Nikedun Blog

Yes, yes.....I know it's not until January, but if you want to be part of one of the biggest Burns Night celebrations, then you might want to grab some tickets to the pekan raya I'm featuring today! The Big Burns Supper, The world's biggest Burns Night celebration is a 10 day pekan raya which runs in Dumfries from the 20-29th January 2017.  This is where Scotland's infamous poet, Robert Burns, spent his selesai years, and is the sixth year of Scotland's landmark Burns Night event. It features cabaret, comedy, music and entertainment as the town of Dumfries goes bonkers for nine days of winter magic!  One of the most popular parts of the proceedings, The Carnival, will make a return on Sunday 22nd of January. Thousands of people will line the streets of Dumfries, and The Festival has been working with volunteers from across Dumfries, to get people involved in creating floats, masks, and lanterns. If you'd like more information, then head t...

Rosslyn Chapel was built in 1446, and is one of Scotland's most remarkable buildings. It's just seven miles south of Edinburgh's city centre, and is still used as a place of worship. It's always been a popular visitor destination, but it's profile increased when it was mentioned in Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code in 2003.  Almost every surface of Rosslyn Chapel is carved featured incredible carvings - there are hundreds of figures and scenes carved in the Chapel, and the Apprentice Pillar is the most elaborately decorated with an incredible story behind it. Read more about it in my original post on Rosslyn  here .

Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most iconic images of Scotland. It's situated on an island where three sea lochs meet, and is surrounded my some majestic scenery. It's one of the most visited attractions in the Scottish highlands.    I found an incredible hotel which is just an hour from the Castle, and a great place to base yourself to explore the wonders that the highlands have to offer. To go to my original post, and read more about the hotel, just click  here.

If you're into your history, and are looking for somewhere decadent to stay, then The Witchery in Edinburgh is a great choice. This boutique Gothic hotel is at the top of Edinburgh's Royal Mile, and is a fabulous place to stay for a special occasion. I featured The Witchery on my blog after spending a night here and absolutely loving it, so I can't recommend it highly enough. If you want to see my original post on one of the best places to stay in Edinburgh, click  here.

As a proud Edinburgher, it wouldn't be right to blog today without mentioning the fabulous festivals that get underway in Scotland's capital city. The Edinburgh International Festival celebrates its 70th birthday in 2017, and was founded to foster a "flowering of the human spirit" after the second world war.  I don't think anyone realised just how successful it would go on to become. To mark the anniversary, this year's events are expected to be bigger and better than ever, with a grand opening party, and ending with the usual fireworks spectacular over the castle. It's not just the International Festival that runs this month, the hugely popular pameran fringe is also on during August, as is the book festival. While you need tickets for the main events, the city is awash with entertainment during August, and you can watch plenty of fantastic street acts running the length of the Royal Mile, and by the city's art galleries on The Mound...

Today I'm featuring one of the most iconic places in Scotland and one of the most visited attractions in the Scottish Highlands. Eilean Donan castle is on an island surrounded by majestic scenery, and I'm sure most of you have seen it before. So why would I feature it on my blog, which is all about going off the beaten track? Well I decided to feature it, because you may not know about the possibility of staying in this stunning location. Not in the castle itself, but in Eilean Donan Cottage or Eilean Donan Apartments. Can you imagine waking up, and seeing this view first thing in the morning - simply stunning! If you want more information, click here . A very big thanks to Fiona Ritchie for the photo - what a great dramatic shot of one of the most beautiful places in the world!

Today's photo was inspired by a television series I watched recently, with British actor Julie Walters travelling round the UK by train, and it got me thinking about rail holidays. 'As seen on screen' travel is a growing trend, with film and television locations becoming holiday hotspots.  In Scotland you can follow in the footsteps of Harry Potter on The Jacobite steam train, which crosses the 21-arched Glenfinnan viaduct made famous by the film. The 84 mile round trip from Fort William to Mallaig has been described as the greatest railway journey in the world. Who could resist that stunning scenery? Not me....it's now on my ever-growing list of destinations I'm determined to travel to!

I've yet to meet someone that doesn't enjoy getting away from it all, and having a little spa break. Whether you love being pampered with a facial, or just reading your book in peace and quiet it's a great chance to have a bit of "me time"! National Spa Week runs from the 10-17th of September, with the intention to encourage more people into spas, more often.  To mark the occasion, I thought I'd point you in the direction of my personal favourite spa - Stobo Castle. It's in the heart of the Scottish countryside, but just 20 miles from Edinburgh city centre. I've yet to find a spa I love more, so why not discover it for yourself! Click  here  to read more about the delights of Stobo Castle.

I'm sure that readers of my blog from all over the world will recognise Eilean Donan Castle. The stunning castle was first inhabited around the 6th century, and the first fortified castle was built in the mid 13th century. Since then, after being partially destroyed in a Jacobite uprising, at least four different versions of the castle have been built and re-built.  Sometimes as a photographer, you just get lucky....and that's what happened to me on a recent trip to the Scottish Highlands. I stopped to visit the castle, and before going in and starting my visit, the rain cleared, and a stunning rainbow emerged perfectly over the iconic landmark. Some say it's the most beautiful castle in Scotland, I say it looks even better with a rainbow over it!