Written by Paulzie on March 24th, 2010
Photos added from recent trip to Dublin which also included St Patricks Day.
Stayed in the Clarion Hotel and ate most of the time in it’s Kudos Restraunt. I can highly recommend the Singapore Friend Noodles, Vietnamese Duch Spring Rolls and the Teriyaki Beef. Can’t recommend the 10oz Sirloin Steak or the Pan Fried Fillet of Hake though.
Visited the Guinnes Storehouse which I highly recomend – even if it’s just to admire the view from the Gravity Bar – one of the hghest points in Dublin. 15 Euro (book before hand at 12 euro). This also gets you a pint of Guinness.
Visited the Jameson Distillery and paid 15 euro for a tour. Can’t recommend it though – not even an actual brewery any more. A tour around a building seeing various audio visual presentation. Hardly worth it.
Visited Dublin Castle – a bargain at 4.50 euro for a tour.
Took a Dublin City bus tour. 15 Euros for an hour tour – ticket lasts for 24 hours.
For pubs I can recommend Oil Can Harry’s, Doheny & Nesbitt (an old man’s boozer), and the Baggot Inn.
For upmarket food I recommend Dobbins Restraunt – difficult to find but well worth it. Voted the best steak in Dublin.
Special thanks to John O’Brian for smuggling in some Diet Irn-Bru from Northern Ireland. I spent more than 2 days searching for it in Dublin without success.
Posted in: Photos
Written by Paulzie on January 8th, 2010
Photos added from the New Years trip to the Isle of Lewis in the outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Flew with Loganair (FlyBe) via Inverness to Stornoway Airport.
Stayed in the Heb Hostel, Stornoway, for 2 nights. The hostel is in the centre of Stornoway and is ideally located for the shops, pubs, nightclub (1) and the ferry from Ullapool. It was warm and comfy.
Visited the Callanish Standing stones on the west side of the island on a bitterly cold afternoon.
New year bells was seen in in the Star Inn, which ironically is on “South Beach”. Unfortunately it wasn’t South Beach in Florida. The temperature from the warn fire may have been the same as Florida, but the snow outside kind of gave it away. Then on to the Sea Angling Club for a boogie on the dance floor. You’d think the sea angling club is a funny name for a nightclub/disco, but it is actually the Sea Angling Club. They seem to be the only place on the Isle of Lewis with a late licence!
Then on the 1st January down to Balallen for a night. Unfortunately the roads were too icy to walk to the nearest pub 2 miles away so we had a game of monopoly instead.
Special thanks to Wilma our taxi driver, to Mr and Mrs Macdonald for their hospitality in Balallen, and to Christine from the Heb Hostel.
Posted in: Photos
Written by Paulzie on December 12th, 2009
Photos added from Edinburgh Tartan Army’s St Andrews night 2009.
The venue for 2009 was the Royal Scots Club on Abercromby Place.
Posted in: Uncategorized
Written by Paulzie on November 30th, 2009
Photos added from the recent Wales V Scotland game at Cardiff City’s ground in Wales.
The trip started with a taxi to the airport at 5am – definatly worth spending the extra money to get a taxi!
Easyjet plane down to Bristol, then Bus transfer to Train station and train Bristol to Cardiff. Book the transfer from Brstol Airport in advance via the First Rail website.
Stayed in the Park Inn Cardiff City Centre which was ideally placed for the main pub district on St Mary Street. Expensive but the cheapest we could find.
Friday we were able to get tickets to the Wales V Samoa Rugby at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium. Wales narrowly won 17 to 13. It could have gone the other way in the closing moments. The stadium is massive and shows what Scotland should have done to Hampden.
Saturday was the Wales V Scotland football match at Cardiff City’s new ground. 25,000 capacity but only 13,000 seats ocupied. Wales won 3-0 – the first goal on 13 minutes. The game led to Burley being sacked on the Monday. Cardiff City stadium shows what can be built if there’s room to build a brand new stadium. Tynecastle, Easter Road and Pitodrie take note.
Favourite pub of the trip would go to the Walkabout pub – 2 very large TV screens and a large dance floor.
Back Sunday afternoon by the same way we went.
Good trip if you forget about the 90 minutes of football in the middle.
Posted in: Photos
Written by Paulzie on October 11th, 2009
Photos from my recent trip to Glen Coe in October 2009.
