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Title: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: grahame on April 18, 2021, 21:52:00 Something of a comparator to the same question about Northern Ireland last week. I think I know roughly how this will turn out - but let's see!
Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: MVR S&T on April 18, 2021, 22:01:33 Pehaps the question should have been how often have you visited SOUTHERN Ireland, as Scotland is for many of us an 'easy' trin journey away, ehre as Ireland in volves at last a train ferry, aircraft journey.
I also was born in Scotland, and have family there, so used to visit often. But have no relatives in either Irlelands. Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: ellendune on April 18, 2021, 22:10:28 Pehaps the question should have been how often have you visited SOUTHERN Ireland, as Scotland is for many of us an 'easy' trin journey away, ehre as Ireland in volves at last a train ferry, aircraft journey. The most northerly point in the island of Ireland is not in Northern Ireland. Southern Ireland to me means Rosslare or Cork, Dublin is in the Irish Midlands. I would call the larger part of that island that is not part of the UK, the Republic of Ireland. Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: RichardB on April 18, 2021, 22:52:27 I was in Scotland last for the Community Rail Awards in 2018 and haven't been to the Highlands since 2010. Hoping to do a big trip this Summer taking in all the classic routes. High Speed Trains (HST)s and a trip on an adapted 153 to feature, all being well!
Edit: VickiS - Clarifying abbreviation Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: MVR S&T on April 19, 2021, 00:06:26 Yes, I know what we think of as 'not northern island', is the repbulic of island, see, even here we have a misunderstanding...
Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: grahame on April 19, 2021, 04:42:53 Pehaps the question should have been how often have you visited SOUTHERN Ireland, as Scotland is for many of us an 'easy' trin journey away, ehre as Ireland in volves at last a train ferry, aircraft journey. I also was born in Scotland, and have family there, so used to visit often. But have no relatives in either Irlelands. I considered that ... but the thread / poll to which this is providing a comparator is talking about a country comprising the United Kingdom. Wales is on the forum's home patch so Scotland was the natural choice. I would have preferred an initial one-question survey with a matrix of columns, so that members could have answered for each country of the British Isles, but the software doesn't offer that and though I have a download of LimeSurvey, I haven't spend all the time that I would need to learn and provide that - guided by the member survey I did on polls a few weeks ago, I am the only one hankering after such facilities. Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: GBM on April 19, 2021, 07:24:48 4 trips to the Port of Ness (Isle of Lewis) in the mid 1970's and 3 trips to Wick in the late 70's.
Day coach trip from Blackpool to Carlisle in the early 80's. None since! Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: bradshaw on April 19, 2021, 08:02:57 I lived near Glasgow for a year in the mid 60s, when the A4s were still running the Aberdeen service. Then visited annually for some years in the 80s&90s. However not been for some time since then.
Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: paul7575 on April 19, 2021, 11:26:30 Visited countless times for work, (including many day trips by air), and being brought up in Northumberland visited places in the borders many times as a teenager.
As an aside, my brother worked in Melrose for a few years before retirement, but commuted from Morpeth. (Not sure how the recent travel restrictions would have dealt with his situation...) Paul Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: eXPassenger on April 19, 2021, 11:37:28 Frequent visits for work in the past. Very few this millennium.
Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: Bmblbzzz on April 19, 2021, 13:43:56 Any guidance as to what counts as a visit?
I'm told I was taken to Scotland when I was a few months old. I know I went to Glasgow in connection with work on one occasion circa 1995, but I only spent a couple of hours there and left as soon as done what I needed to do. The first occasion was before my memory and beyond my control, more like being visited by Scotland than visiting Scotland. The second was so brief and unrelated to it being Scotland that it feels like counting a stop off at Heathrow as visiting London. On a positive note, I can say that on both occasions I went by train. Even though I only had a ticket for the second time. :D Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: grahame on April 19, 2021, 14:46:31 Any guidance as to what counts as a visit? Not really but I had a look at a couple of dictionaries. Going there for the purpose of doing something there? Meeting someone, repairing a left handed widget or watching wild haggis? Probably does not include transit on public transport - for example flying Exeter to Bergen with a change in Aberdeen would not (to my mind) constitute a visit. With an overnight stop at the Dyce Travelodge (quite the worst I have even stayed at at the time) it would constitute a visit - and certainly a visit you could remember. Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: PrestburyRoad on April 19, 2021, 15:07:01 I have happy memories of touring all the Highland branches in a week in the 1980s using a rover ticket. This was back in the days of loco-hauled mark 1s. We had a day trip from Inverness to Wick and Thurso (grateful for the steam heating even though it was summer); we also had a brief bus excursion to John O'Groats that day - it was raining so we stepped off the bus, looked quickly at the hotel and got straight back on. Whereas Skye and Fingal's Cave were sunny - and the sea was calm. Changed at Crianlarich on the journey from Oban to Mallaig. Many memories. A good holiday.
Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: GBM on April 19, 2021, 15:16:16 Drank the buffet car miniatures dry on the up trip between Inverness and Wick on a few occasions; they then obtained a lot more from the down train that passed half way.
Couldn't do that these days - even if there was a buffet car ;D Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: paul7575 on April 19, 2021, 16:59:42 Any guidance as to what counts as a visit? I think you possibly have to come within touching distance of a deep fried Mars bar... :o Paul Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: TaplowGreen on April 20, 2021, 07:26:27 Any guidance as to what counts as a visit? I think you possibly have to come within touching distance of a deep fried Mars bar... :o Paul At least every two years for the Calcutta Cup match - stay in Glasgow, get the train to Edinburgh on Saturday morning. Pleasant trip. I'll see your Mars Bar and raise you a deep fried haggis, which a chap in front of me at the breakfast buffet in a Glasgow hotel had one Saturday morning pre match (along with industrial quantities of eggs, bacon, black pudding etc). His cardiologist drives an Aston Martin. Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: Bmblbzzz on April 20, 2021, 09:47:44 I've never tried a deep fried Mars Bar but I have had Mars Bar vodka. Not in Scotland. It was not as sickly as you'd imagine but I'd not rush to repeat it.
Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: grahame on April 20, 2021, 10:34:28 ... and raise you a deep fried haggis, ... Ah, fond memories! The battered and then deep fried haggis, and chips generously salted from the shop just outside Glasgow Central station (frontage, platform 1 side, Gordon Street) washed down by generous supplies of Irn-Bru from the pound store on Union Street in my room at the Rennie Mackintosh Station hotel. Not frequent enough to trouble my cardiologist - but it's good! Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: grahame on April 20, 2021, 17:50:06 From 26th April in Scotland, from the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52530518) quoting key changes ...
Quote Those parts of Scotland currently at Covid protection level four will move down to level three, bringing mainland Scotland in line with Scottish island communities. Travel All remaining travel restrictions will be lifted for travel within Scotland, or between Scotland, England and Wales (subject to local restrictions) Shopping and services All shops can reopen fully Close-contact services can restart in retail premises - but not mobile services, apart from hairdressers and barbers Hospitality and tourism Outdoor opening of cafes, pubs and restaurants - hours subject to local licensing rules, alcohol can be served, groups of up to six people from six households Indoor opening of cafes, pubs and restaurants - until 20:00 each day, no alcohol can be served, groups of up to six people from two households Hospitality venues must take contact details for everyone, not just the lead member of a group Takeaway food can be collected from indoors, rather than from a hatch or window Hotels, B&Bs, self-catering, caravan and camping sites can reopen - but you can't share self-catering accommodation with another household Exercise and leisure Gyms and swimming pools can reopen for individual exercise Indoor attractions - galleries, museums and libraries - can reopen ... so your trips to Kyle of Lochalsh or Oban, and mine to Coatbridge or Dunfermine, are on ... Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: Sixty3Closure on April 20, 2021, 19:40:11 Grew up there so frequent trips home when I was younger. Not so many now but I do have (or did) a regular trip each May. Had to cancel last year and not sure its worth it this year. Also need to see if my regular B&B is still in business.
I've also caught the same train for pretty much the last 30 years with the only noticeable change being the Azuma (spelling?) trains which came in on my last trip. Title: Re: Visits to SCOTLAND Post by: grahame on April 24, 2021, 05:10:26 Summary
How often have you visited Scotland? Never. - 2 (5.7%) Just once - 2 (5.7%) A few times - 13 (37.1%) Quite often - 12 (34.3%) Frequently - 6 (17.1%) I live there - 0 (0%) Have you visited Northern Ireland? Never. - 17 (42.5%) Just once - 14 (35%) A few times - 8 (20%) Quite often - 0 (0%) Frequently - 1 (2.5%) I live there - 0 (0%) Scotland, though, is about three times the size (using population as my comparator) of Northern Ireland. 5.5 million - Scotland 1.8 million - Northern Ireland 40 votes in the Northern Ireland poll, 35 in the Scotland one (which did not follow on a news story and wasn't bumped) so please compare voting percentages and not raw numbers (http://www.wellho.net/pix/ukvis.jpg) The results, showing a much higher flow of our members to Scotland than to Northern Ireland, are perhaps a confirmation of the obvious. That's fine; such confirmations are worthwhile from time to time, and the "spray" of thoughts, comments and other things revealed can be useful. Note: results are historic data from our members. We did not ask about political views nor future intents. Many thanks to you all for taking part. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |