Celtic Moment

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Visit Wales presents Holidays Unpackaged. Watch Rhod Gilbert in our TV advert and exclusive web films about Welsh Food, Welsh Activities, Learning and Doing in Wales. Find out more at www.visitwales.co.uk

Munster final falls to weather
The Munster Club SFC final is the latest victim of the arctic weather conditions gripping Ireland. Related Stories Murphy remains cool on GAA fixtures Harte to focus on Tyrone’s rising stars Mickey Harte to focus on Tyrone’s rising stars Ulster football final postponed Toye set for March return

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Munster club final called off
GAA:The last two remaining GAA fixtures scheduled for this weekend have fallen foul of the weather. Both the Munster and Ulster football finals were postponed following pitch inspections in Limerick and Clones this morning.

Read more on The Irish Times

‘Reindeer Monologues’ puts adult spin on holidays
For the anti-”Christmas Carol,” for the anti-”Nutcracker,” for any theater lover burned out on typical seasonal stage fare, there is no better antidote than “The Eight: Reindeer Monologues.” Jeff Goode’s satire is at once a spoof of Santa’s famed…

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Overshadowed in recent years by cheap, package holidays abroad, caravan holidays in Scotland are once again becoming popular amongst holiday makers – and for good reason. Whether you’re looking for a lively long weekend away with a group of friends, a week long family holiday or a quiet retreat for a romantic couple, a caravan holiday in Scotland is definitely the way go.

Caravans offer the most cost effective way of viewing the wonders of Scotland. Whether towing your own caravan and pitching on one of Scotland’s many caravan parks, or hiring a beautiful static caravan, it’s just like a home from home. With all your own home amenities, your own car parking space, green area around the caravan, you have the most important values – choice and freedom. Whether you want to cook a meal or eat out, go out or early and come back late, it’s completely up to you. Furthermore, if you’re using a touring caravan, you could have a different view of Scotland every morning. How does waking up at the shore of the world famous Loch Ness one morning sound, followed by looking out of your window and seeing the breathtaking views of Ailsa Craig another?

Often referenced as one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Scotland has always been renowned for its stunning, natural beauty. Its breathtaking views of the many Loch’s and Glen’s have been the back drop to years of photographs and it’s famous whisky has been warming chests since 1494.

Scotland’s biggest city, Glasgow is famous for its stunning architecture, historical museums and without a doubt, its welcoming people. The endless shopping facilities and leisure amenities will keep even the most passionate shopper busy.Situated an hours drive from Glasgow is Edinburgh, the Scottish capital. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Glasgow has a world famous castle and is renowned for its celebrations. The Edinburgh Tattoo in August is made up of several festivals and is visited from all over the world, whilst its Hogmanay celebration on New Years Eve is rivalled only by the celebrations in Time Square, New York.

Head North and you’ll be taken into wilderness of the North-West Highlands, just south of the stunning Argyll. Move over to the North East and you’ll be greeted with beautiful Perthshire (which in the summer plays host to the famous ‘T in the Park’ music festival), the high Grampians and lowland Aberdeenshire. The area is dominated my mountainous terrain and is perfect for those wishing to see the true beauty of the country on a caravan holidays in Scotland.

The South of Scotland is filled with rolling hills, lush, green forests and memorable old market towns. Local towns in Dumfries and Galloway are heavily steeped in history and tradition. Winding streets and pebbled lanes make southern Scotland a definite place to visit.

The Scottish tourist board has invested millions of pounds over recent years into Scottish tourism and in particular, its caravan parks, making now a better time than ever to take a caravan holiday in Scotland.

