Stranraer is a town located in southerly Scotland in the district of Dumfries & Galloway, it is most widely known for it being where it is possible to sail to Belfast in Northern Ireland. Regrettably the largest numbers of tourists fail to see some of the tourist attractions in and around Stranraer. This fact is something of a puzzle, if you arrive at the town, and book a room in a Stranraer bed & breakfast, a day early you can get to see a couple of the local attractions before sailing to the city of Belfast.

There are a selection of things to see and do in the town including the medieval tower house of the Castle of St John situated in the centre of Stranraer. The castle was built in 1510 as a residence for the Laird of Wigtownshire, Ninian Adair of Kilhurst. The castle underwent restoration, during 1988/89, in 1988/89, by Wigtown District Council who made it available to the public in 1990.

Another attraction close to the town is the gardens at Castle Kennedy. The castle is the centrepiece of the gardens which are situated, between 2 lochs, on a hill (it is important to know that you are not allowed to visit the ruins. The castle’s gardens extend across 75 acres. You can purchase plants from a store which has grown them from seed and plants in the gardens.

A further lovely visitor attraction worth seeing is Glenluce Abbey, about seven miles from Stranraer. Although Glenluce Abbey is ruined (actually the most ruined of a trio of Cistercian monasteries found in the South West of Scotland) it has an incredible fifteenth-century Chapter House. Other places worth consideration include, the Machars, Port Logan, Portpatrick and the Mull of Galloway.

If you are thinking about taking a vacation in Stranraer you will be pleased to learn that there is a reasonable selection of Stranraer hotels. Please take a look at our extensive listings of Stranraer hotels and guest house accommodation.

York is situated in the English county of Yorkshire and was, hundreds of years ago, the capital city of a huge kingdom covering most of northern England. In such an ancient city it will not be an enormous surprise to discover a large collection of incredibly old buildings, but you might not expect the astounding sight of the 12th century Gothic York Minster.

The earliest incarnation of York Minster was a humble church of wood in which the Northumbrian King Edwin was baptised in 627. It wasn’t until the time of the Norman Conquest that the earliest sunstantial construction made from stone appeared on the site. Constructed by Thomas of Bayeux, a Norman Archbishop it was extended by Archbishop Roger who constructed a north transept and a south transept. Following many more alterations it was declared complete and consecrated in 1472. Inside has the biggest medieval stained glass window in the world. York has other places to visit including; the National Railway Museum, the Jorvik Viking Centre, Barley Hall, The Shambles, York Castle Museum and York Dungeon.

On top of all of the incredible historic and ancient tourist attractions introduced above, York is an exciting place to go out partying in or experience live music, the opera or theatre. It that doesn’t thrill you then you could visit a pub instead there are certainly plenty to choose from, including; Old Star Inn, Oscars Wine Bar, The Bluebell Inn, the Slug and Lettuce and The Royal Oak, and, lastly, the Black Swan. Of all of them the Black Swan is probably the finest with a superb atmosphere and sometimes having live music.

B&B Accommodation In York

Like many other UK cities you will find a massive variety of York bed and breakfast accommodation ranging from cheap and cheerful guest houses to first class hotels. The Middlethorpe Hall hotel is just two miles from the city centre of York but provides superb accommodation with it’s own private gardens, gym, sauna and steam room, and it also offers massages. Other top York hotels include; Marriott on Tadcaster Road, Hotel du Vin and Bistro, Parsonage Country House Hotel and Bishops at 135 Holgate Road and one of the best guest houses is Crossways on Wigginto Road, or if you are looking for something different why not consider Marmadukes Boutique Hotel.

You will find Birmingham in the county of England called the West Midlands  and the inhabitants of the city are referred to as being “Brummies”. The accent of Birmingham sounds like many other northern English dialects and it is rather tricky to understand fully what is being spoken a struggle which is exaggerated if if you are new to such accents. Thankfully the vast majority of Brummies are extremely polite, helpful and kind and do their utmost to help you understand so if the need arises don’t be afraid to approach folk about directions and help or guidance in locating  bed & breakfast in Birmingham.

The city has  a superb collection of places to visit and things to do including some interesting and informative galleries and museums, for example the Barber Institute of Fine Arts and the new museum in the Eastside called Thinktank. The city of Birmingham also features an impressive number of hectares of woodland and parks, Sutton Park being the largest with 2,400 acres making it the very largest urban nature reserve in the whole of Europe.

The city features a varied and vibrant nightlife with many restaurants, cafes, wine bars, bars and nightclubs. You will find most in one of the city’s squares, Victoria Square, Centenary Square, St Martin’s Square, Chamberlain Square, the historic Old Square at Corporation Street, Rotunda Square and the Gas Street Basin. Gas Street Basin is the central hub of the city’s canal system. Birmingham has about 32 miles of canals with between eight canals which were built in the 18th century and continued being used until the late twentieth century. Today the Gas Street Basin has been renovated and regenerated and is now a rather nice tourist attraction.

As an alternative to a hotel why not think about apartments in Birmingham. If you If you are considering a Birmingham vacation you will need to know that the closest airport is approximately eight miles east of the the city center just off the A45 and near the M42 (junction 6). You will find there is a useful number of guest houses and hotels close to the airport.