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This site includes descriptions of interesting places and things to do. While the site focuses on the North East of Scotland, we have a wide knowledge of the West Coast and we will help you to enjoy your visit to Scotland wherever you choose to go. All you have to do is ask!

Scotland

Highland Games

Almost all of the Highland Games have finished by the first Saturday in September. So now is the time to be thinking of your 2008 visit. For visitors, there are not many events which give a better flavour of Scotland than "Highland Games". There's a variety of sporting and cultural activities from races to wrestling, from throwing a weight of some sort to tossing the caber, from Pipe Bands to Pibroch, from the Sword Dance to the Sailors' Hornpipe. There are hundreds of Highland Games to see in Scotland; there's a comprehensive listing ordered both alphabetically and chronologically on www.albagames.co.uk/.

An Australian hotel in Scotland? - Dalmunzie

Dalmunzie Hotel lies in Glen Lochsie, northwest of Spittal of Glenshee. This is a hotel for people who want majestic scenery, comfort, peace and quiet, superb food and very friendly attention from the staff. Ben Gulabin towers dramatically 2,500 feet above the hotel, just to the north east.

There was a castle near the present hotel in the 1500’s. It’s hard for us today to comprehend that these quiet and seemingly deserted glens were well populated hundreds of years ago. It certainly wasn’t always peaceful back then as clans were hacking lumps out of each other on a fairly regular basis until comparatively recent times.

The hotel has been formed out of a Victorian Hunting Lodge and for those of us who pursue hunting, shooting and fishing pursuits the hotel reeks of a bygone era. Some of the public rooms have a wonderful old style to them; once you’re in one of the leather sofas in the bar lounge, with a glass of good malt in hand, you won’t want to get up again. And may not be able to. There’s no muzak and if there’s a television it wasn’t on when this correspondent was there. Well-behaved dogs are welcomed and there was no panic when leading a dog through public rooms; unusual in this day and age.

There's a 9-hole golf course beside the hotel. It's a fun course, not too taxing but there's a lot of rough which will eat your ball. Many of the tees are elevated which makes for some cracking drives. The 7th is a short par 3, 116 yards - but the burn runs right in front of the green so you need to judge it right.

The food is first class (although some guests felt that the packed lunches were overly expensive and lacked any flair) and the traditional Scottish breakfast and 4-course dinners (exceptionally well cooked and presented) call for strenuous exercise to work them off. Catch your own wild brown trout in one of the hill lochs, such as Bainnie (or Beanie), Vrotachan, Nan Euan or a stockie from Loch Duu near the hotel and the chef, Michelle, will cook it for your dinner – or next day’s lunch. And having finished off the plate of trout, then there might be an offer of freshly cooked scones, with butter, jam and cream.

The rooms are comfortable and are being modernised on a rolling schedule. Nobody missed having a television in their room, although one can be had if you ask reception.

Sitting out on the lawn in front of the hotel having tea, scones, jams and cream with only the sound of the Lochsie Burn to disturb the peace is surely what heaven is like.

This correspondent felt that if there was one thing which made the hotel, it was the staff. They were all unfailingly polite and helpful and were all from Australia. So, not only can the Aussies stuff us at Rugby but they’re taking over in the hospitality stakes too. But Australia doesn't have haggis and they haven’t got malt whisky. OK, they’ve got an overproofed rum, Bundaberg, but that doesn’t count.

To sum up – if you want a very, very relaxing stay amidst stunning scenery with loch fishing, stalking, shooting to hand and terrific food and service, then go to Dalmunzie.

Culloden House Hotel

Culloden House Hotel is just outside Inverness. It's easy to reach by road from the south or by air, or by rail. The hotel is steeped in history having been taken over by Bonnie Prince Charlie to use as his headquarters before the Battle of Culloden. The hotel sits in about 40 acres with plenty of areas to walk dogs without disturbing other guests.

The buildings which are there now date back to John Adams in the late 19th Century but some of the interior dates back to the late 18th Century. The Forbes family bought the estate in 1626 although there are historical records going back to the early 13th century. In other words, the hotel is steeped in history. Of course, the event which interests most people nowadays is the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion when Bonnie Prince Charlie tried to regain the throne of Britain. Having gone as far south as Derby, the Prince turned back and eventually had to face the Duke of Cumberland at Culloden on April 16th 1746. This isn't the place to describe the rebellion - there's a newly modernised National Trust visitor centre not far away - but guests should note that the Prince used the hotel as his headquarters before the battle.

