THEATREPLUS DUMFRIES AND AYRSHIRE ADVENTURE

Trip organised by Pat Disley from TheatrePlus who has been organising and escorting trips for almost thirty years from her base in Cranleigh Surrey.

We have experienced many breaks over almost 30 years designed exclusively for us – complied with ideas not only from myself, but great input from my group and of course the invaluable help of excellent Agents – this time with Success Tours.

This particular tour contained many special highlights and with perfect weather too – it couldn’t have worked out better.
We voted to travel by coach and make comfort stops rather than fly -we never attempt to fill coaches on our UK trips as it allows us to move around and to take some comforts from home to make our journeys more comfortable and sociable, and it also is the most comfortable and picturesque way to enjoy the beautiful British countryside interspersed with convenient and regular comfort stops. We usually take around 36 participants, but on this occasion, Dumfries House had a strict 30 restriction on their group entries. This meant that we had to sadly disappoint some of the group and if numbers permit, I am happy, as in the past to repeat a tour.

En route to our first hotel we stopped on the Staffordshire/Shropshire border at the delightful Chillerton Hall with its magnificent lake and its architectural follies. We had a most amusing and interesting tour of the house and were royally treated to an afternoon tea style lunch in the drawing room laid out on wonderful and magnificent towering, tiered silver stands on each table, brimming with savoury and sweet delights. Before we left, we took little encouragement to finish these treats over another cup of tea….

An overnight stop at the Crowne Plaza Chester was ideal to refresh ourselves before our journey into Scotland and our mainstay hotel – the Gailes Hotel Irvine – a beautifully modern contemporary family run hotel with a great home feel complimented by its welcoming staff and exemplary service. The delicious food helped too……. Right on the coast overlooking the picturesque golf course with the opportunity to use the spa facilities and the thermal pool.
Prior to this holiday I was concerned that our planned visit to the Isle of Aaran would not take place as apparently the ferry is often cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. However, luck was on our side as we had a calm journey over to Aaran with its sparkling seas, towering hills, and magical waterfalls and often referred to “Scotland in Miniature” We certainly saw it at its magnificent best and revelled in the delicious group lunch at the renown Auchrainne Resort, and it would have been rude not to have a “wee dram” at the Distillery. In the afternoon we visited Brodick Castle and Gardens with its stunning views overlooking the Firth of Clyde.

In the coming days further visits were also made to the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and a very knowledgeable guide bought his character to life at his humble cottage. A visit to Culzean Castle – perched on the Ayrshire cliffs – a magnificent building designed by Robert Adam and filled to the turrets with treasures (beautiful ceilings) and set in amazing gardens and parkland.

However, the highlight of our visit has to be to Dumfries House, part of the Kings Foundation and containing the largest single collection worldwide of Chippendale Furniture amongst its many other treasures. Things have certainly evolved from my last visit and after our Grand Tour we had a special group lunch in the library and felt very honoured dining where Royals and nobility have enjoyed this room before us.
On the way home we stopped for lunch at The White Lion Wightington where in complete contrast, although equally as delicious, we had a three-course home cooked lunch to sustain us before travelling home to Surrey, tired, but exhilarated by our exceptionally sunny adventures in bonnie Scotland.