ACCOMMODATION
Best Hotels
Harvey Point, Donegal, Ireland
Old Ground, Ennis, Ireland
Best Boutique Hotels
Zanzibar Hotel, Hastings, England
The White House Hotel, Charmouth
Aspley House Hotel, Bath, England
Best B&B’s
Mariagh Lodge, Ballymena, Ireland
Hartwood House, Taunton, England
Dower House, Lyme Regis, England
Highy Recommended
Ravenstone Manor, Lake Bassenwaighte, England
The White Heather, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Aln House, Alnwick, England
MEMORABLE FOOD EXPERIENCES
The White House Hotel, Charmouth, Devon – Brilliant Chef
River Cottage Canteen, Lyme Regis, Devon – Interesting menu
Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, County Cork – Lazy Sunday Buffet
Hole in the Wall Pub, York – Yorkshire Pudding
Oaks Hotel, Alnwick – Sausage & Lamb’s Liver Casserole/Slow cooked lamb shoulder
Nanny’s, Shieldag – Salmon Platter (caught locally and done in 4 ways)
Mariagh Lodge, Ballymena – Breakfast starting with Bellywarmer porridge, (excellent chef so night degustation menu should be wonderful)
The Point Bar, Magilligan Point, Northern Ireland – Seafood Chowder
MOST MEMORABLE DRIVES
The Lakes District
This can be done in a day but better to stay overnight so you aren’t rushed
Starting and ending at Bowness-on-Windermere / Ambleside / Keswick / Derwent Water / Seatoller / Buttermere / Keswick / Bassenthwaighte (don’t miss St Bega’s Church) / Troutbeck (visit Aira Force Waterfall)/ Kirkstone Pass / Bowness-on-Windermere (take a ferry to Near Sawrey and Beatrix Potter’s farm, Hilltop)
North Scotland
This was a fairly easy day and you can extend it by turning off at Tornapress and crossing the Applecross Pass to Applecross on the coast and back to Tornapress which is a round trip of about 35 miles. This is a high pass so check conditions before you go.
Starting at Inverness / Kessock Bridge / Contin (stop off at Rogie Falls) / Achnasheen / Kinlochewe (photo viewpoint 2-3 miles before village on right) / Torridon (has some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Scotland)/ Shieldag (don’t forget to stop at Nanny’s for salmon platter) / Tornapress / Lochcarron / Kyle of Lochalsh / Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye to Loch Lomond Scenic Route
Rather a winding road but some spectacular scenery. It takes a good day.
Isle of Skye / Dornie (visit Eilean Donan Castle) / Shiel Bridge / Invergarry / Spean Bridge / Fort William / Glencoe / Crianlarich / Inverarnan / The Drover’s Inn (stop off at this historic inn for a meal) / Dumbarton
The Antrim Coast in North East Ireland
This is a long day – we set off at 9am and arrived in Derry at 9pm. We weren’t rushed but would have preferred more time at various places. If you want a leisurely trip suggest staying overnight somewhere on the way or starting very early.
Larne / Glenarm (visit the Walled Garden at Glenarm Castle and stop off at Garron Point / Cushendall (meeting point of three of the Glens of Antrim, Glenaan, Glenballyemon and Glencorp plus historic town so schedule a stop) / Torr Road (Have a good look at Google Maps in close up before you go and do not be deterred by GPS which will try to take you back on to the A2 – stay on Torr Road to Torr and all the way to Ballyvoy avoiding being diverted to Farrenmacallan Road. Stop off at Torr Head where on a sunny day you can see Scotland which is only 16 miles away) / Ballyvoy / Ballycastle / Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge / The Giant’s Causeway / Bushmills (stop off at the Old Bushmills Distillery and look out for Dunluce Castle just after leaving Bushmills) / Portrush / Magilligan Point (Point Break Bar & Restaurant for Seafood Chowder) / Ferry to Greencastle / Derry
The Ring of Kerry in South West Ireland
Can easily be done in a day but factor extra time for Muckross House. We went the afternoon before the drive
Killarney (plan a visit to Muckross House) / Killorglin / Glenbeigh / Rossbeigh (detour over the mountains for a fantastic view of the Dingle Peninsula)/ Kells / Caherciveen / Portmagee (take the Skellig Ring Road and visit Kerry Cliffs run by an enterprising farmer who offers fabulous views and a café for a small fee or you can cross the bridge to Valencia Island for the ‘Skellig Experience)/ Waterville (from Waterville to Caherdaniel are the most spectacular cliff views – be prepared to stop)/ Caherdaniel / Sneem / Kenmare / Moll’s Gap / Ladies View / Torc Waterfall / Killarney
Wales
This is a long two day trip which could be extended to three if you want to see Snowdonia. Alternately you could head west from Betwys-y-Coed to Snowdonia on secondary roads and linking up at Penrhyndeudraeth. This trip takes you through Gwydyr Forest and Brecon Beacons National Park as well as the Wye Valley.
Betws-y-Coed (this is the start of your journey through Gwydyr Forest Park) / Blaenau Ffestiniog (see the Ffestiniog Railway and the Llechwedd Slate Caverns)/ Penrhyndeudraeth / Barmouth / LLanidloes / Builth Wells (travelling mostly through the fabulous Brecon Beacons National Park) /
Abergavenny (short diversion to Blaenavon for the Big Pit National Coal Museum) / Monmouth (down through the picturesque Wye Valley)/ Chepstow
BEST GARDENS
Large
Bodnant Gardens,
Trebah Gardens
RHS Wisley
Hestercombe
Alnwick Gardens
Small
Hidcote
Abbey Gardens, Malmsworth
Kiftsgate
Hole Park
EXPERIENCES NOT TO BE MISSED
Canal boating with Black Prince in Scotland – the Falkirk Wheel
Canal boating in Wales with Black Prince – the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
Special Group Tours – Chelsea Flower Show, Gardens of Kent and Cotswolds
Tracing the ancestors in County Clare
Cooking classes at River Cottage in Charmouth
Big Pit National Coal Museum – Blaenavon, Torfaen, South Wales
Thames Boat Trip on the Cockney Sparrow from Embankment to Hampton Court via Kew