The hotel is one of those grand country house hotels where within minutes a guest receives a warm welcome, and thereafter there's nothing so petty as signing a bar bill. Mysteriously, it might seem, the staff know your name and the whiskies from the bar and wine at the table are applied to the correct room. The bedrooms are comfortable, with interesting overhead showers in the bath, giving you a really good drenching with hot water - none of these niggardly electric showers. Some rooms in the winter suffer a little from the floodlights outside but there are stout old-fashioned shutters and curtains to solve that issue. The public rooms are comfortable and have the perfect ambience for a guest to settle down with afternoon tea and a book. While the staff are attentive they are never intrusive.

Around and about, there's fishing (river and trout) and some classic golf courses. In the grounds there's a tennis court and a couple of golf nets. Importantly - both of these are well maintained and not as is so often the case run down and rotting.

To sum up, if you can't be satisfied here then Scotland is not for you.

Random Restaurant Reviews

Silver Darling Restaurant, the best seafood restaurant in Scotland?

Kosice is not namely for seafood - hardly surprising when there isn't a sea within umptyump thousand kilometres. But when you're in Aberdeen, you expect to be able to have good seafood. It may come as a surprise but most if not the entire fishing fleet left Aberdeen a long time ago and moved to Peterhead. But that doesn't stop the Silver Darling restaurant from being a a wonderful place to have seafood. Halibut, sea trout, sea bass, bream are all served daily and are superbly fresh. The halibut on a bed of smoked salmon and rice risotto is halibut like you get in Skagway.

And here's the mark of a good restaurant. When there's someone in the dinner party who can eat molluscs but is allergic to crustaceans and when he asks for the oysters without the lobster jus, or the halibut without the terrine of lobster and prawns - and the chef can cope, then you're in a good restaurant.

But what many people enjoy are the views. The restaurant is on Pocra Quay, by the Harbour Master's office. Supply boats are entering and leaving the harbout within 50 metres, or so it seems, of your glass of wine.

The Crynoch Restaurant, Netherly, Aberdeenshire

The Crynoch Restaurant is part of the Lairhillock Inn which is on the road between the A90 and Netherley. The Crynoch restaurant serves high quality local food in an old setting, with a pianist playing most weekend evenings. They recently had a Valentine's Day special meal which was very good value at Ł35 a head. There's a small lounge where you can have an aperitif while you study the menu and the wine list. The food is good, the service fast and pleasant and the ambience relaxing.

The Carron Restaurant, Stonehaven

The Carron is housed in an art-deco building which, contrary to local legend, was never a cinema but instead was part of a baker's outlet. Now it houses a restaurant which serves very good food, both simple and grand. If you like home-made sausages, then phone ahead and give Robert time to pepare them - you'll be richly rewarded.

The Marine Hotel, Stonehaven

The web site for the Marine Hotel in Stonehaven tells visitors that seafood and game dishes are their speciality. Sad to say, our critic during a recent visit had a very disappointing experience. At the time of writing (Oct 07) the dining room is being refurbished but this surely is no excuse for cold plates and cold chips. And more importantly, while the battered haddock and chips looked delicious at least one of the fish portions had spent a long time out of the water. And this in a restaurant on the harbour wall. Soups were excellent; smoked haddock and clam chowder was a variation on the Cullen Skink theme. Three people, starter and main and a glass of something will cost about Ł43. Tel. 01569 762155

The Derbar Tandoori Indian Restaurant, Banchory

The restaurant is situated on the High Street, near the town parking square so that’s one less thing to worry about. The food is very good, service is good (although some people would prefer the drinks order to be taken immediately one is seated) and ambience is just right. The menu is extensive with a wide variety of choices from the Indian sub-continent, with accurate descriptions of what’s in the dish and how hot it is. If you choose the hottest dish on the menu be aware that you might suffer the next day! Tuesday night there’s a buffet for a fixed price – very good value for money. Tel 01330 825564

Yu Restaurant, Aberdeen

The Yu Restaurant is a Chinese restaurant on Union Street, Aberdeen. Nobody would travel 1,000 miles to Aberdeen for a Chinese meal but this is a good example of the genre if you're in Aberdeen anyway. Perhaps service can be a little brusque and perhaps the menu hasn't changed in 10 years but at least the chefs know what they're doing.

