Art and very good Art it is…read more You forget these Vaults quite easily on Market Street as they just merge into the city backdrop. They don't get used like this so it's a great way to use a space and i hope it's the start of something special for artists. The musty vaults host a series of arts and entertainment. I fell in love with two particular artist's work - David Martin and Miriam Mallalieu apart from the bit where I almost crapped myself going into Miriam Mallalieu's "Charnel House for Roadkill"!! We went in the daytime so know real entertainment to hear, but to see there were plenty of cool artists!

It's an exhibition - it's a party - it's a wonderland it's…read moreall of these things. And more. Every year Edinburgh's art scene opens the Vaults on Market Street and turn them into a world of its own. Sculpture, Fine Art, film, music, installation art and performances will take hold of you as soon as you step in. You will forget your everyday life for a couple of hours and feel like floating in a creative aquarium. I forgot that I was still in Edinburgh. the tickets at 10- 15 Pounds seem expensive but you'll be able to see several bands and DJ's and judging from their Opening Night yesterday, it's spectacular and I would (and will) happily spend it again. And they are a charitable fund! Oh and if you are too busy at night: the exhibition Vaults are open during the day - for free.

"You would have to be half mad to dream me up." - Alice in…read moreWonderland. There's a very good reason I felt like a mischievous gal fallen down the rabbit hole - this place has a touch of wonderland about it. As you can tell from my photos, I was not at all intrigued and barely found a hint to take a picture of (they really should have a dedicated sarcasm font don't you think?). Just a few weeks after arriving in Scotland, I hopped on a train for an overnight adventure. I wouldn't attempt this in a day - it's well worth a night's stay and that gives you a bit of time to wander through Pitlochry afterwards/before unrushed. The Enchanted Forest is a beautiful exhibit of light and music. I would definitely suggest you take a week day jaunt through and try for the latest booking time possible - less kiddies colliding about. Not that they were a bother, the ones that were on my tour time, but it was nice to have a less hectic crowd to wander through the lights with. That being said, if you have wee ones - this is a perfect evening out, as they have story huts and lots to keep little minds entertained. Definitely grab yourself a mulled wine and though you'll want to snap every moment imaginable, do take some time to get out from behind the camera and just watch. I had hoped there would be more aerial artists. The two that were there, were wonderful and it only made me wish there were more artists roaming in, up and around the trees. It would add a completely new element to the experience that would be pretty darn special. But what they've done so far is top notch. The blend of music and lights is exceptionally done and the walk is both exciting and contemplative. Well done Enchanted Forest - it takes quite the force to make me wax poetic confusion. I would love to get a behind the scenes peek at this installation - because it has to take an army to get all those lights up (and some sneaky generator work?). But it's efficiency, right down to the well choreographed bus transfers just makes it easier to get yourself lost in pretty, pretty lights. Go be Alice for an evening. It's well worth the adventure.

A yearly outdoor art installation of light and sound. This is held in a forest near Pitlochry,…read morewhich is in the Lower Highlands. We went as group and got tickets about a month before. Which is recommended as the evening we went was sold out. The organisation was tight and very efficient, buses left from the Fisher's Hotel every 10-15 minutes. The installation / presentation is a 10 minutes drive away from Pitlochry. In the bus you get a 'safety instruction' which is easy to follow and funny for children. On arrival you are greeted by a dark forest with many coloured lights in the tree crowns. Many balloons with neon flashers stuck in trees.. poor kids. Let's get this clear beforehand, it was a very wet, damp evening. The Enchanted forest was drenched. Alright, for true West Coasters this was no more than a persistent heavy drizzle, but it was WET. The theme this year was called 'absORB' and the light themes where just like that. The pathways are lit by small coloured orbs. We also got ourselves a couple diode balloons, which added to the magic effects. The route took us past many sound and light shows that are difficult to describe. All equally mesmerising and pretty. The main focus was a massive moon-like orb at the entrance. This was visible from all over the site. My personal favourites was the 'evolution' 3D light show projected on a rock face. This was very fluid and pretty. The other was the lake orbs. With the music it was a special showpiece which is reflected into the water of the central loch (lake) creating a mirror effect doubling the experience.. that was truly magical. I could have watched just that all evening. Then there was the (as we dubbed it) 'Dr Who' bridge, that looked like an infinity light speed entrance to another time & dimension. And a great opportunity to take some pictures that don't require night vision camera features. There are several toilets, resting places dotted around. If you do get lost the many stewards are able to guide you on your way. After a few rounds we were a little too wet and the rain was getting heavier. We went back to the bus queue, again fast and efficient. It was a good show and a great experience.

