a quality-assured self-catering cottage with the help of the EmbraceScotland website.

Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival: 26 Sept- 29 Sept

Come enjoy 4 days of whisky-filled fun in Dufftown in Scotland's whisky heartland of Speyside.

One of the best ways to discover more about single malt Scotch whiskies is to come to the Autumn Speyside Whisky Festival based in and around Dufftown. It will be a lively celebration of Scotland’s national drink in one of the most beautiful producing areas with almost fifty world-famous distilleries located in Speyside .

Throughout the 4 days of the festival, several distilleries that are not normally open to the public invite whisky enthusiasts to tour their facilities and enjoy a dram. It has been described as “Heaven for whiskey lovers”.

The EmbraceScotland regional pages and the Aberdeen, Grampian, and Moray property pages will help you find a self-catering cottage to suite all tastes & budgets, but most important where you can relax after a long day of whisky tasting.

Can you save a penny while on holiday?

Do you love historic architecture and exploring crumbling old ruins, but would like money-saving ideas on seeing the country’s top visitor attractions?

While on holiday in Scotland, you will find many historical properties and gardens to enjoy. A large number of these are managed by Historic Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland. Both organisations do a great job at preserving our Scottish heritage while opening it up to the public. Some properties are owned by individuals or trusts such as the award winning Eilean Donan Castle on the road to the isles, and Delgatie Castle in Turriff, Aberdeenshire.

It can be expensive visiting castles, historical properties, and gardens, and there are many ways to save on the admission costs. If you live outside the UK (non-UK resident), The Great British Heritage Pass offers admission to both Historic Scotland sites & National Trust properties while costing an individual about £29.00 for a 4 day pass. You can also buy an Explorer Pass with Historic Scotland which costs £20.00 for 3 days (over 5 day period).

The best value for money, and a way to support these historical treasures, is to purchase a yearly membership. Historic Scotland charges £72.00 for an annual family membership (2 adults plus children) which allows the entire family into all their sites for the next 12 months. While the National Trust for Scotland’s annual family membership is $60.00.

And while you are in the saving mode, be sure the check out the EmbraceScotland’s Special Offers and Late Availability pages to save on self-catering holiday accommodation too.

The Wigtown Book Festival - 26 September to 5 October

Do you love the smell of old books? How about curling up on the sofa with a good novel ?

Well you are in luck. There is a small, friendly book festival that is held every year the end of September & beginning of October . Wigtown, known as "Scotland's Book Town", hosts the ten day Wigtown Book Festival.

For this short period of time Wigtown becomes the centre of literary interest across Scotland and well beyond it. The Wigtown Book Festival offers a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with a selection of the UK's best-loved writers and performers. With over a quarter of a million books to choose from Wigtown's many booksellers, publishers, book dealers and arts and crafts shops, it's easy to see why this is Scotland's national book town.

After a long day of attending the many book readings & exhibitions, the EmbraceScotland website can help you that perfect self-catering cottage to go along with that comfy sofa.

The Massacre of Glencoe

Do you find history fun, exciting and tremendously interesting?

Well if you do, then the history of Scotland and its heritage has some of the most amazing stories to entertain you.

One such story tells us about a grisly moment in Scotland’s history - The Massacre of Glencoe. On the night of 12 February,1692, Campbell received orders to kill all MacDonalds under seventy years of age at 5 am the next morning. The massacre began simultaneously in three settlements along the glen, Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achacon. In the early hours of a cold winter's morning the soldiers rose from their beds and set about the massacre of their hosts, with whom they had been living on friendly terms. It was this act of treachery in response to hospitality that makes this massacre such a heinous crime. Although only forty were killed, many more escaped to the hills only to die of hunger and exposure.

The monument to the fallen MacDonalds is situated in the Glencoe village, and MacIain was buried on the island of Eilean Munde, in Loch Leven. Signal Rock, where the order was given to begin the massace stands just a few hundred yards west of the Clachaig Inn on the north bank of the River Coe.