Chinese Restaurants in Newcastle

Agreed, Newcastle isn't in the north east of Scotland. But, it is in the north east. Newcastle has a large number of Chinese restaurants clustered in its "Chinatown," in Stowell Street. Choosing a Chinese restaurant from the menu is no guarantee of success - all the menus are the same, all over the world. No doubt they're different for a native Chinese but what's presented to the British restaurant-goer is not what is presented to a Chinese guest. So, one way to choose a good restaurant is to pick one which has a lot of Chinese guests, and even better if they're speaking Chinese. Taking that as a measure then the Treasure of the Orient Restaurant (0191 230 4008) has to be good as it's full of the people speaking Chinese, at least one assumes it was Chinese. And another measure is how simple the table cloth is; if it's just a paper cloth which is changed after each group of guests departs, then it's authentic. 2 starters, 2 mains, 2 desserts, 3 drinks in the Treasure of the Orient costs Ł45. There's no point describing the menu - it's a standard UK Chinese restaurant menu. Service was fine, one might wish the waitresses would smile now and then but they were fast and efficient.

Slovakia

"Tá žena z Tahonoviec"

Well perhaps the terrific summer of 2007 is coming to an end. If you missed it this year, go there next year. Sit on Hlavná along which the stunningly beautiful girls for which Slovakia is famous stroll. Get a CSA flight from Edinburgh to Prague and Prague to Kosice for around 200 GBP, stay in a hotel or penzion in the centre. It’s a tough life to sit in a cafe with a cold pivo and just watch the girls go by. Astrud Gilberto should have come here, not Ipanema. And the song would have been “Tá caja z Tahonoviec“.

Tours in Slovakia

We can help you to make a tour in Slovakia. Until recently, Slovakia was relatively rarely visited by tourists from Western Europe, but this is changing. If it’s castles, or restaurants, or spas, or mountains – we have a wide knowledge of what to see and what to miss.

Tokay Wine

Slovakia has to fight hard to be allowed to market their Tokay wine. For a long time Tokay has been seen as a particularly Hungarian wine but the region from whence Tokay comes straggles the border between the two countries. After years of negotiations, the European Commission in 2002 agreed that both Slovakia and Hungary could produce Tokya, but left Hungary with the exclusive rights to international sales. Then, some two years later even that restriction went and now both countries can produce and sell Tokay worldwide.
The importance of Tokay is not simply in sales, but also in income from tourism. There are several vineries open to tourists; among them there’s one Velka Trna and another in Mala Trna. You usually get a very good deal there; a talk on how Tokay is made and a sample of each of the grades.
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Restaurants and bars in Košice

There are hundreds, probably thousands, of cafes, bars and restaurants in Košice, ranging from palatial places to krčmas, which are somewhat more down to earth. There's a link to a great site in our Links page. If you are of a nervous and cautious disposition, stick to the upmarket places. They'll be quiet and the customers much the same as you'd see anywhere. But for a glimpse of life in Slovakia head towards the less expensive, less grand restaurants which are busier and noisier. And a lot cheaper. The term "krčma" means a gin mill, pot house, saloon, hostelry and if often a very simple restaurant with no pretensions. On the other hand there are the Krčma Letná and Keltská Krčma in Košice which are excellent places for a meal and a drink. You get a printed bill in every restaurant so you can see what the till says.

Keltská Krčma or The Kelt Bar as it is known to most people is on Košice’s Hlavná. Not the easiest place to find as it's down one of the many archways and the sign isn't large. Beer, food and prices are excellent, so it’s a very popular place for customers of all ages. The decor is rustic, with heavy wooden tables and solid floors. It’s fun in the toilets which have motion sensitive lights – so too much beer and too long standing might mean the lights go out in mid-flow so to speak. Food is good – take the Bravčové Koleno (pork knuckle) with peppers – excellent. 3kg for 3 people will keep you going for a day or two.

The Krčma Letna Reštaurácia is a short walk from the centre of Košice. One of those restaurants where you have to ring the bell to be let in. Don't be put off by the name – it used to be a krčma but now it is a very sophisticated restaurant. There’s a terrace which comes into its own on a hot summer’s day. Their vyvar slepacia soup has more meat in it than anywhere else and the venison is superb - but all the food is good. Dinner for three with aperitifs, wine, beer and three courses would be about 1,850 skk. Tel 055/63 334 05

The Majster Bar has two entrances, the main one being on Kovačska 11. It's had a couple of name changes from Majster Bar to Monte Bianco and back again to Majster Bar. At least the monogrammed cutlery doesn't have to change. Food is a mixture - best to call it European rather than specifically Slovak. Service is good. Expect to pay 1,000 skk and upwards for dinner for two without wine.

Do not miss the Stodola Reštaurácia which is out by "Big Tesco" in the Dopravna district. More tradionally Slovak with very rustic decor. Try the steak while being overlooked by two large stuffed cows' heads. About 1,000 skk for two, but of course it all depends on how many courses and how much pivo or vino. Tel number is 055/62 593 40.