On a rainy day on our Perthshire holiday we decided to head to the Beatrix Potter Exhibition &…read moreGarden in Birnam for some indoor fun with our 1 year old. I have to be honest I wasn't expecting much, but I was proved wrong. This is a really lovely place that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to visitors with little ones. The exhibition is housed in Birnam's Arts & Conference Centre. Outside is a lovely garden with sculptures of the animals that Beatrix made famous through her books. Inside is a lovely gift shop with Beatrix Potter themed goods, and a great range of non-Potter related cards, books, gifts, toys, and trinkets... Downstairs is the exhibition area. This is relatively small compared to other exhibitions/museums, but it's appeal for us was the great range of play activities for the little ones. From drawing and colouring on blackboards and at old school desks, to playing shop, playing with puzzles, dressing up, and reading books - this was a great way to spend an afternoon with our little one. I feel this is really geared towards younger kids under 8, but was just perfect for our inquisitive 1 year old. Upstairs is the Foyer Cafe, where we enjoyed some lovely coffees. The staff here were really lovely too!

A lovely place to go adult and child alike! Personally, I love Peter Rabbit, Miss Tiggywinkle etc…read moreand this museum is a real tribute to 'Miss Potter', There is a large ish shop selling lovely books and other memorabilia. The 'museum' itself is quite small, yet informative and very hands on for the kids. There are also clothes for the kids to dress up in. Beatrix Potter took holidays in Dalguise in Perthshire (now a PGL centre) before her family changed their holiday destination to the Lakes.

We drove past them on the highway and I tried hard to take a good picture but as an added surprise,…read moreour tour guide stopped for an hour to give us time to explore the park. Entrance is free and a great place to enjoy. They are reported to be the to be the tallest horse sculpture in the world standing at 100 ft tall. They are an impressive sight!

We drove past the Kelpies several times the past few years. Visible from far away on the M9…read more This time we decided to spend a little time here. And indeed it's actually well worth the hype! Parked at the Helix carpark, just a short walk away. With a fixed rate of only 3.50£. It's really great that visiting The Kelpies if free of charge. As well as the grounds and the Helix Park south of the carpark. Public toilets, some food stalls and a souvenir shop are located on the grounds. The Kelpies represent the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges, and coalships that shaped the geographical layout of the Falkirk area. The Kelpies are 30 metres (98 ft) high and weigh 300 tonnes each, built of structural steel with a stainless steel cladding. It's an impressive sight - an amazing sight. It's a popular place to visit. But we've chosen a late afternoon and many visitors were gone already. A good decision, took some good pics. Walked along the canal heading east for a bit. Then along the canal heading south back to the carpark. Almost had the paths to ourselves. There's a lot more to walk, to see and to discover. Including a several mile long circle path (through the town). Surely a thing we will do next time. Was a lot more interesting, prettier and rewarding than we thought. We will definitely be back.

The second time we visited Scotland's Secret Bunker, this time with my parents in tow. It remains…read morean interesting and surprising place and a reminder of what we were worried about during the Cold War (and maybe should be again). You arrive via a country road to a country track at the end of which is what looks like a farmhouse and now is the entrance/giftshop. From there you descend via a staircase to come to a tunnel leading to the bunker which is full of historical equipment and information both new and from the time. A very worthwhile history lesson.

We went there yesterday, and there were very few people there (we went early) so go round unimpeded…read morere social distancing etc. Lots of history to this place and a great opportunity to explore our Cold War past.

I lived near the predecessor of this glass art, craft and factory showroom in Perth which was…read morealways one of the pieces of local colour I took visitors by. Since this was the first trip back to the UK since meeting the wife it was time to go again. Their new place is only about 25 miles from the old one but is far smaller, maybe 1/3 the retail space. Even better though the access to the craftsfolk is no longer behind a wall, glass and almost totally insulated from the sound but occurs a foot or two away from behind the metal railing. If you are missing Phoenix heat at this time you will probably feel right at home:) There's a restaurant, gift shop and other crafts shops, like jewelry and ceramics nearby so it's easy to spend 1/2 a day here, I suggest spending the next half at that nearby Glen Turret distillery for another kind of glass appreciation:) There's a video presentation on glass making and the company history, kinda lo-tech. E.G., they have to come start the video :) There are hands on glass painting areas and what turned out to be a lot of fun for the wife the chance to make your own glass paperweight. (They may not be complete the same day so having it mailed on could be necessary ) I love their output and while I am not remotely a serious collector ( seriously don't have the serious money to keep up with it) these beat out any tourist trinket you can take back.