Scotland is a place with a rich history in both culture and sports. Some say that people in Scotland have been playing golf for a good 100 years before Columbus discovered America. Golf has certainly been an integral part of the Scottish culture. Because of this rich tradition, golfing holidays in Scotland offer some of the best championship golf courses in the world to suit every budget and ability. Here is a look at some of the best golf courses in Scotland. The Ailsa Course This wonderful course is located at the Turnberry Golf Club. It is arguably the most popular course in Scotland and one of the finest in the world. The course is especially challenging and has some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire country. This golf course offers more than just fine views; it has strong winds that require really strong drives and a fair degree of skill. The course’s ninth hole is famous due to the fact that the tee is located on the sea’s edge. This golf course offers an amazing experience which is a must have for all golf lovers. Kingsbarns Golf Links This stunning golf course was designed by Kyle Phillips. It’s interesting design acts like a link to the coastline of the North Sea. This demanding course has been around for a decade now, and is ranked as one of the finest golf courses in Scotland. The Kingsbarns Golf links has a par five 12th hole which is considered to be its signature hole. It is hands down one of the best links course in Scotland that exist today. Gleneagles Kings Course There is a collection of golf courses at Gleneagles that are really amazing and are a must on any golfing itinerary in Scotland. Specifically, the best course is the Gleneagles Kings Course. This course is truly meant for kings. It boasts superb design as well as breathtaking views. It is a challenging course and has delighted golfers since 1919. Carnoustie Golf Links Skilled golfers, who look for a really tough challenge while on golf holidays in Scotland, should definitely check out the Carnoustie Golf Links. It is the toughest course of its type in all of the United Kingdom. This course as hosted a total of 7 Open Championships and in addition has been the source of some major frustration for the best golfers in the world as many have finished well above par. Carnoustie definitely offers a round of golf that no other course in Scotland can. St Andrews Old Course St Andrews Old Course is the world’s oldest golf course. It is not only the oldest but is also rated widely as the absolute best golf course in the world. This golf course has a natural layout that has not been altered much since its creation. Playing golf at St. Andrews allows golfers to enjoy some of the most historic holes in the game.

Imagine listening to Christmas music on the bagpipes. If you plan your cheap holidays to Scotland, you will hear beautiful Christmas music coming from bagpipes everywhere you go. In Scotland, you will keep the fires burning all night and on Christmas Day after having a roaring bonfire and some Scottish Whiskey, you will sit down for a traditional Christmas dinner. In Scotland, you are going to experience the custom of fire, which is a way for celebrants of the Christmas holiday to show their spirit for the day. Fire for some reason represents Christmas in Scotland and watching the tradition is spectacular.

When you plan you cheap holidays to Scotland at Christmas, you must plan a trip around the area to see the beautiful decorations on the houses. People go all out to decorate for Christmas and the sights are just amazing. You will see Santa’s and some artificial snow on the roof tops. It is a joyous occasion and everyone shows their Christmas spirit in different ways. Christmas Day is always a day of food and champagne with eyes looking out the windows to see if maybe just maybe it might snow? After the Christmas celebration you have a few days to rest up for the New Year’s celebration called Hogmanay.

Be prepared because everyone stays up until the New Year arrives. Scotland residents travel to friend’s home right before the New Year to bring in the New Year with friends and some good foods and some more whiskey or a glass of wine. After singing the traditional “Auld Lang Sine”, some people head to bed, but not all. The streets are buzzing with people drinking and wishing everyone a happy New Year. You do want to try to turn in early so you can enjoy some fine dishes on New Year’s Day.

If you find yourself, wondering what cheap holidays to Scotland would be like, chances are, you should go and experience it for yourself. It is always exciting to visit other countries to see how they celebrate Christmas and New Year’s. Last minute deals or late deals always have some great destinations for the holidays and Scotland is just another area to explore. Most people forget about countries that do not boast about the holidays, but they do celebrate them in a custom that is cheery and delightful. Enjoy some Scottish food and some fine Scottish Whiskey before making your way back home.

No matter where you travel for the holidays, take along the camera and take many pictures for your new family Christmas celebration scrapbook. Imagine a new destination every year and sharing your experience of the world at Christmas with family and friends. When you have some time in between the two holidays, you can do some sightseeing of the local attractions in Scotland as well. The fun and excitement does not end with the week leading up to the New Year. You will find many things to keep you busy and enjoy your cheap holidays in Scotland.