The Villa Regia restaurácia and krčma is in the Dominikánske square. (There's a micro brewery near there.) Good food, good beer - decor very similar to the Keltská Krčma. There are some amusing carved wooden statues around. Polievka slepačia s mäsom is excellent, a meal in itself. somewhere in the heart of Slovakia is a factory which produces the slepačia vyvar for the entire nation and the better restaurants then add even more meat and noodles. For five people, dinner with beer and soft drinks will be around 2,300 skk.Tel.: 055/ 62 565 10.

Reštaurácia pod Bastou on Ulica Hrnčuarskia in the old city, where Skotslov has a flat is a place where a bowl of Kapustova s klobásou (cabbage soup with sausage - but it usually also has potatoes and some other meat which might or might not be beef), with bread and a big glass of beer will cost you 46 skk. Today, that's less than 1GBP. Interesting clientele - some hard looking men and some obvious students. Tel 0903/629 190.

In Košice, for breakfast or early lunch away from a hotel, try the Veverička Reštauracia on Hlavná. Modern. Under the starters there are choices of eggs, fried or omelettes. Doesn't look like a dinner menu. Expect to pay 150 or so skk.

For a more traditional restaurant which actually advertises breakfast, try the Med Malina on Hlavná. Eggs, cheese, ham, salad (you can call it a very small salad or a large garnish - don't expect a meal in itself), coffee, water, bread butter, honey will cost less than 170 skk.

For a cocktail, try the Cosmopolitan Bar on Kováčska. Sit outside or inside, at a table or at the bar. Can get crowded and you can have a shoving match. A typical night of, say, 10 drinks will cost about 1,250 skk. Long Island Tea can get addictive.

Hotels in Slovakia

We have extensive knowledge of hotels in most of the popular, and some of the not so popular, parts of Slovakia. Hotels in Slovakia vary in quality, cost, and facilities. There are many low cost and simple hotels and pensions, sometimes with facilities to match and sometimes with facilities which bely the price.

We would strongly recommend the spa hotels, which have swimming pools, massage and treatment rooms and several different kinds of saunas.

If you are of a prudish disposition, be prepared as the dress code in many of the spas is a sheet or a towel and not a costume.

Košice is growing all the time and with the closure of the Slovan Hotel, accommodation is at a premium in the city. The Zlaty Dukat is a new, or perhaps remodelled hotel on Hlavná close to the cathedral. It’s only been open a few months and lunch time trade is definitely slow at the time of writing (October 2007), which is a pity as the food is excellent. On a warm October day, the gazpacho soup hit the spot as did the duck breasts. Portions seemed a bit on the small side. Staff are excllent. Prices are comparatively high for Kosice. Lunch for two, three courses and some wine will be about 1,500 skk.

St Elizabeth Cathedral, Košice

St Elizabeth's Cathedral is the largest church in Slovakia. Don't miss the chance to visit this magnificent example of Gothic architecture.

While the earliest written record of Košice dates from 1230, leaving an unknown history of thousands of years, we know that there was a church on what is now Alžbetina sometime in the late 11th – early 12th Century. That church was dedicated to St Elizabeth when it was modernised, some years after it was built. It is surely fascinating that there is a letter dated 7th March 1283 referring to a dispute concerning St Elizabeth’s Church in Košice over which the Cathedral of St Elizabeth now stands.
It is believed that St Elizabeth was born on the 7th of July 1207, possibly in Bratislava or possibly in Blatný Potok. She was the second daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and his wife Gertrude. King Andrew, a member of the Arpad dynasty, was a very interesting character in his own right. St Elizabeth’s mother, Gertrude, was assassinated in 1214. The point surely is that Elizabeth was born into the highest of social circles but chose to dedicate her life to serving the poor and the sick, activities which did not endear her to her peers.
The High Altar in the Cathedral carries a wonderful series of 12 paintings which depict her life. When she was four years old, she was betrothed to Ludwig IV, of Thuringia and in due course they married. Ludwig joined the 6th Crusade, in 1227, but died en route to the Holy Lands. Elizabeth and her child were evicted from Wartburg Castle and in 1230 she entered the Third Order of St Francis. She died on November 17th, 1231.
St Elizabeth had a very short life by modern standards, only a few months over 24 years. However, in those 24 years she served God’s purpose so well that she has been remembered for hundreds of years, not least by the magnificent Cathedral of St Elizabeth in Košice.
Whole books have been written describing the Cathedral and there is not space here to cover everything; far better to visit the Cathedral and see for yourself. If we can help, please contact us.

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