We brought our son (21) and daughter (16) to Caithness Glass Blowing to make their own…read morepaperweights. We weren't sure what to expect, but we were met by smiles and such sincere patience and guidance from Cullen, our glass-blowing master. He showed our son and daughter the ropes and helped them create masterpieces and memories they won't soon forget. Thank you to everyone at Caithness for making our visit an extra-special one!

While taking a trip to see Loch Ness, we broke the trip up in two days, and stopped in Perth. While…read morethere, we caught a show at the Perth Concert Hall. This venue was very nice. the seats were larger than most places, with a very good sound system, a large stage that provided good visuals for every seat in the area. The main entry way is large and welcoming with an almost futuristic look to it. Apparently they're currently looking to update it's look, which is sad, because as a first time visitor, I thought it looked grand. We caught the Circus of Horrors there, and though I understand this wasn't their typical show, it was pretty damn awesome.

A modern, stricking building, which although doesn't attract the most well-known people, it still a…read moregreat asset to the town. There is a large foyer, with lots of seating, a bar, booking office and a coffee shop (open everyday). The auditorium itself is fairly big. Very helpful staff

I visited this time for Puff's toddler group trip and was delighted to go back. Smudge has now…read moredeclared herself far too grown up for this sort of activity much to my disgust as I loved our trips here when she was little. This visit was a beautifully sunny day so the perfect day to wander around checking out all the animals; goats, donkeys, GIANT bunnies, guinea pigs, cows, sheep, rats, collie dogs, geese and puff's favourite a cat - we have a cat at home!!! As well as a farmyard full of animals to check out, you can pet lots of the wee ones. A whole barn full of fluffy bunnies, chickens and guinea pigs to stroke. Unless like me you're allergic in which case not touching is a much better option - puffy eyes, manic sneezing and a snotty nose does not make for a fun day out. Once you have spent a happy hour trying to teach a stubborn one year old any animal noise other than meeow, and failed, there is still plenty to do here with an inflatable cow bouncy castle, indoor soft play area, tractors to ride, trampolines to bounce, fossils to uncover and a lovely cafe to eat cake and drink coffee in. It has to be said that a rainy day would not completely ruin a trip to Almond Valley. There is plenty to do under cover and even a big picnic barn to eat in, not to brag but we used it for shade because it was so hot.

This is a lovely little place, a great day out for all the family. Lots of animals to see, an lots…read moreto learn. they're upgrading it all the time so it just keeps getting better and better. They do lots of special activities, Christmas Fayres, Easter, all year round really. they have soft play for toddlers and a new bigger area for older kids. It's got a great little cafe too with friendly staff and good food. It really is worth a visit, you will undoubtedly learn something and have fun while doing it.

It should not take long to get there from Edinburgh (approx 1.10h), if you take the right junction…read moreof the A92 onto the A915 and B942. It also helps to have a car as I can't imagine it's an easy destination to get to with local transport. The car park is of good size. This property belongs to NTS, so if you are not a member they might ask you to pay £2 for parking. It's quite relaxed there with controls. During Easter the younger generation enjoyed a well planned Easter Hunt followed by an adventurous play in the children's playground in the woods. Entry is about £10.50. Please ask for family concession. National Trust members go free. I started with the building first and absorbed it's 650 years of history. Originally it was a tower house and belonged to one of the 5 families that once owned it. Amongst the owners or keepers during the 1800's were the Erskines and Lorimers (famous painters and architects). When walking through the building you can either read about the history of each room or ask a guide to help you. I believe the guides are multi lingual. One of the ladies gave me access to Henry Lorimers tower room in which he painted his famous paintings. It's a very intriguing room. The Lorimers made this castle their home and you can still feel the homely touch around this place. The tearoom is not cheap and you don't get much for your money. Not much food choice either. There are two rooms with tables inside and an outside sitting area, which is lovely when the sun is out. As the sun was shining I also enjoyed a stroll around the walled garden, which by the way is beautiful, even without the summer's touch. Last but not least I made my way out using the woodlands walk. There are also toilets to be found in an outside roundhouse building, which serves it's purpose. It's a lovely family outing for young and youthful adventurers!

The castle itself is a 3 start (especially if you get to go up to the artist studio way up at the…read moretop), but the gardens are absolutely heavenly and worthy of all 5. We went in early Sept and and it was like walking into a flower wonderland. In April, things are just beginning to bloom, but I would think anytime during the summer would be perfect. And you can visit the gardens any time you want--just pop a few quid into the honor box and enter the garden through the little door. Secret surprise the first time we went and discovered the castle was closed. Also fun places for kids to play and a nice cafe if the castle is open. Also a nice view of the sea from the front.