England is the largest country in UK and is bordered by the Irish Sea, North Sea, Bristol Channel, Celtic Sea and the English Channel. The major rivers include Severn, Humber, Ribble, Tyne, Mersey, Thames and Avon. Others are Tees, Trent, Ouse, Dee, Wear, Medway and Aire.

England is an active participant in the development of the western architecture and it houses some of the most fine castles and forts of the medieval period. The country is also known for its grand country houses, cathedrals and churches.

The Humber Bridge is the 5th largest single span suspension bridge in this world, located near Kingston upon Hull, England. This bridge connects the North Lincolnshire with the East Riding of Yorkshire and carries 120,000 vehicles every week on an average. With the central span of 4626 feet and a total length of 7283 feet, this bridge remained the longest single span suspension bridge for around 16 years.

Shrewsbury Castle is a red sand-stone castle located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire of England, situated just above the Shrewsbury railway station. Currently, the castle is home to the Shropshire Regimental Museum. The Laura’s Tower is a vintage point looking over the townscape and the countryside.

Durham Cathedral is situated in the Durham city, England, and was founded in the 1093 AD. It is regarded as the finest example of Norman Cathedral and has attained the status of UNESCO World Heritage. The cathedral is also home to the shrine and the related treasures of Cuthbert, Lindisfarne, a 7th century saint, remains of Venerable Bede and the head of St. Oswald of Northumbria. It has a 325 steps tall tower from the top of which an outstanding view of Durban can be seen.

The Tower of London is a historical monument situated in the central London on the River Thames northern bank, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a complex of various buildings set in two concentric rings of walls and a moat. The primary function of the tower was a royal palace, a fortress and prison particularly for royal and high status prisoners. It also served as a space for execution, armoury and torture, and also has served as a zoo, a treasury, public records office, the Royal Mint and an observatory.

Reputedly, it is also one of the most haunted and mysterious buildings in England, as some people say that the ghost of Anne Boleyn, the queen of King Henry VIII who was beheaded in the year 1536 for treason against the king has often been seen in the chapel, where she is buried. Other alleged ghosts in the tower include Henry VI, Margaret Pole, Lady Jane Grey and the Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower.

The Canterbury Cathedral is situated in Canterbury, Kent and is one of the most famous and oldest Christian structures of England. It is a cathedral of Archbishop of Canterbury, Anglican Communion and the leader of Church of England. It also forms a part of the World Heritage Sites list. Earlier, it was known as the Cathedral and Metro-political Church of the Christ at Canterbury.

Many holiday makers come to England and rent holiday cottages and holiday homes as holiday accommodation direct from their holiday home owners in England.

Benidorm is situated about 45 km northeast in the area of Alicante, by the western Mediterranean Sea. Benidorm has been around since 1325, before the sixties it was known as a small fishing village which has developed nowadays which the resort contributes to Spains tourism, boosting the economy to 16,853,000 euro each day.  Counting on skyscraper skyline, Benidorm also stands for beach and nightlife with 1000 Bistros and over30 Discos and is well-known for its huge British and Irish community.

Benidorm features 2 fantastic beaches, the playa de poniente and the playa de levante that  stretch 5km along the coast, the playa de poniente offers a quiet and relaxing beach where you can escape, soak up the sunlight and rejuvenate yourself.There is wide collection of nightclubs, discos and eating places available at Benidorm Palace, close by to Levante Beach for an exciting vacation in Benidorm.

climate- the average high temperature from May until October is approximately 20 degress and can sore to 35 degress in August. In November, temperatures changes rapidly, it is warm at first but turns cooler afterwards with an average high temperature of 19°C while average low temperatures is 10°C. The conditions can be unpredictable from December to February, An average high temperature can dropdown to 15 degress in January, with an average low of 6 degress. between March and April has chilly nights but average high temperature rise back up to 18°C in March and 19°C in April.

Shopping- The resort of Benidorm has a vast sum of stores and supermarkets to cater for the visitors,Costs you will find are very affordable for cigarettes and alcohol in particular, you can take advantage of the open air market whichis on each wednesday and also the rastro which is like a car boot sale on every sunday.

