Trump heading to Scotland for Turnberry re-opening

AMERICAN presidential candidate #DonaldTrump has welcomed the re-opening of #TrumpTurnberry in #Ayrshire and confirmed his attendance at a ceremonial ribbon cutting on June 24.  

Trump said: ‘Very exciting that one of the great resorts of the world, Turnberry, will be opening after a massive £200 million investment. I own it and I am very proud of it. I look forward to attending the official opening of this great development in June.”

Trump Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort, has re-opened its doors to guests after an eight-month restoration. Coupled with the renovation of Turnberry’s Ailsa Championship golf course, the resort is one of the most opulent luxury retreats in the world. The hotel refurbishment has comprised the upgrade of 103 guest rooms, including four luxury suites. The iconic Turnberry Lighthouse has been restored and converted into a £3,500-per night two-bedroom suite.

Opening in August is the Donald Trump Ballroom, a 500-person grand ballroom, which the owners say will be the most luxurious meeting facility in Europe.

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Picture Credit: Turnberry Old and New</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin

Homes of the poets on show

If you’re interested in the lives of Britain’s great poets, these five places – four in #England, one in #Scotland – might make for worthwhile #daysout … 

Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire: ‘Pleasure’s a sin, and sometimes sin is a pleasure’, Lord Byron wrote in his narrative poem Don Juan. You can judge for yourself whether the poet's magnificent giltwood bed is a pleasure or a sin. Byron inherited Newstead Abbey from his uncle, the 5th Lord Byron, when he was ten year old. The house is now a monument to its past inhabitants, with Byron’s possessions, such as his bed and pistol, on display.

Dove Cottage, Cumbria: William Wordsworth fell in love with the cottage, pictured above,  while on a walk with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It was here that he was inspired to write some of his most much-loved poems, such as I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud. Little has changed since the poet and his sister lived here more than 200 years ago; the stone floors, coal fires, wild garden, and family’s possessions are still present.

Shakespeare’s Family Homes, Warwickshire: This collection of five houses in and around Stratford-upon-Avon traces William Shakespeare’s life and times, from the house he was born in to the thatched farmhouse where he courted his wife Anne Hathaway. 

Keats House, Hampstead, London: John Keats came to live at Wentworth Place in 1818, and although he stayed there for only 17 months he wrote some of his most enduring poetry and fell in love with 'the girl next door'. Keats is said to have written Ode to a Nightingale under the resident pear tree. On show are his personal objects, including the engagement ring he gave to Fanny Brawne (although he died before marrying her) and a copy of his death mask.

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Ayrshire: The museum encompasses Burns Cottage where the poet was born, monumental gardens, and a modern museum dedicated to the work of Scotland's most famous literary name.

Free entry to all of these (except the Burns Museum) with a National Art Pass.
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Mansions for parties

BALVONIE HOUSE and The Drury – two very, very large houses on Scotland’s west coast – have been added to House Parties collection of holiday lets.

 

Professional chef services are available at both of the houses to take away the strain of preparing meals for large parties.

A 45 minutes-drive from Glasgow, Balvonie House sits in its own large garden high above Skelmorlie, with panoramic sea views. 

It sleeps 26 in 11 bedrooms, and has nine bathrooms. The dining room has a table for 22.

The Drury, in Oban, sleeps 22 in 11 bedrooms. The Victorian house has three reception rooms, a large kitchen, and seven bathrooms on three storeys.

Balvonie House is priced from £3,845 (£148 per person) for a week’s stay and from £2,168 (£83 per person) for a two-night midweek break, while 

The Drury is from £3,100 (£141 per person) for a week’s stay and from £1,705 (£78 per person) for two nights … pets extra. See www.house-parties.com for more.

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Picture Credit: "Skelmorlie Castle 1830" by Joseph Swan 1829 (Strath Clutha 1830 J Leighton) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Make a splash in Scotland

AN interactive website has been launched to showcase one of the UK's premier watersports destinations that benefits from the warmer waters created by the Gulf Stream.

Watersportscoast.com is a one-stop website with detailed information on 12 watersport activities – including yachting, dinghy sailing, kite surfing, and sea kayaking – around Ayrshire and Arran on Scotland's west coast.

From the coastal areas around mainland Ayrshire to the islands of Arran and Cumbrae, the area provides opportunities to access the waters of the Firth of Clyde and on to the Irish Sea. Located on the Gulf Stream, the waters are surprisingly warm (with some reporting them to be warmer than off the coast of South Africa) and palm trees flourish in some areas as a result.

Watersportscoast.com provides information on some 60 key coastal access points, beaches, slipways, marina facilities, and moorings. 

Tide times, weather forecasts, nautical charts, nautical mile plotting, and interactive mapping, are available -  [www.watersportscoast]  

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