 | | | | |  | Royal
Scotsman Luxury TrainA journey on The Royal
Scotsman takes you straight to the heart of the
Highlands, through landscapes of towering, pine-clad
mountains reflected in mirror-still lochs. Just 36
guests travel through Scotland's finest countryside in
private cabins, with an open-deck observation carriage
behind. Life on board this luxury train is relaxed
and indulgent, with gastronomic dining and the relaxed
atmosphere of celebrating with friends. After dinner,
over a wee dram, a local clansman recounts tales that
bring Scottish history alive. Along the way,
guests disembark to meet local personalities, talk to
experts on subjects from salmon fishing to whisky and
take part in fun activities - truly a Royal Scottish
rail vacation par excellence.
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| | | | |  | Royal Lochnagar
DistillerySip a Royal
whisky
Royal Lochnagar distillery is
situated on the south side of the River Dee close to
Balmoral Castle. Age old traditions and craftsmanship
produce one of Scotland's most exclusive whiskies. A
visit to Royal Lochnagar is a timeless
experience. At the tour end your
complimentary dram will confirm that Royal Lochnagar is
a malt whisky worthy of the "Royal" prefix to its
name.
In 1848, Queen Victoria selected Balmoral
Castle as her holiday residence. Only three days after
they arrived, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their
three eldest children took time to visit the distillery.
Today, Royal Lochnagar Distillery also offer a
special Royal Tour, with coffee and shortbread on
arrival, an in-depth tour of the distillery, and a very
special tasting of Royal Lochnagar through the
ages.
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| | | | |  | The Palace of
HolyroodhouseVisit Edinburgh’s Royal
residence
The Palace of Holyroodhouse,
Her Majesty the Queen's official residence in Scotland,
stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile against the
spectacular backdrop of Arthur's Seat. The Royal
Apartments, where The Queen hosts State ceremonies and
other official occasions, are infused with centuries of
history and have witnessed many important events in
Scotland's rich history. The Palace is perhaps best
known as the home of Mary, Queen of Scots and as the
setting for the most dramatic episodes in her
reign. The new Queen's Gallery at the Palace of
Holyroodhouse hosts a programme of changing exhibitions
from the Royal Collection including the Marcus Adams:
Royal Photographer exhibition from February 25 - June 5.
The pieces were mostly commissioned by King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth. Their daughters, Princess Elizabeth
(now HM The Queen) and Princess Margaret, attended
Adams’s Children’s Studio at 43 Dover Street in Mayfair
regularly between 1926 and 1941. The Queen’s eldest
children – Prince Charles and Princess Anne – also
attended the studio on several occasions between 1949
and 1956. The selected photographs chart the
development of the royal children as well as reflecting
events in the life of the Royal Family.
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| | | | |  | The Royal Yacht
BritanniaStep aboard a Royal
yachtBritannia served the Royal
Family for over forty years, travelling over one million
miles. Now permanently moored at Edinburgh’s Leith docks
area, discover the fascinating past of the most famous
ship in the world. This magnificent ship has also
played host to some of the most famous people in the
world, but above all, she was home to Her Majesty the
Queen and the Royal Family. All are welcome on board to
discover the heart and soul of this most special of
royal residences.
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| | | | |  | Glamis CastleWatch the Royal
wedding
Few places in Scotland
compare with Glamis Castle for romantic and royal
connections.
Ever since 1376, when Sir John Lyon
brought his royal bride Princess Joanna, to Glamis,
countless other royal figures have been enchanted by its
romantic aura and setting. The Queen Mother and
King George VI – then the Duke and Duchess of York –
spent their honeymoon at Glamis in 1923 and spent the
summers of the interwar years here with the young
princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret.
To celebrate the
royal wedding of Prince William a special Historic
Wedding Exhibition will be put on show in the castle’s
Coach House Exhibition Room.
Visitors to the
castle on the 29th April will be able to watch the
marriage ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton
as it happens on large television screens strategically
placed throughout the castle, shop and restaurant.
The Victorian Kitchen Restaurant will offer a menu
option of Wedding Brunch and Afternoon Tea.
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| | | | |  | Castle Stuart to Host
Scottish Open
7-10 July
2011 - Inverness
The new Castle Stuart golf
course near Inverness has pulled off a major coup by
winning the right to stage the Barclays Scottish Open in
July.