Nightlife: The resort of Benidorm has a nightlife to match all tastes, with loads of bars of all nationalities, Spanish, Irish ,English and Scottish. A good place to go is the c/Santo Domingo which has a line of Basque bars and the Broadway British pub can also be found there.

Restaurants- While on holiday in Benidorm you will find that the majority of the eating places are Spanish, but due to the diverse inhabitants and varied nationality of holidaymakers coming to Benidorm there are, Chinese eating places, Italian restaurants, Indian eating places, eateries serving British food, Thai restaurants, French eateries, German eateries and Japanese (Sushi) eating places are too present. Among top-rated restaurants in Benidorm are China Garden, India Gate, Mme Butterfly and Witches Bistro. Finest place to enjoy local cuisine is the old harbour.

Water Sports- Another big tourist attraction Benidorm has is their range of water sports. Other Places to go for water sports are Terra Mitica a family theme park near central Benidorm, it has a number of fastrides and roller coasters; Aqualandia Water Amusement Park is an alternative It has waterfalls, water slides, and large swimming pools, drinks also close by to the park, to view Benidorm’s shoreline there is option of boat trips to the village of Calpe.

Transportation- When going on holiday to Benidorm the closest airport is Alicante. With the introduction of modern jet aircrafts, flying was made more cost effective to allow the regular family to benefit from low-cost holidays in Benidorm. There are lots of flights from UK to Alicante. From Alicante, taxis are available at a very cheap cost which gives more freedom, independence and convenience to explore the surrounding areas of Bendorm. For more affordable vacation in Benidorm buses are frequent and plenty full.  Most of nearby towns and cities are well connectedby train.

North Wales is a beautiful part of the world with appealing mountains and fascinating valleys. From the mountains the land descends to the coastline of the Irish Sea, and this makes the region an ideal place for holidays. Holidays North Wales is a very interesting option if you are looking for a bustling holiday spot with incredible natural beauty.

The beauty of holidays North Wales is best expressed in Llandudno, which is one of Wales’ most longest surviving and famous tourist destinations. Adored by all ages, the splendour of Llandudno owes mainly to its unique geography, as it has two beautiful beaches – one at its north shore and the other at its west shore. The north shore is mostly occupied by the large number of hotels occupying it’s promenade whereas the west shore is a lot calmer and more peaceful, with a nature reserve occupying the Great Orme headland that overlooks both beaches.

Tourism is the main industry of North Wales and a lot of money is spent yearly on advertising attracting visitors and informing them of holidays North Wales. The most ringing endorsement for holidays in North Wales has come from travel writer Bill Bryson, who was quoted to say that Llandudno is his “favourite seaside resort”.

Holiday accommodation for a family can be easily arranged at from a number of the hotels, guest houses or self-catering cottages at North Wales. There are also a lot of family attractions at the region ranging from the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay and a number of Steam Railways around Snowdonia and Llangollen to leisure centres in most of the major towns and festivals such as the Victorian Extravaganza in Llandudno every May and the Wakestock Wakeboard & Music Festival in Abersoch. The unique geology of North Wales make it popular for a number of outdoor activities such as walking, cycling, fishing, golfing and mountain biking. I’m sure you will find something to do in North Wales that you will enjoy.

There are a lot of things to see and do when you are on holidays North Wales. Some of the spectacular things to see at North Wales include the castles at Conwy and Caernarfon (amongst others!), art galleries that reside in many country houses in the area, museums for all interests, and country gardens such as Bodnant Garden. You can meander through the valleys of the region breathing the spirit of the fresh air, stroll along the region’s coastline remarkably open and unspoiled coastline enjoying the beauty of the sea and visit into the excellent restaurants in the area and enjoy some fine Welsh and foreign cuisine. There is all this and more to enjoy with a holiday in North Wales!

Visit Wales presents Holidays Unpackaged. Watch Rhod Gilbert in our exclusive Welsh Food web film. Find out more at www.visitwales.co.uk