4 M.E.N. MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018 @MENnewsdesk TRAVEL ONE FOR THE BUCKET LIST LAUREN BALLINGER SAYS NO ONE SHOULD MISS OUT ON ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIEWS ON THE PLANET travel report SCOTLAND

ISITING the Scottish refresh both yourself and your Highlands is something vehicle! everyone should put on In fact when we arrive at the their bucket list. hotel, the reception staff tell us of Don’t go to your grave someone who ran out of fuel while Vbefore you get the chance to feast they were there - meaning they had your eyes on some of the most to take a 40 mile round trip in a taxi beautiful scenery on the planet. to the nearest petrol station, to fill Yes, it’s usually raining, no matter up a jerry can. The Dunalastair Hotel the time of year - but without all that Despite its very old looking water there would be no tall pine exterior, the hotel is very modern trees; no mists gently rolling inside. The new refurbishment work through the forests; no roaring looks smart and contemporary and It’s still made that way today, and think of, as well as a fish and chip rivers and cascading fountains - and the rooms are painted a calming on the tour you can see, smell and shop where you can pick your own no whisky. shade of grey. even taste the process and its lobster. It’s quite a drive from West The suite has its own fridge and results. Tired out from the exertions of Yorkshire, so on our trip to microwave, so if you’re staying a few The distillery produces just a drinking whisky and shopping, we we spend a night in a days you can make yourself your fraction of the amount the big spent the evening enjoying dinner hostel on the Scottish borders own food - but if you feel like letting distilleries do - but whether you’re a in the hotel restaurant, Edina’s before getting back on the road to someone else do all the cooking, whisky fan or not you’ll be able to Kitchen, which offers a choice of . there’s an extensive menu which appreciate the care and work that five starters, five mains and five We’re staying at the newly includes breakfast, lunch, afternoon goes into making every drop. desserts including vegetarian refurbished Dunalastair Hotel tea and dinner. One highlight is getting to look at options. There’s a good wine Suites in , a few It would be unthinkable to visit the barrels as they’re maturing. selection too, and a whisky menu, miles from the town. Pitlochry without taking a tour of Whisky isn’t whisky until it’s been which we felt would have benefited The further north you go, the the Edradour Distillery. According aged three years and a day, but from some more local offerings. more remote it becomes, as does to its website it’s the smallest Edradour’s product has been The village of Kinloch Rannoch, the chance of a fuel - and comfort traditional distillery in Scotland, waiting far longer than that to reach where the hotel is situated, is tiny - break, so if you’re heading up this where whisky has been made by the glass - one barrel, which we - but it’s in a perfect location for way I’d take any chance you can to hand since 1825. didn’t get to see, was filled up 50 exploring the local area and taking Queen’s View which is years ago. on hikes, rambling and hill walking. a short drive from the Pitlochry itself is a bustling town If you fancy an adventure there’s hotel at Pitlochry with B&B upon B&B for the many Loch Rannoch right next to the walkers who visit to enjoy the hotel; the ancient Black Wood of stunning scenery. There are plenty Rannoch where you might be lucky of little shops piled high with enough to catch a glimpse of a red magnificent tree is in a walled off Scottish souvenirs, from fridge squirrel; a trip on the West Highland part of the churchyard, and it’s quite magnets to authentic traditional Railway from the century-old something to touch a 9,000 year old Scottish dress. Rannoch station, plus deer stalking, tree. Also nearby - relatively speaking golf, historic castles; gardens and The drive to the churchyard and for a rural location - is the House of even discovering filming locations. beyond back into England is Bruar, a high end department store The hotel’s website has plenty of breathtakingly beautiful and makes stuffed full of traditional Scottish suggestions. (http://www. up for the hours on the motorway produce. I’ve never seen so much dunalastairhotel.com) home! tartan in one place. It’s almost like If you’re travelling by car, take the Anyone choosing to fly would visiting a museum of Scottishness. road home via Fortingall church to need to hire a car to get around - but The hotel overlooking Loch Rannoch There’s a huge food hall with every see the Fortingall Yew, one of the make sure you take the trip to kind of edible Scots treat you can oldest living things in Europe. The Fortingall. You won’t regret it. facebook.com/ManchesterEveningNews MONDAY, MAY 14, 2018 M.E.N. 5

How to News / book Airport Rates start from £162 per night based on two sharing a tops 2m Deluxe Suite on a bed & breakfast basis. For more passengers information visit https://www. dunalastairhotel.com/ for April

More than two million passengers flew through Manchester Airport during April as the summer season officially started. The airport’s three terminals saw 2,202,390 people pass through, meaning 27.85 million passengers have passed through in the last 12 months. April marks the start of the summer season in the aviation industry and the airport is predicting its busiest ever summer as it also celebrates its 80th birthday in June. The launch of the summer season means a host of new routes starting from the airport over the coming months with Seattle with Thomas Cook Airlines, Florence with BA Cityflyer, Cagliari, Palermo and Ponta Delgada with Ryanair and Orkney, Shetland and Stornoway with Loganair. Andrew Cowan, Manchester Airport CEO, said: “It’s been another busy month for the airport and we’re excited for the summer season. With eight new routes starting we’re connecting our passengers with even more destinations around the globe. “We’re also continuing to talk to carriers about the opportunities to connect the North with new key markets around the globe and we’re confident that we’ll have some exciting news in the months to come.” The amount of cargo passing through the airport increased 1.5 per cent year on year during April meaning that the rolling tonnage stands at 122,856 tonnes.

One of the suites

One of the hotel Andrew Cowan, CEO, suite’s bathrooms Manchester Airport