To learn more about this historic event in Scotland’s history, go to Electric Scotland’s website where they have an interesting & very detailed account of the massacre.

And as you prepare your Glencoe expedition, be sure to research the Glencoe property listings on the EmbraceScotland website. Make sure your holiday is a memorable in your own history books!

Glasgow’s Merchant City Festival: 25-28 September, 2008

Are you ready for a festival with a cosmopolitan flair? How about hip and exciting nightlife?

Then come witness Scotland at its most vibrant during the Merchant City Festival in Glasgow.

The Festival not only showcases the energy of this thriving and creative district of Glasgow but also enhances the city’s credentials as Glasgow: Scotland with style.

The Merchant City Festival presents a cutting-edge programme featuring the cream of Scotland’s theatre, music, visual arts, comedy, dance, film, food and fashion scene. During the Festival, discover opera singers in the courtyards performing alongside thrilling street theatre, iconoclastic comedy and music from every genre in the bars and on the street. In addition, the Festival even has a short film programme that screens films in usual venues such as estate agents, hairdressers and opticians. This year’s programme will also feature an exciting fashion show in conjunction with ChildLine Scotland.

The EmbraceScotland Glasgow listings will help you find a self-catering cottage to suite all tastes & budgets, but most important where you can relax after a long day (or night) of celebrating.

Culloden Battlefield and Vistor Centre

Are you a history buff? Did you know that the Battle of Culloden was the site of the last major pitched battle fought on British soil?

On 16 April 1746 two armies clashed in a final confrontation over the thrones of Britain. In just one hour the army of the British government under Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland crushed the Jacobite army under Prince Charles Edward Stuart.

The moor where the battle took place, and where more than 1500 men are buried, is wild and atmospheric. A visit to the exciting new Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre provides a memorable way of experiencing this key period in Scotland’s past.

Imagine what it was like to be at the centre of the action when you visit the Battle immersion theatre.

Appreciate the true scale of the battle when you visit the new roof top area where you'll see a completely different view of the battlefield.

There is also a frequently changing programme of live costumed presentations offered throughout the day. From weapons demonstrations, for example about the "Frenchmen for the Prince", to presentations that look at the context of the '45 rising and the aftermath of the battle. Find out about prisoner's fates "At the King's Mercy" and hear about the courageous Jacobite women.

Come and enjoy a great day out for the entire family!

Scotland’s Countryside Festival

Summer is over with, and you have nothing to do ...

That couldn’t be further from the truth. September is literally packed with a variety of fantastic festivals and events throughout the month.

One such event is Scotland’s Countryside Festival which is held every year in the spectacular grounds of Glamis Castle, 6 & 7 September, 2008. The Festival is now in its fifth year, and, as eighteen thousand visitors discovered, it is a wonderful and exciting day out for all the family. With two craft tents bursting with the cream of craft work, a world class food hall, and over 250 shops!

Scotland's Countryside Festival is also the launch event for Scottish Food Fortnight, a national campaign to promote Scottish Food and Drink. There will be all sorts of foodie events throughout the festival which includes children cooking with Fi Bird, game demonstrations, and a Food Hall packed with goodies from across Scotland and beyond.

So take a break from boredom. Come enjoy yourself this weekend!

Crossing Borders Art Trail: 5 – 13 Sept., 2008

Crossing Borders where England and Scotland’s creative talents meet!

The Crossing Borders Art Trail is a vibrant group of artists and craftspeople living and working within North Northumberland and the Scottish Borders. The Art Trail invites you to come explore the many studios, workshops, and galleries that are not normally open to the general public. You will be able to appreciate works of art and artistic crafts produced in the borders regions, to purchase some works, and to see examples of work produced during classes throughout the year.

And while you are discovering the many creative treasures, why not choose a cosy cottage near to the event. You will find that many self-catering cottages in the Scottish Borders and throughout Scotland offer artistic classes. Have a look at the EmbraceScotland website, and you will see how easy it is to become another budding artist.