Fun, Scotland, Winter

Indoor ice climbing course here in the UK

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A week ago, I took part in a four-day winter skills mountaineering course in Scotland. The trip was a lot of fun. Great group of adventurous people from all types of backgrounds and of all ages, men and women. Only problem was the weather. Not enough snow to actually use ice axe and crampons. Too stormy to attempt the Ben Nevis summit via the ridge. As luck would have it, the day after we left the conditions became perfect. UPDATE 29 March 2023: According to various news reports the Indoor Ice Climbing Wall seems to have closed for good. So sad. No more indoor ice climbing course UK.     MORE TIME AT OUR HANDS THAN EXPECTED AT THE INDOOR ICE CLIMBING COURSE UK We managed to get a fair bit of hiking done nonetheless. However, all days were cut short and we usually returned mid-afternoon, beaten by the hail […]

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Michelin restaurants, Scotland

Fine Dining in Edinburgh: Martin Wishart

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Before the Covid crisis, Ms B and I visited Edinburgh. As it happened, the anniversary of our first date fell into that period. So we decided to treat ourselves to a meal at Edinburgh’s first and longest-standing Michelin-starred restaurant: Martin Wishart. The Chef The restaurant’s homonymous owner and chef is a proud Scotsman who was born in town. At the age of 29, after years of training under Albert Roux, Michel Roux Jr, and Marco Pierre White, he founded this eatery in 1999. Two years later it was awarded its Michelin star and has kept it ever since. Well done there. French traditions with a modern twist Wishart’s cooking is based in French traditions and techniques, but with a modern twist. He puts a strong focus on locally sourced, high-quality ingredients wherever possible. Since opening his flagship restaurant, he successfully opened two more restaurants, one in the same city, and […]

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Restaurants, Scotland

Our Go-To Place in Fort William: Crannog

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We had been to Crannog before, and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, great service, and fabulous seafood, so during our last visit to town we made sure that we had a reservation. The restaurant sits on a wood and steel platform above the waters of the Loch Linnhe and has a lovely, rustic vibe of upmarket log cabin, despite no shortage in modern amenities. After short deliberation we decided to go for two of the three specials of the day. Ms B opted for mackerel pate (£6.85) and a whole sea bass (£26.65), I chose crab timbale for starters (£8.95) and pork belly with scallops and blood pudding as main (£26.50). It was a very busy evening, so the starters took a fairly long time to arrive, but we didn’t mind too much, chatting about the plans we had to climb Ben Nevis the following day and sipping our white wine […]

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Restaurants, Scotland

Lowdown Coffee, Edinburgh – Marvellous Coffee and Delicious Sandwiches

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During our visit to Edinburgh earlier this year, we came across the lovely Lowdown Coffee and stopped by for coffee and sandwiches twice. Opened in 2016 down a set of stairs in inner-city George Street in New Town, the establishment has received several positive mentions. We liked the fact that the staff seemed very knowledgeable, friendly, and relaxed. There is a certain hipster vibe around the place, which you can consider a positive or not. The minimalist interieur was pleasant and it’s always great if a café has outdoor seating like this one does.   Our ham and cheese sandwich was truly delicious and the two different types of coffee we tried, were each very different from the other but expertly brewed, flavoursome and complex. We are likely to be back during our next visit to town. 3.75 out of 5 in our book. Looking for more reviews? Check out […]

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