connect Spring 2016 |Issue Three AmsteOfficial Magazinerd of Highlandsam and Islands Airports Ltd More canals than Venice, more bridges than Paris, and just 90 minutes from Inverness

Bristol , and brilliant nightlife Meet Ian Rankin Rebus, and Jekyll &Hyde in side New Flights HIAL airports have never been better connected

FREE COPY was recently named by The Sunday Times as the best city in the UK in which to live. Laidback let lively,ithas great shopping, aproud shipping heritage, avibrant cultural scene and bars, cafes and restaurants to write home about. Connect editor NICKYMARR hopped on aflight from Inverness to investigate further. Connect with Bristol

Bristol Basics There’s alot about Bristol which reminds me of Edinburgh. Forastart, the city centre is compact and walkable. One minute you’re wandering through the quaint and characterful old town, along arabbit warren of cobbled streets and winding alleyways, seeking out independent shops, decadent cafes and funky bars, and five minutes later you’re in the splendid 18th century elegance of Queen Square. The city makes the most of its heritage, yet there’s an air of excitement; the city is alive and welcoming and there’s asense that the Queen Square during May’s annual Eat-Drink-Bristol- best may still be yet to come. Fashion Festival. Photo courtesy of Jon Craig.

Bristol Cider Shop on Christmas Steps page 42 Spring 2016 |Issue Three@HIALConnect | hial.co.uk Getting to the City Centre Bristol airport is eight miles from the Clifton Suspension Bridge city centre and Bristol Flyer busses leave every 10 minutes from outside the airport –akiosk at the bus stop sells tickets. It is a20-30 minute ride into town; the Redcliffe Wayb stop gives us easy (walkable) access to the city centre, and the bus terminates at Bristol Temple Meads railway The station, offering rail access Harbourside to Bath and beyond. area is ama mustust for any visitor; Brunel’s ss Great Britain and The Matthew are well worth slotting into your itinerary, and there is a Photo courtesy of Morgane Bigault plethora of street art to explore, thanks, in the main, to Banksy.This is acity ss Great Britain. to wander through, although getting lost is unlikely as the Picture by David Norton harbour acts as an excellent navigational tool, and there are plenty of useful fingerpost signs. Should you feel hungry or in need of refreshment, there are scores of fabulous food stops, from street food to the finest of dining.And Bristol’s real ale bars, cocktail bars and cider bars are welcoming and plentiful. Bristol has delights enough to keep you occupied for a(very) long weekend away,and will leave you yearning to come back for more. If your visit can stretch to aweek there are opportunities to explore the city’s surrounds, but even if you just have anight, with alittle careful planning there’s much to enjoy in this vibrant city.