Glencoe – The village at the end of the glen, on the shore of Loch Levan
Glen Coe – The Glen of the river Coe
Stayed in the Kings House Hotel which is near the junction of Glen Coe and Glen Etive. It is called the King’s House because British troops were billeted here following the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
The Kings House was built in the 17th century and is thought to be one of Scotland’s oldest licensed inns. In late 1746 the building became a barracks for Crown forces under the command of the Duke of Cumberland. The buildings were used as base while soldiers conducted operations to crush or capture any remaining Jacobites in the Highlands.
The inn lies on the old military Wade road that crosses Rannoch Moor. The road crosses the River Etive at the inn before continuing into Glen Coe and ascending the Devil’s Staircase. The military road then heads north across the hills towards Kinlochleven. The former military road now forms part of the West Highland Way.
Had dinner in the Clachaig Inn. Must remember not to order a starter and main course next time! The Clachaig was built in the 16th Centuary.
Visited the National Trust properties at Glen Coe and Glennfinnan
Route up was M8 to Junction 2, M9 to Junction 10 at Stirling, A84 through Doune, Callander, A85 through Crainlarich, A82 through Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy to Glen Coe. From Junction 10 of the M9 it is one road without having to turn off.
Route back was A82 to Fort William, A830 to Glenfinnan and back to Fort William, A82 to Spean Bridge, A86 through Roybridge. A889 from Drumgask to Dalwhinnie then join the A9 to Perth, M90 and A 90 back to Edinburgh.
Posted in: Photos
Written by Paulzie on September 12th, 2009
Photos from Scotland V Netherlands world cup qualifier.
Scotland 0 Netherlands 1
Photos from
- The Pandora, Glasgow (aka Pandoras)
- Hampden Stadium, Glasgow
Posted in: Photos
Written by Paulzie on September 10th, 2009
Photos from Scotland V Macedonia World Cup 2010 qualifier.
Scotland 2 Macedonia 0
Photos cover
- The Shed, Glasgow
- Hampden Park Football Statdium for the game
- Frankensteins Edinburgh for the post match celebrations
Posted in: Photos
Written by Paulzie on August 30th, 2009
Photos from Runrig at Scone Palace 2009
The first band up when we arrived were King Creosote – they can play their music but it the songs weren’t that good.
Peatbog Fairies were the warm up band before Runrig. Amazing sounds.
Between Peatbog Faries and Runrig was the presentation of the Sconestone to the Reverend Neil Galbraith by Alex Salmond.
The Sconestone is a small stone carving inspired by ancient Scottish carvings that we will send on a journey of Kindness around the world, coming in contact with people from every clime, continent and culture. The Sconestone will act as a symbol encouraging those who have touched it to do an act of Kindness and ultimately help in their own small way to make the world a better place. Every person who touches or cares for the Sconestone must do their part and pledge to
Then on to Runrig. New and old songs, loud and quiet, and once again an amazing experience.
Thanks to Nessie for dragging me along and Wilma for driving.
Posted in: Photos
Written by Paulzie on August 21st, 2009
Photos from recent trip to the Norway V Scotland World Cup 2010 qualifier, and subsequent tour round the Baltic’s.
Monday - Edinburgh to Stavska, Ryanair Stockholm. Bus to Stockholm (2 hours!) Night out in Stockholm. Stay in Best Hostel in the old town.
Tuesday - express train to Arlanda Airport (£25 return), Stockholm, fly to Gardermoen Airport in Norway, local train to Oslo and night out in Oslo. Stay in Thon Hotel Spectum in Oslo.
Wednesday - Match day. Norway 4, Scotland 0.
Thursday - local train to Gardermoen Airport, fly to Arlanda, express train to Stockholm, taxi to Värtahamnen ferry port, overnight Tallink ferry to Helsinki on the M/S Silja Serenade.
Friday - Arrive in Helsinki by ferry, night out in Helsinki
Saturday - Linda Line Express ferry to Tallinn, Estonia, night out in Tallinn
Sunday - day of rest. Walk to top of Tallinn.
Monday - Bus tours of Tallin by Tallin City Tour’s bus
Tuesday - Hansabuss Business Class bus from Tallinn Estonia to Riga Latvia (£25 business class!). Night out in Latvia. Ate an excellent meal in Hospit?lis Extraordinary Restaurant in Riga. Steak and baked potato for £7.50.
Wednesday - 22 bus to Riga Airport (50 pence!), fly back to Stavska, Ryanair Stockholm. Local bus to Nyköping (£2.50 each way), afternoon eating icecream, local bus back to airport and fly back to Edinburgh. Taxi home.
All credit to Ryanair, all flights left and arrived on time with no issues. They were inforcing the one cabin bag rule very rigorously but that didn’t affect us. Some people obviously can’t count!
Posted in: Photos
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