The event has the potential to attract tens of
thousands of spectators and be watched by a TV audience
of millions. The links course on the Moray Firth
only opened fully last year.
The 2011
Championship will be played from July 7-10.
Castle Stuart Golf Links will be the seventh
Scottish course to play host to the prestigious
tournament since 1972; following in the footsteps of
Downfield, St Andrews, Haggs Castle, The Gleneagles
Hotel, Carnoustie and Loch Lomond Golf Club, which
staged proceedings over the last 15 years from 1996 to
2010.
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| | | | |  | Drive it
Home
Ever
dreamt of taking on a Ryder Cup legend? VisitScotland is
offering golf fans the chance to play a round with
Scotland’s Sam Torrance at the new home of the Scottish
Open. The once-in-a-lifetime prize at picturesque
Castle Stuart, near Inverness, is part of the national
tourism organisation’s global golf promotion, Drive it
Home, which teed off on 2nd February. Through the
Drive it Home campaign, golf enthusiasts the world over
will also have the opportunity to compete in the ProAM
at Gleneagles, as well as the chance to win a luxury
golfing break at courses throughout the country, from
Auchrannie on the Isle of Arran and Gullane in East
Lothian, to Royal Aberdeen, and the Roxburghe
Championship course in the Borders.
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| | | | |  | Spirit of Speyside Whisky
Festival
28 April - 2
May 2011 - Speyside
2011 celebrates the 11th
anniversary of the Speyside Whisky Festival. From
April 28 to May 2 over 200 events will take place across
Speyside showcasing the best that Speyside has to offer.
Themed on Whisky, Food and the Heritage and Culture of
Speyside, the festival aims to deliver a full range of
quality events including the opportunity to visit
distilleries not normally open to the public and to
follow in the footsteps of whisky smugglers on walks
through the countryside.
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| | | | |  | O’Neill Cold Water Classic
Scotland
26 April - 6 May - Thurso, Northern
Highlands
Lying at
59 degrees north, Thurso is the most Northern wave spot
on the planet to host a professional surfing event.
However it is not enough to deter the best surfers in
the world from travelling to these waves, which on their
day can rival the north shore of Hawaii. With its
inspired mobile format, the Coldwater Classic Scotland
is free to choose between Scotland's prime surfing venue
and the fast reef break of Thurso East, the shallow
hollow at The Bowl of Brim's Ness, and the classic beach
break of Strathy. The O’Neill Cold Water Classic
builds upon Active Scotland, a year of active adventure
events and festivals that celebrate all that is great
about Scotland.
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| | | | |  | Riverside
Museum
When it
opens in late spring 2011, Glasgow’s iconic new
Riverside Museum will be a fitting home for the city’s
world-class transport collection and a place that will
inspire, educate and entertain. It replaces the existing
Museum of Transport at Kelvin Hall.
= The stunning
£74 million (€89m) building is located where the River
Clyde meets the River Kelvin at the heart of the Glasgow
Harbour development. The design reflects Stirling
Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid’s dramatic
interpretation of the city and the river. The site
itself is steeped in history, both ancient and
industrial.
When visitors step through the great
glass doorway of Riverside, they will enter a vast
free-flowing space, split over two floors and showcasing
more than 3,000 objects, from locomotives and trams to
cars and motorbikes, from ship models and children’s
toys to uniforms and paintings. Zaha Hadid’s dramatic
design, coupled with the engineering skill of
contractors BAM, has resulted in an interior that has no
internal supports – the museum’s complex zig-zag roof is
literally held up by its own weight.
| | | | | |
| | | | |  | National Museum of
Scotland
The
opening date for the redeveloped National Museum of
Scotland has been confirmed as Friday, 29 July
2011.
The announcement signals a six month countdown
to re-opening in which museum staff will deliver the
mammoth task of installing nearly 8,000 objects into 16
new galleries.
On re-opening, visitors to the Museum
will experience the world under one roof through a
dramatic range of treasures revealing the wonders of
nature, the diversity of cultures across the world and
the excitement of science and discovery. The Museum’s
rich collections will also illuminate the story of
Scotland’s place in the world and the impact of Scots.
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