'Haste Ye Back!'
Everyone loves a wedding – and what better chance to get all the family together to celebrate? When we took the Elstone family from Wakefield up to Scotland for a few days it was a double celebration - a beautiful wedding in Dunfermline Abbey was followed next day by a golden wedding anniversary and we were delighted to help everything go smoothly.
With all the luggage safely loaded in the boot by our driver, Peter, the 16 seater mini-coach set off from Wakefield on the Wednesday morning and headed for the north-east coastal route. Settled back on board were members of the family from across the globe, including British Columbia, Arizona and China, who had come over to meet up with their UK relatives for this very special tour. Although some of the group had visited Scotland before, it had been many years since they were last there, and the wedding celebrations also gave them a great chance to meet up with old friends in the area. There was certainly plenty of catching-up and planning to do as the countryside rolled by.
Lunch was in the small Northumberland town of Alnwick, home of the imposing castle. With its Harry Potter connections and nearby Alnwick Gardens, the town is now a popular place for visitors of all ages. Then it was onwards, up past Edinburgh and over the magnificent Forth Bridge, arriving in good time for dinner at the Balbirnie House Hotel in Glenrothes, our party's accommodation for the next three nights.
Next morning brought the Big Day. Peter collected our party for the half hour drive to Dunfermline Abbey, where they met up with many other family members, who had arrived from different parts of the UK. The excitement mounted! Although the rain did not quite manage to hold off, the ceremony fulfilled everyone's expectations and the happy couple emerged to the sound of bagpipes, ready for the official photographs and the eager clicking of family cameras. We then returned our party to the Balbirnie House Hotel, as it was also the venue for the Reception.
On Friday, recalling happy memories of their own big day, it was time for our golden wedding couple to celebrate. The party enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Peat Inn, by Cupar, which was voted Restaurant of the Year 2010. Then, settling back on the mini-coach, they spent a relaxed afternoon exploring the Fife coastal route, taking in Scotland's Secret Bunker, Anstruther and the fishing harbour at Crail, much-loved by artists, with its stunning open views over the Firth of Forth.
The following morning Peter loaded the luggage back on board, ready to transfer the family westwards to Ayrshire. En route they met up with long lost friends and enjoyed lunch with them at the Swanston Golf Club on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Next, it was the journey west, passing south of Glasgow before arriving at the Seamill Hydro Hotel on the Ayrshire coast in mellow early evening sunshine. Time to relax over dinner and reflect on all those anecdotes from years gone by.
On Sunday, Peter took our party along the coast to Largs. Under a cloudless blue sky and in perfect t-shirt and shorts weather, they boarded the ferry for the brief crossing to the Isle of Cumbrae. Here, bike-hire was very much the order of the day and what better after cycling round the island's 10 mile coastal road than fish and chips and ice-cream. When they returned to the mainland, Peter was waiting on the quayside with the mini-coach, ready to take everyone back to their hotel for a relaxing evening … and the chance to soak a few aching muscles!
The following morning – the start of our party's last full day in Scotland - it was time for them to catch up with friends in Troon and enjoy a mouth-watering lunch at the Scots Bar Restaurant in the Yacht Haven. From there, it was on to the magnificent Culzean Castle, steeped in centuries of history and standing in 600 acres, complete with deer park, to the south of Ayr. It was then time for Peter to return the family to Seamill for their last Scottish dinner of the holiday.
Tuesday morning brought rainy skies and our party decided to forego their visit to Dumfries in favour of shortening the journey home. This time, being in south-west Scotland, Peter took the western route, returning via the swift motorway network and getting everyone comfortably back to Wakefield by tea-time.
Our sincere thanks to the Elstone Family for being such wonderful clients - it was a great pleasure to be of service.