Spring 2016 |Issue Three@HIALConnect | hial.co.uk page 43 Connect with Bristol

The of Brunel’s MShed, Bristol ss Great Britain ©Quentin Lake Photography

Brunel’s screw in dry dock. Photo Adam Grasson

Unmissable Attractions So you thinkthat Brunel’s ss GreatBritain is just another old ship?Thinkagain. We’re talking cutting edge marine engineering and abrilliant, Walking back to the city centre along the quay very hands-on, museum. Ihadn’t expected to be side, take time to pop into MShed,amuseum particularly engaged, yet Ididn’t want to leave. telling Bristol’s story,and hop onto The Matthew, Built in Bristol as apassenger , she left for areconstruction of John Cabot’s famous ship which New York in 1845. After achequered career during travelled to Newfoundland 500 years ago. which she served as awar ship and acargo ship, she was discovered scuttled off the , Replica of The Matthew and was floated home in 1970 to the very dry dock in which she had been built. Now partly restored to tell her story,and to explain her significance in marine engineering history,she is the centrepiece of afascinating,fully interactive museum. To see her at her best, first catch the Bristol Ferry Boat (www.bristolferry.com) from the Cascade Steps, staying on beyond the ship to The Baltic Wharf,and disembarking at the ss Great Britain on the return leg. Allow at least three hours to appreciate the exhibition and ship in full. Marvel at slipping underwater in the dry dock, and get right up close to is the oldest that ground-breaking rudder and propeller system. working theatre in the country and in 2016 it Tryout asteerage bunk for size, and imagine, celebrates its 250th anniversary.This year will if you can, ashift working in the galley.And if also see the theatre in the midst of a£19million you have time, watch the half hour documentary redevelopment of its public spaces and studio about the ship’s return from the Falklands, and her theatre. In true ‘the show must go on’spirit, transformation into one of England’s best loved productions in the main auditorium will continue visitor attractions. www.ssgreatbritain.org throughout the works, and aspecial season of page 44 Spring 2016 |Issue Three @HIALConnect | hial.co.uk and connects Bristol with North Somerset. It is free to walk across and the views are tremendous; and yes –Ihave astrong head for heights but Istill felt dizzy! Daily tours, 10am -5pm www.cliftonbridge.org.uk •The Observatory Just minutes from the bridge, the Observatory and Camera Obscura (still in working order) offer fantastic views of the bridge and the Avon Gorge –there’s even agiant’s cave which opens out onto the cliff face of the gorge. Open daily 10am-5pm Bristol Old Vic ©JonCraig.co.uk www.cliftonobservatory.com •Clifton Arcade performances Situated on Boyces Avenue is Clifton Arcade, a is planned for recently restored Victorian shopping mall which the anniversary offers some of the most unusual shopping in Bristol weekend at the –antique jewellery and furniture, funky fashions and end of May.Catch arts and crafts. www.cliftonarcade.co.uk aproduction if you can. Itried The Terrace –and view - out the seats– Where to stay at The Avon Gorge Hotel they’re narrow, It was atreat indeed but surprisingly to stay at the Avon comfortable. www. Gorge Hotel, bristololdvic.org.uk Bristol’s most iconic Unmissable as Victorian building. you wander the Situated in prime Banksy’s Well streets of the city location in the heart Hung Lover centre is Bristol’s of Clifton overlooking Picture courtesy of ever-evolving street the famous gorge Destination Bristol art scene, made (and its even more famous by the famous bridge) it has elusive graffiti artist Banksy.His works are ajoy welcomed both locals and visitors to stumble upon –remember to look up. Forthe since 1898, when it opened as the Grand Clifton largest and most diverse selection head to Stokes Spa and Hydropathic Institution, serving water Croft, or join astreet art walking tour with Where pumped up from the gorge. the Wall. (www.wherethewall.com) Banksy’s ‘Well These days its 75 refurbished rooms are priced Hung Lover’isonthe side of asexual health clinic, to suit arange of visitors and include two Gorge with the best view from the small bridge on Park View Suites, with prices for avillage view double Street that crosses Frogmore Street. with breakfast starting at £89. My garden suite would be perfect for afamily of four; it comprised Clifton Village adouble bedroom with large, luxury ensuite The exclusive suburb of Clifton is apleasant 15-20 bath and shower room, aseparate bedroom minute stroll up Park Street from the city centre or with stowaway beds for children, aliving room, you could catch abus. Here you enter the leafy hallway and enclosed garden…and best of all, a world of chic boutiques and cafes and exquisite generously sized terrace with views of the iconic Georgian terraces –itisaplace to lose yourself bridge and gorge below. for afew hours away from the bustle of the city There is avariety of quality catering available, centre. But it is also home to some of the most with all-day dining in the Bridge Cafe. Popular recognisable and popular destinations of Bristol and with locals are Tuesday fish and chip specials and the South West; The Clifton Suspension Bridge, The Thursday steak nights. Observatory and Clifton Arcade. The hotel is abusy wedding and conference •Clifton Suspension Bridge venue, and its White Lion Bar boasts the largest Designed by Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom terrace in the south west, seating 600, and of Brunel (of ss Great Britain fame), the world famous course, overlooking the suspension bridge. www. Clifton Suspension Bridge spans the Avon Gorge theavongorge.com

Spring 2016 |Issue Three@HIALConnect | hial.co.uk page 45 Once duly refreshed, take awander around Millennium Square and the Harbourside, where you’ll find amyriad of interesting and tempting menus. We dined at floating restaurant Glassboat, and ate extremely well from an imaginatively put together European menu accompanied by afine selection of wines.

The eclectically decorated interior of The Milk Thistle. Picture courtesy of The Milk Thistle.

Eating and Drinking Everywhere you look in Bristol there are new bars and restaurants popping up. There is an abundance of good quality local, seasonal produce. Trythe cafes and street food stalls in St Nicholas Markets Milk Thistle Daisy,with a -there you’ll find pies, pastries, barbecues and tea-light in the teacup. Sweet! burgers. Zerodegrees at the top of Christmas Steps (explore the steps themselves for aselection of independent shops) is an award winning micro- brewery with excellent food, and The Ox on Corn ub Street stands head and shoulders above the rest Bristol as aH when it comes to steaks. largest hub in the UK Bristol is easyJet’s second To work up an appetite we sipped cocktails in the there to over 50 (after Gatwick) and flies from achingly hip but friendly Milk Thistle cocktail bar European destinations including Barcelona, Krakow and near Colston Tower; it’s agloriously decorated Berlin, Copenhagen, Geneva, and Inverness prohibition bar ‘for those in the know’, with neither Vienna. Flights between Bristol way,and if the an address on its website nor aplaque on its door can cost as little as £25 each match your to give away its location. If you know someone domestic flight times don’t exactly attractions to who will take you order the Milk Thistle Daisy –a onward flights, the city has many delicious combination of gin, spiced pear syrup, keep you occupied while you wait. lemon juice and Prosecco. www.easyJet.com where to stay ,where Formore information about listings in to go, what to do and events Bristol, go to www.visitbristol.co.uk

Glassboat restaurant

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