Exploration and Scotland

Should you find yourself lucky enough to break away from your routine, it is always a great option to get out there and explore the differences between cultures. While many will hit the beaches of some exotic country like Cuba, Barbados, or even South Africa, Scotland offers its guests many of the same great attractions.

Playing Nard in Baku

One of the best ways to interact with locals in any country is to learn the national games. These activities transcend the limitations of age and language. You can play with anybody regardless of whether your generation fought in the Great War or the World of Warcraft or whether you share a common language. If you are travelling in Azerbaijan, the game you must learn is nard. Once you leave your hotel Baku seems to be filled with nard games. Men play in almost every cafe and every park bench. Everywhere you can hear the roll of dice and clicking of the nard pieces moving about the board.

Aston Villa Versus Liverpool

Aston Villa host Liverpool at Villa Park next week in what promises to be an enthralling encounter. Liverpool have been on a blistering run of form of late but the fact that Aston Villa are at home means that they will hope to get at least a point from the game. The match is given further spice by the fact that Stuart Downing will be returning to his club of last season before his move from Villa Park to Anfield in the summer, meaning the immutable law of the ex could well come back to haunt Alex McLeish’s team. Villa have also been on a reasonably decent run of late, barring their defeat at home to Manchester United due to Phil Jones’s cushioned side-footed volley, but since Kenny Dalglish’s return to Liverpool, the Merseysiders have been paying fantastically well.

The Top 5 Scottish Mini-Breaks

1. Argyll and the Trossachs

This part of Scotland is a great destination for nature lovers, as it features a diverse range of ecosystems – lochs, forests, national parks and mountains. If you’re planning a rural countryside trip to Scottish Highland hotels, then this’ll make the perfect choice.There is an impressive selection of flora and fauna to see in the area, as well as some exciting opportunities for outdoor activities; these include mountain biking, horse riding, and a number of water sports on the region’s lochs.

Glasgow’s Top 5 Theatres

1. The Citizens' Theatre

Founded in 1943, the Citizen’s Theatre is perhaps the best known in Glasgow, and it is here that you’ll find most of the city’s big-name performances. You’ll find it within easy reach of any central Glasgow hotel, and with performances ranging from Shakespeare through to modern, improvised theatre, the venue caters for all tastes.

Finding Family-Friendly Accommodation in the UK

Travelling with babies and young children can be a stressful and exhausting experience, and parents looking for accommodation will need to make sure that their choice of place to stay makes the experience easier rather than still more complicated.

Rethinking Movie Settings

As I watch more and more movies, the question of why Hollywood does not use more natural settings has been bothering me. Yes, your explosions, fast paced car chases, and special effects are all captivating, but what about the natural beauty that exists in our world?